Cast

I also use my retrogaming setup to watch tv shows and movies.

In my Setup I have two Chromecasts:

  • a primary “4k Chromecast with Google TV” connected indirectly to my TV through my HDMI Switch;

  • a secondary older model Chromecast connected the DELL screen mounted on the wall. It’s used for my A Link to the Past Randomizer setup or to watch a TV show simultaneously as I play a game.

Overview

Home Assistant

In order to be able to watch TV with my setup I had to use Home Assistant to automate the power on of my setup:

  • open the TV and select the appropriate TV input using CEC;

  • select the appropriate input of my HDMI Switch using Infrared;

  • open the lights;

  • activate the Audio.

Primary Chromecast’s automation

I use both Android TV Remote and Google Cast integrations to detect if the Chromecast starts.

I noticed the Android TV Remote integration is more reliable to detect the latest Chromecast’s state.

trigger:
  - platform: device
    device_id: 35acec382f488dbacf7b44d83d97a73d
    domain: media_player
    entity_id: media_player.en_bas
    type: turned_on
  - platform: device
    type: turned_on
    device_id: cb31a81713aa4b7233eac40e67b17c5a
    entity_id: remote.en_bas_remote
    domain: remote

Wall mounted monitor’s automation

I use Home Assistant to detect when the Chromecast is playing or buffering and then turn on the corresponding scene.

This scene powers on the Smart Plug of the monitor on the wall.

trigger:
  - platform: device
    device_id: 74e61b172c2aafaaa1f753ffed2d8335
    domain: media_player
    entity_id: 86f50f35d5aac8f31f2ba5677bb04b76
    type: buffering
  - platform: device
    device_id: 74e61b172c2aafaaa1f753ffed2d8335
    domain: media_player
    entity_id: 86f50f35d5aac8f31f2ba5677bb04b76
    type: playing

ha-catt-service

I made the Home Assistant integration ha-catt-service to be able to cast an URL to a Chromecast. Its used only by my A Link to the Past Randomizer setup.

service: catt_service.cast_site
data:
  device_id: media_player.my_chromecast
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling

See the ha-catt-service’s github for installation and usage.