Previously I have investigated the capabilities of Chromecast (CC). In addition to providing a number of apps to make a TV "smart" and play free / chargeable content, CC provides the capability to "cast" to the TV content from phone, iPad or PC. Home Assistant (HA) leverages the casting capability, allowing me to choose media within HA and play it on the TV.
In effect, I now have the same capability for video as I do for music but the question remains what use is it? When finding and playing a youtube video, it is usually easiest to use a PC or iPad. When watching a film, it is usually easiest to save it in DLNA and use the TV remote to select it.
HA webhooks allow you to use Chrome to select scripts or automations which HA executes for you. For example I can easily setup a webhook to play a Youtube video on the TV and I can use an input form to select the youtube id I want to play. I found a number of videos that I (or Harry Junior) may want to watch simply by pasting the appropriate URL into a web page.
It would be simpler to setup a drop down menu of choices but even better, especially for Harry Junior, is to be able to press the icon for one of his favourite videos on the iPad and watch it on the TV. As of January 2023 "Speedie Didi" is his preferred vlogger so I set up a number of her videos for him.
I may setup more webpages along these lines if they prove useful. It would certainly make it easier to find yotube videos I want to watch repeatedly.
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