Chrometastic-Mirror

devcybiko · Jul 19, 2020, 7:59 PM

I looked at a number of Magic Mirror projects - all seemed to use the same Raspberry Pi technology.

I wondered if there weren’t a simpler way? What about a Google ChromeCast instead of Raspberry Pi?

It works great. I got the Vilros Frame and Mirror with LCD display () and ChromeCast. Plus, for audio, I got a Bluetooth Transmitter from TaoTronics.

It turns out that the MagicMirror2 project is a Node app that will run on any computer. So, I have a MacMini server in my den as a file server. I downloaded the MM2 software and ran it on my MacMini and displayed the result on GoogleChrome (I also had to tweak the main.css file to rotate the display) and then ChromeCasted to the display. Easy/Peasy.

Parts:

Part	Price
Vilros Frame, Mirror, LCD	$150
Google ChromeCast	$30
TaoTronics BlueTooth transmitter	$20
TOTAL	$200

jeffeb3 · Oct 2, 2020, 2:54 PM

This is really a good idea. Is there a way to make it cast at startup without any mouse clicks?

devcybiko · Oct 4, 2020, 2:45 PM

@jeffeb3 Thanks for your comments!
Not easily. Of course whatever you pair the Chromecast to will sync up. I’ve been looking for a Node (npm) module that will do Chromecast sending - all the ones I’ve found so far do Chromecast emulation (receiving).

But… There is a Chromium project (https://www.chromium.org/) that you can create a custom browser with - and it includes the Chromecast protocols:
https://blog.chromium.org/2020/07/chrome-85-upload-streaming-human.html

I haven’t tried it yet as I’m happy with my Chrometastic Mirror. Frankly, it’s a bit of a disappointment in that it’s basically a 19" TV behind a mirror. And that’s how I use it. (also at 16 lbs, it is really heavy. I think a less “ambitious” frame would be in order.)

Alternatively, you might try using Selenium to create a script that can control the browser on your laptop/desktop. Selenium is a software library that sends events (like mouse clicks) to the browser and and then waits for responses. It’s programmable in both Java and JavaScript.

As an aside: I’ve also had trouble with connecting the Bluetooth transmitter. When connected to the USB power, the output is distorted. I’ve used two different brands of transmitter with the same result. If I disconnect the power (or connect the Bluetooth transmitter to a separate power source) I don’t have the problem. It’s possible I have the audio wires reversed - but I doubt it. I was pretty careful to make sure I had ground-to-ground.

Thanks again for commenting. Let me know how your project works out!