Hey everyone! I wanted to share my recent success in integrating my Google Chromecast with Google TV into HomeKit. It’s been a bit of a journey, but the result is fantastic! 
I’ve always loved the convenience of HomeKit, especially how it seamlessly integrates with my iOS devices. However, getting my Chromecast to work properly as a TV device in the Home app was a bit of a challenge. Initially, I tried setting up a HomeKit bridge through the Home Assistant UI, but it didn’t quite work as expected. The Chromecast showed up as multiple switches instead of a single TV device, which wasn’t ideal.
After some research, I found that changing the device_type in the configuration was key. I updated my customize.yaml to set the device type to tv and adjusted the homekit.yaml to include the necessary features like play/pause and toggle mute. This got me closer, but there was still an issue with the media player not defaulting to device_type: tv.
Then, I stumbled upon the Home Assistant documentation mentioning the use of accessory mode for HomeKit. I switched the HomeKit bridge to accessory mode and kept the device type as tv in my configuration. This time, the Chromecast appeared as a single on/off toggle in HomeKit, which was a big improvement!
But wait, there was a catch. Turning it on casted Home Assistant to the Chromecast instead of just turning on the TV. I realized I needed to adjust the automation to ensure it only toggled the TV without casting anything. After some tweaking, I managed to set it up so that the Chromecast acts as a TV device, allowing me to control media playback directly from the Home app.
This setup has transformed my living room experience. I can now control the TV and media playback alongside my other smart devices, creating a cohesive and intuitive home automation system. It’s amazing how a little bit of tweaking can make such a big difference!
If anyone else is struggling with similar issues, I’d be happy to share more details or help troubleshoot. Let’s keep the community growing and supporting each other! 