Related
Hi, I hope I am at the right place to ask about this device.
I found a good deal on this 7" board, and saw that it shipped with the "new" Android v 2.3
However, I can't access the Android Market with it (is that obvious???). I think that without access to the largest app marketplace, I could as well return the thing. (the "replacement" market on it features zero of the apps I want/need)
I could go with a more expensive Samsung tablet where everything probably works out of the box, but I bought this for my kids to play with, so I felt I had no need for all that 3G/GPS/advanced stuff
Could you please advise me on how to obtain market access on this device, if at all possible? Most of the info I've found is on other/related tablets, with older versions of Android.
Is it possible to:
- install a compatible custom ROM (something that works on a tablet like Advent Amico, but it has newer hardware?)
- root the device and then do some magic with it?
- download some app that magically installs market?
- grab the apk's directly from market and then install them (aka "sideloading"?)
I'd really appreciate help on this!
I did a little research on "point of view pro tab 2" thru Google and came up empty (except for deal offerings).
I, personally, would avoid this tablet. On google I didn't find a single forum/board about this tablet, so atm the developing community is nonexistant, so you're getting a slim chance to ROOT your tablet and get the "Google Experience" TM --> Market, GMail, GTalk, Maps,...
If you really want a decent 7" Tablet then get an Archos A70 or its clone Prestigio PMP7070.
Archos also has 10" Tablets A101 (Prestigio PMP7100C), but Advent Vega/ViewSonic 10S/POV mobii are all Tegra 2 based (dual-core with NVIDIA technology (think GeForce GPUs)).
There are alot of similar models and brands in the tablet world and some are ROOT-able and some are not and not a single of these "cheap" tablets has the Google Experience, because that costs extra money for the manufactuers.
I would strongly recommend to check if the device is ROOT-able before you purchase it, this basically applies to any device nowadays: Routers, Phones, media players, Consoles,...
Update about the apks from the Market:
I installed the Market apk on my tablet and it didn't show some apps/games in the market. So I've installed them thru my SGS (phone) and then made a backup (Titanium Backup, Astro Filemanager, there are lots of backup apps on the market) and then transfered the apks from my phone to my PC and then from my PC to my tablet and normally installed them thru a filemanager (like Astro).
You just need to enable "Unknown sources" under Settings --> Applications and you're all done!
yani2000, thanks so much for your help.
I was hoping that the tablet was common HW, just with a obscure branding!
Btw, here's some info on the board. I was looking at the Archos, but it had less RAM and not 2.3, so I thought the POV was a better out of the box (guess I was wrong...)
Operating system Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor Telechips 8803 Cortex A8 - 1.0 GHz
System memory 512 MB DDR2
Storage memory 4GB NAND Flash
Display LCD 7" 800 x 480
Touchscreen Capacitive 2-point multi touch
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Hi there.
The screen res on that screen is very low even for a seven inch tab, you should be looking at 1024x600 as a min. 800x480 is the same as my 4 inch phone. Also forget gingerbread, honeycomb is what you want for a tab. Try to find a POV Mobii 10 inch. Vegacomb will install on that and its only around 250 euros.
PEACE.
yani2000 said:
I did a little research on "point of view pro tab 2" thru Google and came up empty (except for deal offerings).
I, personally, would avoid this tablet. On google I didn't find a single forum/board about this tablet, so atm the developing community is nonexistant, so you're getting a slim chance to ROOT your tablet and get the "Google Experience" TM --> Market, GMail, GTalk, Maps,...
If you really want a decent 7" Tablet then get an Archos A70 or its clone Prestigio PMP7070.
Archos also has 10" Tablets A101 (Prestigio PMP7100C), but Advent Vega/ViewSonic 10S/POV mobii are all Tegra 2 based (dual-core with NVIDIA technology (think GeForce GPUs)).
There are alot of similar models and brands in the tablet world and some are ROOT-able and some are not and not a single of these "cheap" tablets has the Google Experience, because that costs extra money for the manufactuers.
I would strongly recommend to check if the device is ROOT-able before you purchase it, this basically applies to any device nowadays: Routers, Phones, media players, Consoles,...
Update about the apks from the Market:
I installed the Market apk on my tablet and it didn't show some apps/games in the market. So I've installed them thru my SGS (phone) and then made a backup (Titanium Backup, Astro Filemanager, there are lots of backup apps on the market) and then transfered the apks from my phone to my PC and then from my PC to my tablet and normally installed them thru a filemanager (like Astro).
You just need to enable "Unknown sources" under Settings --> Applications and you're all done!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi there!
i'm thinking of buying a presticio 7070c tablet, but i'm unsure if it's possible to root it, or to install any custom rom, or at least change the launcher app. that prestigio's launcher is terrible!
also i'm wondering if it's possible to install regular android market, and then, afterwards to download and install apps from it?
any help is appreciated!
neverone said:
hi there!
i'm thinking of buying a presticio 7070c tablet, but i'm unsure if it's possible to root it, or to install any custom rom, or at least change the launcher app. that prestigio's launcher is terrible!
also i'm wondering if it's possible to install regular android market, and then, afterwards to download and install apps from it?
any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
You're actually on wrong XDA forum.
To get all the nice treats visit this XDA's sub-forum:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=875
Gen8 (Generation 8) are the forums for you!
Generation 9 is a good 8"/10" tablet forum with HoneyComb out-of-the-box.
To get more info about ROOT click here.
And here is a guide on how to ROOT.
If you have any questions feel free to ask in that forum.
And for the butt-ugly launcher (I would be ashamed to develop such a launcher), I think you can always install a custom laucher from the market like: GO Launcher EX, LauncherPro, ADW Launcher (I just pointed out few of the most commonly used launchers).
And for the apps+market thing... when you ROOT your tablet you can copy market, maps, contacts, gmail, talk, youtube,... and some other google framework and services related apks to your system/app folder with root explorer and after reboot you'll get the google experience.
Or you can install a custom ROM and let an experienced developer handle all the details.
Well tbh, from my research its based on the ly-f tablet. i'll post a thread when i figure out more.
Also, the tablet comes pre-rooted. just install superuser.apk and rock n roll.
[HowTo] Install Android Market on Point of View ProTab 2
I had the same problem with the Point of View Mobii 7" Tablet ProTab 2 (TAB-7C-4GW-1). After a couple of hours, I found a solution. Here is what I did:
1. Update the firmware/ROM to version 2. Download from Point of View homepage (I can't provide the URL due to forum limitations , but Google "TAB-7C-4GW-1 firmware" and it should be the first hit). NOTE that following the instructions will also perform a factory reset and remove all data. (The reset in the last step means putting a needle in the tiny hole on the back)
2. Configure Wi-Fi and connect.
3. Open the YouTube app and go to My channel. This will require you to log in, so select to add account and provide your Google credentials. (Adding the Google account in the device Settings didn't work for me, at least not under firmware 1)
4. Put LauncherPro and Home Switcher on an SD card, for example by backup up some other device with MyBackup (or maybe transfer to the tab via USB?). Open ES File Explorer and install LauncherPro. Then install Home Switcher, launch Home Switcher and select to launch LauncherPro. Now on the home screen of LauncherPro there will be a Market icon. Tap it, accept the terms - and your're in!
For me this worked on two separate devices with different Google accounts.
i picked up a POV mobii tegra 2 10.1 from my local computer shop for £132. it comes with froyo 2.2 and i installed youtube app and few games on it. im shocked how good the graphics are on games like shadowrun, riptide and jelly defence.
iv did try putting viewcomb 3.2 on the device but there were a lot of bugs, games like shadowrun did not work on it then either. vegacomb doesnt work, it just ends up at the vegacomb boot video animation and goes nowhere. so i went back to stock firmware. shame really since viewcomb had very good scrolling speed but it bricked itself with a usb boot loader message.
still trying to fina a way to get the proper market working with stock firmware.
slybunda said:
still trying to fina a way to get the proper market working with stock firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try any of the custom ROMs that are based on v2.2?
Like Corvus5, Modaco ROM or a Preformance Pack that goes on top of stock firmware.
no i not tired those, although with stock firmware 2.2 everything seems to work fine for me, i dont ge thte scroll speed that honeycomb offers but the 2.2 is more stable.
however i have an issue with motion sensor games where they dont register the tilting on 2.2 firmware but work fine on honeycomb.
odd.
Hi, i get the same tablet of u (Point of View Mobii 7" Tablet ProTab 2 (TAB-7C-4GW-1)) but i get some troubles for upgrading the firmware, i cant enter in FWDN mode dunno why, i follow all steeps and nothing happens...
i press (holding) back button + power button and start normally and in FWDN software dont get the tablet data, can u helpme plz?
BTW this firmware upgrade solve the problem on sleep/suspend mode (tablet freeze and need to make a hard reset (tiny btn in back of the tablet)?
thanks!!
AllGoodWereTaken said:
I had the same problem with the Point of View Mobii 7" Tablet ProTab 2 (TAB-7C-4GW-1). After a couple of hours, I found a solution. Here is what I did:
1. Update the firmware/ROM to version 2. Download from Point of View homepage (I can't provide the URL due to forum limitations , but Google "TAB-7C-4GW-1 firmware" and it should be the first hit). NOTE that following the instructions will also perform a factory reset and remove all data. (The reset in the last step means putting a needle in the tiny hole on the back)
2. Configure Wi-Fi and connect.
3. Open the YouTube app and go to My channel. This will require you to log in, so select to add account and provide your Google credentials. (Adding the Google account in the device Settings didn't work for me, at least not under firmware 1)
4. Put LauncherPro and Home Switcher on an SD card, for example by backup up some other device with MyBackup (or maybe transfer to the tab via USB?). Open ES File Explorer and install LauncherPro. Then install Home Switcher, launch Home Switcher and select to launch LauncherPro. Now on the home screen of LauncherPro there will be a Market icon. Tap it, accept the terms - and your're in!
For me this worked on two separate devices with different Google accounts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the performance pack is very old, its for v1.08 rom, im using stock 1.10 rom.
corvus5 and modaco rom dont have a nvflash installer so the install method seems complex so i didnt bother with those roms.
me hoping VegaICS improves and works out well, that i would like to be using on this tablet. or who know, windows 8 in the future?
Point Of View Playtab 2/Protab 2 7-4 GW-4
Hi Guys,
I Have a Problem with my Protab 2 7-4GW-4 when i make screen selections or type i have to use my nails instead of my fingers.I have seen
many reviews about this 2.3.3 gingerbread tablet but in the reviews the tablet touch is fine and good but why my is not sensitive i have tried
touch calibration why plz help me guys plz how the videos on youtube have a good touchscreen and sensitive.They are the same like my Protab2 7-4GW4 BUT why my is not perfect plz reply plz reply with a good news plz i really love that tablet
So I received my Kindle Fire for Christmas, and I'm in the UK. My uncle from the US brought it over for me, and I hope this post will clear up any speculation about what will and will not work on your Kindle Fire in the UK.
1. Apps: Apps need a US credit card, or you cannot download from the Kindle Store. This was not really an issue for me, as I rooted my Fire, installed the Market, and can download from there, not to mention sideloading APK file apps, which I was able to do without rooting
2. Silk: Works fine, uses EC2 cloud like it should
3, Book Store: Haven't tried it, but I was able to download books I had purchased previously for my old Kindle
4: Prime: You get a month's free of Amazon Prime, I wasn't able to stream videos from it, and I don't really care, I don't want to pay 70 dollars + a year for it.
Everything else works fine, and I really love it. The only other issue, was during the set up, there is no option to select the UK time zone, so you have to change it manually from the settings later. Oh, and all the temperatures in the weather app are in Fahrenheit. But it works like a charm. Got lots of working apps, Minecraft, Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and I'm using Calibre library to convert my PDFs into .MOBI format for reading on the Fire.
So all in all, it works pretty well in the UK actually! Hope this clears everything up for people in the UK thinking of getting it somehow. If I've missed anything please tell me!
Would also like to use the Kindle Fire in the UK but without rooting.
You mentioned being able to sideload apps ... but in order to do so, don't you need to download a file manager from the Amazon store (which a UK person cannot do)? and / or use an Android phone to backup an app?
I tried to download free apps from Amazon but even that is not possible and I don't have an Android phone .... is there any other way to sideload??
regards ....
hightime707 said:
Would also like to use the Kindle Fire in the UK but without rooting.
You mentioned being able to sideload apps ... but in order to do so, don't you need to download a file manager from the Amazon store (which a UK person cannot do)? and / or use an Android phone to backup an app?
I tried to download free apps from Amazon but even that is not possible and I don't have an Android phone .... is there any other way to sideload??
regards ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before rooting I was able to sideload by downloading directly using the Fire, then using the browser, going into the menu, and seeing my downloaded, from that file list you can launch APKs.
I'm using it in the Czech Republic and I can confirm that all the things mentioned by "georgeos" are valid.
If anyone is interested, here are some of my own findings:
- Books - you can purchase books from Amazon as long as you have a valid card number. You're eligible to borrow some of the books in the store with Prime subscription (limited to one book a month).
- Newsstand - same as above - you can check most of the magazines with a 14 day free trial subscription.
As far as the sideloading goes, it's pretty simple even without access to the App Store.
First you need to turn on installation of applications from unknown sources. Then use the browser to look for an .apk file of your preffered file manager (I used ES File Explorer since it was free and came highly recommended). Once the download is completed tap the status bar to show the recent notifications, then tap the downloaded .apk file to start the installation.
Shtroodle said:
As far as the sideloading goes, it's pretty simple even without access to the App Store.
First you need to turn on installation of applications from unknown sources. Then use the browser to look for an .apk file of your preffered file manager (I used ES File Explorer since it was free and came highly recommended). Once the download is completed tap the status bar to show the recent notifications, then tap the downloaded .apk file to start the installation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah yeah, sorry, forgot to mention that. But it is best to root the device, and install the Android Market, makes getting apps easier if you don't want to pirate the APKs, or if you're looking for the latest version of a free one, and it's always difficult to find a latest version APK. Also the Market shows ONLY the apps compatible with the device, so you don't have to go through the pain of downloading the APK and then it not working and having to uninstall it and delete it.
Hi - I've been searching around for about half an hour or so but can't find an "idiot's guide" (for that is what I need) on how to make my US Kindle Fire compatible with the UK app store.
I've asked Amazon directly a number of times but they refuse to help. I'm close to selling up and buying a UK one, so would really appreciate if anyone knew if there was a way to do this.
Many thanks in advance.
Purchase kindle fire games with gift card from Asia
please some one help me. yesterday i have purchased a amazon gift card of 10$ and added to my amazon account but when i try to purchase any kindle fire game it says that its only valid for US residents. what should i do any proxy server, vpn connection or could anyone purchase for me if i give you my login id.
Any HELP Please.
After much struggling I have finally managed to put together all the info from different websites and found a working solution to get BBC's iPlayer working on my Kindle Fire HD in the USA. I will lay it out for you. (This is one of my first tutorial's so go easy on me)
I used a rooted Kindle Fire HD but apparently there is a way to do it with sideloading BBC iPlayer and orbot but I believe this requires a developers kit. I'll put those instructions on the bottom. **
Rooted way ->
1. Root Kindle Fire HD
2. Download http://www.torproject.org/dist/android/alpha-orbot-latest.apk
3. Install and grant super user access. Then set it up to be applied to the application you want.
4. You need to set the Exit Node correctly. Many places say just use {GB} as your exit node. However, this does not work for me. First, go to this site -> http://proxy.org/tor.shtml and find the Server Name of a United Kingdom server with an Exit Node. Copy down the name of the server.
5. In Orbot go to Node Configuration, in Exit Nodes type in the exit nodes separated by a comma. For example if the server names are bigUk1 and Doctorwho then enter in: bigUk1,Doctorwho
6. Select Strict Nodes only (This is important, it should only use the specified nodes)
7. start orbot then restart the device. (restarting is important, this is what enabled it to work for me.)
8. Install Flash Player - nice tutorial and updated links here -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1774336
9. Download BBC iPlayer apk. http://www58.zippyshare.com/v/36125579/file.html
10. Once everything is installed Restart your device.
11. Wait for boot processes to load and open Orbot before doing anything. Make sure it is on and working and verify your exit nodes and options are still there.
12. Check to see if Orbot is working with this link. http://torcheck.xenobite.eu/index.php (open in your favorite Kindle Browser, I use Dolphin Beta, also if you are using dolphin it is flash friendly and you can even just go to BBC iPlayer and check to see if that is working too, make sure Dolphin is in Desktop mode in User Agent settings)
At this step you should see "Your IP is identified to be a Tor-EXIT. with Your Geolocation as GB. If this is the case then it should work!
13. Next Run BBC iPlayer and Enjoy! (I recommend watching Ripper Street and Doctor Who)
Note: Following a website recommendation, (you may not need this) After installing Orbot I changed the torcc file in /data/data/org.torproject.android/app_bin/torrc to have this at the very last lines. (not sure if this is necessary)
StrictExitNodes 1
exitnodes <list of the names you found in step 2 separated by commas>
An example of the second line above would be:
exitnodes anonion,anotherlink,colinwillsdorkyahoo
Save the file and exit notepad.
**Non-Rooted Kindle version (much easier to just use rooted version, FYI) I have not verified this works, but this makes sense. I thought I would provide the information as I found it during my search and it could be helpful to someone.
I figured out how to deploy Orbot with a custom torrc file, without having to rebuild Orbot from source, and without needing a rooted phone:
1. Download the latest Orbot apk file.
2. Open/extract the apk (it's really just a zip file with a different file extension) with your favorite zip utility.
3. Remove the META-INF folder from the apk.
4. Open the torrc file in the assets/ folder and modify it as you like.
5. Zip it all back up again.
6. Sign the .apk file using keytool and jarsigner according to the instructions at this URL: http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html#cert
7. Copy to phone and install.
Works like a charm. Tested by specifying strict exitnodes and am now successfully watching the BBC iPlayer on my phone even though I'm in the UK.
You can't edit the torrc on the fly or without reinstalling Orbot using this method, but you don't need a rooted phone and you don't risk getting your torrc file overwritten by the old "default" one by Orbot.
Found here: https://blog.torproject.org/blog/tor-android
Update #1: This tutorial can also be used for many things besides BBC iPlayer. I forget most people don't live in the USA. Probably better than BBC iPlayer for most people is free Hulu Access. Just install Orbot and search for USA with an exit node, note the server names of those then input them. Download Flash and Dolphin browser, then use Hulu from the Dolphin Browser. Untested as of yet because I live in the USA but I can more or less guarantee this will work, seeing as it worked for me with the picky BBC iPlayer. I am sure there are many more cool things like Hulu that can only be seen inside the USA so let me know what you find!
Follow Up
bbanghyung,
Good job, great step-by-step instructions. I think you did a great job
for your first time. Keep up the good work! Also, welcome to the XDA
Community, you will be an asset to us all.
just edited the post.
prokennexusa said:
bbanghyung,
Good job, great step-by-step instructions. I think you did a great job
for your first time. Keep up the good work! Also, welcome to the XDA
Community, you will be an asset to us all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I just edited the post.
For Mods: I believe many of the users on XDA live outside the USA. This post would be very useful for anyone who wishes to view restricted USA content such as Hulu. This post should be stickied on the forum thread but with a different title along the lines of being able to view Hulu outside the USA. People who might utilize it for non Hulu sites would catch the drift if they see Hulu I think.
Works like a charm. Thank you!
works great, thanks
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2
Works flawlessly. Thanks!
Ran into a few problems. Firstly, the link to the BBC Iplayer apk is down. I found another copy (google search) and i'm fairly certain its the same copy. I was able to get Orbot up and running, tested and all. However, when i click on bbc iplayer it takes me to the browser (i'm going to assume its not a stand alone player). I used Dolphin to open it and it'd take me to the iplayer website. When I tried to open any video though, it'd tell me that I needed to download the BBC Media player from market and once I clicked okay, it'd take me to the market (not amazon's, but google play). On their, it wouldn't allow me to download the App, saying that it isn't available in my region. I'm assuming this is because i've either used a messed up copy of bbc iplayer that i'm going through all this or that market isn't running through the proxy properly. Ideas?
Hi undied, I'm away from my computer right now but when I get back I'll upload the bbc iplayer apk I used. Sounds like your running into some issues with the iplayer apk you used. The one I had was standalone. Although I'm confused why the website asks for the app. I think your viewing bbc's website in mobile view. You'll need to go into settings and have dolphin set as a desktop user agent. That should fix the problem of using iplayer in dolphin. Let me know if that works and when I get home I'll upload the file.
linky
undied said:
Ran into a few problems. Firstly, the link to the BBC Iplayer apk is down. I found another copy (google search) and i'm fairly certain its the same copy. I was able to get Orbot up and running, tested and all. However, when i click on bbc iplayer it takes me to the browser (i'm going to assume its not a stand alone player). I used Dolphin to open it and it'd take me to the iplayer website. When I tried to open any video though, it'd tell me that I needed to download the BBC Media player from market and once I clicked okay, it'd take me to the market (not amazon's, but google play). On their, it wouldn't allow me to download the App, saying that it isn't available in my region. I'm assuming this is because i've either used a messed up copy of bbc iplayer that i'm going through all this or that market isn't running through the proxy properly. Ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I updated the link to the BBC iPlayer apk in the tutorial. Also I'll drop the link her for everyone.
http://www58.zippyshare.com/v/36125579/file.html
Not Enough for Hulu
bbanghyung said:
Untested as of yet because I live in the USA but I can more or less guarantee this will work, seeing as it worked for me with the picky BBC iPlayer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hulu checks more than your geolocation--they also check the user agent associated with your Flash plug-in. No matter what user agent your browser broadcasts, Hulu won't believe you're at a computer unless you mod the file libflashplayer.so.
There is a script called Flashex 2.05 (thanks to NoSudo) that re-hacks libflashplayer.so when Flash over-writes the tampered version.
If you are on Android 4.1 it looks like there is a separate solution for any version after 4.0.4.
I use Flashex but it seems Vgeezy has modded the Hulu Plus apk so that no root or script handling is necessary.
bbanghyung said:
This post should be stickied on the forum thread but with a different title along the lines of being able to view Hulu outside the USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ashish Mundhra has a posted a complete guide to Hulu on mobile outside the US at Guiding Tech.
Noob in need of some help!
I'm a super noob to tor/orbot (and other like things) and I'm hoping you might be able to provide a more in-depth step-by-step (pictures:fingers-crossed: would be nice) guide of everything that needs to be changed/added/left alone in orbot and where/how to locate each in orbot?
I'll be very greatful so forgive my noobness and thanks in advanced :fingers-crossed:
Topaz
Work on my LG P705
Finally, instead of desperating trying HULU and NETFLIX. I decide to try this and it works for my LG P705
Thank You so much
but I have some problems in streaming, It can't play properly. Is it beacuse my internet connection?
But the streaming fo radio is very good
I also use orbot for Pandora
or even better in designated folders.. as far as I understand, this can be done after rooting right? but I'd rather not go down that route (at least atm) as I haven't a clue what I'm doing & the methods I've seen for the Shield TV are a little complicated for me (is there an automated method?)
Advice would be appreciated.
If you want to use the LeanBack (default) launcher you have to download SideLoad Launcher from the play store, otherwise you can flash Zulu99's ROM that gives you the default Android experience.
Agreed. I want to root my Android TV, but every thread I read is a little different, and since I don't have much experience doing it, I don't even know where to start. I'd rather wait until I've understood the process better before taking a chance at bricking my console.
Root is dead simple on this device. It's literally not requiring exploits and roots like a nexus device. You unlock the bootloader with very easy instructions, and can even leave the stock recovery if you are worried about things like that. I'm also pretty sure, though don't quote me, that unless you do something massively strange and unlikely, like changing partition sizes, that going back to stock, and relocking is always possible. At least it is on almost every single factory unlockable device on the market. No risk, I recommend it. That being said, you don't need root to sideload as stated abbove. Just get the launcher they recommended by chainfire, nistall it, then grab something like es file explorer, both in the play store, then install apk files from es file explorer, and launch from teh other launcher. The stock launcher launches the other one as the stock launcher can only display android TV supported apps, but the other launcher can display any android app, hence having a launcher inside a launcher.
Hope this helps.
I'd like to flash Steele01's Cyanogenmod 12.1 and use the twrp multi-rom, but from what I've seen, he's still working out a lot of kinks with the console since it's different from the Shield tablet.
If it wasn't for ES Explorer, I'd really be limited. At least I've been able to install Amazon Prime Instant Video and some other apps using their apk files. As far as the launcher inside of a launcher, are you referring to the crappy Sideload Launcher that's available through Leanback Launcher's play store? I saw the full Android mod for the Android TV, and it looks awesome. It looks exactly like you would expect any Android product to look. This whole Leanback Launcher is very disappointing. I feel like someone enabled Kid's mode on their tablet or something. I guess I'm thinking too much into this, and I should just go ahead and do it. Like you said, I could always go back to stock recovery, which from what I understand will need to be done anyway to receive any further updates.
Rolldog said:
I'd like to flash Steele01's Cyanogenmod 12.1 and use the twrp multi-rom, but from what I've seen, he's still working out a lot of kinks with the console since it's different from the Shield tablet.
If it wasn't for ES Explorer, I'd really be limited. At least I've been able to install Amazon Prime Instant Video and some other apps using their apk files. As far as the launcher inside of a launcher, are you referring to the crappy Sideload Launcher that's available through Leanback Launcher's play store? I saw the full Android mod for the Android TV, and it looks awesome. It looks exactly like you would expect any Android product to look. This whole Leanback Launcher is very disappointing. I feel like someone enabled Kid's mode on their tablet or something. I guess I'm thinking too much into this, and I should just go ahead and do it. Like you said, I could always go back to stock recovery, which from what I understand will need to be done anyway to receive any further updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend trying it out with a cestom rom, as long as you are willing to unlock. I have since gone back to stock after trying both as I needed/wanted 2 features. The streaming button (there is a paid alternative) and the headphones on the controller. Keep in mind you also give up wireless controller, hence the headphones, by going to other roms. I use a monitor, and without a USB DAC I don't have sound if I give up wireless. I have simply settled for running 2 sidebar launchers, and it's working great for me. Also, Market Helper is good as it'll tell the play store (web version) that you are using a Nexus 7, ect, and can install most apps that way easily without having to sidelead everything. It'll also handle auto-updates ironicly ,ith stock play store app. Hopefully that'll help you decide. Please let us know what you did and why as we as a community like to know users needs. If you get stuck at any part of the process, please PM me or ask on the forums. We'd be glad to help with anything!
I don't have any problems with unlocking it, I, like you, just want to be sure I don't lose any features of the Shield. Losing game streaming and the wireless controller sound like a deal breaker. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before someone fixes these issues in a custom ROM. The wireless controller is configured using WiFi Direct. Even on Nvidia's website, they're all for people rooting their device and customizing it the way people want. One guy, who works for Nvidia was saying that they're definitely not against people rooting it because once someone buys it, they're willing to do whatever they want with it. So hopefully, we'll see Nvidia release more info to help people develop custom ROMs without losing any of the functionality of the device. Aren't there custom ROMs you can flash onto the Shield Tablet and still be able to use the wireless controller?
Is Market Helper an apk to install on the console? And what sidebar launchers are you using? There are times when I try using Shield Hub to connect to my local PC and it not work, and then I try with Moonlight, and it works everytime. I also like using the remote desktop feature. If you add the remote desktop app manually into the GeForce Experience software on your PC, then using the Shield, you can connect to your desktop using either Moonlight or Shield Hub and your TV mirrors your monitor.
kdb424 said:
Root is dead simple on this device. It's literally not requiring exploits and roots like a nexus device. You unlock the bootloader with very easy instructions, and can even leave the stock recovery if you are worried about things like that. I'm also pretty sure, though don't quote me, that unless you do something massively strange and unlikely, like changing partition sizes, that going back to stock, and relocking is always possible. At least it is on almost every single factory unlockable device on the market. No risk, I recommend it. That being said, you don't need root to sideload as stated abbove. Just get the launcher they recommended by chainfire, nistall it, then grab something like es file explorer, both in the play store, then install apk files from es file explorer, and launch from teh other launcher. The stock launcher launches the other one as the stock launcher can only display android TV supported apps, but the other launcher can display any android app, hence having a launcher inside a launcher.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to forget Es file explores send by land feature which is great for sending apks from other devices to your shield
With my AFTV2 currently broken down about one day after I set it up - I mentally went through some of the steps I'm likely to repeat very soon and - also seeing that some people in here still are struggling with some aspects of it, that I already learned long ago how to cope with - I thought I share some of my reflections.
This is by the way not meant to be a usability review - or tips guide of Amazons own interface - which I find abysmal for the most part. Let them struggle on their own - and also, for some reason there already are in depth "reviews" of it on aftvnews (which I came to slowly accept and even somewhat like.. ) - which mostly highlight aspects of it deemed positive. Bravo and lull Amazon into false confidence I say...
So here we go.
1. Best launcher (rooted or not) still is Firestarter. Basically because of its deep integration to app settings - which allows you to stop apps, delete their data or uninstall them in the fastest way possible. You'll need it more often than you think and its great that its there.
Change icon PPI to 144 and for your own sake - change the background to something more uplifting and also enable the text background bubbles so you get a higher text contrast, regardless of the BG image you chose.
2. Fire OS v5 and its limitation to one adb connection only isnt the enormous setback I thought it would be. Firestarter literally changes its default automatically within the first 3 seconds of it not being able to access adb - and the one click>double click combo to launch it from anywhere is good enough. Also in OS 5 there are no screen transitions, so switching to Firestarter feels more "instant".
Not having Firestarter use adb frees up you using adb from different devices. Once you are connected via adb from a PC f.e. you can also open different shells, or transfer a file and simultaneously perform another action in the shell - so thats a non issue. Also I rewrote all the scripts I use to cleanly exit adb with adb disconnect - and ultimately that works fine.
Through the two days of setting the Fire TV up and testing use cases I got a "cant connect via adb" error (because there already was another process using it) only twice - which in return can be promptly fixed by toggling adb on and off - and again - Firestarter provides a shortcut to that menu as well - so its fast, and if you use adb disconnect as intended, you dont need it very often.
3. Drop adbFire or equivalent "Helper Tools" as fast as possible - because they prevent you from learning even the simplest command line instruction, that will speed up your life in the long term. Seriously - just do it.
Also, explore the file structure of Kodi and the Fire TV (as in "look at it", try to make sense of it - not as in "I wander what happens if I delete this..."), so you can actually learn how they work. This again brings me back to the do not use adbFire or other "prepackaged" (and poorly laid out and documented) tools.
4. If you transfer single files - and most of them you usually want to drop to /sdcard/ first, you use the adb push command, because it simply turns out to be the fastest way to move stuff - at least if your OS allows you to drop a file onto the command line window to autopopulate the filepath.
If you want to transfer files and folders not directly located in /sdcard/ - either use something more GUI orientated - like AAFM ( https://github.com/sole/aafm ) (Windows cant use it to its fullest extent in its current state (on Windows you can use Total Commander (Windows Version - this time it will cost you something ) - which also has an adb plugin available) and or - zip the folder you want to transfer locally, then push it to /sdcard/ and then use Total Commander to unzip it into its desired location on the Fire TV.
Transferring .zip files wirelessly ultimately almost always turns out to be faster than transferring the individual files themselves. That also goes for zipping files on the AFTV using Total Commander, and then backing them up to a PC.
5. Use Total Commander. No seriously, download it from the Amazon App Store today. I know how popular ES File Explorer became from being the only free filemanager left, that was popular back in the day - but its approach to be iconographic to a fault and hiding away features in sub menus hurts its usability on any device where you try to perform actions with a remote. TC is simply better suited for the usecase.
TC also can write to the sdcard1 partition in Android 5 - either using root, or using a scripted workaround - so you generally dont have the "its not writable" issue. Also adb shell with su can write to it as well - so also use that if you need to.
You can also install Total Commanders LAN plugin ( http://www.ghisler.com/androidplugins/ ) and thereby access network shares.
6. There even is a usecase for the Amazon Voice button - because from Kodi - you can use it to launch Total Commander with just three button presses (say: "Total Commander") - which is faster than it was before - and you can also exit back to Kodi with only a few presses of the back button. Other than for this, the voice button of course is entirely useless - as we generally arent especially interested in how bad the Amazon Store is stocked (at least over here in europe... ).
7. Dont use the RC3 of Kodi 16 (Jarvis) right now. With Kodi 14.2 and 15.2 you can pause a video, drop back to Amazons launcher, then into Firestarter - then launch another app, then leave it and return to Kodi - with the video (usually - if you have enough free memory) still being in the paused state. In RC3 for Kodi 16, the video auto stops as soon as you switch away from Kodi - which in the long run causes much frustration and the need for additional button presses. Just remember to manually stop a video if you dont plan on returning to it anytime soon so Kodis bookmark your current position feature triggers.
8. If you want to install a Kodi repo - its much faster to download it as a .zip file and then adb push it to /sdcard/ where Kodi can find and install it - than to "start typing" anything in Kodi itself.
At some point - create a shell script for your pc that allows adb to connect to your Fire TVs IP address by just typing adb.sh (for example) - so you dont have to type in your Fire TVs ip address each time you want to connect to it.
9. If you dont already have a NAS -get an old router with an USB port that runs dd-wrt and has NTFS support (= all newer firmwares with at least 16mb package size should have it integrated - if you use ddwrt, even some with a 8mb package size). You get a very low power NAS that also can mirror as an FTP server (faster file transfers), and can become a torrent box in case you use that stuff. The negative only is - that with 4.5-6MB/s transferspeeds tops (WLAN, but actually limited by the individual routers CPU - they are low powered, remember) compressed 1080p is the most you can wish for - out of a 10-30 USD device. Preferably run it as a stand alone and not as your main router (reboots can be performed without bringing down your whole network, processor load, ...).
edit:
10. Kodi runs a little faster on the AFTV2 than on the Fire TV Sticks - which turns out to cut out just the right amounts of seconds on Kodi plugins with an "lets aggregate everything" approach.
You failed to mention what is "broken down" lol
You did quite abit of modding there so what "broke" it.
Playing a GPU intensive 3D game and then watching a video.
No, really.
The part you describe as "modding" went perfectly well - and what I describe above is mostly normal Android use for anyone not depending on "prefab click button to do thingy" stuff. Thats actually what I want this community to explore more - because at some point it literally becomes pointless - watching another in depth video analysis of Amazon taking out a row of items from their spreadsheet inspired Smart TV interface..
Amazon should have done more chip testing before they let their devices out of their factories. Or they should have done more testing regarding the 5.0.5 update. Slowly rolling out firmware updates in case you missed something important - is no substitute for proper testing...
All banter aside - the rooting process doesnt modify the kernel of the device, and on mine the GPU seems to have run into problems. From "working perfectly fine" to "full brick" (slightly different colors of black screens flashing, then settling on a full black screen) after playing a game and then watching a video.
AFTV - quality you can trust in.
Also - somehow its curious - when you buy a laptop these days - where you have root rights from the start, most complaining centers around stuff the manufacturer has messed up in producing the device and the software. But if you - as a manufacturer - take away the actual rights (permissions) from people - the discussion suddenly shifts to "OMG what have you done to the device".
But people usually dont get suddenly less educated or less cautious, once you take certain rights away from them - so the only explanation I have come up with is, that actually taking away permissions and property rights from people for some reason surfaces more voices that now very publicly campaign for this being a much more desirable state in the first place.
On a related note - If I had bricked my device during the rooting process, or while the TWRP custom recovery was installed - or by modifying system files (which now that TWRP runs on the Fire TV is easier to fix then ever), my first action would have been to give a full report of what happened (which I have actually done in a separate thread, in this case as well), so potential flaws or stumbling blocks in the rooting method could have been sussed out.
Mine has had 0 issues.. then again i rooted mine and have twrp, xposed, adaway, v4a, play store, firestarter, busybox, kodi, plex leanback youtube, debloated (removed most Amazecrap) etc.
Does more than I expected and then some.. even better than Nexus Player imo
Good - then we only agree that it isnt the rooting process.
And with TWRP you now have the means to entirely wipe and factory reset the device - so even if you for some reason had messed up the entire system partition (system files) - you still have a fallback, in fact a much better one than on a stock Fire TV, to "start over".
But that sadly doesnt fix hardware issues. Believe me, I tried. And documented it along the way. Look for it in another thread.
edit: Also this isnt me taking a jab at the device itself. I dont agree with Amazons product policies (= politics), but I was perfectly happy with my AFTV 2 as well. For as long as it worked..
In fact my fall back was to go back to the Fire TV Stick I had still laying around and I had the same functionality back (including all this "modding" you see in the OP ) within around 15 seconds (I missed the power socket in the wall twice... ).
harlekinrains said:
Good - then we only agree that it isnt the rooting process.
And with TWRP you now have the means to entirely wipe and factory reset the device - so even if you for some reason had messed up the entire system partition (system files) - you still have a fallback, in fact a much better one than on a stock Fire TV, to "start over".
But that sadly doesnt fix hardware issues. Believe me, I tried. And documented it along the way. Look for it in another thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea.. no device is perfect lol.. but the fact it has a gpu processor (when it works) is great! probably one of the cheaper 4k capable boxes available..
For the price, its a great option with root/recovery for what it does do and to achieve what its capable of.. theres bound to be a few bad devices and surely pushed to the max it can die
Sure.
Love the device. Dont love Amazons policies and product politics. Will use any chance to heckle them, that comes my way.
Thats me in a nutshell.
If you like the product, but dont like the company, their Store UI, their Store, the way they managed their store (app removals) in the past, the content thats in their store, their "underground" store program (that puts price pressure on devs)... thats not only possible - but also valid.
I dont think of Amazon as "a package deal".
When I criticize certain aspects of their infrastructure, I dont say that others are bad.
And I also dont proclaim that there is a high failure rate with Fire TV 2s on the 5.0.5 firmware. For me its just a nuisance and another chance to throw some banter..
But look - there is also something good, that came from it - I wrote an entire post about usability and how to best interact with the Fire TV on 5.0.5.
Because people just demanding updates (and root) - isnt enough..
yea.. i can write a banter on any device lol..
chromecast is great but cant say i like it..
the stick is worse..
nexus player is decent but also limited and if you install a full rom its essentially no longer a nexus player etc.
Deleted
Just one little additional tidbit -
Amazon still prevents the Fire TV 2 from using SD Cards formated with exFat. They literally write it out of their firmwares. Their Fire tablets of course support it - because, well its fun to play with your customer, and prevent usecases you see unfit for your current business model.
If you by any chance have purchased a 64GB Micro SD - Windows doesnt allow you to format it in Fat 32 - but this can be circumvented, by following this tutorial:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/sdxc_formatting.md
Of course the 4GB filesize limit still holds up.
edit: Also tested Kodi 15.2 by now - which shows the same pause state/app switching behavior as 14.2. I've edited the OP to reflect that.
harlekinrains said:
Just one little additional tidbit -
Amazon still prevents the Fire TV 2 from using SD Cards formated with exFat. They literally write it out of their firmwares. Their Fire tablets of course support it - because, well its fun to play with your customer, and prevent usecases you see unfit for your current business model.
If you by any chance have purchased a 64GB Micro SD - Windows doesnt allow you to format it in Fat 32 - but this can be circumvented, by following this tutorial:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/sdxc_formatting.md
Of course the 4GB filesize limit still holds up.
edit: Also tested Kodi 15.2 by now - which shows the same pause state/app switching behavior as 14.2. I've edited the OP to reflect that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kodi installs repos fine for me on 15.2.. of course i dont use the remote I use the fire tv app and then the keyboard so it doesnt take forever
It does on all versions.
Installing repos by downloading their .zip files first, then pushing them to /sdcard/ using -
adb push /path/to/zipfile.zip /sdcard/
is just faster - because you dont have to type something you see on one screen, letter by letter - into an app on another screen. You download the file, you open a command line window, type adb push , then drag/drop the downloaded file onto the command line window to get its filepath into it - then finish typing /sdcard/ and press enter. In Kodi you then just use the "install from zip file" option.
You dont switch devices, you dont switch keyboards, you dont have to look at two screens, you dont have to copy a url. But using a BT keyboard probably in the end isnt that much slower...
Its just good practice to not see the Fire TV (stick) as a device that has to be managed on its own. It is a always on, connected Android device. You can look at its contents, you can move files from and to it, you can give it instructions...
adb and adb shell
make it open enough.
Two more usability tips.
1. If you are rooted, sideload WiFi ADB ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttxapps.wifiadb ) - its just a quicker way of disabling and reenabling ADB - when you cant connect (since 5.0.5 the Fire TV only allows one ADB connection at a time) from your PC.
I also tried to replace adbd (the adb daemon file on the FIre TV) - but so far have only found one from API level 21 (and Fire TV 5.0.5 needs 22 (as it is based on Android 5.1)) - that one didnt work at all. Even if replacing it with the exact API 22 version would work, this doesnt necessarily mean that the "one adb connection limit" is gone - but it is something I though would be worth giving a try.
2. If you have WiFi connection issues on a Fire TV 2 - especially with the Fire TV repeatedly failing to connect, It turns out that Amazons Wifi Implementation REALLY, REALLY wants you to have WMM enabled on your router. If you don't the connection tends to drop every day and the Fire TV then has problems to reconnect. With WMM enabled I now run three days without the slightest issue - and I also have changed WiFi networks within seconds, and not as previously - it taking about 10 minutes until thats successful. Before I came by this little quirk of the FIre TV , switching bands - even temporarily on 2.4 GHz would kickstart the Fire TV reconnecting to the same AP, just fyi.
Also when you are on the 5 GHz band, the Fire TV has a "drop off" if you are on any band higher than the first few (five or six), the Fire TV has problems even "seeing" the network. Also the last channel it still "sees" it has problems connecting to - so drop even one below that if you want it running on 5 GHz.
This quirk is more widely reported than the first one, but just as annoying.
Also just a big "really?!" into Amazons direction for messing up the Wifi implementation on the device this badly. I'm sure MediaTeks proprietary drivers play a part in this, as might the Fire TV 2 always running its own ad hoc WiFi network in the background - but still Amazon is selling that stuff.
I could test it with two different routers - on largely uncongested bands in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz space - and I have half a dozen other devices that never displayed any problems with the way I had my network set up in the past - but for the Fire TV 2 I had to reconfigure my routers just so it would stop dropping out - or start finding the respective network in the first place.