The missing Cast button for your Mac.
CouchCast plays any local MKV or MP4 on your Chromecast — the right audio track, real subtitles, zero cloud. Pick a file, hit Cast, and watch from the couch.
One-time purchase · Instant secure download via Dodo Payments · No CouchCast account or subscription
Includes FFmpeg 9.0 under the GNU LGPL 2.1 or later. Source, licenses, and build materials
- No app account
- Nothing to sign into, nothing to activate
- Zero cloud
- Not one byte of your media leaves your network
- Smart preparation
- Direct, remux, or transcode. Whichever is gentlest on your file
- One file at a time
- No library, no queue. Just one video, done properly
How it works
From file to flatscreen in three steps
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1
Pick your TV & your file
CouchCast finds your Chromecast over Bonjour and shows its familiar name — “Living Room”, not a mystery ID. Then choose any MKV or MP4. For MP4 files, a same-named
.srtis picked up automatically. -
2
Choose audio & subtitles
Every embedded audio track, embedded subtitle, or an external SRT/ASS file. CouchCast probes the file and tells you exactly how it will be prepared — before you cast.
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3
Cast & relax
Play, pause, and seek ±15s from the main window, the menu-bar remote, or the keyboard. Closing the window never stops the show — your Mac keeps serving until you say stop.
Features
Small app. Serious pipeline.
Google never shipped a macOS Cast SDK — so CouchCast implements the narrow Cast protocol itself, wrapped in a properly native Mac app.
Least-destructive pipeline
Compatible MP4s are served byte-for-byte. Compatible MKV video and audio remux to MP4 with zero re-encoding; incompatible audio is converted while the video stays untouched. Only truly incompatible video is transcoded.
Hardware-fast transcoding
When transcoding is unavoidable, VideoToolbox-built HLS windows stay ahead of playback. Seek deep into the movie and CouchCast jumps straight to that window instead of making you wait.
Subtitles that just work
SRT becomes a proper WebVTT text track selected before casting. ASS/SSA, PGS, and VobSub are burned in cleanly with libass — styling intact, no OCR hacks.
Menu-bar remote
A compact remote lives in your menu bar with the timeline, ±15s seek, play/pause, and stop. Full keyboard shortcuts too — Space to pause, ⌘←/⌘→ to skip.
On-TV preview
A muted preview follows your Chromecast so you always know what’s on screen. An energy-saver mode freezes a single frame — and Reduce Motion is always respected.
Private by design
No app accounts, analytics, or cloud. The built-in server binds to one interface, answers only your Chromecast, exposes only randomized routes, and cleans up every temp file when you stop.
Pricing
One price. Yours forever.
CouchCast
for Apple Silicon · macOS 14.4+
$9.99 USD · one-time
- The full app as a signed DMG — FFmpeg bundled, nothing else to install
- Lifetime license — no subscription, activation server, or CouchCast account
- Instant delivery by email, with fresh links available from Dodo’s customer portal
Secure checkout by Dodo Payments — cards, Apple Pay & more
Includes FFmpeg 9.0 under the GNU LGPL 2.1 or later. Source and licenses
FAQ
Questions, answered
How do I get the app after paying?
Checkout is handled by Dodo Payments. The moment your payment clears, Dodo generates a temporary, protected download link for the CouchCast DMG and emails it to you. If it expires, use Dodo’s unified customer portal to generate a fresh link. Drag CouchCast into Applications, and you’re done.
What do I need to run it?
An Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14.4 or newer, and a supported Chromecast on the same Wi-Fi network. FFmpeg is bundled inside the app — no Homebrew, no terminal, nothing else to install.
Which files and subtitles are supported?
MKV and MP4 files, one at a time. Pick any embedded audio track, an embedded subtitle, or an external SRT/ASS file. SRT plays as a selectable text track; ASS/SSA, PGS, and VobSub are burned into the video. Compatible files are served or remuxed losslessly — never re-encoded for no reason.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
Never. CouchCast serves the file directly from your Mac to your Chromecast over your own LAN. Its HTTP listener only answers the one Chromecast you selected, on randomized routes, and removes every temporary file when you stop. There are no CouchCast accounts and no analytics.
Does it do playlists, libraries, or AirPlay?
No — deliberately. CouchCast is not a media library, cloud service, metadata scraper, or mirroring tool. It casts one local file to a Chromecast, and it does that one thing properly.
What if it doesn’t work with my setup?
The app ships with a built-in diagnostics window that explains each stage of the pipeline in plain language — and a copyable, redacted report you can send through the CouchCast support page.
Movie night starts in two minutes.
Buy, download, pick a file, hit Cast. That’s the whole setup guide.
Buy CouchCast · $9.99Includes FFmpeg 9.0 under the GNU LGPL 2.1 or later · Source and licenses