Casting Flash videos from Android to TV
My phone wouldn't play a video in Chrome (default browser) so I have installed Firefox for Android with a Flash add-on, and the video now plays on the phone, but I would like to play the video on my flat screen TV. (I actually installed Dolphin first, following a recommendation in a different forum with Flash, but have now installed FF). The instructions in the FF forum for playing through my Roku device first say remove Flash, so that precise method won't work.
I also have an EZcast stick, but the opaque instructions do not help me to work out whether or not I can cast the video onto the TV, and how to do so if I can.
Alternatively, I could mirror the phone screen on the TV. Can I do this with the Roku or EZcast, and if so how? Alternatively, I can use a £3 MHL cable - I know it works, but it's less satisfactory.
Casting: the stick receives the WiFi and processes it according to instructions from the phone; one set up, the phone can be switched off.
Mirroring: the phone receives the WiFi and forwards the screen information to the TV, greatly enlarged and somewhat pixelated. Phone always active, can't switch off, and shows notifications, etc taking up top of screen.
Modified by henryfm
All Replies (9)
Casting from Firefox for Android is a feature that is still being developed.
Thank you for the progress report.... However, when I open a web page in beta and look at tools menu, the only categories are Downloads, Add-ons, Apps and New Guest Session, not the "mirror tab" described on the linked page - or aren't I looking at the main menu?
In another part of this site, someone familiar with changes in Firefox 36 for Android reported: "chromecast and roku tab mirroring have been disabled due to non-Mozilla issues." I don't know what that reason really means, but it sounds like it's not available for now.
In the bug report related to disabling this feature in Firefox 36 for Android, it says "Chromecast [is] now broken due to a firmware issue." We might have to wait for Google to fix it on their side?
Thanks for that, although I'm not using Chromecast - mine are Roku or EZcast (the same but different...)
You could see whether switching a preference restores the menu item and, if it does, whether it works with your EZcast:
(1) Open a new tab to about:config (type about:config in the Awesomebar and tap the go arrow or tap Enter).
You may want to bookmark this for easier future access.
(2) In the search box, type mirr and pause as Firefox filters the list
(3) Tap browser.mirroring.enabled then tap Toggle to switch it from false to true.
Thanks for suggestions..... I found that browser mirroring was already set to true, but I did set browser_mirroring_roku to true. The roku connects, but does not mirror.... the mirror tab was visible. With the EZcast, on a different network (we have a repeater) I got a connection, but the mirror tab had disappeared. wierd. Oh well, I'm away for a couple of weeks. Maybe a new version if FF beta then.........
Hi henryfm
Just to clarify what guigs2 and jscher2000 (thanks!) said:
- tab mirroring to Roku and Chromecast is currently disabled because of Roku and Chromecast issues i.e. we are awaiting some resolution from Roku and Chromecast software folks
- video casting to Roku and Chromecast (i.e. sending a video URL for Firefox for Android to Roku and Chromecast) should work but there are bugs
Therefore, if you can't get video casting to work on either Roku or Chromecast please let us know what you did, what happened, what you expected, your Android OS version, your Android model for your tablet or phone and which Roku model or Chromecast you are using.
Cheers!
...Roland
Video casting won't work because Flash is not supported on the Roku playback devices.
Screen mirroring might work but as others have said it is not functional due to device (roku and chromecast) limitations.