Why Streaming Devices Are Shifting — The End of Casting and the Future of TV Control

Hook: Why your phone can't cast to the TV — and why that matters

If you’ve tried to press the Cast icon on your phone only to find Netflix, YouTube or JioHotstar refusing to play on your TV, you’re not alone. Many users face confusion, broken workflows and slower experiences when apps stop supporting traditional phone-to-TV casting. For mobile-first audiences and developers in South Asia and beyond, the result is friction: users wonder if their devices are broken, app developers scramble to rework flows, and device makers see shifting demand for streaming sticks and smart TVs.

This article explains the current streaming evolution — why major players are deprecating legacy casting and second-screen playback, what it means for the device market, and the practical steps app developers, manufacturers and consumers must take right now.

The decisive shift in 2025–26

In late 2025 and early 2026 the industry crossed a tipping point. High-profile moves, most notably a decision by Netflix to remove wide mobile-to-TV casting support in January 2026, signaled that legacy casting methods are being sidelined. At the same time, regional giants such as JioHotstar (now part of the JioStar group) reported record engagement during major live events, underlining a new reality: scale and reliability matter more than experimental second-screen workflows.

These shifts are not isolated. Platform owners, content companies and device makers are aligning around a few shared goals: stronger content protection, consistent playback behavior, reliable measurement for advertising, and better remote-first user experiences. The effect is a migration away from the decades-old, device-to-device casting model toward server-managed playback sessions and native TV apps.

Quick context: "Casting is dead. Long live casting!"

"Casting is dead. Long live casting!"

That headline captures the paradox. The familiar consumer gesture — tap Cast on the phone and the video appears on the TV — is being rethought. The concept of controlling TV playback from a second device lives on, but its technical and business model foundations have changed.

Why companies are deprecating legacy casting

Multiple forces pushed platform and content companies to deprecate legacy casting. The decision is rarely about removing a convenient feature; it’s about shifting control of playback to meet larger technical, legal and commercial requirements.

1. Security, DRM and regulatory pressure

Content owners require robust DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) and chain-of-custody guarantees. Legacy casting often relies on device-level implementations that are inconsistent across TV vendors and third-party sticks. Moving playback sessions to server-coordinated models makes it easier to enforce DRM, apply timely revocations and comply with licensing conditions.

2. Fragmentation and maintenance cost

Supporting every combination of phone OS, TV firmware, and third-party adapter is expensive. Maintaining compatibility across firmware updates, remote-control protocols and network stacks consumes engineering resources. Companies are choosing predictability: test on a curated set of TV platforms and require a native app or a standardized session API instead of supporting infinite casting edge cases.

3. Measurement and monetization

Advertisers demand accurate viewability, attribution and fraud prevention. Native TV sessions deliver better measurement than device-to-device casting because servers can issue unique tokens, timestamp events and insert dynamic ads at the stream level. For ad-supported tiers and programmatic CTV marketplaces, that reliability translates directly to revenue — read more about media transparency in Principal Media: How Agencies and Brands Can Make Opaque Media Deals More Transparent.

4. User experience and reliability

Many casting sessions break due to network interruptions, device sleep modes, or incompatible codecs. A native TV app or server-anchored session reduces buffering, ensures correct subtitle and audio track selection, and provides a consistent remote-first UI — improving the overall user experience.

5. Business control and ecosystem strategy

Streaming services want to control the in-home experience for retention, feature parity and upsell. Requiring native apps on TV platforms — or using a standardized session API — lets them ship features (profiles, downloads, interactive extras) without the unpredictability of connecting through an externally controlled casting stack.

How this reshapes the device market

The device market is already reacting. Expect three visible consequences in 2026 and beyond.

1. A resurgence in remote-first devices

With second-screen casting de-emphasized, remotes regain importance. Device makers are investing in voice, pointers, and simplified UX flows that work for living-room viewing. Low-cost streaming sticks will compete on remote quality and native app availability rather than just a casting icon.

2. Consolidation of smart TV OS ecosystems

Platform vendors (Google, Amazon, Roku, Samsung, and leading TV OEMs) are pushing developers toward their SDKs and app stores. Device makers that offer regular OS updates and robust developer tooling will attract premium apps. This increases switching costs for consumers and concentrates developer effort on a smaller set of TV targets.

3. Regional opportunities and challenges

In markets like India, local super-aggregators such as JioStar and platform-led devices shape the landscape. JioHotstar’s record engagement for events in 2025 showed that when a regional platform optimizes for scale and local behaviors, users will adopt native-in-TV experiences at massive scale. Device makers partnering with telcos and large OTT platforms for preloads and certified apps will have an advantage.

What this means for app developers

For developers, the message is clear: stop treating casting as a long-term substitute for a proper TV experience. Casting may still exist in limited, supported contexts, but your strategic investments should prioritize native TV apps and server-managed playback sessions. Here’s an actionable migration plan.

Developer checklist: migration and priority features

1. Audit current casting usage: instrument analytics to find where users try to cast, which devices fail, and how sessions interact with ads and DRM.
2. Support native TV apps: prioritize Leanback (Android TV/Google TV), tvOS, Tizen and Roku platforms in your roadmap. Even a simplified native app is better than flaky casting.
3. Implement server-side playback sessions: shift the playback anchor to the cloud. Phones and tablets become controllers — not the playback host.
4. Use standard streaming stacks: adopt CMAF, HLS LL or DASH LL, support common DRMs with CENC, and plan for AV1 hardware decode where possible to reduce bandwidth at scale.
5. Design remote-first UIs: the TV experience must be navigable with directional keys, voice input and minimal typing. Reuse user profiles, parental controls and language options consistently.
6. Keep companion features: retain second-screen discovery, social and watch party capabilities, but implement them as optional remote control or metadata companions rather than playback hosts.
7. Provide graceful fallback: if a device still expects casting, gracefully detect and offer an on-TV link code or QR code to connect the session.
8. Strengthen analytics mapping: ensure events map across mobile, TV and server sessions so engagement and ad metrics remain consistent.

APIs and technical considerations

Developers should prioritize these technologies when rebuilding flows:

• MediaSession and Remote Control APIs for consistent remote behavior across platforms.
• Server-side session tokens and short-lived playback authorization for secure DRM control.
• Low-latency streaming (LL-HLS, DASH-LL, CMAF) for sports and live events.
• Support for AV1 and hardware decoding to reduce bandwidth costs at scale — especially important for markets with expensive data like some regions in South Asia.
• Fallback discovery using mDNS/Bonjour or QR/one-time codes for pairing a phone to a TV app without open casting.

What device makers and platform owners must do

Manufacturers and OS vendors have a central role in smoothing this transition. Their priorities should shift from supporting casting endpoints to offering robust developer platforms and hardware features.

Priority actions for hardware and platform teams

• Publish a stable TV SDK and certification program so app developers can test once and rely on uniform behavior across devices.
• Optimize for AV1 and future codecs in hardware decode to lower streaming costs for users and providers.
• Invest in remote ergonomics — voice, backlit keys, and simple pairing flows matter for adoption.
• Offer system-level companion APIs that let phones and tablets control discovery, queueing and social features without hosting playback.
• Provide consistent OTA updates and a clear deprecation policy so developers and consumers know when and how features change.

What consumers should do today

For viewers who rely on casting, the shift can be jarring. Here’s how to adapt.

Practical tips for consumers

• Prefer native apps on your TV — a preinstalled Netflix, YouTube or JioHotstar app will usually offer a smoother experience than attempting to cast from a phone.
• Choose devices with regular updates — brands that promise OS updates and security fixes reduce the chance of sudden feature loss.
• Keep your apps and TV firmware updated — many issues stem from mismatched versions.
• Use QR/link codes when pairing devices. Services are moving to one-time codes rather than untrusted local casting.
• When buying new hardware, check codec support (AV1, HEVC) and whether the remote suits your living-room habits.

Business and regional impact: The JioHotstar example

Regional platforms provide a live illustration of these dynamics. JioStar (the merged entity including JioHotstar) reported exceptional growth and engagement during major sporting events in 2025, demonstrating two points: first, local platforms that optimize for live, low-latency playback and local payment/ads win big; second, when millions of viewers tune in simultaneously, reliable TV-native apps and server-managed sessions scale better than ad-hoc casting networks.

For developers targeting large, event-driven audiences in India and similar markets, the lesson is to prioritize scalable server architectures, local CDN presence and native TV apps with strong telemetry and ad measurement.

Predictions: the next phase of streaming (2026–2029)

Based on current trends, here are likely developments over the next three years:

• Universal playback sessions: industry-standard session tokens and discovery protocols will let controllers manage a server-anchored playback session with guaranteed DRM and ad support.
• Companion discovery as metadata hub: phones will become discovery and social devices — showing cast lists, commentary and additional content — while the TV handles playback.
• More consolidation in device market: fewer but more powerful TV OSes, and stronger partnerships between telcos and device OEMs to pre-load apps.
• Interactive and social features: watch parties, synched second-screen experiences and low-latency interactivity will be standard for sports and live shows — often powered by WebRTC or low-latency CMAF streams.
• Adtech changes: server-side ad insertion (SSAI) combined with deterministic playback tokens will improve CTV ad measurement and reduce fraud.

Concrete checklist: What to do this quarter

Whether you are an app developer, device maker or consumer-facing product manager, here are practical next steps for Q1–Q2 2026.

For app developers

• Run a casting usage audit and map critical flows that rely on second-screen playback.
• Ship a minimal native TV app or a certified web app for the top two TV platforms used by your audience.
• Implement server-anchored playback sessions and session tokens for DRM and ads.
• Test live-event behavior at scale using load-testing with real CDNs and SSAI.
• Educate users with in-app prompts: explain how a phone can control playback without being the playback host.

For device makers

• Publish a developer compatibility guide and test suite.
• Prioritize AV1 hardware decode and low-latency streaming support.
• Invest in remote UX: backlit keys, voice, and easy pairing via QR codes or link tokens.
• Clarify your feature deprecation calendar to avoid surprise removals.

For consumers

• Update apps and firmware; prefer native TV apps over casting where possible.
• If you rely on casting, check whether your favorite apps still support it and ask providers for alternatives.
• When buying a device, verify codec support and update promises — invest a little more for better long-term compatibility.

Final analysis: casting’s legacy and the path forward

Legacy casting gave streaming an accessible, low-friction entry point. It enabled households to watch quickly without installing new apps on the TV. But as streaming matured into a primary mass-market medium with advertising and global licensing dollars at stake, the industry needed a more reliable, secure and measurable approach.

The end of broad, client-hosted casting does not mean the end of second-screen experiences. Rather, the second screen's role will evolve: discovery, social, and remote control — while the TV and the cloud become the reliable anchors of playback. For the device market, the winners will be those that offer developer-friendly platforms and robust hardware. For app developers, the winners are teams that invest in native TV experiences, server-managed sessions and strong telemetry. And for consumers, the reward will be fewer playback breaks, better picture quality and TV experiences that just work.

Actionable takeaways

• Do not treat casting as a permanent strategy. Build native TV support and server-side sessions.
• Prioritize DRM, SSAI and analytics to protect rights and capture revenue accurately.
• Optimize your UX for remotes and use phones for discovery and social value-adds.
• For consumers: choose devices with strong update policies and native app ecosystems.

Call to action

If you develop streaming apps, start a casting audit this week. If you build devices, publish a developer compatibility guide. And if you’re a viewer, update your apps and consider a TV with a good remote and regular firmware updates. For ongoing coverage, practical migration guides and regional case studies about JioHotstar, Netflix decisions and the broader device market, subscribe to our newsletter and share this article with colleagues and friends who still rely on casting. The streaming evolution is underway — be ready.

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