[Google Chromecast] Asphyx:
Actually they may have renamed the file but I am pretty sure they are using FFMPEG as their Transcoder base with some extra wrapping to make decisions on which format and settings are required for their Profile system.

Yes it does require a more complex player but I do believe at some point that is going to happen on the CCast side.

To do things like subtitle overlay and Audio track selection properly, this is always best done on the client side. Codec support is really the only stumbling block to realizing this. Since you can't load codec support into the CCast itself and to add them all into a player would be a ridiculously bloated app, A public codec repository (similar to Windows Media) would be the best bet for that. and in THAT respect I agree not likely anyone but google would take up such a project..

But that said...

While most devs are getting their code around the DIAL and Control protocols at some point they will have that stable and efficient and all that would be left would be to add Player side features such as Track Selection and possibly Software decoding for some containers where Codec is not an issue.

If I had to guess I would bet someone like MX Player Developers would be the first to make something like this happen since their Android Player already supports this type of functionality and it shouldn't be too hard to port that into a CCast compatible implementation.

Currently the Plex Player supports HLS, DASH and whatever this new HTTP protocol is as streaming methods with Direct Play for Native MP4/H.264/AAC.

I neglected to add there is some movement on the Music and Picture front as well but I have not had a chance to check that yet.

Well right now the goal with Plex Devs seems to be to make any content work via Transcode if need be because that is the main role of PMS.

For most devices with mature Player Apps the Transcoder is rarely used because the Player Apps don't require it and can Direct Play different containers and codecs.

There is one team for Plex Media Server and another for Transcoding in general. (a Third is working on the CCast player specifically.)

They are focused on making transcoding work for everything and then (as an Afterthought) looking for ways to tweak the profile to not transcode where the device can handle it. (Basically it assumes it will have to transcode everything and then the profile will make exceptions to direct play.) the rest of the profile merely tells the transcoder what settings to use.

Which is why I don't expect any software decoding anytime soon, but they have considered it for future once they have everything working on CCast the way it is from the transcoding side.

Lets not forget Plex's goals are not specific to CCast they are just adding it as a target so their goals are not as much about CCast as someone like aVia and MX Player would be which is why I think they would be the first to create these types of Mature Decoders before Plex.

And who knows once someone does it wouldn't take much to license and load the CCast player code to add that functionality.

With most things like this I find once one takes the time to do it the others soon follow to not be left behind...

But I TOTALLY AGREE on the issue may be your CCast bursting into flames if not done correctly because heat does seem to be the one design flaw in CCast hardware.