Boys_Streaming 📺

A simplified, kid-friendly Chromecast controller for the bedtime ritual.

🎯 Overview

Boys_Streaming is a Python-based Streamlit application designed to run in a Docker container. It interfaces with a NAS-mounted video library to cast a specific sequence of content to a Chromecast device: 3 Stories (< 15m) followed by 1 Calm Music track (> 2h).

🛠 Tech Stack

Language: Python 3.11+
Framework: Streamlit (UI/UX)
Casting Lib: pychromecast
Media Handling: ffmpeg-python (for thumbnails and duration)
Infrastructure: Docker & Docker Compose
Storage: Local Bind Mounts (NAS source)

📂 Project Structure

.
├── app/
│   ├── main.py          # Streamlit entry point & UI
│   ├── cast_logic.py    # Chromecast discovery & playback functions
│   ├── library.py       # File scanning & metadata (thumbnail) logic
│   ├── server.py        # Local HTTP server to serve media
│   └── utils.py         # DevOps helpers (logging, env vars)
├── config/              # Persistent storage mount (thumbnails, state)
├── videos/              # Mounted NAS directory (Read-only)
├── Dockerfile           # Multi-stage build
├── docker-compose.yml   # Portainer-ready deployment
└── GEMINI.md            # Project soul & context

📜 Development Rules

🚀 DevOps Mindset

Clean, functional Python with strict type hints.
Robust logging for network discovery and Chromecast connectivity issues.
Environment-based configuration (use .env for local dev).

🧠 State Management

Use st.session_state to track the playlist selection and casting status.
Cache library scans (using st.cache_data) to mitigate NAS latency.
Persistence: Use the /config folder to track "already watched" or "random seed" state.

🎨 UI for Kids

Thumbnails: Primary selection tool. Large, high-quality previews.
Large Buttons: Touch-friendly and easy to read.
Workflow: Pick 3 Stories -> Auto-append Music -> Single "Cast" button.

⚖️ Logic Constraints

"Stories": Files strictly < 15 minutes.
"Calm Music": Files strictly > 2 hours.
Sequence: Always exactly 3 Stories + 1 Music (forced).

🚀 Commands

Task	Command
Build	`docker build -t boys_streaming:latest .`
Deploy	`docker-compose up -d`
Logs	`docker logs -f boys_streaming`
Stop	`docker-compose down`

🧠 Context & Edge Cases

Networking: Must use network_mode: host in Docker to allow mDNS/Chromecast discovery.
Media Server: Chromecast requires a URL. We must run a sidecar or internal HTTP server to serve /videos.
Thumbnails: Generate and store thumbnails in /config/thumbnails to avoid re-processing.
Non-Negotiable: The calm music video is the "exit strategy" and cannot be unselected.

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