LeanBack

LeanBack is a super handy menulet that makes it really easy to cast different Mac apps over your local network. It's simple and clean, so you won't get lost in complicated settings.

Accessing LeanBack

You'll find LeanBack chilling in your Mac's status bar. From there, you can pull up its menu and tweak things to fit your needs and how fast your network is. Plus, you can set it up to start automatically when you log in, which is super convenient!

Stream Details

LeanBack shows you the name of the app you're streaming along with the stream URL and player code right on the screen. However, here's a little hiccup: you can't copy that player code or long stream URL using the context menu. This means you'll have to type it out manually into any HLS-enabled app or device, which can be a pain if you need to share the stream link.

Streaming Source Menu

If you want to refresh the list of apps that are ready to stream, just go into the Streaming Source submenu! You can easily select which app to cast from there. Funny enough, there's also a Display Resolution submenu where you can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 formats.

Advanced Settings for Pros

If you're more experienced with tech stuff, check out the Video Encoding submenu where you can mess around with video codecs, key frame intervals, profile levels, and frame rates. The Audio Encoding menu lets you adjust bitrate values and audio codecs too!

Casting Options

The coolest part about LeanBack is that it lets you cast apps and stream videos not just to your Mac but also to devices like Roku Streaming Player, Apple TV, Chromecast, and other HLS-compatible gadgets.

Room for Improvement

Now, we did notice some issues during our tests; LeanBack crashed a few times. But overall? It felt pretty responsive and user-friendly. The video quality wasn't too great either—there was quite a lag.

Future Updates?

We really hope the developers fix these bugs in future updates! It would be awesome if they could allow streaming over the Internet instead of just our local network. If you're looking for more info or want to download LeanBack, check it out!