cast_yt.py

This script sends a youtube link to a casting device via python. It works best when you already have the youtube app open on your cast target.

Usage

python cast_yt.py --device "Living Room TV" --url "https://youtu.be/xxxxx" [--verbose]

Flags

• --device, -d (required): Chromecast device name (friendly name)
• --url, -u (required): YouTube URL or video ID
• --verbose, -v: Enable verbose logging

Example

python cast_yt.py --device "Music Barn TV" --url "https://youtu.be/x1t-z4QO4-M?si=m1H0Jfuk_GcSOt6j" --verbose

How it works

This script will attempt, in order:

• Use pychromecast's YouTubeController to open the YouTube app and play the video (preferred)
• If that fails, fall back to cast.play_media(original_url, 'video/mp4')

Requirements

• pychromecast
• casttube

list_cast.py

This script lists all available Chromecast devices on your local network.

list_cast.py Usage

python list_cast.py

This will output a list of Chromecast device names and their IP addresses, for example:

Searching for Chromecast devices on the local network...
Found 2 device(s):
- Music Barn TV (192.168.0.165)
- Living Room TV (192.168.0.181)

Use this script to discover the exact device names to use with cast_yt.py.

search_yt.py

This script searches YouTube and returns video links and short text summaries for a given query.

search_yt.py Usage

python search_yt.py "cool RC cars"

Optional arguments

• --max N : Maximum number of results to return (default: 5)

YouTube API Key Setup

1. Copy config.yaml.example to config.yaml:

   cp config.yaml.example config.yaml

2. Follow the instructions in config.yaml.example to obtain a YouTube Data API v3 key and paste it into config.yaml.

3. Do not commit your real API key! config.yaml is already in .gitignore.

Example Output

1. Cool RC Cars Compilation
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXXXXXXX
   A fun compilation of cool RC cars in action...

2. Best RC Cars 2024
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYYYYYYYYYY
   Our picks for the best RC cars this year...

Python Environment Setup

It is recommended to use a virtual environment for isolation:

# Create a virtual environment (Python 3.14+ recommended)
python3 -m venv .venv

# Activate the environment (macOS/Linux)
source .venv/bin/activate
# On Windows, use:
# .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the scripts
python list_cast.py
python cast_yt.py --device "Your Chromecast Name" --url "https://youtu.be/xxxxx" [--verbose]