Have you ever tried casting your screen in Google Chrome, only to find that the image is unresponsive? Well you’re not alone. Many users encounter an issue where their Chromecast session appears to start correctly but then refuses to update after the first frame. Restarting the casting session doesn’t seem to fix the issue on most occasions, making it a frustrating experience. The good news? There’s a simple fix in Google Chrome’s setting to account for this annoying encounter.
So What’s Really Happening?
Chromecast relies on Google Chrome’s built-in video encoding to stream video to your external device of choice. However, some versions of Chrome have a compatibility issue with hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding, which causes the video to freeze. By adjusting this setting we can force Chrome to use a more stable software-based encoding method, supplying us with a freeze-free cast.
Cool! But How Do I Do That?
Follow these simple steps to ensure smooth casting going forward:
Open Chrome Flags
- Open Chrome on your computer.
- Paste this URL in your search bar:
- Press Enter to open the Chrome Flag settings.
Find the Encoding Setting
- In the search bar at the top of the page, type:
- Toggle hardware accelerated H.264 video encoding for cast streaming
- You should see an option related to hardware acceleration for casting.
Disable the Feature and Restart Chrome
- Click on the dropdown menu next to the setting.
- Toggle the selection from Default to Disabled.
- Exit out of all Chrome windows.
- Reopen Chrome and test your casting.
These steps should solve the freezing issue for your Chromecast session, but if the issue persists try the additional steps below for troubleshooting.
Additional Troubleshooting Steps
- Update your Chrome browser to the latest version.
- Open Chrome, click the three dots in the righthand corner, and open Settings.
- Select About Chrome on the bottom left side of your screen to automatically check for updates and apply.
- Restart Chrome when prompted.
- Restart the device you are using for Chromecast.
- Clear your cache and cookies in Chrome.
- Open Chrome, click the three dots in the righthand corner, and open Settings.
- Select Privacy and Security on the left menu.
- Select Clear Browsing Data.
- Restart your Chrome browser.
- Disable any Chrome extensions that might affect your casting session.
Conclusion
A frozen Chromecast session might be annoying, but there’s always a simple fix! In most cases, changing the H.264 video coding setting in Chrome will ensure freeze-free casting, but there always be other issues like an outdated browser version, harmful extensions, or issues pertaining to your cookies and cache.
Still having issues after following these steps? Reach out to us for all your IT needs!