VLC connection to Chromecast issues

[QuietBeat]

VLC: 3.0.20

I've been using VLC to cast to my smart TV and 75% of the time, it works without issues but:

1. When I cast a video then pause the video from my TV, after a period of time, the connection drops (I assume) because I can't resume the video. Both my TV and PC are powered on. In the Settings, Disable Screensaver is enabled but in Windows 11, I have Sleep set to go active in 3 hours. When I go to my PC and click Play, maybe I'll see a cast icon on my TV but usually there's nothing. On my PC, VLC stops playing and no matter how many times I click Play, nothing will happen and I'm forced to restart VLC.

2. 50% of the time when I cast for the first time, there's no audio. I have to change the Renderer to Local then back to my TV to get it to work...sometimes I have to switch 3 or 4 times.

Any help or is this a bug that needs fixing?