VLC Chromecast not working on Windows PC

Is the VLC Chromecast feature not working on your Windows PC? This issue could be caused by compatibility issues between your Chromecast device and VLC’s casting function. In this post, we will tell you what you can do in this case and also what to do if VLC Renderer can’t find your Chromecast.

How do I Chromecast VLC on Windows?

To cast videos from Windows to Chromecast using VLC, follow the below steps:

Open the media player app and go to the Playback menu.
Navigate to the Renderer option and you will be able to see a list of detected Chromecast devices.
Select the desired Chromecast to which you want to play a video.
Open a video or audio and it will start playing on your TV.

However, many users have reported that they can’t cast videos to their devices from a PC via VLC. The media player doesn’t cast the video at all, or it keeps showing a blank black screen with the video title flashing on the TV.

Fix VLC Chromecast not working on Windows PC

If VLC fails to cast videos from your Windows PC to a Chromecast device, here are the methods to fix the issue:

Make sure VLC and Chromecast are up-to-date.
Power cycle your Chromecast device.
Allow VLC through your firewall.
Try casting some other videos.
Switch to a 2.4 GHz network.
Check VLC Chromecast settings.
Reinstall VLC.

Chromecast devices are not detected by VLC

1] Make sure VLC and Chromecast are up-to-date

This issue is likely to occur if your VLC app or the Chromecast firmware is outdated. Update VLC and install all firmware updates on your Chromecast.

To update VLC on Windows, open the app and go to the Help menu. Now, click on the Check for updates option and let it scan for available updates. You can then follow onscreen instructions to download and install the pending software updates. Once updates are installed, restart VLC and check if Chromecast is working properly now.

2] Power cycle your Chromecast device

It could be a temporary cache issue with your Chromecast device causing the problem. So, try performing a power cycle on your TV: switch off your device, unplug it, wait for a minute, re-plug your TV, and then turn it on to check if the issue is gone.

3] Allow VLC through your firewall

Another potential cause of this issue could be interference by your firewall. To confirm the same, disable your firewall for some time and then see if you can cast videos from your PC to Chromecast using VLC. If yes, you can fix the issue by allowing the app through your firewall. Here’s how:

First, open the Windows Security app using Windows Search and click on Firewall and Network Protection.
After that, select the Allow an app through firewall option.
Next, press the Change Settings button.
Now, locate the VLC media player app in the list and tick the checkbox associated with it.
After that, tick the Public and Private network checkboxes present next to the app and click on the OK button to save changes.
Finally, open VLC and check if the problem is resolved.

Read: VLC washed out colors & color distortion problem.

4] Try casting some other videos

The problem might occur with certain videos. You can try casting some other videos on your Chromecast device and check if the problem is resolved. If the issue is with specific videos, you can follow the below tips:

You can try converting your video to MP4 and then cast it to your TV.
Make sure your videos are not corrupted. If so, repair the problematic videos and then see if it helps.

5] Switch to a 2.4 GHz network

Chromecast (1st gen) devices need access to a 2.4 GHz network. So, if the scenario applies, you can try switching to a 2.4 GHz network on your PC and TV provided that your WiFi is compatible with both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequency bands.

6] Check VLC Chromecast settings

You can also try changing Chromecast settings on VLC and see what works for you. To do that, follow the below steps:

First, open VLC and go to Tools > Preferences.
Now, at the bottom of the window, select All under the Show settings option.
Next, expand the Stream output category and choose the Sout stream > Chromecast option.
After that, set the options correctly and click on the Save button.
Finally, try casting your videos to Chromecast and see if the problem is resolved.

Read: How to play RTSP Stream in VLC media player?

7] Reinstall VLC

If the problem persists, it might be the case that the installation of the VLC app is faulty or corrupted. Hence, you can reinstall the VLC media player on your computer and check if the issue is fixed. Here’s how:

First, close VLC and open the Settings app using Win+I.
Now, go to the Apps > Installed apps section.
Next, locate the VLC app, click on the three-dot menu button, and select the Uninstall option.
After that, make sure to remove all leftover files associated with VLC.
When done, restart your PC, download the latest version of VLC from its website, and install it on your computer.

Fix: No sound or audio in VLC on Windows.

VLC Renderer can’t find your Chromecast

Some users have reported that the VLC renderer is not able to recognize or find their Chromecast device. If the same is happening to you, follow the below solutions to get rid of the issue:

Restart VLC/Chromecast.
Ensure that Windows and Chromecast are on the same WiFi network.
Reset VLC preferences.
Try this hotfix.

Before attempting the above fixes, ensure that VLC and your Chromecast are updated to the latest version.

1] Restart VLC/Chromecast

At first, you can try restarting your VLC and Chromecast and then see if the Chromecast is detected by the media player.

2] Ensure that Windows and Chromecast are on the same WiFi network

Chromecast and Windows must be connected to the same WiFi network to cast videos from PC to TV. Hence, make sure that your PC and TV are connected to the same wireless connection.

3] Reset VLC preferences

You can also try resetting your VLC preferences and then check if it can detect Chromecast or not. Here are the steps to do that:

First, open VLC and go to the Tools menu.
Now, choose the Preferences option.
Next, click on the Reset Preferences button from the bottom of the window.
Once done, restart VLC and check if the issue is fixed.

4] Try this hotfix

A few affected users have reported that reinstalling VLC on the C:\ directory rather than C:\Program Files\ helped them fix the issue. Apart from that, you need to follow some other steps along with this. Here’s what to do:

First, uninstall the VLC media player using the Settings app and then restart your PC.

Now, download the latest version of VLC and double-click on the installer to install it. While installing, set the installation location to C:\ and follow the prompted instructions to reinstall the app.

After that, cast some YouTube videos or other local videos through a different app like Media Player from PC to TV. This is to make Chromecast visible.

Once done, launch VLC and see if the renderer can detect your Chromecast device.

Read: Fix common VLC Errors, Problems, and Issues on Windows PC.

I hope the above fixes help you fix Chromecast issues on VLC on Windows.

Why is VLC not working on my PC?

If the VLC media player is not working on your Windows PC, ensure that you have downloaded the app from its official website and not from a third-party source. It might also be the case that the app is out-of-date which is why it is not working correctly. Besides that, corrupted preferences, enabled hardware decoding, incorrect video output settings, and incorrect or corrupted installation of the app can be other reasons behind this issue.