Casting from VLC through Digitab STB

[TheManFromJapan]

Supposedly the new digital STBs have the ability to act as a casting device and I was able to successfully do so with the IOS YouTube app.  All the three boxes appear with the same "Optik TV Client" name which I gather can be changed.

However, this only seems to work on the YouTube app and not on any other media player app that only sees my existing Chromecase device.

Is there anything special about the protocols the STBs use to do casting?  I have confirmed they are on the same network as the iPad (or else the YouTube app wouldn't work either).

[Nighthawk]

YouTube is from Google so it supports casting plus there is a YouTube app on the new Optik set top boxes which is one loophole for it to get around Apple's restrictions on casting. Same goes for Netflix, etc, because there is a version of that on the set top box. VLC is not from Google and doesn't support casting on iOS. Like many apps on iOS it does support Apple's AirPlay, which Google doesn't support natively.

[TheManFromJapan]

I believe that is esentially the limitation: You can only cast from IOS Apps that have a corresponding app on the STB, so Netflix, YouTube, etc. Kinda kills the concept of casting in general as there is no shortage of apps that will cast you music, photos, videos, etc.  On our living room TV I use a Roku for this purpose but didn't have one on the basement TV.

[Rocky3]

Maybe I do not understand. What is the purpose of casting to an app that should already have access to the casted material?