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R-Cast - Quick Start
- Install R-Cast channel in your Roku device
- Install R-Cast app in your Android device
- Connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network as your Roku device
- The app will detect Roku devices in your network
- Browse the web for your favorite entertainment
- In Android 4.3 or earlier, play videos in full view for the cast menu
- In Android 4.4 or later, just start videos to launch the cast menu
- Select the Roku device to cast and voila!
- Enjoy videos on the big screen!!
R-Cast - Help & FAQs
What is the difference between R-Cast free and R-Cast RADICAL edition?
How do I connect with Roku devices?
I have trouble casting videos to my Roku, what can I do?
What is the "Cast in Mobile Hotspot" option for?
Do I always need a Wi-Fi network to use R-Cast?
What video formats does it support?
Why do I have to press the full view icon in some websites to get the cast menu?
Can I cast videos stored in my Android device?
Can I control my Roku device using the R-Cast app?
Do you collect any information on what is being cast?
The video continues to play in the browser even after casting the video to Roku, why?
I see the upgrade button even after upgrading to the RADICAL edition, why?
In the free version, does the 10 minute time limit apply to the browser or only to the Roku device?
What features does the browser support?
What is R-Cast?
R-Cast lets you cast online videos from your Android device to Roku! This app is intended to help cast videos embedded in websites that don't have a Roku channel.
Install the R-Cast channel and R-Cast app in your Roku and Android devices respectively. Once you connect the devices to the same Wi-Fi network, the app will detect the Roku devices.
Browse the web for videos in the Android app and cast them to the Roku channel. It's that easy!
Please note that not all videos can be cast (like Flash videos, live streams, etc). Videos in the web that are not in high definition, might not look the same on your HD TV as they look in a small screen. If the video website already has a Roku channel, please use its channel.
THIS APP & CHANNEL IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ROKU.
What is the difference between R-Cast free and R-Cast RADICAL edition?
R-Cast is available in 2 editions - free and RADICAL:
- The free edition contains ads and can only cast for 10 minutes at a time.
- The RADICAL edition has no time limits and removes the ads at the bottom of the browser. It doesn't remove the ads hosted by the websites you visit.
- The RADICAL edition will also allow you to save and resume previous video casts.
How do I connect with Roku devices?
Once you install the app and channel in your devices, make sure they are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The app will automatically detect Roku devices in your network. If it is not able to find them, use the 'refresh' button in the Roku devices menu to scan for devices.
Once it finds your Roku devices, you can give a friendly name to each device in the Roku devices menu.
If you're having trouble then you may add the Roku device manually using the 'plus' button in the Roku devices menu. Enter the Roku's IP address from the Settings menu in your Roku device and give it a friendly name.
I have trouble casting videos to my Roku, what can I do?
Here are some steps to troubleshoot:
- Make sure your Roku device and your Android device are in the same Wi-Fi network.
- Check if your Roku device is listed in the Roku devices menu, if not refresh or add it manually.
- In Android 4.4 or newer versions, when you play the video in the web page it will launch the cast menu.
- If the video is already playing or if you don't get the cast menu, refresh the page to get the cast menu.
- In older Android versions, when the video is playing press the full view button (four arrows) found in the right bottom corner of the video to launch the cast menu.
- Make sure the R-Cast channel is installed in your Roku device.
- You will need both the app and the channel for this to work.
- Not all videos can be cast (like Flash videos, live streams, etc).
- If you don't get the cast menu or if the video isn't playing, please contact us. We'll be glad to help you.
What is the "Cast in Mobile Hotspot" option for?
If you don't have a working Wi-Fi/Internet connection and if you want to connect your Roku to a mobile hotspot then you can enable this option to cast videos within the hotspot. If you are using Roku in a Wi-Fi network then don't enable this setting. Follow these steps to cast videos to a Roku device within a mobile hotspot:
- Enable "Cast in Mobile Hotspot" option in the Settings menu.
- Turn on your mobile hotspot and connect your Roku device to it.
- In the Roku devices menu, manually add your Roku's IP address (192.168.x.y) and give it a friendly name.
- Refreshing devices might work in a mobile hotspot, so you might have to add it manually.
- Browse the web for your favorite entertainment.
- In Android 4.3 or earlier, play videos in full view for the cast menu.
- In Android 4.4 or later, just start videos to launch the cast menu.
- Select the Roku device to cast and enjoy videos in a mobile hotspot!
Do I always need a Wi-Fi network to use R-Cast?
No, if you don't have a Wi-Fi network, you could use R-Cast in a mobile hotspot to enjoy videos on your Roku. Follow the steps listed here.
Some videos do not play, why?
Not all video websites work in all versions of Roku devices. For instance, Flash videos and live streams will not work. Please make sure the video sites you frequently use work before upgrading to the paid version.
What video formats does it support?
It plays all video formats supported by Android and Roku: HTML5, MKV, MP4.
Why do I have to press the full view icon in some websites to get the cast menu?
Videos have to be played in full view in order for R-Cast to get the video information and send it to the Roku device. Depending on the Android version, some websites might play the videos in an embedded view within the web page, like YouTube in Android 3.0 and above. In those websites you'll have to press the full view icon (4 arrows at the bottom right corner) to launch the cast menu.
Also, the cast menu will only launch if you have at least one Roku device.
Can I cast videos stored in my Android device?
No, you can only cast videos that are available online. Both Android and Roku devices should have access to the Internet.
Can I control my Roku device using the R-Cast app?
No, R-Cast app doesn't have a built-in remote control. You can launch the Roku remote app (available in Google Play) to control your Roku device once you cast the video. After you install the Roku remote app, you can enable its launch in the Settings menu inside R-Cast app. This will launch the Roku remote app immediately after you cast the video in the R-Cast app. You can turn off this launch setting at anytime if you choose to use the physical remote control that comes with your Roku device.
Do you collect any information on what is being cast?
No, we do not collect any information about what is being cast. You can be confident that R-Cast does not employ any usage analytics either! We would like to know how much fun you are having with this app so please share your R-Cast stories via email or if you choose to write a review about the app in the Play store. We'd like to hear from our users but their business is their business!
The video continues to play in the browser even after casting the video to Roku, why?
In some devices the embedded view continues to play even after casting begins. In that situation, pause the video in the embedded view before pressing the full view icon to launch the cast menu.
I see the upgrade button even after upgrading to the RADICAL edition, why?
Please close and reopen the app to refresh the purchase information. If that doesn't work then close the app again, open the Google Play app and select the Google account you used to purchase the upgrade. Reopen the R-Cast app for the purchase to take effect. You'll see the upgrade button if you don't have Internet access. Once you regain network access the app will refresh the purchase information and the upgrade button will disappear.
In the free version, does the 10 minute time limit apply to the browser or only to the Roku device?
The 10 minute time limit only applies to the Roku device. There are no time limits on the browser. You can browse and watch videos locally for as long as you want. To remove ads at the bottom of the browser you have to upgrade the browser.
What features does the browser support?
R-Cast web browser comes with the following features. If you like these features, please check out Split Browser, which offers plenty more!
- Toolbar
- Address input supports free text search using Google.
- http:// is optional for web addresses.
- Ctrl + Enter key inserts "www." and ".com" when using keyboards.
- Autocomplete address input from bookmarks and history.
- Press and hold an autocomplete entry to open it in a new tab.
- Navigate backward, forward and refresh web pages when available.
- Press and hold back/forward arrows to view tab history and jump to a page in the list.
- Progress bar indicates the speed of webpage download.
- Tabs
- Starting a new tab opens a web page set in the preferences.
- View tabs that are open in the background, open, replace bookmark or close them.
- Bookmarks
- Add the current web page as a bookmark using the 'plus' button in the bookmarks menu.
- View, open, edit or delete bookmarks.
- Open bookmarks in a new tab.
- Browser
- Open links and images in a new tab.
- Copy links to clipboard or bookmark them.
- History
- Manage history across all tabs in one place.
- Items are sorted reverse chronologically showing the time of last visit.
- Bookmark links from history.
- Delete individual items or the entire history.
- Settings
- Enable or disable the Roku remote app after casting a video.
- Set the start page and new tab page.
- Restore previously open web pages and tabs upon restart.
- Open a new tab when launching to view links from other apps.
- Turn off hardware acceleration to handle display issues.
- Block Javascript popup message dialogs.
- Block links from opening background tabs.
- View pages in desktop mode.
- Remove controls to widen the address input during entry which is useful in phones to autocomplete.
- Adjust maximum zoom out level effective in most devices.
- Show or hide zoom +/- controls in Android 3.0 and above.
- Remember form data.
- Remember passwords.
- Clear cache, history, cookies, form data and passwords.
- Clear cache, history and cookies when exiting.
- Upgrade to RADICAL edition.
How do I contact support?
Please send an email to appestry@gmail.com with your questions and feedback. All emails will be responded typically within 24 hours.