Technical Guide: Alternatives to Chromecast Casting for Video Publishers

Hook: Your casting fall-back plan starts now

When Netflix quietly removed broad mobile-to-TV casting in late 2025 it created a near-term scramble for video publishers and creators who built discovery and engagement flows around one-tap casting. If your product roadmap relied on Chromecast-style casting for second-screen engagement, you now face broken user journeys, lost minutes watched and uncertain ad / subscription revenue.

This technical guide gives product leads and engineers practical, implementable alternatives to Chromecast-style casting: AirPlay, native TV apps, QR-triggered playback, and modern second-screen integrations. Each section includes developer steps, architecture patterns, UX recommendations and metrics you should track in 2026.

“Casting is dead. Long live casting!” — industry observers summarizing the shift in late 2025

Top takeaways (inverted pyramid)

• AirPlay is the fastest path for iOS-heavy audiences; implement using AVKit/AVRoutePickerView and AirPlay 2-friendly HLS streams with FairPlay DRM.
• Native TV apps are the most resilient long-term solution for control over UX, monetization and analytics — prioritize tvOS, Android TV/Google TV, Roku, Samsung Tizen and LG webOS.
• QR-triggered playback provides the quickest cross-device pairing without platform SDKs: display a QR on the TV, phone scans and instructs the TV via a pairing API/WebSocket.
• Second-screen web approaches (Progressive Web Apps, Remote Playback API, WebRTC control channels) bridge fast deployment and modern analytics.
• Design for DRM, HLS/DASH (CMAF), low-latency streaming, secure tokenized sessions and track connection/time-to-play KPIs.

Context: Why publishers need alternatives in 2026

Two late-2025 realities accelerated in early 2026: large streaming platforms reassessing third-party casting behavior, and a device market fragmented across AirPlay 2, proprietary TV OSes and evolving web standards (WebTransport, WebRTC and Remote Playback enhancements). For publishers this means:

• Less reliable cross-device casting unless you control the playback client.
• Greater focus on ownership of playback UX, measurement and monetization via native apps.
• Emerging pairing/remote-control patterns (QR, short codes, second-screen web apps) that are simple to ship and respect privacy rules.

Alternative 1 — AirPlay (best for iOS-first audiences)

Why AirPlay?

AirPlay 2 is the most widely supported Apple-centric second-screen mechanism. For publishers with big iOS audiences, enabling AirPlay quickly restores mobile-to-TV flows with strong reliability on Apple TV and AirPlay-enabled smart TVs.

Implementation checklist

1. Deliver HLS/CMAF streams tuned for Apple devices. Use segmented HLS and consider LL-HLS for low latency.
2. Support FairPlay Streaming (FPS) for DRM-protected content — integrate a licensing server and tokenized license requests.
3. On iOS/tvOS apps, implement AVPlayer with allowsExternalPlayback = true. Add AVRoutePickerView for an AirPlay device picker and monitor route changes with AVAudioSession and AVRouteDetector.
4. For web apps, use the HTML5 audio/video elements and the Media Session API. Consider falling back to a native handler using Universal Links to prompt the native app when AirPlay is invoked.
5. Test AVAudio/AVKit interruptions, background playback policies and multi-device audio scenarios.

UX patterns

• Show an AirPlay icon in the native iOS player and provide an explicit “Play on TV” flow that explains pairing if needed.
• Provide a visual state that confirms the TV session (title, position, device name) and an easy “Return to phone” button to resume local playback.

Pros & cons

• Pros: Fast, familiar to iOS users, deeply integrated controls and volume sync with HomeKit speakers.
• Cons: Platform-limited (Apple devices) and requires HLS/FairPlay setup for protected content.

Alternative 2 — Native TV apps (best long-term strategy)

Why build native TV apps?

Native apps deliver the best control over playback, ad insertion (SSAI or client-side), analytics, and UX for 10-foot experiences. They remove dependency on third-party casting implementations and give publishers direct access to TV OS-level capabilities and subscriptions.

Platform priorities for 2026

• tvOS (Apple TV) — prioritize if your audience skews iOS.
• Android TV / Google TV — use ExoPlayer and Google Play distribution.
• Roku — large reach with BrightScript and SceneGraph app framework.
• Samsung Tizen and LG webOS — majority of smart TVs; HTML5/WebEngine apps often work best.
• Fire TV — Amazon/Android-based devices requiring Appstore distribution.

Developer steps

1. Choose a playback engine: AVPlayer for tvOS, ExoPlayer for Android TV/Fire, Roku's SceneGraph player or webengine-based players on Tizen/webOS.
2. Adopt streaming formats: HLS or DASH (CMAF), with LL-CMAF for low-latency needs.
3. Integrate DRM: Widevine (Android/Google TV, Roku supports Widevine), PlayReady (some platforms) and FairPlay (tvOS). Consider a multi-DRM license server.
4. Design a 10-foot UI: focus on remote navigation, clear focus states, and voice search integration where available.
5. Implement account linking and device registration (OAuth device code flow is common for TVs).
6. Implement logging hooks for play events, buffer metrics, ad metrics and DRM failures; export to your analytics pipeline and CDN logs.

Cost & timelines

• Initial MVP for one TV OS: 6–12 weeks for a small team (product + 2 engineers + QA), longer if implementing DRM & SSAI.
• Each additional platform: 4–8 weeks if reusing backend services and content packaging.
• Expect ongoing maintenance and certification cycles per platform.

Alternative 3 — QR-triggered playback (fast cross-platform pairing)

What is QR-triggered playback?

QR-triggered playback uses a QR code shown on the TV to securely pair a mobile device with the TV session. The phone scans the code, authenticates the user and sends a playback command to the TV either by calling a pairing API or via a WebSocket control channel.

Why use QR pairing in 2026?

• Works on any smart TV that can render a QR (native app or web TV client).
• No platform SDKs required on the phone — the phone uses the camera and existing app or PWA.
• Better for privacy and security than open casting because pairing uses short-lived tokens and explicit user action.

Implementation blueprint

1. On the TV client, generate a short-lived pairing code / UUID and show a QR encoding a secure URL: e.g. https://your-backend/pair?sessionId=XXXX&sig=YYYY
2. Phone scans QR and opens the URL in your mobile app or PWA. If the user is not logged in, prompt for sign-in.
3. Mobile requests a session token from your backend using the sessionId and authenticated user credentials. Backend validates and issues a short-lived control token (e.g., JWT with TTL & audience).
4. Backend publishes the token to the TV session via a control channel: WebSocket, SSE or WebRTC DataChannel. Alternatively the TV polls the backend to retrieve session tokens.
5. Mobile sends playback commands (play, pause, seek, select profile) to the backend which relays to the TV; the TV then resolves the final media URL using the token and starts playback locally.

Security best practices

• Use TLS for all transport and rotate short-lived tokens (TTL < 5 minutes for pairing tokens).
• Bind tokens to the TV sessionId and device fingerprint to prevent reuse.
• Log and rate-limit pairing attempts and expire unused sessionIds quickly.

UX notes

• Show clear pairing state on both devices and an accessible code alternative for camera-less phones.
• Offer a fallback QR that opens a phone number or short-code flow for older devices.

Alternative 4 — Web-based second-screen & Remote Playback APIs

Modern web approaches (2026)

Web standards have matured: the Remote Playback API, while inconsistently implemented, plus WebRTC/WebTransport for control channels allow progressive web apps (PWAs) to deliver second-screen control with minimal platform installs. In 2026, many smart TV web engines support secure remote-control patterns.

Implementation tips

1. Use the Remote Playback API where available — it lets a website request that a remote sink play media. Have graceful fallbacks for browsers without support.
2. When you need low-latency control or live interactivity, use WebRTC (DataChannel) or WebTransport for signaling control messages between phone and TV.
3. Design your TV web client as a PWA so users can install it to the TV browser when supported.

Limitations

• Browser support varies by TV vendor and version.
• DRM support (Widevine/FairPlay) in web engines is inconsistent — test platform-by-platform.

Developer architecture: secure playback sessions

Across all options you should build a secure, token-based playback session architecture. Here’s a recommended microservice layout:

1. Auth Service — handles login and issues short-lived access tokens for pairing and license requests.
2. Playback Session Service — creates sessionIds, pairs phones & TVs, and stores session state.
3. License/DRM Gateway — tokenizes requests to Widevine/PlayReady/FairPlay license servers and enforces entitlements.
4. Control Channel Layer — WebSocket/WebRTC broker that relays control events between phone and TV.
5. CDN + Edge — host CMAF/HLS segments and leverage edge logic for geo/cache control and SSAI insertion.
6. Analytics pipeline — ingest playback events (startup time, buffer, bitrate, play percent) to a real-time analytics system.

Token patterns

• Use short-lived JWTs for control tokens with audience = {TV sessionId} and a TTL of 3–5 minutes.
• Use separate, slightly longer-lived tokens (15–60 minutes) for playback manifests and DRM license requests; scope them to contentId + accountId.

UX and user flow examples

AirPlay (phone to TV)

1. User opens your mobile app and taps the AirPlay icon.
2. User selects the Apple TV / AirPlay-enabled TV from the device picker.
3. TV displays playback and app shows session overlay with controls and “Return to phone” action.

QR pairing (phone + TV)

1. TV shows a QR with a session code and “Scan to cast” CTA.
2. User scans the QR, authenticates in the mobile app (if needed) and approves the TV session.
3. Phone sends play command and TV begins playback. Mobile acts as remote for playback/episodes/chapters.

Native TV app flow

1. User installs the TV app or registers on first-run via device code flow.
2. User browses content using remote; selecting an episode triggers manifest + DRM retrieval from backend.
3. TV tracks complete playback events and the mobile app receives synced notifications where appropriate.

Testing, metrics and rollout strategy

Key metrics

• Connection success rate — percentage of pairing attempts that result in a TV session.
• Time-to-play — from user intent to first frame on TV.
• Playback completion — percent of sessions completing 25/50/75/100%.
• Control latency — average delay for remote commands (seek, pause).
• DRM error rate — license failures per 1,000 plays.

Rollout plan

1. Phase 1 (2–6 weeks): Launch QR-triggered pairing + AirPlay support for iOS users. Monitor connection rates and feedback.
2. Phase 2 (3–6 months): Build an MVP tvOS app and an Android TV/Fire TV app. Prioritize platforms where your audience density is highest.
3. Phase 3 (6–12 months): Expand to Roku, Samsung Tizen and webOS. Add SSAI, advanced DRM and third-party integrations.
4. Continuous: Optimize telemetry, reduce time-to-play and iterate UX based on A/B tests.

Monetization and analytics considerations (2026 priorities)

Control of playback means control of measurement and monetization. Native apps and secure pairing let you:

• Implement server-side ad insertion (SSAI) for consistent ad measurement across devices.
• Collect richer analytics for retention and feature optimization while complying with privacy laws (use consented measurement and aggregated telemetry).
• Offer premium subscriptions tied to device registrations to reduce account-sharing.

Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

• Underestimating DRM complexity — test license flows on each target TV OS early.
• Waiting too long to instrument telemetry — you can’t optimize what you don’t measure.
• Overcomplicating pairing UX — keep the QR/pair flow under two screens and provide fallbacks.
• Assuming one-size-fits-all streaming settings — tune ABR ladders per device class and CPU profile.

2026 trends that affect your choices

• AirPlay 2 and tvOS parity: adoption continues upward thanks to Apple TV integration and smart TV support.
• WebRTC & WebTransport: grew as a low-latency control layer for second-screen interactivity.
• DRM consolidation: multi-DRM gateways became standard to cover Widevine, PlayReady and FairPlay with a single integration point.
• AV1 and CMAF adoption: more efficient codecs and CMAF packaging improved CDN costs and latency for live events.

Quick implementation recipes

Recipe A — Fast (7–14 days): Add QR pairing + AirPlay

1. Add QR generator to your current TV web client or simple TV app (show sessionId + short link).
2. Implement pairing endpoint and create short-lived control tokens.
3. Hook up WebSocket broker for relaying commands (can use managed service like Pusher or self-hosted SignalR/WebSocket cluster).
4. Add AVRoutePickerView and HLS + FairPlay checks in your iOS app.

Recipe B — Robust (3–6 months): Launch tvOS + Android TV MVP

1. Define ABR and DRM packaging profile (HLS+FairPlay for tvOS, DASH+Widevine for Android TV).
2. Implement a device code OAuth flow for account linking on TV.
3. Integrate player SDKs: AVPlayer (tvOS) and ExoPlayer (Android TV) with your analytics hooks.
4. Run platform certification and QA matrix across TVs and remote models.

Final recommendations

• Ship short-term QR pairing + AirPlay to reduce churn immediately.
• Parallel-track a native TV app strategy for platforms where your audience is concentrated — native apps pay off in control and monetization.
• Invest in a secure, tokenized session architecture with multi-DRM and edge-aware packaging.
• Instrument the right KPIs from day one and iterate via A/B tests on pairing UI and time-to-play optimizations.

Actionable next steps (start this week)

1. Audit your current casting dependencies and list broken user flows.
2. Decide immediate vs long-term: enable QR pairing + AirPlay now; plan tvOS + Android TV for 3–6 months.
3. Set up a small cross-functional squad (product, platform engineer, DRM engineer, QA) and a 6-week roadmap for an MVP.
4. Define your critical KPIs and add telemetry events for every pairing and playback attempt.

Call to action

If you’re responsible for audience growth or platform engineering, start by running an audit of broken cast flows and implement a QR pairing pilot this quarter. Need a quick checklist or template architecture to hand to your engineers? Download our TV pairing and DRM checklist (or contact our engineering team) and get a 7-point rollout plan tailored to your audience mix.

Start now: prioritize QR pairing + AirPlay and begin a tvOS MVP — regain control of your TV UX, metrics and revenue before user behavior solidifies elsewhere.

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