LeanCast: An Open-Source, Ad-Free DLNA and UPnP Cast Receiver for Android TV

Overview of LeanCast

LeanCast is an open-source, minimalist DLNA and UPnP cast receiver designed specifically for Android TV devices. Developed as a pure-Kotlin application with no native libraries, it aims to provide an ad-free, account-free, and cloud-free casting experience over a local area network (LAN).

The application functions as a standard UPnP AV MediaRenderer:1, supporting SSDP discovery, SOAP control protocols (AVTransport, RenderingControl, ConnectionManager), and GENA eventing. According to repository documentation, it is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.

Key Features and Capabilities

• Hardware Decoding: Powered by Android Media3/ExoPlayer, it supports HLS (.m3u8), progressive MP4, Matroska, HTTP-FLV (best effort), HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects, and cleartext LAN URLs.
• TV-Native Controls & OSD: Remote buttons map to playback functions. The OK button pauses or resumes, left and right arrows handle seeking with an escalating fast-forward ladder, down cycles playback speed (0.75x, 1.0x, 1.25x, 1.5x), up reveals the on-screen display (OSD), and Back exits the player.
• Privacy and Lightweight Design: The app operates with zero analytics and makes zero non-LAN network calls. It reportedly has a smaller resource footprint than some stock TV launchers.
• Customization: The receiver name defaults to "LeanCast" but is user-renamable. Its UUID is derived from the device ID to persist across reboots and reinstalls, and the interface language can be switched between English and Simplified Chinese.

System Requirements and Compatibility

LeanCast requires a minimum SDK of 21 (Android 5.0, released in 2014) and targets SDK 28. A single APK artifact supports multiple architectures, including `armeabi-v7a`, `arm64-v8a`, `x86`, and `x86_64`.

Important Limitations

• Miracast Unsupported: Phone "system cast" (Miracast) is out of scope; casting relies on the TV button inside supported video apps.
• Platform Restrictions: Non-Android operating systems such as Tizen, webOS, Roku OS, and VIDAA are incompatible unless connected to an external Android TV box.
• Codec Dependency: Decoding relies on each device's platform `MediaCodec`. Codec coverage thus follows hardware capabilities (e.g., H.264 universally, HEVC/4K on 2016 and newer TVs, and AV1 exclusively on newer boxes).

How to Verify and Get Started

Users can download the latest APK from the project's GitHub Releases page. Setup involves enabling installation from unknown sources on the TV, installing the application, and ensuring both the phone and the TV are connected to the same LAN.

Because device compatibility varies by model, manufacturer, and firmware region, the project maintains a community-driven device compatibility report form where users can submit results for TVs, boxes, or projectors.