Amazon Music Amazon Music app casting puzzle

[Daedriel]

I read that Chromecast casting from the native Amazon Music app to the Wiim Ultra was only able to do CD quality casting, not UHD, so I followed the instructions for activating Alexa, and the Wiim app now shows it to be enabled, but when I then go to cast from my android AM app the only casting icon appearing on screen is the top right is the rectangular one, and when selected it indicates the available devices as the Wiim Ultra and my Fire TV 4K Max stick (see image below). I thought the Alexa cast icon was circular, so I assumed this was the Chromecast/Google Cast icon? Google Cast is also enabled in the Wiim app. (But just now I see that the Amazon circular icon appears next to a device in the "connect to device" list although it is not clear from the icons what cast method is offered for the Wiim.)

But if activating casting in Amazon Music is turning on Chromecast casting to the Wiim, why when I play a track back through that casting method is my Wiim Ultra "now playing" OSD showing UHD tracks playing back at full UHD resolution - eg Beatrice Rana Chopin 12 Etudes is playing back at an indicated 24 bit 192Khz? Has Chromecast been upgraded to cast in UHD now? Or am I actually casting with Alexa? That seems the most likely explanation. It makes no difference if I try to turn off Chromecast in the Wiim app (it seems it is now called Google Cast there). The app shows that turn-off as working - the slider for Allow Google cast service can be slid to off (and it gets greyed out) - but when you then click "done" it still shows the Wiim device as google cast enabled. And having that toggle set to off does not disable the casting I am getting.

Can anyone clairfy what is going on here? TIA.

I

 

[Burnside]

Looks like you are casting using AlexaCast. I’d guess the Auto Connect option is toggled on in the Amazon music app and that it automatically connected to the WiiM. If you deselect it to just play on your phone, you should see the round AlexaCast icon now showing against the WiiM. Another reason is that chromecasting doesn’t show the bit depth nor sample rate in the WiiM app.

If I recall, to completely remove chromecast you may need to factory reset the WiiM in some instances and not enable it when setting up your device again. Illogical I know, but for some reason (maybe its presence in the google home app), toggling that settings off doesn’t always do what it suggests.

 

[Daedriel]

Looks like you are casting using AlexaCast. I’d guess the Auto Connect option is toggled on in the Amazon music app and that it automatically connected to the WiiM. If you deselect it to just play on your phone, you should see the round AlexaCast icon now showing against the WiiM. Another reason is that chromecasting doesn’t show the bit depth nor sample rate in the WiiM app.

If I recall, to completely remove chromecast you may need to factory reset the WiiM in some instances and not enable it when setting g up your device again. Illogical I know, but for some reason (maybe its presence in the google home app), toggling that settings off doesn’t always do what it suggests.

Thanks, seems certain it's AlexaCast - I just came across this on this forum: "Amazon Music can't send high-resolution with Chromecast. It will be HD or less sound quality. Only AlexaCast can send 24/192. If you need HD or higher audio quality with Amazon Music, use AlexaCast." It took some fiddling but I eventually got the round AlexaCast icon now showing against the WiiM in the "Connect to a device" list. It seems the custom round Alexacast icons only show on the Connect to a Device screen, only a generic rectangular casting icon appears on the "now playing" screen, which I misltook for a Chromecast casting icon. I won't bother trying to turn off Chromecast as it's not being used anyways.

Thanks for the help.


"

 

[Wiimer]

Thanks, seems certain it's AlexaCast - I just came across this on this forum: "Amazon Music can't send high-resolution with Chromecast. It will be HD or less sound quality. Only AlexaCast can send 24/192. If you need HD or higher audio quality with Amazon Music, use AlexaCast." It took some fiddling but I eventually got the round AlexaCast icon now showing against the WiiM in the "Connect to a device" list. It seems the custom round Alexacast icons only show on the Connect to a Device screen, only a generic rectangular casting icon appears on the "now playing" screen, which I misltook for a Chromecast casting icon. I won't bother trying to turn off Chromecast as it's not being used anyways.

Thanks for the help.


"

It appears to have been resolved already, but turning off this toggle in the Google Cast section within the WiiM app's device settings should remove the Chromecast icon from the AM app's device list.


Additionally, whilst playing via Alexa Cast, a circular Alexa icon will appear at the top of the WiiM playback screen.

 

[Daedriel]

It appears to have been resolved already, but turning off this toggle in the Google Cast section within the WiiM app's device settings should remove the Chromecast icon from the AM app's device list.
View attachment 29079

Additionally, whilst playing via Alexa Cast, a circular Alexa icon will appear at the top of the WiiM playback screen.
View attachment 29080

I do see that Alexa icon on my playback screen, thanks.

When you toggle off Google Cast as per your screenshot, when you back out to the previous screen, does it still show the device under the "enabled devices" heading of the main Google Cast window? It does in my case. And regardless of whether Google Cast is toggled on or off, the exact same casting options are available in my Android Amazon Music app, and they are all AlexaCast options, no Google Cast options appear. Weird, as I do have Chromecast enabled in the WiiM app.

 

[Wiimer]

I do see that Alexa icon on my playback screen, thanks.

When you toggle off Google Cast as per your screenshot, when you back out to the previous screen, does it still show the device under the "enabled devices" heading of the main Google Cast window? It does in my case.

Yes, even if you turn off the 'Allow Google Cast Service' toggle, the device will not disappear from the list on the Enable Google Cast screen. This toggle is more like a pause switch.

And regardless of whether Google Cast is toggled on or off, the exact same casting options are available in my Android Amazon Music app, and they are all AlexaCast options, no Google Cast options appear. Weird, as I do have Chromecast enabled in the WiiM app.

Sorry, I didn't quite understand. If the Google Cast option has disappeared from the AM app's connection screen and only the Alexa Cast option is displayed, that's fine.