DeviceCast

Based on the work done by @andresgottlieb and the project Soundcast with help from some handy libraries such as:

• electron - allowing me to quickly build Mac OSX apps in javascript.
• nodecast-js - allowing me to scan the network and locate Chromecasts & UPNP devices.
• webcast-osx-audio - for providing me with access to Mac OSX audio as a web stream.
• upnp-mediarenderer-client - for facilitation of the routing of the web stream to a UPNP device.

Reasoning

Primarily driven from the need to stream audio from my Mac Book to a set of recently purchased Pure Jongo speakers. After having issues with bluetooth connectivity and problems with the range bluetooth offers, I created this small application. This applications aims to eliminate this restrictions of bluetooth's range by using UPNP over WIFI for better performance, namely distance from source to speaker.

Installation

1. Download and install Soundflower v2.0b2 (if you have a previous version, follow this instructions to uninstall it and then install v2.0b2).
2. checkout & build npm install && ./build_app.sh OR checkout & hack npm install && ./run_app.sh
3. If you want it to start automatically with your computer do this.

Mac OS X El Capitan

Soundflower to v2.0b2 is required for El Capitan.

1. Uninstall Soundflower following this instructions.
2. Download and install Soundflower v2.0b2.

Don't forget rebooting your computer between both steps.

Tested On

Device	Outcome
Jongo SX3	PASS
Jongo TX4	PASS
Jongo TX6	PASS
Chromecast Audio	TODO
Chromecast	TODO
Sonos	TODO

Development

• This app has dependencies that only work on NodeJS v0.10 (.38 and over), and uses Electron.
• To package the app, use electron-packager ./build_app.sh

It has the ability to:

• Scan the network for available UPNP devices, currently only supporting Jongo S3X and Jongo TX4 speakers.
• Scan the network for available Chromecasts (Both HDMI & Audio)
• Redirect internal Mac OSX sound through Soundflower to create a reliable stream of sound
• Direct this Stream over UPNP to the Jongo speakers

Known Issues

• Only casts to UPNP device at present - and only tested on a Jongo SX3 and Jongo TX4 speaker.
• Application sometimes does not always kill the stream.
• If the application crashes and on re-start you get a error similar to listen EADDRINUSE.
• You need to find the orphaned process and kill is, use the following to identify the process.

lsof -i :3000

• If npm install fails with `Failed at the [email protected] install script 'node-gyp rebuild'. Try to:
• rm -fr node_modules
• Manually install npm install webcast-osx-audio -save and re-run.

Release Notes

• [2016-01-08] - 0.1.0

• initial release - basic support for redirection of Mac OSX Audio to UPNP Jongo speaker

• [2016-01-13] - _0.2.0_

• Look at adjusting stream quality - providing options

• Allow start/stop of casting & switching to other devices once stopped

• Notifications on start/stop streaming

• [2016-01-27] - _0.3.0_

• Enable logging to file - remove console.log()

• Verbose mode - enabled logging of unknown devices e.g. logging of device

• Allow streaming over microphone over speakers (very doable but is a required feature?)

• [2016-XX-XX] - _0.4.0_

• Allow casting to Chromecast

• Allow casting to Chromecast Audio

TODO

Future

• Allow general discovery mode where every device is logged out e.g. [-d]
• Ability to 'Refresh Devices'
• Allow casting to Sonos speakers - https://github.com/bencevans/node-sonos
• Allow casting to Ruko - https://github.com/TheThingSystem/node-roku
• Ability to control Chromecast Audio pairing/grouping
• Ability to control volume of Chromecast
• Ability to control volume of UPNP Device
• Build & release installer or similar
• Icons for all types
• Web Site
• config store - http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30465034/where-to-store-user-settings-in-electron-atom-shell-application

BLOCKED

• Set icon device when playing - see: electron/electron#528
• Move to using webcast-osx programmatically and not using exec - Note possible at present - due to restrictions in webcast-osx-audio
• Upgrade to latest node - see: fardog/node-osx-audio#7 §