This guide walks you through finding a liveDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/iluisgm/PC_Caster/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
.m3u8 stream on a web page and watching it on your Roku TV — from a fresh PC Caster install to active playback in under 10 minutes. By the end you will have the PC Caster channel installed on your Roku, the HLS proxy running on your PC, and your first stream playing on the big screen.
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following ready:- PC Caster installed on your Windows PC and launchable via
run.batorPC Caster.vbs(see Installation) - Roku TV on the same LAN or Wi-Fi as your PC
- Roku in Developer Mode with the PC Caster channel installed — this is a one-time TV setup covered in the Roku Developer Mode guide
The 5-Step Daily Workflow
Launch PC Caster
Double-click
PC Caster.vbs (or run.bat if you need to update dependencies first). The PC Caster window opens with a dark GitHub-style UI. The status bar at the bottom reads “Scanning your network…” while it searches for devices via SSDP.Select your Roku device
Once scanning finishes, your Roku TV should appear in the Devices list with its friendly name (e.g.
Living Room TV), type (Roku), and IP address.- If your device appears, click it to select it.
- If the list is empty, click ＋ Add IP and type your Roku’s IP address manually. You can find the IP on the TV at Settings → Network → About.
Find the .m3u8 stream
In the URL TO CAST field, paste the streaming page URL — the web page that contains the video player (not the raw
.m3u8 link itself). Then click 🔍 Find .m3u8.A real Chromium browser window opens pointing to that page. In the browser:- Click the server or quality you want to watch (e.g. TSN 4, FOX, ITV1).
- Press play in the video player if it doesn’t start automatically.
.m3u8 URL and the Referer header in the background. Detected streams appear in the Stream scanner dialog in real time.Select the stream and confirm
In the Stream scanner dialog, look for the
index.m3u8 entry — this is the adaptive-bitrate master playlist and gives the Roku the best quality selection. Click it to highlight it, then click Use selected.The scanner closes, the .m3u8 URL is placed in the URL field, and the status bar updates to “Selected stream: [name] — ready to cast.”(Optional) Click 🖥 Test on PC to open the proxied stream in VLC on your PC first and confirm the stream is live and the proxy is working correctly before sending it to the TV.Cast to TV
Click the large ▶ Cast to TV button. PC Caster will:
- Start the local HLS proxy on port 8011 (adding a Windows Firewall inbound rule automatically if needed — approve the UAC prompt).
- Build the proxied URL (e.g.
http://192.168.1.50:8011/p.m3u8?...). - Connect to the Roku via ECP and launch the PC Caster channel with the proxy URL.
Understanding the Status Bar
While a stream is active, the bottom-right of the PC Caster window shows a live proxy indicator:| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
○ Proxy off | No stream has been cast yet, or the proxy was stopped. |
● Proxy ready (idle) | The proxy is running but the Roku hasn’t pulled a segment in the last 6 seconds. |
⚡ Streaming to TV · N reqs | The Roku is actively pulling playlist updates and segments. N is the total request count since the proxy started. |
⚡ Streaming to TV · N reqs indicator is your confirmation that the proxy is healthy and the Roku is receiving data. If the number stops incrementing, the stream may have stalled.
Keep PC Caster Open While Watching
The HLS proxy runs inside the PC Caster process. Closing the app while streaming will immediately stop playback on the TV. Minimise the window instead — PC Caster uses almost no CPU when the proxy is simply passing through segments.The first time you cast from a new PC, PC Caster will trigger a UAC (User Account Control) prompt to add a Windows Firewall inbound rule for TCP port 8011. This is required so the Roku can reach the proxy on your PC. You only need to approve this once.