Hello guys
EDIT: I have to mention that for some reason it seems Amazon has managed to bypass whatever cleverness Genesis Addon uses to give access to all the movies you want to see... so for people wanting to use FireTV as an XBMC box to watch movies (illegally) you will have big challenges. They have locked it down... so you'd have to try use proxy servers, virtual networks etc to get around that... but it is nowhere near as easy to use as a good Android TV box like the Tronsmart s89.
Having used it for about two hours, I've concluded the device is great if all you want to do is to watch Amazon prime video or netflix... but to run most other android apps, it is simply an awful experience. , these are a few of my least favourite things:
1/ Apps you sideload are not visible on the home screen. It takes you 19 (NINETEEN!!!) clicks to get from HOME to the list of apps you can "manage". From there you click more to scroll down to your app of choice and click to select it then click to load it.
2/ you cannot use the remote for inputting text via voice within an app, so in XBMC if you want to enter "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", you cannot do a voice search, so all input is very clunky.
3/ if you use a usb wireless keyboard/trackpad like the Logitech k400r (superb on an android box) you are limited to what keyboard commands the amazon stranglehold will allow
4/ xbmc is not listed as a recent app. If you press HOME by mistake, it is approximately 35 (THIRTY FIVE) clicks to get back to xbmc (more if you have sideloaded more than 13 apps... which makes me hesitant to sideload any more!) Alt-TAB works on the wireless keyboard to get back to the last app, but XBMC is not listed there - as it is on generic android tv boxes.
5/ on spotify, you cannot use just the remote, pressing Down does not take you to the next song, left and right do not navigate menus etc... so you have to use another device... the Logitech k400r is great, but again, you cannot do everything with that even... down arrow does not move to next songs, there are no keyboard shortcuts to move to the next song etc.
6/ TennisTV android app does not work at all... works on all my android phones, devices, tablets. This seems to be a common theme, extremely poor app support.
7/ apps added to your apps on Amazon.co.uk online do not (mostly) show up on your device after you have "synced amazon content" . Looking for apps on the device in the amazon store is a mystery, voice search does not work... so is one expected to BROWSE the whole library with the remote to find apps you want? Wow.
7/ Go online to get apps for Fire TV and Amazon says: no TED no IMDB no Wikipedia no ES File explorer no Facebook no Ebay no Google apps of any kind, no Dolphin or Chrome, no Box, no Dropbox, no Evernote no BBC Sport, no TVCatchup... the list goes on and on... pretty dismal IMO.
There is probably a LOT more, but Amazon have successfully strangled and suffocated a very nice bit of hardware. The interface is good, the fluidity is excellent... and for xbmc it is great but also censored by Amazon... but if you are used to a generic android tv box like the tronsmart vega s89, the FireTV does not come close, because what you can do with it is extremely limited. The cheap chinese android tv boxes in my lounge and bedroom are going to stay put, I cannot live with this FireTV. Buy this unit if you want a very good Amazon Prime Video / netflix box for £80... but if you want more than that, stay away.
Mark.
fredphoesh said:
Hello guys
Having used it for about two hours, I've concluded the device is great as an XBMC-only box an/or if you watch Amazon prime video or netflix... but to run most other android apps, it is simply an awful experience. , these are a few of my least favourite things:
1/ Apps you sideload are not visible on the home screen. It takes you 19 (NINETEEN!!!) clicks to get from HOME to the list of apps you can "manage". From there you click more to scroll down to your app of choice and click to select it then click to load it.
2/ you cannot use the remote for inputting text via voice within an app, so in XBMC if you want to enter "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", you cannot do a voice search, so all input is very clunky.
3/ if you use a usb wireless keyboard/trackpad like the Logitech k400r (superb on an android box) you are limited to what keyboard commands the amazon stranglehold will allow
4/ xbmc is not listed as a recent app. If you press HOME by mistake, it is approximately 35 (THIRTY FIVE) clicks to get back to xbmc (more if you have sideloaded more than 13 apps... which makes me hesitant to sideload any more!) Alt-TAB works on the wireless keyboard to get back to the last app, but XBMC is not listed there - as it is on generic android tv boxes.
5/ on spotify, you cannot use just the remote, pressing Down does not take you to the next song, left and right do not navigate menus etc... so you have to use another device... the Logitech k400r is great, but again, you cannot do everything with that even... down arrow does not move to next songs, there are no keyboard shortcuts to move to the next song etc.
6/ TennisTV android app does not work at all... works on all my android phones, devices, tablets. This seems to be a common theme, extremely poor app support.
7/ apps added to your apps on Amazon.co.uk online do not (mostly) show up on your device after you have "synced amazon content" . Looking for apps on the device in the amazon store is a mystery, voice search does not work... so is one expected to BROWSE the whole library with the remote to find apps you want? Wow.
7/ Go online to get apps for Fire TV and Amazon says: no TED no IMDB no Wikipedia no ES File explorer no Facebook no Ebay no Google apps of any kind, no Dolphin or Chrome, no Box, no Dropbox, no Evernote no BBC Sport, no TVCatchup... the list goes on and on... pretty dismal IMO.
There is probably a LOT more, but Amazon have successfully strangled and suffocated a very nice bit of hardware. The interface is good, the fluidity is excellent... and for xbmc it is great... but if you are used to a generic android tv box like the tronsmart vega s89, this does not come close, because what you can do with it is extremely limited. The cheap chinese android tv boxes in my lounge and bedroom are going to stay put, I cannot live with this FireTV. Buy this unit if you want a very good xbmc box for £80... but if you want more than that, stay away.
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i picked one up last night, my impressions:
the UI is horrendous. ever review i read complimented the UI, but, nothing i want to use (plex) is easy to get to from the homescreen. have to scroll down, then over, etc. finding new apps, movies and tv shows is also difficult. i wish amazon allowed us to alter the homescreen to customize it to how we want it.
plex on firetv, again, the ui is just... just... i don't know, i don't use on deck, or que, or whatever. i have to scroll over, then down to get to what i want. again, i wish plex gave us more opportunity to customize how our splash screen is setup.
otherwise, i like the prime video on demand. this is the first time we have subscribed to an on demand stream service, having the content there, my kids like that there's spongebob and other nick shows. otherwise, our last 3 years of cord cutting has been handled through a rather extensive HTPC that i built running XBMC, sickbeard, couch potato and plex. i picked up the firetv to replace this unit because i'm tired of maintaining it.
fredphoesh said:
Hello guys
Having used it for about two hours, I've concluded the device is great as an XBMC-only box an/or if you watch Amazon prime video or netflix... but to run most other android apps, it is simply an awful experience. , these are a few of my least favourite things:
1/ Apps you sideload are not visible on the home screen. It takes you 19 (NINETEEN!!!) clicks to get from HOME to the list of apps you can "manage". From there you click more to scroll down to your app of choice and click to select it then click to load it.
2/ you cannot use the remote for inputting text via voice within an app, so in XBMC if you want to enter "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", you cannot do a voice search, so all input is very clunky.
3/ if you use a usb wireless keyboard/trackpad like the Logitech k400r (superb on an android box) you are limited to what keyboard commands the amazon stranglehold will allow
4/ xbmc is not listed as a recent app. If you press HOME by mistake, it is approximately 35 (THIRTY FIVE) clicks to get back to xbmc (more if you have sideloaded more than 13 apps... which makes me hesitant to sideload any more!) Alt-TAB works on the wireless keyboard to get back to the last app, but XBMC is not listed there - as it is on generic android tv boxes.
5/ on spotify, you cannot use just the remote, pressing Down does not take you to the next song, left and right do not navigate menus etc... so you have to use another device... the Logitech k400r is great, but again, you cannot do everything with that even... down arrow does not move to next songs, there are no keyboard shortcuts to move to the next song etc.
6/ TennisTV android app does not work at all... works on all my android phones, devices, tablets. This seems to be a common theme, extremely poor app support.
7/ apps added to your apps on Amazon.co.uk online do not (mostly) show up on your device after you have "synced amazon content" . Looking for apps on the device in the amazon store is a mystery, voice search does not work... so is one expected to BROWSE the whole library with the remote to find apps you want? Wow.
7/ Go online to get apps for Fire TV and Amazon says: no TED no IMDB no Wikipedia no ES File explorer no Facebook no Ebay no Google apps of any kind, no Dolphin or Chrome, no Box, no Dropbox, no Evernote no BBC Sport, no TVCatchup... the list goes on and on... pretty dismal IMO.
There is probably a LOT more, but Amazon have successfully strangled and suffocated a very nice bit of hardware. The interface is good, the fluidity is excellent... and for xbmc it is great... but if you are used to a generic android tv box like the tronsmart vega s89, this does not come close, because what you can do with it is extremely limited. The cheap chinese android tv boxes in my lounge and bedroom are going to stay put, I cannot live with this FireTV. Buy this unit if you want a very good xbmc box for £80... but if you want more than that, stay away.
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use something called llama to create a shortcut to the homescreen (so to speak) of all side loaded apps and this is well documented on these forums.
Got my FTV at work so will give it a go when I get home to see if the list of apps is as bad as you say and if so will just use an amazon USA account.
Has anyone tried sideloading the prime video app on one of the tron boxes? They're interesting looking boxes.
As far as the UI goes: if you're able to root your system, you can set it to use xbmc as the launcher and only drop into the Amazon side when you want to watch prime video.
I don't mind the UI too much, either in xbmc or from Amazon, as I have low expectations for what a UI for a TV should be.
It's nice to see that if this dies, there may be other fairly competitive boxes which I can get Netflix and Prime on as well as xbmc.
roustabout said:
Has anyone tried sideloading the prime video app on one of the tron boxes? They're interesting looking boxes..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Actually there was a recent change by Amazon, making the Prime Video app (supposedly) work with Android, but AFAIK it has not been achieved yet. When I tried last a couple of months ago, it would look like it was going to play, then crash. See the thread on Freaktab:
http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?17026-Amazon-Instant-Video
Mark.
fredphoesh said:
Hi
Actually there was a recent change by Amazon, making the Prime Video app (supposedly) work with Android, but AFAIK it has not been achieved yet. When I tried last a couple of months ago, it would look like it was going to play, then crash. See the thread on Freaktab:
http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?17026-Amazon-Instant-Video
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazon video works on my phone and tablet pretty well. I did need to sideload the app from my phone to my tablet, but once I did so it was good.
I wonder if some of the issue being described in the thread above is like the one that some folks have with xbmc on the fire: XBMC won't 'let go' of the video hardware easily, so launching a video app from within the Android Apps menu of XBMC results in video not playing. I deal with it by killing XBMC once firetv launcher or netflix are running.
fredphoesh couldn*t summarize it any better. The hardware is great but the software does indeed cripple and limit the use beyong anything. This device is entirely made to only exist in the Amazon world and makes you buy Apps from their own App store and pay for instant video. Nothing else should and could be done with it flawless. See how hard the locked it. Unfortunately there are some more examples of locked down hardware in past time: Apple TV 3rd gen, Surface RT & 2 etc.
Thats why I put this useless brick on ebay as long as people go crazy for it - for whatever reason I don't know. For the same money you can get a very decent Android Box without and restrictions and full root access!
sebr said:
Thats why I put this useless brick on ebay as long as people go crazy for it - for whatever reason I don't know. For the same money you can get a very decent Android Box without and restrictions and full root access!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem that a decent Android box alternative, with the possible exception being the new Android TV, is they do not get Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu type apps to go along with XBMC. This is the very reason why people are going crazy for it. It is nice to have everything I need and that Amazon provides it all in one OTT box.
Might take a bit of effort but if you set it up right the fire TV can work very well. Mine is being used not only as an XBMC box but also as my download center and NAS. Couldn't be happier with it.
Nedle said:
Might take a bit of effort but if you set it up right the fire TV can work very well. Mine is being used not only as an XBMC box but also as my download center and NAS. Couldn't be happier with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am guessing rooted. The problems is that the folks doing the reviews now have never had the option to root. UK & GER shipped with rooting blocked.
Clearly out of the box the AFTV is not the most open/flexible experience. It is really easy to mod though. Root, install custom recovery, flash latest rooted rom, install Xposed (Fire TV Mods), alternate launcher, Google framework/play store and it's a completely different experience.
It is fine to complain, or give a bad review about a stock interface, but not here. XDA is a modding/tweaking community, I don't know why you are giving a review on a stock rom's nearly out of the box interface. A bit of work and most (if not all) of your complains are moot.
At least look around first to see if there are solutions to your complaints before just whining about them. :laugh:
Don't count this box out yet...now that someone has the ability to write custom kernels and we have a custom recovery I can only hope someone brings out an amazing AOSP build for the box or someone is quick to port over Android TV to it. Unfortunately I am not one of those capable of but would donate
goggles99 said:
Clearly out of the box the AFTV is not the most open/flexible experience. It is really easy to mod though. Root, install custom recovery, flash latest rooted rom, install Xposed (Fire TV Mods), alternate launcher, Google framework/play store and it's a completely different experience.
It is fine to complain, or give a bad review about a stock interface, but not here. XDA is a modding/tweaking community, I don't know why you are giving a review on a stock rom's nearly out of the box interface. A bit of work and most (if not all) of your complains are moot.
At least look around first to see if there are solutions to your complaints before just whining about them. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps you have not read much of what's being said about the newest Firetv boxes... Unrootable and heavily censored blocking movie streaming sites on xbmc, and dismally poor app support too.
As it is now, it is useful for two things only, Amazon prime video and netflix... Neither of which I want or need.
fredphoesh said:
Perhaps you have not read much of what's being said about the newest Firetv boxes... Unrootable and heavily censored blocking movie streaming sites on xbmc, and dismally poor app support too.
As it is now, it is useful for two things only, Amazon prime video and netflix... Neither of which I want or need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was this confirmed outside of just one person's experience?
Also, devices get updates that prevent root all the time. Often, the devs figure out a way to root them. I'm waiting on my Fire TV I ordered from eBay, hoping it's rootable. But even if not XBMC and Netflix is all I really wanted it for anyway (and not to use the crappy streaming add-ons but my own collection)
If Android TV is somehow ported to the Fire, then this box will become a great device. Right now it's worth the 100 bux alone just to play around with imo.
fredphoesh said:
Perhaps you have not read much of what's being said about the newest Firetv boxes... Unrootable and heavily censored blocking movie streaming sites on xbmc, and dismally poor app support too.
As it is now, it is useful for two things only, Amazon prime video and netflix... Neither of which I want or need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think your having more of an "operator error" than anything.. amazon isnt messing with xbmc. The fireTV has been working fine for everyone else for like 6 months now. if you dont like it send it backm sucks theres no root for UK people yet.. but no need to whine about it on here..
From a new UK Fire TV user - I totally agree "DISMAL EXPERIANCE" :¬(
Spent a lot of money on Plex only to find it has to use fire tv sdk and so no 5.1 DD surround sound over HDMI - if you have MKV content :¬(
I can sideload xbmc which works! and is the reason why it cant be on the amazon store - But I cant find a skin that is nearly as nice as plex)
Blocking root is way annoying too
I sideload'ed chrome and firefox and they seem to have patched it so that the remote does not work - nice one fire tv peeps (the browser in ES file manager works better - grr)
Sometimes I think they try to PISS people off on purpose
guess it makes them chuckle all the way to bank
at least it only cost 49£ so im going to ritually destroy it and jump up and down on it till I get blisters
AND also bye bye amazon prime!
Did anybody do any research before pre-ordering & before & after the German launch (around 9/16/2014) to know what to expect. The majority if not all of this "issues" where known weeks or a month ago.... And some of this are not real issues at all. Like demanding not promise features. Or "operator error" issues... There is usually a FW update shortly after a launch to deal with true issues that arise from it. So be on the lookout for one.
fredphoesh said:
Perhaps you have not read much of what's being said about the newest Firetv boxes... Unrootable and heavily censored blocking movie streaming sites on xbmc, and dismally poor app support too.
As it is now, it is useful for two things only, Amazon prime video and netflix... Neither of which I want or need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I can see, you are the only one to have experienced this. Perhaps the dns servers for these sites are being recently blocked by your UK ISP (Your other devices may have the dns entries cached for a while). In any case, one person having this problem is not much proof of this, thus is hearsay.
Why go on a long tirade when your real complaint is that you cannot obtain root? Why post a non-modded devices shortcomings on a modding site that has solutions to all but one of your problems? join one of the other "rant because I can't root" threads.
goggles99 said:
Why go on a long tirade when your real complaint is that you cannot obtain root? Why post a non-modded devices shortcomings on a modding site that has solutions to all but one of your problems? join one of the other "rant because I can't root" threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually i dont care about root
i want to have the apps I can have on my android tv working on this box.
they dont
it is a giant fail largely due to facist isp's in the UK and control freakery by amazon.
fredphoesh said:
actually i dont care about root
i want to have the apps I can have on my android tv working on this box.
they dont.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do for me
fredphoesh said:
it is a giant fail largely due to facist isp's in the UK and control freakery by amazon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong forum/web site then. This is what I have been saying all along.
Fire TV software update version 51.1.5.3_user_515040320 and Fire TV Stick software update version 54.1.1.3_user_110045520 are starting to roll out now. Let us know if you get them and if you notice any changes.
Interestingly, Amazon pulled all 3 versions of 51.1.5.0's source code form their source code page. They've never done that before.
Any word on if they will restore ALT+TAB functionality?
Is it still Android 4.2.2? I am hoping they give us at least Android 4.4 soon. The system is still great, but the compatability issues with apps is getting old. Android 4.4 seems to be the requirement for more and more apps. There have been several apps that I was able to use before that now require Android 4.4. It seems like Amazon is making Android 4.2 their base for the Fire TV, but I hope thats not the case.
FireTV Stick, first impressions:
- Took 3-4 minutes to download
- Took 4-5 minutes to install and reboot
- No obvious difference on the Home screen (were there already Editor's Picks and Recently Watched sections in Movies and in TV?)
- When in the Games section, saw a popup ad in the upper right corner of the screen, I don't remember that from before
- The Recent row still shows my sideloaded and synced Kodi, SPMC and Curnchyroll, but still does not show other sideloaded apps
- Remote Mouse on my iPhone still works
- Ookla Speedtest app showed 18Mbps download, which is in the right range for my inconsistent router (I've seen as low as 2Mbps and as high as 52Mbps before)
- Seems to respond a little faster to remote button presses, but that might be wishful thinking
No big, obvious changes that I can find.
My Fire TV took the update yesterday I cant really see any difference so far. I still have all my apps working off external storage. Kodi and other sideloaded app still on my recent tab.
Looks like this update is just bug fixes. For anyone (e.g., @rbox ) interested, I've captured and added the URL download links for both the new Fire TV and Fire tV Stick updates to AFTVnews.com/software
AFTVnews.com said:
Looks like this update is just bug fixes. For anyone (e.g., @rbox ) interested, I've captured and added the URL download links for both the new Fire TV and Fire tV Stick updates to AFTVnews.com/software
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's obscure, but all three Five Nights At Freddy's games sideloaded stopped working on the last update as soon as you move the mouse. I'm wondering if this one fixes that problem.
For me at least, I can longer add Kodi and SPMC to Recent Menu after I uninstall and reinstall/buy app/deregister firetv/register.
Am I the only one? If so, that's enough for me to stay locked in to the old version.
notreally said:
For me at least, I can longer add Kodi and SPMC to Recent Menu after I uninstall and reinstall/buy app/deregister firetv/register.
Am I the only one? If so, that's enough for me to stay locked in to the old version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Infact I just added kodi to the recents yesterday and it worked. Here are a few tips that may be overlooked.
Delete the app and readd it. Also ensure you are using helix. not the isengard or the nightlies. I'm not sure but I couldn't get kodi to the recents with the isengards.
http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-rest...loaded-app-to-the-recent-list-on-the-fire-tv/
By the way the good change I saw was that now the project from windows 8.1 to the firetv works. I use the extend desktop resolution and lower the extended resolution. So far no issues.
navigates said:
Infact I just added kodi to the recents yesterday and it worked. Here are a few tips that may be overlooked.
Delete the app and readd it. Also ensure you are using helix. not the isengard or the nightlies. I'm not sure but I couldn't get kodi to the recents with the isengards.
http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-rest...loaded-app-to-the-recent-list-on-the-fire-tv/
By the way the good change I saw was that now the project from windows 8.1 to the firetv works. I use the extend desktop resolution and lower the extended resolution. So far no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate on how you get project to work on Fire TV. I have a Microsoft Surface with 8.1 and it won't even see the Fire TV. Even when I have the fire tv in Mirroring Mode in Display settings.
dk1keith said:
Can you elaborate on how you get project to work on Fire TV. I have a Microsoft Surface with 8.1 and it won't even see the Fire TV. Even when I have the fire tv in Mirroring Mode in Display settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Search for devices and add the amazon firetv to the devices list. It should successfully get added if you have windows 8.1
2. then slide into the charms bar, then click on devices and then project and select extend or duplicate
Let us know how it goes.
I have a Fire HD8 (7th gen) that I have added Google Play store & launcher hijack thanks to this site.
Has anyone been successful finding remote control/management software to control these fire tablets from a Windows (or Linux) system?
If this can be done, I would buy a second one as a gift for an elderly relative who would not be able to set it up by herself.
In the past, I have used Teamviewer for computer to computer management, but the version I tried on my tablet appears not to allow control of the tablet, only the other way around.
A trial version of join.me allows viewing of the screen, but not take control.
I'd appreciate pointers of any other solutions I may not be aware of.
Found this thread searching for a solution to same. This is not much help, but just confirming a similar experience. I installed TeamViewer Host on my new Fire HD 10 and it supports file transfer and screen sharing only. You can move a blue pointer around on the screen remotely (for example to point at things to help the person with the tablet), but you cannot actually click on things or take over and control the tablet remotely. I have not tried join.me but sounds like it has the same limitation. My HD 10 also has Google Play store, but no launcher hijack, and no root.
Incidentally, my rooted & ROMed Fire 7 does support full TeamViewer Host functionality with remote control.
toronado said:
Found this thread searching for a solution to same. This is not much help, but just confirming a similar experience. I installed TeamViewer Host on my new Fire HD 10 and it supports file transfer and screen sharing only. You can move a blue pointer around on the screen remotely (for example to point at things to help the person with the tablet), but you cannot actually click on things or take over and control the tablet remotely. I have not tried join.me but sounds like it has the same limitation. My HD 10 also has Google Play store, but no launcher hijack, and no root.
Incidentally, my rooted & ROMed Fire 7 does support full TeamViewer Host functionality with remote control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a bit odd actually. I would've expected the Fire 7 NOT to have the memory to support it. Team Viewer is great if you get it all working, which can be very complicated. At least I know I'm not the only one who had trouble in my HD 8. And I never seen this thread.
Look st scrcpy...just managed to get working on my HD 10 using scrcpy -b2M -m1024... Had issues with no parameters specified
Sent from my m8 using Tapatalk
evo17paul01 said:
Look st scrcpy...just managed to get working on my HD 10 using scrcpy -b2M -m1024... Had issues with no parameters specified
Sent from my m8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your HD 10 rooted?
I was just curious if this is something that could be added via root or mods.
Seems like even low end devices are able to cast to Miracast so the missing feature from the Fire tablets seems like a push to get people to buy the Fire TV sticks or whatever.
Would be nice to cast to my projector which has Miracast built in when I am feeling lazy and don't want to power on the PC for proper viewing.
What say you guys?
autobulb said:
I was just curious if this is something that could be added via root or mods.
Seems like even low end devices are able to cast to Miracast so the missing feature from the Fire tablets seems like a push to get people to buy the Fire TV sticks or whatever.
Would be nice to cast to my projector which has Miracast built in when I am feeling lazy and don't want to power on the PC for proper viewing.
What say you guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think @DragonFire1024 is working on it too. :laugh:
Here's the deal. I've studied this pretty closely and have a good grasp on how to make this work, at least until it comes to one configuration: wifi_display. It may not seem like much, but it means everything in terms of whether the original miracast works, or doesn't. There are 2 important settings that need to be enabled; config_enableWifiDisplay in framework-res needs to be set to true; FireTabletSettings.apk needs to have wifi_display in set in res/values/public and I have yet to come across a settings APK with that value present.
Solutions: 1) push Java code to the public class of the apk (I don't know enough about Java to do so). The code can be found on the Android Open Source Project website, if you know how to navigate it. 2) direct edit of the smali code of the apk. I have studied a bit of how to do this but still don't grasp the ability. Every decompiler is different and one never says the same from the other. (Yes smali is that difficult).
The best chance is through smali, it's the easiest method imho. Until that can be achieved, the original miracast is lost. I've tried other work arounds including the famous kensuke research on GitHub, and have come up with a brick each time. So you are left with no options really, because we can't use Chromecast on these devices because we're considered uncertified, even when rooted. I'll continue my work on it, but until I can figure it out, you can bring up the UI and watch compatible devices come into and out of range, but I have yet to get any to connect. WiFi P2P works perfectly in terms of connection, but I haven't used it for anything else and still won't connect via cast screen aka miracast.
Sent from my Moto E4 using XDA Labs
Also just a heads up. The HD 8 appears to fully support Miracast, at least in the 2016 device. The build.prop is set up 100% right, MTK actually supports WFD in this device according to the actual ProjectConfig.mk, including both sink and source. I believe the only thing preventing it from working is rooting the device to perform the modification to the framework. If I am not mistaken, that would enable wifi_display in the public.xml because the sink and source are already supported pieces of hardware directly through MTK. Whereas in the HD 10, none of it is supported by MTK. In other words Amazon didn't include support in the build they ordered from MTK for the HD 10. So this requires more jerry rigging unfortunately. If root is ever gotten for the HD 8, it may make this a lot easier.
@DragonFire1024
I am on an hd 10 2017 os version 5610 (retyre xposed and rooted version). I know this is a thread started about miracast but I saw this comment:
So you are left with no options really, because we can't use Chromecast on these devices because we're considered uncertified, even when rooted
I am able to cast to both my chromecast's (one gen one and one gen 2) older non hd ones, without an issue. So far have cast from the discovery go app, science go app, history app, plex and netflix... all downloaded from google playstore (maybe i got netflix from amazon). For some reason HBO Go doesn't show a cast icon so couldn't test that but at least for me chromecast functionality is definitely there and working 100%
Would be happy to test any other apps people might be interested in but sounds like others had no functionality at all not that we had an app compatibility issue.
adm1jtg said:
@DragonFire1024
I am on an hd 10 2017 os version 5610 (retyre xposed and rooted version). I know this is a thread started about miracast but I saw this comment:
So you are left with no options really, because we can't use Chromecast on these devices because we're considered uncertified, even when rooted
I am able to cast to both my chromecast's (one gen one and one gen 2) older non hd ones, without an issue. So far have cast from the discovery go app, science go app, history app, plex and netflix... all downloaded from google playstore (maybe i got netflix from amazon). For some reason HBO Go doesn't show a cast icon so couldn't test that but at least for me chromecast functionality is definitely there and working 100%
Would be happy to test any other apps people might be interested in but sounds like others had no functionality at all not that we had an app compatibility issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chromecast might be a fluke. I've not been able to get it to work, but I'm not so much interested in it. The equivalent of the original miracast, remodroid worked on all my tablets, but haven't tried it on my HD 10.
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DragonFire1024 said:
Chromecast might be a fluke. I've not been able to get it to work, but I'm not so much interested in it. The equivalent of the original miracast, remodroid worked on all my tablets, but haven't tried it on my HD 10.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct, I downloaded remodroid onto my hd 10 and it didn't find any devices. My roku in screen mirroring mode (auto allow) I am told should be seen as a miracast device, but the program didn't find any devices, even when I tried to connect directly to the ip address.
adm1jtg said:
You are correct, I downloaded remodroid onto my hd 10 and it didn't find any devices. My roku in screen mirroring mode (auto allow) I am told should be seen as a miracast device, but the program didn't find any devices, even when I tried to connect directly to the ip address.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a few factors on the HD 10 which ultimately prevent screen mirroring from working. At least what we know as Miracast. I'm going to have to do some more research on how to edit smali code that would allow for the wi-fi display to be active. But Amazon doesn't include it in the public class of their Java code so I have to do it manually and I'm not sure how to do so.
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