How to Play Local Video Files with a Chromecast

We know that Chromecast can stream the online videos from YouTube, Netflix etc. But you will be glad to know that this tool also can play your local videos/files on your TV. There are several methods of doing it - we will go through two different methods. The first method is the simplest. The other one is a little more technical. But absolutely everybody can try that too. Here’s How to play local videos with Chromecast.

Method 1:
1. You have to download the Google Cast extension with your Chrome browser.
2. Install the extension to Chrome.
3. Then in the address bar of Chrome you need to type the local address of the local File you want to play.
4. You need to type/copy the full path of that file in the address bar of chrome.
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5. For example – I wanted to play a video file named Eminem - Beautiful.mp4 from the folder Eminem which is situated on the local Disk F of my hard drive, I browsed to that location and copied the full address of that location from the address bar of Windows Explorer & pasted it in the browser's address bar. The address should look like this F:\Videos\Music Videos\ENGlish\EMINEM\Eminem - Beautiful.mp4. Then if I press Enter it will start to play in the browser.
6. When the file is started to play then you can send it to your TV using Google Cast Extension.
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7. You can select the quality of the video between High (720p) or Extreme (720p) as the extension doesn’t offer 1080p quality yet.
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This is the easiest way to play local videos on Chromecast. If you don't like being limited to 720p, you can go an alternative route and use an app named Plex Media Server.

Method 2:

Setting up Plex:
1. Connect both your PC and Chromecast dongle on the same network.
2. Sign up for a Plex account - http://plex.tv
3. Download & install it on your PC.
4. Run it on your PC.
5. When the application is running you will see a notification tray with the app in the taskbar. Right-Click on that icon.
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6. Cheeck on ‘Start Plex Media Server at Login’ from the pop-up if you want to run it automatically
7. Click on ‘Media Manager’ from the pop up, the web app will open.
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8. To add files you can Click on the + icon
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9. Then select type of media files. Click on Next.
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Playing through Chromecast:
10. After adding them you can now play them in your TV.
11. Click on Settings button
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12. Then Click on Server.
13. Click on Connect from the left pane.
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14. Then Sign in using your Plex ID details. It will take some time and you just have to do it once. If you are signed in then you will see a screen like this –
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15. Then on your browser go to- http://plex.tv and sign in again there.
16. After signing in you will see a Launch button. You will see the Chromecast icon on that screen.
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17. To play files you just have to click on the Chromecast icon and select your dongles name.
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18. You can play any type of file. Additionally you will get to play them in 1080p quality.