Not sure what you're asking here. If you have Plex set up on your iMac you can either play its content by casting from a mobile device with the Plex app (if you have a Chromecast) or by downloading the app for the Fire Stick. Where are you getting stuck?

 

I know that Emby etc can do what I want (have full control of video playing at the TV location) but for whatever reason (probably my inability to figure out the setup) I cannot get anything to cast . I find the online instructions a bit vague and hard to understand (for a rookie at this game). I have been able to use Airplay and Mirroring but controlling the video playing has to be done from the source (my Imac some distance away).

 

What do you have plugged into your TV to receive casts? A Chromecast dongle? If so, have you verified it's on the same wifi network as the device you're trying to cast from (iPhone, iPad, etc.)

 

If your TV has an external chromecast dongle or has chromecast built-in, then all you need is a computer with the Chrome Browser, it doesn't matter if its a PC or a Mac.
Here are the steps I found on the world wide web regarding casting from a mac, give it a try.

How to Chromecast from Mac to TV
Once your Chromecast is connected, it's incredibly easy to start casting content from your Mac to your TV. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Check Chromecast Setup on Mac and Open Chrome
Make sure your Chromecast is powered on and connected to your WiFi network. Then, launch the Chrome browser on your Mac.
2. Select Content to Cast
Within Chrome, navigate to the app, video, or content you want to cast. You can cast nearly anything displayed in the Chrome browser window, including videos, music, webpages, presentations, and more.
3. Click on the Cast Icon
At the top right of the Chrome window, click on the Cast icon (it looks like a WiFi symbol). A dropdown will appear, showing you any available Chromecast devices.
4. Choose Your Chromecast Device
From the dropdown, select the Chromecast device you want to stream to. Your Mac screen will begin casting to your TV.
5. Control Playback from Your Mac
You can now control the content's playback directly from your Mac. Use the play, pause, and volume controls on your Mac to adjust the stream on your TV.
6. Disconnect When Done
Once you're finished casting, simply click the "Disconnect" button in Chrome to stop streaming to your Chromecast. The stream will end on your TV.

 

From what weehaggis1956 has posted, they don't want to cast directly from their Mac as it's not readily at hand. And although I haven't tried, I can't imagine casting from Chrome logged into Plex would be a great experience.

I think they want this setup: Media library on Mac, served by Plex, Emby, etc. -> App on mobile device accessing media server and casting to TV.

 

I would be nice to know what is needed in layperson's terms. I get the sense that the term "casting" is being convoluted with other technologies that don't involve casting such as DLNA streaming and proprietary video service streaming. They are completely different and usually incompatible, though they may be supported on the same video device. Casting implies control by the device hosting the video, such as a phone or PC browser. Streaming implies that the video display device or app is in control and a remote server is simply providing the video source, such as a video file or video stream.

To cast using an iMac, Airplay is the native streaming protocol and requires an Airplay receiver. Some TVs and streaming devices support it. Google's option is the Chromecast protocol. It works sightly differently in some cases by streaming directly from the video service, or it can be used to stream the contents of the Google Chrome browser. There are other casting protocols but they are not as well supported and may not work as well.

On the other hand, the DLNA protocol uses a DLNA server to stream content to a DLNA client app or device. It's a little different as the server must be set up to provide the stream (similar to an internet video service.) The app accesses the server and controls what is streamed. Plex, Emby and Serviio are in this category but there are many others. They include Media Monkey (primarily designed for music), Kodi (needs a high powered streamer to work well), 5kPlayer and VLC. DLNA is is a very widely implemented protocol that is used by most modern video or audio players and consumer servers. There is also hardware that has a built in DLNA client or server.

Another method is to simply share files on the LAN using a PC and access them using a video player app. This works quite well for moderate numbers of files. Files can be shared using the files app on iOS and viewed using a compatible video streaming app. That includes many widely available video player apps such as the Plex client.

 

Thanks for all the responses. It does seem as though I might be using the wrong terminology trying to explain what I want. I think to do what I want (TV local control and open access to multiple Video files on Imac). I believe this requires a server of some sort. Since the likes of Emby,Plex and Serviio seem to handle this type of streaming, I am trying to find a simpler alternative. The Airplay and Chromecast options don’t meet my needs (for local control). I know that Amazon Fire sticks have the new Matter casting option (which allows control via the Fire Stick remote) but you can only use it with the Amazon Prime app and I would not be able to access my own videos on my Imac.

 

Still confused. Please tell us why this wouldn't work:

• Plex media server on iMac
• Fire TV stick plugged into TV, with Plex app downloaded.

Controllable from your sofa via Fire TV stick remote control or FireTV mobile app.

OR

• Plex/Emby media server on iMac
• Chromecast plugged into TV

Controllable from your sofa via casting from the mobile Plex or Emby apps..

 

Plex , Emby and Srviio ……. I have. Never been able to figure out how to set them up.
I don’t have a Fire Stick.
I do have a Chromecast dongle. Can’t figure that out either. (plus there no local control when using thisa , right ?).
I don’t want to have to use my phone or Ipad to control locally because all my video files are on the Imac (not enought capacity on mobile).

 

Ok, let's back up a bit. You've made some wrong assumptions. I'll use Plex in the instructions as I've set this up a number of times.

1. Set up Plex on iMac. Lots of tutorials on this. Hopefully your media files are well named. You may have to pay a fee for the features you need - I paid for a lifetime plan a long, long time ago so I don't know what's currently offered for free.

2. Install Plex on your iPhone or iPad. Log into the app with your Plex account. You should see all the media Plex picked up on your iMac - these are pointers only, not actual files.

3. Use the cast option in the Plex app to cast what you see in the app to your TV. Start playing your media. At no point during this process is the media stored on your mobile. The mobile app simply acts as a remote control (play, pause, scrub, etc) for the Plex server on your Mac and lets you choose where to view the media (on your mobile device, Chromecast, etc.).

Emby should work the same way.

 

The issue is that a Plex server can be complicated to set up. I agree. It's especially time consuming to set up file naming in a way that works well with the Plex server.

That's why I suggested using the file sharing method. That's how I originally did it and it works fine. The main issue is finding an app that will play files directly on a streaming device. I've used the Kodi app, which also requires some setup, but found it had a large impact in terms of CPU and memory requirements. VLC is a very good player that is available from the Android Play Store. It's main downfall is an antiquated interface. MX Player, Video Player All Format and KM Player are other Android apps that may stream files directly over the LAN. Those recommendation assume the use of an Android TV based streamer or TV. There are probably other apps but that will depend on the TV or streaming device.

3. Use the cast option in the Plex app to cast what you see in the app to your TV.

That's unnecessary. The Plex app is available on a number of streaming devices and TVs. It will work directly with the Plex server on another device or the same device. The Android Plex app has a one time cost of about $5 without a Plex subscription. The Plex server is free.

 

1) If Plex can't match the file names, you're no worse off than if you're using the file sharing method?

2) A Chomecast dongle is being used so no apps on there. But yes, if the smart TV has Plex then there's no need for casting.

 

Can't help with apples but

I have Kodi on my firecube as well as Jellyfin and vlc. All the videos are on my desktop (windows).
My amazon remote lets me choose what I want to watch.
Basically like Plex but all on my pc and local network.

My old Panasonic has an app called Media Player.
It has two usb ports and one sd card port. Maybe your t.v. has these?

A 32GB sd card holds 5 seasons of 24 episodes of 1080p video.

The t.v. remote lets me choose which season and which episode I want to watch from either of the memory sticks.

 

Sneakernet might be a good option in some cases. Most TVs allow playing video from USB drives. A 64GB USB 3 flash drive will hold over 50 hours of HD and costs under $20. I just found a 2-Pack of SanDisk 64GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drives for $25. They are very fast in a USB 3 port so no need to wait around forever for files to transfer.

 

What about buying an Apple TV?