Nexus player will it do ....??? - Nexus Player Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a minix 8h but don't like the controller or interface.
My questions are:
will this run Kodi smoothly ?
will it allow to passthrough sound to my av receiver?
with wi fi only, will it play 3d/1080p without problems from my nas?

if ADT-1 run kodi there's no reason why NPlayer would not run kodi smootly
does not seem to have passthrough
depend on your wifi system mostly. 802.11AC can handle the stream with mimo if you're on 802.11g dont event think about it

yes, i think iamloco is correct but there shouldn't be any problem with the 802.11g. It's fast enough to handle it...

Will the Nexus Player be able to handle automatic frame rate switching from app settings? (Like Netflix / XBMC / etc.)
Right now, Android doesn't let apps control the display refresh rate, it is a system-wide setting (and some Android boxes won't allow you to switch from 60Hz - which makes 25/50Hz stuff quite nasty to watch). This means either you have to manually alter the refresh rate in Android settings depending on what you want to watch, or put up with a fixed refresh rate, which may not be ideal.

007xico said:
I have a minix 8h but don't like the controller or interface.
My questions are:
will this run Kodi smoothly ?
will it allow to passthrough sound to my av receiver?
with wi fi only, will it play 3d/1080p without problems from my nas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a very good bet that the Nexus Player will, indeed, support passthrough to your receiver as AC3 passthrough was recently enabled on the chromecast. DTS passthrough is still not enabled on the chromecast but it may be in the future and I'd bet it'd arrive on the Nexus Player first if not right out of the box. No way to know for sure until they ship and some reviews come in. As for 3d/1080p, the Nexus Player will support up to 866mbps over a 2x2 802.11ac 5g connection. In the real world, that would translate to around 500mbps best case, far more than you'd ever need for 1080p... even 4k would stream fine at those rates. You'll need a good router and not too many walls or ceilings or distance between it and the Nexus Player as 5g ac doesn't travel as well as 802.11n. For most cases, I doubt it'd be an issue.

Related

WiFi connectivity problems

Has anyone had issues with their player randomly dropping connection to WiFi?
I only noticed this because I use Plex a lot. And after a few days it would stop playback and tell me it couldn't find the server. So naturally I though it was either an issue with my server (never had problems in the past) or the app.
Recently I noticed when I scroll through the apps the WiFi logo at the bottom shows its not connected.
I scrolled through setting to try and see if there's any advance settings I could tweak but there's not.
I will reset my netgear router when I get home. But has anyone experienced this yet??
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
Haven't had any issues staying connected to my AC68U over the past three days. Family streamed a few movies yesterday and last night and been playing music quite a bit without any problems. Hopefully resetting your router will fix your issue. Good luck.
I have also been having wifi issues on the nexus player. I have not updated to the recent image that was posted and was hoping that would fix the issue. I also have a usb ethernet adapter on the way. Not really impressed with the devices so far, am still using my mk808 primarily which the nexus player was supposed to replace
Edit: update by flashing the latest system.IMG and have not had WiFi drop out yet.
Elrondolio said:
Haven't had any issues staying connected to my AC68U over the past three days. Family streamed a few movies yesterday and last night and been playing music quite a bit without any problems. Hopefully resetting your router will fix your issue. Good luck.
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I believe I got it acting right now. I saw in another thread issues with the player dropping 5ghz signal. It was suggested to just use 2.4 band instead. When I got home this morning I set up a separate network for the player to connect to with the player as the highest priority and it seems to be jam up.
Only other issue I'm seeing is my mkv blurays will only play for a few minutes then stop. They're huge files so I'm thinking this has something to do with it. Other than that I'm happy for now!
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
same problem. Fix?
I have had the exact same problem. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind explaining how you did this? I am not too versed in network technology. I am guessing this is something I do on the d-link page? Is that correct?
Thanks so much.
codygs83 said:
I believe I got it acting right now. I saw in another thread issues with the player dropping 5ghz signal. It was suggested to just use 2.4 band instead. When I got home this morning I set up a separate network for the player to connect to with the player as the highest priority and it seems to be jam up.
Only other issue I'm seeing is my mkv blurays will only play for a few minutes then stop. They're huge files so I'm thinking this has something to do with it. Other than that I'm happy for now!
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
markculton said:
I have had the exact same problem. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind explaining how you did this? I am not too versed in network technology. I am guessing this is something I do on the d-link page? Is that correct?
Thanks so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using Plex for 4 years or so.. In my experience, nothing beats using Ethernet instead of Wifi...
I use TP Link Powerline extender to connect the Nexus Player (i also have a Roku next to it)... My plex media server is on a laptop connected directly to the router... I have tried everything and this set up is the fastest and the best resolution. NEVER buffers and i watch everything in 1080p.
Stop wasting time figuring out the wifi and go ethernet. You wont regret it.
Wifi needs to be better.
spyderman33 said:
I use TP Link Powerline extender to connect the Nexus Player
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spyderman33 said:
Stop wasting time figuring out the wifi and go ethernet. You wont regret it.
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Click to collapse
How, precisely, do you have it connected? There is no Ethernet port on the Nexus Player--do you have a USB to Ethernet adapter that works? There is no arguing that Ethernet is the way to go with Plex and high bitrate; however, I rarely ever have any issues playing my 1080p stuff over Chromecast (which is 2.4Ghz N wifi only) and I have this device connected using 5Ghz 802.11ac so there should be no issues.
Sadly, mine will not stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11ac network, it does seem to stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11n access point a little better. I am pretty certain the Nexus Player has some wifi bugs that need to be worked out, ASAP! It's frustrating that Ethernet is not an option by default.
innoman said:
How, precisely, do you have it connected? There is no Ethernet port on the Nexus Player--do you have a USB to Ethernet adapter that works? There is no arguing that Ethernet is the way to go with Plex and high bitrate; however, I rarely ever have any issues playing my 1080p stuff over Chromecast (which is 2.4Ghz N wifi only) and I have this device connected using 5Ghz 802.11ac so there should be no issues.
Sadly, mine will not stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11ac network, it does seem to stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11n access point a little better. I am pretty certain the Nexus Player has some wifi bugs that need to be worked out, ASAP! It's frustrating that Ethernet is not an option by default.
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Correct, I am using an MIcro USB to USB OTG Cable http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8YZ2SA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am sure the bugs will get sorted out but until then, this is the best solution...
innoman said:
How, precisely, do you have it connected? There is no Ethernet port on the Nexus Player--do you have a USB to Ethernet adapter that works? There is no arguing that Ethernet is the way to go with Plex and high bitrate; however, I rarely ever have any issues playing my 1080p stuff over Chromecast (which is 2.4Ghz N wifi only) and I have this device connected using 5Ghz 802.11ac so there should be no issues.
Sadly, mine will not stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11ac network, it does seem to stay connected to my 5Ghz 802.11n access point a little better. I am pretty certain the Nexus Player has some wifi bugs that need to be worked out, ASAP! It's frustrating that Ethernet is not an option by default.
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i could argue that ethernet is not the way to go. FireTv/Ouya/Mojo Madcatz only have a fast ethernet port (100mbps max) and ac can go close to gigabit speeds. I get 833mbps on my Netgear r8000 on ac. I can easily play 20GB+ files without any drops. I even played REMUX blurays (as long as they arent VC1, which the firetv doesnt support either) and those files played just fine too. So unless you get a true gigabit port (which i know of no Android box having) 802.11ac is the ideal option for the Nexus Player. Dont waste your money with a gigabit to USB adapter because the NExus PLayer has a USB 2.0 which can only give you a max of 480mbps.
My suggestion is save some of that money you're saving from your cable bill, sell your current router and keep that $20 you would be spending on a USB to Ethernet adapter and invest in a wireless AC router, you can get a decent Route for $100.
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Arche...F8&qid=1416715312&sr=8-1&keywords=wireless+ac
Also what AC ROuter do you have? if its an ASUS than im sorry, i had a ASUS 87u and changed it for a Netgear r8000 because i had constant drops with ASUS, if you turn off Beamforming it will fix your wireless AC drops. at least it did for me.
---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------
markculton said:
I have had the exact same problem. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind explaining how you did this? I am not too versed in network technology. I am guessing this is something I do on the d-link page? Is that correct?
Thanks so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what kind of router do you have?
mejdam said:
i could argue that ethernet is not the way to go. Fire Tv only has a fast ethernet port (100mbps max) and ac can go close to gigabit speeds.
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100Mbps is more than the device would likely ever need to stream any type of media one would stream on the Fire TV and it will get 100% of that bandwidth between the Fire TV and the switch (assuming you don't have a faulty cable, obviously) 100% of the time--regardless of what other devices on your network or your neighbors networks are doing. Sure, 802.11ac permits better than gigabit speeds... but that doesn't guarantee them. Also, there is the issue of signal degradation when you're further away from your router, the fact that it's shared bandwidth, etc. You could argue both ways but wired is definitely the more reliable option in most cases. The FireTV has either Fast Ethernet OR 802.11n, no gigabit speeds either way.
Sadly, the fire TV has issues with several audio codecs and just isn't what it should be (yet, at least). I'm kinda over the fact that I have to use an external player to play DD 5.1--which is part of the reason I decided to give the Nexus Player a try... that and I wanted to see what google could do this time around.
I have the Buffalo WZR-D1800H--It was an earlier model and not the greatest but it's worked flawlessly and lets me transfer at 40+MB/s on a different floor. I get around 12MB/s using my 802.11n 5Ghz AP upstairs (3 floors with the ac router on the first). If I got the Ethernet cable thing, I'd spend $10 on the 10/100Mbps since it would be sufficient but I shouldn't have to do that. All the other devices in my place do fine even on N, the Nexus Player should be working awesomely on ac... It just isn't and it has issues on N and G--I honestly think it may partly be a Plex issue. I think there are also some deeper wifi connectivity issues.
spyderman33 said:
Correct, I am using an MIcro USB to USB OTG Cable http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8YZ2SA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
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Click to collapse
Cool, what are you using for USB to Ethernet? I have a few USB OTG cables (I got them pretty cheap when I got my first Nexus) and I might as well put them to some good use... I'd like for my Nexus Player to actually play my Plex media without all the issues! Would something like this work?: http://smile.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Ethernet-Adapter-Black/dp/B00ET4KHJ2
****
I should also add that my NAS & Plex Server (PC, used for several things) are all wired over Gigabit. My wireless router doesn't have to do that much, generally, except connect my phone, Mac Book Pro, Chromecast in bedroom, SqueezeBox and a few other little things that don't use much data.
innoman said:
100Mbps is more than the device would likely ever need to stream any type of media one would stream on the Fire TV and it will get 100% of that bandwidth between the Fire TV and the switch (assuming you don't have a faulty cable, obviously) 100% of the time--regardless of what other devices on your network or your neighbors networks are doing. Sure, 802.11ac permits better than gigabit speeds... but that doesn't guarantee them. Also, there is the issue of signal degradation when you're further away from your router, the fact that it's shared bandwidth, etc. You could argue both ways but wired is definitely the more reliable option in most cases. The FireTV has either Fast Ethernet OR 802.11n, no gigabit speeds either way.
Sadly, the fire TV has issues with several audio codecs and just isn't what it should be (yet, at least). I'm kinda over the fact that I have to use an external player to play DD 5.1--which is part of the reason I decided to give the Nexus Player a try... that and I wanted to see what google could do this time around.
Cool, what are you using for USB to Ethernet? I have a few USB OTG cables (I got them pretty cheap when I got my first Nexus) and I might as well put them to some good use... I'd like for my Nexus Player to actually play my Plex media without all the issues! Would something like this work?: http://smile.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Ethernet-Adapter-Black/dp/B00ET4KHJ2
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Click to collapse
yes my ac band of 833mbps is shared, so even if i have 8 constant devices on that band it still would be faster than a 100mbps wired connection. I own a firetv and have no issues with DD5.1 files from my Synology 1812+, by any chance are you using Samba shares from a windows box? if so thats your problem, switch to NFS shares. also wired connections are shared unless you run a router directly to your setup box without going through a switch. you didnt answer my question though, what ac router do you have that you're having issues with.
mejdam said:
by any chance are you using Samba shares from a windows box? if so thats your problem, switch to NFS shares. also wired connections are shared unless you run a router directly to your setup box without going through a switch. you didnt answer my question though, what ac router do you have that you're having issues with.
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I added in, it may not have posted until you already started your reply. I accidentally posted before I added it in--I needed to check on the model.
The Ethernet connection is only shared if you are using a hub. A switch (I have a 16 port Gigabit switch that connects to my router) provides dedicated bandwidth to each available port--up to 2Gbps/port (1 up and 1 down, concurrently). My specific switch with 16 1Gbps ports can handle up to ~32Gbps worth of traffic at once. My Plex server is connected directly to the switch as is my NAS. The only way I'd have to worry about saturating the PC (Plex Server) to switch link is if I am transferring large amounts of data between the PC and my NAS and that's not common--and definitely not the cause of my issue. It's actually never caused me an issue. The link between the Fire TV and switch is always 100Mbps (assuming there isn't any broadcast traffic or that sort of thing, which isn't likely).
I do use NFS with everything except the media shares from my NAS, sadly. It is a goal but I am going to have to install the Enterprise version of Windows on my PC--Microsoft doesn't appear to support NFS (client) on Windows 8.x unless you have Enterprise and I have Pro. I guess that's what I get for actually paying for it? I am going to put Enterprise on my PC at some point but it's not a priority. Over Gigabit, SMB is sufficient for my use--the overhead isn't an issue right now. That said, I do use Plex so the media share between the Fire TV and my Server is Plex.
If you have your Plex server on let's say port 3 and multiple devices are talking to the Plex server than that line is being shared, which was my point. Again it would take over 8 devices on my ac band before its the speed of your single 100mbps line.
Over gigabit smb is sufficient? You just said you needed to connect a hard drive to your firetv to correctly play ac3 files. Clearly smb is your problem and you don't need to pay for NFS shares, there are free alternatives. Also the speed of your "network" might be gigabit but your speed to your firetv is truly only 100mbps because that's the max the Ethernet port can go. I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with the nexus player 802.11ac gives you the fastest speeds. Sure wred gigabit could be faster but there's one problem, there's no gigabit port or even fastethernet port.
mejdam said:
If you have your Plex server on let's say port 3 and multiple devices are talking to the Plex server than that line is being shared, which was my point. Again it would take over 8 devices on my ac band before its the speed of your single 100mbps line.
Over gigabit smb is sufficient? You just said you needed to connect a hard drive to your firetv to correctly play ac3 files. Clearly smb is your problem and you don't need to pay for NFS shares, there are free alternatives. Also the speed of your "network" might be gigabit but your speed to your firetv is truly only 100mbps because that's the max the Ethernet port can go. I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with the nexus player 802.11ac gives you the fastest speeds. Sure wred gigabit could be faster but there's one problem, there's no gigabit port or even fastethernet port.
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I think there is a little bit of confusion. My Plex Server/PC are on say port 1 of my 16 port gigabit switch and is communicating with the switch at ~1Gbps. My NAS is on ports 2/3 and both ports are at a Gigabit (each NAS port has it's own IP--one is just used for my Mac and phone backups, the other is predominately used by my PC for Plex shares and whatever other files I put on there) and my FireTV is on port 4 at 100Mbps (limited by the FireTV). (I do not connect a hard drive to my Fire TV, I think someone else said that). I can stream to 3 different TVs (using a mix of a google TV (wired), Chromecast (wifi) and Fire TV (wired or wifi--same results either way) without any issues, buffering or otherwise, at full 1080p with ~12GB files all using Plex. It works near flawlessly most of the time. The only issue is that the Fire TV doesn't stream 5.1 audio (most of my content is AC3) UNLESS I use an external player (XBMC, etc...)--lots of info about this in the Plex forums.
The Fire TV does not have 802.11ac, it has 802.11n. Having it connected to an 802.11ac access point doesn't offer any real benefit other than they tend to do 802.11n slightly better than most 802.11n routers, presumably because they tend to be more powerful. There is no benefit for putting my FireTV on wifi over Ethernet--none what-so-ever since there is already an Ethernet port right next to it--because it will only add traffic to my wireless network. Putting it on wifi isn't going to give it much more bandwidth than having it connected Ethernet with the distance it is away from my 5Ghz router/AP (each is on a different floor) and the level of congestion around me on 2.4Ghz, which is on the same floor (I live in a Condo Complex in uptown Dallas, lots of other wifi routers). The connection between my Fire TV and my switch is ~100Mbps and the connection between my Plex Server is ~1Gbps. I can be moving files betwen my Plex Server and NAS at around 700-800Mbps and still play video on my FireTV from my Plex Server without any issues at it's max bitrate.
SMB is not my problem, I've been using it for a while. The Fire TV has some audio codec/passthrough issues with it's native player. If I switch to SPMC or XBMC and PlexBMC, I can play AC3 5.1 fine straight from my Plex server. I can also select External Player within Plex and play media through any external player such as XBMC without any issues with audio. The problem is that it's a pain to do it that way and it doesn't keep up with watched history, etc. like it should. You also have to manually choose the external player you want to use each time and there are issues with exiting some of them, FF/Rew, etc. The Nexus seems to be able to play my media fine with full AC3 5.1 surround... except it chokes randomly, freezes, etc. and that appears to be related to the wifi. I never said I would be paying for NFS! I will most definitely not be giving Microsoft more of my money to get a simple feature that should have been available in the pro version. As for the free options, I've tried several and they are flaky--so annoying. There is a good NFS server for Windows (Hanewin or something like that) that I've used (and actually run on my moms setup) but I need a client because my NAS does NFS. The free clients I've tried just aren't what they should be, many are dated. The good clients want money.
Ultimately, the fact that the Ethernet port on the FireTV isn't really relevant because that's all that specific port needs to be, I don't have any media with anywhere near a 100Mbps bitrate. Using a switch means that port gets 100% of its bandwidth 100% of the time regardless of what else my network is doing. A lot of people think a switch and a hub are the same thing because they look the same and kind of function the same, but they are quite different. A switch is able to provide each port it's dedicated bandwidth to each other port (traffic is only sent to the port it's designated for) and a hub is totally shared across all ports (traffic from every port is seen by every port). (I'm not suggesting you don't already know this, please don't take offense.) Sorry, I know that's a lot of info, I just want to try to clarify. It's so much easier with a whiteboard! The end result, however, is that something is not right with either the Nexus Player or Plex--I think there are issues with both considering my Nexus Player has issues connecting to my router and both access points and loses connection randomly and that when it is connected, YouTube/Hulu/Netflix all play pretty well. I, also, am not trying to argue--I'm just trying to clarify my situation.
Also, you mention if I have my Plex server on port 3 and multiple clients talking to that port... it's shared. True, but it's a gigabit connection being shared. Unless there are a whole lot of clients communicating with that Plex Server, it's not going to saturate so there should still be plenty of bandwidth for any other Plex client I might have on other ports. It would take 10 Fire TVs each playing close to a 100Mbps (bitrate) media clip to saturate my Plex Server connection (assuming there is nothing else communicating with my Plex server).
"Cool, what are you using for USB to Ethernet? I have a few USB OTG cables (I got them pretty cheap when I got my first Nexus) and I might as well put them to some good use... I'd like for my Nexus Player to actually play my Plex media without all the issues! Would something like this work?: http://smile.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Ethernet-Adapter-Black/dp/B00ET4KHJ2"
I am actually using an Apple USB to Ethernet adapter that I had lying around and never use... Its exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MB442-U...1416754525&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+usb+ethernet
I think you can use any generic one really..
It was plug and play, didnt ask for anything, it just said it was connected to Ethernet when I checked.
If anyone else is having connection issues check you Date and Time. My Nexus Player was connected but but none of the apps could connect to anything. Upon checking dmesg I saw a lot of these error exceptions
Code:
Caused by: com.android.org.bouncycastle.jce.exception.ExtCertPathValidatorException: Could not validate certificate: Certificate not valid until Fri Apr 05 09:15:55 MDT 2013 (compared to Fri Dec 31 19:41:48 MST 1999)
Turns out all the Google apps use SSL and since my date was set to 1999 the certs showed up as invalid, I have automatic time turned on.
So for now just set your date manually and don't use Automatic Date&Time.
My NP is only able to connect to 2.4Ghz wireless. I have 2 different SSID's (2.4 and 5.0) and NP can see the 5.0, but gives an error that it can't find the network after you enter the password and try to connect.
The NP also keeps on dropping the 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi connection. I have many wireless devices on this network on both 2.4 and 5.0 Ghz working just fine so I know that the router is not the issue. (Asus RT-N66U)
I'm seeing similar issues, problems with 2.4ghz and worse with 5ghz. I'm using a USB to ethernet adapter and it was working pretty well when I was home. I left for the weekend so I only got a few hours to play with it but no issues
I too had trouble connecting to 5Ghz until I manually set the channel to 48 in my ASUS DSL-AC68U router. It won't connect to any 3 digit 5Ghz channels like 149 etc.
I am having issues with most 1080p content, even over Ethernet. There are just issues with the device and with Plex that need to be worked out. Google needs to get to work on it now!

Nvidia Shield TV Console & Router settings?

I got my Shield tv console delivered yesterday, (late as possible damn ups) and love it so far, haven't had enough time to play more, but after work today I will. I have an asus rtac68w, which according to nvidia is a held ready router, but I need to know what and how to set up my router to optimally perform for my shield tv and streaming.
Any help people?
The Shield is like any tablet or smartphone. There is nothing "special" to set up in the router for it
It's just highly recommended to use a wired connection for the Shield but have wifi configured too because they're known bugs with current firmware when the network isn't wifi. So sometimes you need to switch to wifi to do some stuff then back to wired for optimal performance. They'll fix this later I guess.
ps: go there : https://forums.geforce.com/default/board/159/ instead of XDA, you'll find official NVidia reps. XDA is ignoring the Shield Android TV so let's us leave.
Basically, to set it up best; Connect it to ethernet that goes straight into the router. That said, You want to make sure it connects to your 5GHz network, that your 5GHz network does not have legacy support enabled (AC only if possible with no N or A support). WMM and BeamForming is helpful sometimes. Those are the basics.
So, whatever you would do to optimize your WiFi for GameStream or GRID on the Shield Tablet or Shield Portable, you could do the same things here, plus the option of straight gigabit ethernet.
I hadn't heard of the issues with the Wired ethernet personally, hopefully they fix that pretty quickly. It may be specific to certain environments or other issues. Also, I know that the controllers use WiFi-Direct (rather than BT), however anything with that causing part of the networking fails would be pure speculation on my part.
I haven't had any issues with Ethernet
ryocoon said:
Also, I know that the controllers use WiFi-Direct (rather than BT), however anything with that causing part of the networking fails would be pure speculation on my part.
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Actually it's the wired connection that 'might' mess with the initial controler pairing:
from a NVidia rep:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/836884/?comment=4546797
If you are unable to pair your SHIELD Wireless Controller during initial setup and your SHIELD Android TV is connected to your network over ethernet, try temporarily disconnecting your ethernet cable to go into WiFi mode and check if pairing issue is fixed.
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Click to collapse
I haven't had problems either hardworking the console or using the Shield Tablet in console mode and using a Micro USB ethernet connector to hardwire the tablet. I must say that I get less lag streaming games in 4K from my PC using the console vs the tablet. I just wish I could sideload Amazon Prime Instant Video and M-Go so I could stream whatever 4K video content they offer besides only Netflix and YouTube video in 4K. No studdering, no buffering, just good quality 4K video from this thing. I must say, this console could have a major impact over how games could be delivered in the future. No latency at all except 1st person shooters being streamed via Grid. This is the best device I've bought in a long time.
I had some issues with DHCP when first setting up my unit on a wired connection. It kept disconnecting from the internet even when showing a connection. I set up my IP manually and updated to 1.2 and have had no issues since...it is super fast but may still setup wifi as you said just incase.
Rolldog said:
I haven't had problems either hardworking the console or using the Shield Tablet in console mode and using a Micro USB ethernet connector to hardwire the tablet. I must say that I get less lag streaming games in 4K from my PC using the console vs the tablet. I just wish I could sideload Amazon Prime Instant Video and M-Go so I could stream whatever 4K video content they offer besides only Netflix and YouTube video in 4K. No studdering, no buffering, just good quality 4K video from this thing. I must say, this console could have a major impact over how games could be delivered in the future. No latency at all except 1st person shooters being streamed via Grid. This is the best device I've bought in a long time.
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What happens when you side load Amazon video and M-Go? I was able to side load a bunch of apps (including M-go but didn't run it yet) from my rooted samsung Note 2014 by backing up my apps with Titanium to the micro sd. I then moved the micro sd to the Shield TV and used ES File Explorer to auto open some of the zips that contained the APK and installed from there. From my memory, since I'm not at home to check what else I side loaded, I have the following working so far:
Chrome Browser
Dolphin Browser
Dropbox
Google Drive
Popcorn
Showbox
Helium
Facebook
Hulu Plus
Photo Circle
Speedtest
Ppsspp
And jut tested m-go
I'll add that when I first set up the Pro yesterday on a wired connection, it had all sorts of problems -- including not being able to download the update. Had to go wireless to get the update, but by that point it was acting so strange I did a full factory reset right after. (1.0 seemed quite buggy, but 1.2 feels fantastic so far. HUGE strides!). Haven't had problems since.
kgersen said:
The Shield is like any tablet or smartphone. There is nothing "special" to set up in the router for it
It's just highly recommended to use a wired connection for the Shield but have wifi configured too because they're known bugs with current firmware when the network isn't wifi. So sometimes you need to switch to wifi to do some stuff then back to wired for optimal performance. They'll fix this later I guess.
ps: go there : https://forums.geforce.com/default/board/159/ instead of XDA, you'll find official NVidia reps. XDA is ignoring the Shield Android TV so let's us leave.
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The only problem I have with the GeForce forum is there is no way to be notified if you get a reply from anyone. Is there any work around for this?
lartomar2002 said:
The only problem I have with the GeForce forum is there is no way to be notified if you get a reply from anyone. Is there any work around for this?
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Click to collapse
not that I know of. The NVidia forum software is very old and bad, everyone agree on that.
I use Feedly and a RSS subscription to monitor the GeForce forum, it's a bit easier.
I have Amazon Prime Video sideloaded, and it works great. Unfortunately, I think a different version utilizes UHD video because I haven't been able to find any 4K content. Netflix and YouTube have some 4K content, and I've been able to stream some games in 4K, but until the UHD content providers start releasing their content to more devices instead of them signing exclusivity contracts (Samsung) to help them offset the royalties on the H.265 content, which is quadruple what H.264 was, I think most people will be limited on 4K content. Sucks.....

Nexus Player vs Chromecast 2015

Hello
Does the nexus player have all Chromecast features? I mean can i stream my files from my phone to the nexus player? The new Chromecast had improvements in streaming speed, so which device is faster?
Sorry for my english
I've used both. On WiFi they are the same speed, however both work faster when plugged into Ethernet.
For the price, nexus player has many many more features, well worth the additional $15
Markolc said:
I've used both. On WiFi they are the same speed, however both work faster when plugged into Ethernet.
For the price, nexus player has many many more features, well worth the additional $15
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Click to collapse
Can you recommend an ethernet adapter that works well with the NP? TIA!
This will work fine
Can't get much simpler and reviews are good enough.
Get A 5 Port Ethernet Adapter Always
qualitymove13 said:
Can you recommend an ethernet adapter that works well with the NP? TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go
guy, the beast, always get a 5 port Ethernet adapter, also you will need a OTG cable http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8K3GGO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 !
qualitymove13 said:
Can you recommend an ethernet adapter that works well with the NP? TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the one I bought. Works fine for me!
http://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Gigabit-Ethernet-Converter-Network/dp/B00IJU0K2Q
I like my NP, but I think it's unfair to simply assert that NP wins because "it does everything that Chromecast does." The NP has great features that the Chromecast doesn't (onscreen UI, remote, gaming, etc.) have; if you want those features, the NP is great (but probably not as good as other products on the market with bigger app ecosystems, like Fire TV or Roku). If casting video content is your top priority, it's worth noting that the NP does not perform as well as Chromecast as a Google Cast device. The two main issues are:
1. My NP (on my main TC) doesn't always show up as a castable device, even when my Chromecast (bedroom TV) appears without issue.
2. It turns out that some Chromecast-compatible apps do NOT support Google Cast on the NP, as was the case with the HBO Now app that was released a couple of months ago. This is pretty rare, and basically every other cast-enabled app I've used seems to support both Chromecast and the NP, but the HBO Now debacle (when combined with #1) clearly suggests that the Google Cast implementation on the NP differs from what we see on Chromecast.
In addition to Cast issues, I've experienced a lot of bugs/crashes/etc. with my NP. Things on my NP seem to be stabilizing, but it's clear to me that Chromecast is a more mature and stable product at the moment. Given that so many more people own Chromecasts than NPs, updating Chromecast will probably remain Google's higher priority.
Overall, I'm still happy with my NP, but it's still a work in progress. I'm not sure that I'd recommend it over Roku or Fire TV (or even Apple TV) for people looking to add smart features/apps to their TV... and if you're looking for a cheap way to watch Netflix on your TV, you can't really beat Chromecast.
whmaurer said:
I like my NP, but I think it's unfair to simply assert that NP wins because "it does everything that Chromecast does." The NP has great features that the Chromecast doesn't (onscreen UI, remote, gaming, etc.) have; if you want those features, the NP is great (but probably not as good as other products on the market with bigger app ecosystems, like Fire TV or Roku). If casting video content is your top priority, it's worth noting that the NP does not perform as well as Chromecast as a Google Cast device. The two main issues are:
1. My NP (on my main TC) doesn't always show up as a castable device, even when my Chromecast (bedroom TV) appears without issue.
2. It turns out that some Chromecast-compatible apps do NOT support Google Cast on the NP, as was the case with the HBO Now app that was released a couple of months ago. This is pretty rare, and basically every other cast-enabled app I've used seems to support both Chromecast and the NP, but the HBO Now debacle (when combined with #1) clearly suggests that the Google Cast implementation on the NP differs from what we see on Chromecast.
In addition to Cast issues, I've experienced a lot of bugs/crashes/etc. with my NP. Things on my NP seem to be stabilizing, but it's clear to me that Chromecast is a more mature and stable product at the moment. Given that so many more people own Chromecasts than NPs, updating Chromecast will probably remain Google's higher priority.
Overall, I'm still happy with my NP, but it's still a work in progress. I'm not sure that I'd recommend it over Roku or Fire TV (or even Apple TV) for people looking to add smart features/apps to their TV... and if you're looking for a cheap way to watch Netflix on your TV, you can't really beat Chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing about it is, a new Chromecast is $35, though I've seen it for $30 on sale recently. I've seen the nexus player on sale for $40 at a few places. For the extra $10, the nexus player does much more than the Chromecast, and can function essentially the same as a Chromecast, save for the HBO now app.
Also I perceive casting to the NP is much quicker than my Chromecast on wifi. It's a stronger machine.
For those of you suggesting the RJ45 + USB3.0 hubs, isnt the microUSB port on the back of the NP just a usb2.0 connection? Does adding a USB3.0 hub for expanded memory actually do anything since it should be throttled down to 2.0 speeds at the back of the NP? Or should we just look at getting a 2.0 hub and save a few extra $$$?
Im asking because Im currently looking into my options to expand my memory now that Android6.0 has hit our devices.
Correct, its only 2.0 speed. Save some money. No reason the adapter should cost more than the NP.
whmaurer said:
I like my NP, but I think it's unfair to simply assert that NP wins because "it does everything that Chromecast does." The NP has great features that the Chromecast doesn't (onscreen UI, remote, gaming, etc.) have; if you want those features, the NP is great (but probably not as good as other products on the market with bigger app ecosystems, like Fire TV or Roku). If casting video content is your top priority, it's worth noting that the NP does not perform as well as Chromecast as a Google Cast device. The two main issues are:
1. My NP (on my main TC) doesn't always show up as a castable device, even when my Chromecast (bedroom TV) appears without issue.
2. It turns out that some Chromecast-compatible apps do NOT support Google Cast on the NP, as was the case with the HBO Now app that was released a couple of months ago. This is pretty rare, and basically every other cast-enabled app I've used seems to support both Chromecast and the NP, but the HBO Now debacle (when combined with #1) clearly suggests that the Google Cast implementation on the NP differs from what we see on Chromecast.
In addition to Cast issues, I've experienced a lot of bugs/crashes/etc. with my NP. Things on my NP seem to be stabilizing, but it's clear to me that Chromecast is a more mature and stable product at the moment. Given that so many more people own Chromecasts than NPs, updating Chromecast will probably remain Google's higher priority.
Overall, I'm still happy with my NP, but it's still a work in progress. I'm not sure that I'd recommend it over Roku or Fire TV (or even Apple TV) for people looking to add smart features/apps to their TV... and if you're looking for a cheap way to watch Netflix on your TV, you can't really beat Chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would've said the same, prior to the Marshmallow upgrade; whether the Cast icon would appear in Cast enabled apps was a matter of pure luck, as well as the "cast screen to" feature on Android devices. I got a lot of Cast connection losses as well, while the content was then still playing on the TV, without any possibility to control it (other than stopping it via the Nexus Player remote).
But all of those issues are fixed now with the Marshmallow upgrade (and I guess the various Google Cast Receiver app updates, that have been released since then).
The one thing that I find absolutely unacceptable is the following fact which you have mentioned as well: That the Nexus Player seems to be a 2nd class Google Cast device, which is e.g. not supported by Spotify, while working perfectly fine on Chromecasts. Google is allowing fragmentation of their Cast ecosystem because of this and this might be the beginning of the end of its acceptance, especially when it comes to Smart TVs that are shipped with Android TV and for which all companies involved are especially advertising the Cast functionality.
To the user who mentioned that both, the Nexus Player and the Chromecast are loading/streaming faster over Ethernet than over Wi-Fi: I strongly doubt that this is the case, especially since, as mentioned above, the available Ethernet adapters are only USB 2.0 capable. If you're talking about an Nvidia Shield TV I'd believe you, since that one supports Gigabit Ethernet natively, but regarding Chromecasts and Nexus Players... maybe if your wi-fi is horrible or you're using 2.4GHz wi-fi only... otherwise...no, not at all.
Anyway, since the original question was something like "Chromecast vs. Nexus Player": I have both, and I fully replaced my Chromecast with my Nexus Player since I have found that it makes the Chromecast redundant.
Some advantages of the Chromecast that should be considered:
-It's perfectly suited for taking it with you when traveling, while the Nexus Player is more of a fixed device that you set up once, connect it to your TV and leave it there.
- The Chromecast might reboot a couple of seconds faster than the Nexus Player, in case you shut off your devices often.
- The Chromecast allows you to adjust the backdrop e.g. with weather data and specific background images; the similar looking stock-backdrop of the Nexus Player cannot be modified at all.
- The Nexus Player wants you to sign into a specific Google account, whereas the Chromecast only requires you to set up a wi-fi.
- Chromecast doesn't need a wall socket and can be powered by your TV's USB port (even though using a real power adapter is recommended due to stability reasons).
- As mentioned, Chromecast isn't treated as a 2nd class Cast device by e.g. HBO (lol) and Spotify.
- You won't have to deal with yet another remote control in addition to your TV's, your audio system's and what-not remote controls, if using a Chromecast
- Google so far hasn't dared to release a firmware upgrade for the Chromecast which increases the brightness to a bazillion % and causes all blacks to look washed-out as hell.
I'm not gonna mention any advantages of the Nexus Player here as I've already said that I, personally, prefer the Nexus Player; I think it comes down to personal preferences regarding the above-points. Some things might be more important to some people, while others aren't, the same goes for what compromises are acceptable to the specific user.
Markolc said:
Correct, its only 2.0 speed. Save some money. No reason the adapter should cost more than the NP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only problem is there are no USB 2.0 ethernet adapters that also have USB passthrough.
priddyma said:
Only problem is there are no USB 2.0 ethernet adapters that also have USB passthrough.
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Click to collapse
I don't quite know what you mean? I have a 2.0 USB hub\ethernet hybrid plugged into my nexus players. It gives me 3 full size USB ports and Ethernet.
Anywhere I have searched didn't have a plethora of USB 2.0 hubs with ethernet that were that much cheaper than the 3.0 models.
I don't see the point of an ethernet adapter for the Nexus Player any way, the theoretical speed limit of USB 2.0 is 480mbps which equal 60MBps meaning that you are throttling yourself compared to your WiFi speed.
priddyma said:
Anywhere I have searched didn't have a plethora of USB 2.0 hubs with ethernet that were that much cheaper than the 3.0 models.
I don't see the point of an ethernet adapter for the Nexus Player any way, the theoretical speed limit of USB 2.0 is 480mbps which equal 60MBps meaning that you are throttling yourself compared to your WiFi speed.
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Click to collapse
And realistically you would be lucky to get even half that 60 MBps speeds on the 2.0 port. Chances are your only seeing about 25-30, and a Ethernet port adapter has to share the data with all the other devices you may have plugged into the hub as well. The WiFi AC is every bit 5-10 faster than the USB port on this device. The Ethernet adapter idea is only reasonable if that is all you have for a connection. Otherwise your 5ghz N or AC will blow away the USB port, depending on your network and internet speeds of course.
SkOrPn said:
And realistically you would be lucky to get even half that 60 MBps speeds on the 2.0 port. Chances are your only seeing about 25-30, and a Ethernet port adapter has to share the data with all the other devices you may have plugged into the hub as well. The WiFi AC is every bit 5-10 faster than the USB port on this device. The Ethernet adapter idea is only reasonable if that is all you have for a connection. Otherwise your 5ghz N or AC will blow away the USB port, depending on your network and internet speeds of course.
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All I can tell you is this. On my 5ghz WiFi, nighthawk ac1900 router, I will get occasional drops and hiccups streaming my uncompressed bluray rips, and on occasion streaming from my HDHomerun Prime. When over WiFi, I get none of those issues ever. It's just a more reliable connection. Downloading from the Play store, the WiFi wins, however streaming a 2 hour movie (30gigs), the hard wire connection will give me a flawless performance. It just takes a few seconds of WiFi interference to interrupt a movie or good football game on TV.
Markolc said:
All I can tell you is this. On my 5ghz WiFi, nighthawk ac1900 router, I will get occasional drops and hiccups streaming my uncompressed bluray rips, and on occasion streaming from my HDHomerun Prime. When over WiFi, I get none of those issues ever. It's just a more reliable connection. Downloading from the Play store, the WiFi wins, however streaming a 2 hour movie (30gigs), the hard wire connection will give me a flawless performance. It just takes a few seconds of WiFi interference to interrupt a movie or good football game on TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your WiFi should have big enough buffer to handle a few seconds of WiFi interference... Never had a single problem on a Chromecast wireless in a highly congested 2.4GHz area....
The Chromecast app from Google in the Google PlayStore doesn't even detect my Google Nexus Player (on the same wifi network).
The "Video & TV Cast | Nexus Player" app does. The developer for that app has a separate version for Nexus Player, Chromecast device, Samsung TV, etc.
Nate2 said:
The Chromecast app from Google in the Google PlayStore doesn't even detect my Google Nexus Player (on the same wifi network).
The "Video & TV Cast | Nexus Player" app does. The developer for that app has a separate version for Nexus Player, Chromecast device, Samsung TV, etc.
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure why the Chromecast app would ever need to detect your NP. It's not like you could use that app to configure it.
Maybe it was just my assumption that the Google Nexus Player (which supports casting) would use the Chromecast protocol(?) from Google.
Apparently, there is also a Googlecast protocol that is different from Chromecast?
My Samsung phone has it's own casting protocol that works great with my Samsung HDTV.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Getting live TV to Nexus players?

So I just ordered a couple Nexus Players and after searching around Google I am not able to see how to get Live TV on the unit without getting the HDHomeRun gadget. I'd be looking to get signal from an OTA Antenna or cable. Right now I have a HTPC with a Ceton PCI tuner. I watch cable TV through my HTPC and WMC, and my OTA Antenna sits in the box at the moment since it really serves no purpose as long as I have cable. I plan to hook up both Nexus Players via ethernet cable to the home network. What are my options to get TV to them? Again, either cable or OTA Antenna signal. Thanks!
Kodi w/ ServerWMC
Yes kodi/serverwmc is one way but you will need to keep your htpc around and turned on.
HDHomerun is the other way that I know works, as that's what I use.
The Tablo network DVR. It is similar to the way the Silicon Dust tuners work but it is a complete DVR, except for the USB hard drive that you need to add. EPG is optional and you can do manual recordings without it if you wish to save on costs. If you prefer to have EPG service it is available for either: lifetime (unlike Tivo it is account based instead device based, you only pay once no matter how many you own); yearly or monthly. Lifetime is $150, yearly is $50, and monthly is $5. There is a 30 Day free trial included when you first activate the Tablo that expires if no subscription is made.
Storage is done by user supplied USB hard drive. The currently supported maximum HDD capacity is 5TB. Flash drives are not compatible. You can use spare desktop and laptop HDDs with certain USB hard drive enclosures, Sayba and Sabrent are known to be compatible. Which ever HDD you go with make sure to go to its maker's website and download whatever tools it has for your drive. Make sure whatever sleep or power down modes are disabled as they can cause disconnects. A new HDD being installed will be formatted causing the loss of all existing data. You can not upload content onto the Tablo to use as a NAS.
All TV, live or recorded is transcoded to H.264 for video and AAC stereo/prologic for sound to support the largest number of devices. Android TV devices are the strongest for Tablo playback on a TV Chromecast and Roku tend to be the weakest in terms of load up times and remote response. Because of the transcoding overhead it can take 6-15 seconds to tune into a new channel depending if you have Enable Fast Live TV Startup enabled or not.
Local streaming is supported out of the box. Out of home streaming requires EPG subscription.
THGDTH said:
Because of the transcoding overhead it can take 6-15 seconds to tune into a new channel depending if you have Enable Fast Live TV Startup enabled or not.
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Click to collapse
That was one of the biggest reasons I ended up selling my Tablo. It takes away from the trigger finger surfing experience.
I ended up getting a HDhomerun Extend and love the idea of a network tuner. I love the quick tuning times in the Google Live Channels app. However, I wish it was more stable. I may have to give InstaTV a try and see if it works better. I am really hoping Silicondust gets their act together with their HDHomerun DVR system and improve the stability of their Android TV app.

what you think about your shield?

just bought 50 inch 4k lcd tv, brand is tcl
it plays anything i tried so far (with exception of dts audio, but this is easy to convert with avidemux)
the thing is - smart tv functions is pure [email protected]
around 1 minute to start, 10 seconds to open youtube, and 30 seconds of buffering
what is most annoying is just 360-480p video with no settings to change that
so i need to buy some android box that will:
play all 1080p media smoothly
play 1080p youtube videos
run skype with external camera
allow me to run some games etc.
there is plenty of solutions but shield seems to combine decent specs, good design and reasonable price
can anyone confirm that it will work ok with external webcam (both video and microphone?)
PLEASE DELETE THIS POST... I believe the OP was complaining about the functionality in his TV.. Not the Shield
I have no issues whatsoever playing any 1080p videos from the net or from my home network.
I'm guessing you are running wireless and / or have a slow internet connection. Try putting a 1080p video on a usb stick or memory card and playing it from there.
I'm running wired gigabit and have a 100Mbs Internet speed and this box really shines, even with 1080p Game streaming through their service.
my only issues with the Shield TV are:
* It only comes with a North America-spec power adapter, with a proprietary device-side connector. I think you can change the power pins, but it only comes with an american one in the box (not really an issue if you live in north america)
* The controller is a bit rubbish
It's very fast, and it plays all the media I throw at it through Plex, although with some of the high bitrate stuff, it complains about low connection over wireless - it doesn't seem to connect via 802.11ac all the time.
The games are just your standard Android fare. Games & apps can be installed from the Play Store website if they don't show up on the built-in one. Be aware though; some of them say that they work on AndroidTV but don't actually do any such thing.
I love mine, I got it to replace an old acer revo which was running openelec.
The apps I use the most are Kodi (all in one media streaming app), Retroarch (an app which allows you to play various emulators), Youtube, Twitch, iPlayer, and Gamestream. I havent tried the subscription based game stream option that Nvidia offer as I have the majority of the games which they offer. I do use the option which allows me to stream games from my pc. This runs superbly at 1080p over homeplugs.
The device is very quiet and very fast. I also like having a headphone socket on the remote and joypad.
I would like to see some more UK based media apps on the store (4OD, 5 on demand, Sky), my Xbox One is better for this. Kodi does have addons to get around the lack of this.
The google play store does seem a bit limited for android tv at the moment.
I did have to root mine to enable me to write to the sdcard (for Retroarch).
I would highly recommend one if you want to use Kodi or Emulators.
DrSeahorse said:
I would highly recommend one if you want to use [...] Emulators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this. In fact, I now remember this was my major reason for buying it. It emulates pretty much anything up to and including the Sega Dreamcast, but once again.. it has a pretty rubbish controller. However, it does support the XBox 360 pad if you have the wireless adapter for it, so that's an improvement, and I'm pretty sure it'll natively support any controller that Linux does - so all your USB adapters for your NES or PSX or whatever controller will work.
Gotta throw my opinion in since I've only had it for about 2 weeks now...
Its fast, and I must much better interface than what i was expecting. I bought it for primarily playing PC games from my computer and it does so without any problems at all. It even will pass through full surround sound from the games (which I was NOT expecting).
I also use KODI more than anything and it works great. I do have some sound sync issues here and there and it can be annoying to remedy. But, if you put the time in and use KODI's audio delay correctly you can fix it. (the Wiki will say to use the Shield's built in HDMI-Audio Sync feature, but it doesn't have an overlay for when you are setting the delay. So you basically have to base it entirely off the bouncing ball which doesn't help at all when you are trying to sync voices to the actors mouths. Plus, I found that 0ms works great for all audio syncing through shield (netflix, youtube, etc) and the KODI sync lets me sync JUST KODI.
I only paid $150 for mine since I got in on the controller bundle and they never sent me the controller so I got the $50 refunded. I still would recommend it at $200 though. Once the MM update comes out it will be much better for customizing the start screen.
DO IT is my short answer.
As a media player, about the only thing it lacks is Amazon Prime, though there is a workaround and rumors of official support later. I've been able to play high bitrate rips, Hi10p video, a 1440p VHS 10-bit rip, and everything else with no issues over 802.11ac. It's by far the best player I've seen for SlingTV, also.
Anything that doesn't work natively, you can just cast it to the Shield TV and you're in business (HBO Go, specifically, because Comcast is stupid).
Games work well enough as long as they have controller support. Most of the higher-end and big developer games do. There's Nvidia game stream you can test for 3 months, but I don't have any use for it, honestly. I think you can also stream games from a PC with an nVidia GPU, but I have AMD.
Basically they've built the best video player on the market, hands down. The next best thing is a full-blown HTPC, but the price and lack of a simplified UI (IMO) puts the Shield on top, again.

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