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PC Caster discovers Roku and Fire TV devices on your local network using SSDP multicast — the same protocol smart TV remotes and casting apps use. When it finds a Roku, it queries the Roku ECP API for a friendly device name. All devices, whether discovered automatically or added by hand, are saved to ~/.pc_caster.json and restored the next time you open the app.

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Auto scan

Click ↺ Scan to scan your network. PC Caster sends two SSDP M-SEARCH multicast messages to 239.255.255.250:1900:
  • ST: roku:ecp — targets Roku devices
  • ST: urn:dial-multiscreen-org:service:dial:1 — targets Fire TV and other DIAL-compatible devices
The scan runs for 4 seconds (SSDP_TIMEOUT = 4) while it waits for devices to respond. For each Roku IP that replies, PC Caster calls GET http://<ip>:8060/query/device-info to retrieve the device’s user-assigned name (or model name as a fallback). Fire TV devices are listed as Fire TV (<ip>). Once the scan completes, the device list is refreshed and any device that was selected before the scan is automatically re-selected.

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Device list columns

ColumnWhat it shows
Device NameFriendly name from Roku ECP, or Fire TV (<ip>) for Fire TV devices
TypeRoku or Fire TV
IP AddressThe device’s IP address on your LAN

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Add a device manually

If auto-scan doesn’t find your device — for example because it’s on a different subnet or has network isolation enabled — click ＋ Add IP.
1

Open the Add IP dialog

Click ＋ Add IP in the toolbar above the device list.
2

Enter the device IP address

Type the IP address of your device. For a Roku, find it at Settings → Network → About on the TV.
3

Select the device type

Choose Roku or Fire TV using the radio buttons.
4

Click Add Device

Click Add Device (or press Enter). For Roku, PC Caster immediately queries ECP for the device name. The device appears in the list and is saved automatically.
Manual devices are persisted to ~/.pc_caster.json under the manual_devices key and reappear after every restart — you only need to add them once.

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Fire TV support

Fire TV devices are discovered via the DIAL SSDP target. Casting to Fire TV requires a one-time ADB setup because PC Caster uses ADB shell commands to deliver the stream URL.
On your Fire TV:
  1. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → About and click the Build entry 7 times to unlock Developer Options.
  2. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options.
    • Set ADB Debugging → ON
    • Set Apps from Unknown Sources → ON
On your Windows PC:
  1. Download Android Platform Tools (which includes adb.exe) from developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools.
  2. Extract the zip to a folder, for example C:\adb.
  3. Add that folder to your PATH:
    • Search for Environment Variables in the Start menu
    • Edit the Path variable under User variables
    • Click New and enter C:\adb
    • Click OK and close all dialogs
  4. Reopen PC Caster and click ▶ Cast to TV.
A confirmation prompt will appear on the Fire TV screen the first time you connect — select Allow.
If your Roku doesn’t appear in scans, it may be on a different subnet or have network isolation enabled. Use ＋ Add IP and enter the IP shown at Settings → Network → About on the Roku.
Manual devices persist across sessions in ~/.pc_caster.json. To remove a manually added device, open that file in a text editor and delete the corresponding entry from the manual_devices object, then restart PC Caster.

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