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.
Related
Hello,
Just got my Elocity A7 and so far my feelings on it are mixed. When it does what I want it to, I love it! But I am having a couple of issues....
1. How do I copy files from the sd card to the internal memory? I am trying to get the Nook app to recognize some epubs I have loaded on to the sd card. It does not see them at all. I was thinking the solution would be to get the files copied to the nook\mydocuments folder the app created in the internal memory but I cant figure out how to move the files. I tried connecting the A7 to my PC but when I do the PC does not recognize it at all. I tried running terminal, thinking I could just move the files that way, but when it opens, how to you type? Do you need an external keyboard?
2. Every USB storage device I have connected to the A7 just says "checking for errors" and that never seems to go away so it doesnt seem to be mounting the USB devices correctly.
3. Is it normal for this device to have a very limited wifi range? I have several other wifi devices, including the original nook, a media player and a laptop all of which work fine throughout my home but the A7 does not. However, I applied dexter's mod and then did the new official update and that seems to be a bit better now.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated! I have about 12 days left before I can no longer return it so I really want to make sure I can get these issues resolved before then since after its going to be a lot hard to return if I want.
Thank you!
Chris
Re. 1 - I don't have an A7, but it should have a file explorer apparently, and you should be able to use that to copy. For term, try pressing the menu button, or longpress to see if a keyboard or input method menu appears.
Jim
****** All below is from my experience using Dexter's Mod 1.1 ******
1) OI File Manager should be in your list of available mods. Open it, click on the SD card icon at the top. You are not at the sd card level yet, but the A7s symbolic sd card. Go down and find sdcard-disk0 as this is your actual SD card, click on it to open the sd card. Continue to find the desired file. Long hold on the file and a menu appears select copy. Now transverse your way to the desired spot to drop the file (Not in the folder, but to where you can see the folder -- you may not have write permisions to drop a file in some folders -- using a program such as Root Explorer will let you see if you have the right permissions). Long hold on the destination folder, and a menu will appear again. Select copy. Reasons this may not work...permissions and ownership. Linux/unix is particluar about these things.
2) More than likely your USB device is not formatted FAT/FAT32 must be to be able to utilize that type of device.
3) My range isn't extremely strong, but it is not bad. I use it in sever environments from sitting on top of the access point to being down a hall in a brick building with several walls between the A7 and the AP (lots of other devices) and it seems to work. My co-worker has an iPad and it is as strong as the iPad.
Hope that helps!
Dale
EDIT: Thought maybe I should add the following. I have tried several Droid Tablets/Pads and sent them back. Without Dexters mod, this one is not bad. With Dexter's mod it is near perfect (multi-touch would be nice). I am planning to develop software on it and use it as a organizational tool. I have DesktopToGo for editing office products and that works really good. PDF's rock. Music is pretty good (although my Archos 705 has my entire music collection on it with room for a lot more and several movies). I am using compiled help files (have extensive collection of ebooks in PDF format and CHM format) and those are awesome. I can tether this with my Droid phone and it in effect has 3G with no additional expense. I can VNC into my home computers and work computers and have full SSH access to all my servers. Several interesting games are awesome and I can keep up on Facebook and Twitter including playing a couple FaceBook games (and search for my previous posts and you can find out how to update Facebook). The face to face video/front facing video is not a huge item I would use, but it would definitely be adequate. Volume from the speakers is low, but works. Battery life is fine. I guess I am not sure what more I could want to do with it that I haven't been able to figure out. So for me, and mostly because of Dexter's MOD, IT IS A KEEPER!
I am about to try Dexter's mod at version 1.2 when I get home from work tonight.
So far I was on the fence about this device. I think for me I really wanted 3.0 on it and I did not have the patience to wait until 3.0 was released and there was some time for tablet makers to catch up. So in part my dilemna with this device is my own fault for being impatient. That being said I think there was some mis-information out there in regards to the touch screen which is one of the reasons I bought this device for future upgrade.
Now I see for $100 more I can have all I wanted in the newer device about to be on pre-order feb 15th. Of course $300 was a stretch for me so $400 is out of the question. I thought of returning this and getting a nook but the Tegra is so snappy and I just do not know if the Nook will be as responsive as the Elocity is but at least I know someone has already put 3.0 on that device.
My thinking is that there are so many talented and genius type developers who love to tinker and Dexter is one of those who I am so impressed and grateful to that at some point they will figure a way to get 3.0 on here some how!!
However, as you stated so well in your post as it is right now this device really is very nice. It does a heck of a lot and does it pretty well.
I have been thinking despite its shortcomings and unless you spend a lot of cash most of these devices have some shortcomings that I will say almost it is a keeper!! She is so close!!
I am hopeful that when I get Dexters Mod I will be equally happy and it may just lean the tipping machine in favor of the Elocity.
Rob
If you want Honeycomb for $300 or less, I don't really see any other options than the Nook Color.
Most of the information in this post is covered in various threads but I was recently looking for various options for playing video on my XOOM and found it frustrating having to look all over the place. I'd like to try and make this a comprehensive guide to playing video on the XOOM, including streaming over wifi, playing directly from the device etc.
Before you read on...
This isn't always a necessary step, but whenever you plan to interact with your device via USB you should ensure you have the latest version of the USB drivers from Motorola. In my case I was able to access the XOOM and move files to it without any specific drivers, but it's a good idea to keep them up-to-date to avoid potential frustration. Of course if you need to use ADB, you will absolutely need the latest drivers or you'll have no luck at all.
Playing directly from the XOOM
This is obviously the simplest solution, copying the video files onto your XOOM and playing them directly. This won't be the most appropriate solution for those of you with extensive digital media libraries, but we'll cover solutions for that later.
Plug your XOOM into your PC using a micro-USB to USB cable, one of which is typically provided in the box. You'll see your device pop up under "Computer" (Windows 7 & Vista) or "My Computer" (Windows XP).
Double click the device and you'll see that you're able to directly access the device's internal storage.
Double click that and you'll now be looking at all the folders and files on your device
You can now copy files to the device as though it was any other folder on your computer. Feel free to create a folder (I use one called "Files from Computer") if you'd like to keep your copied files separate from the system created stuff.
Choose your player! With all the files copied over to the XOOM, you're ready to play them but you'll first need a decent player capable of playing a range of formats. A couple of my favourites are:
vPlayer
Rockplayer
If there are others that should be added to this list, let me know.
You're all done - either of the above players should be able to play most video files, though I can't say I've really pushed them as most of my files are just XviD avi's. In my experience I've found vPlayer to be slightly better than Rockplayer especially when it comes to seeking, but Rockplayer's free version is an ad-supported full version and vPlayer's is just a temporary trial so it comes down to preference and willingness to pay for a little extra functionality.
Streaming over Wi-fi
This is going to be the preferred solution for many people, since it doesn't involve any copying/moving of files and will allow you to access that media library that you've spent so much time meticulously organising. There's a few different approaches here, I'll cover the simplest approach first.
Streaming from TVersity
If you already have TVersity set up, then you won't need to do much at all and you can skip straight to step 3. Otherwise, you can follow these directions to get it up and running.
Head to TVersity.com and grab the latest version of TVersity. I won't go through the setup and so forth as it's all pretty straightforward and is covered well in TVersity's own documentation.
Once you have TVersity set up, add your video directories to the library and (optional, but preferable) give your computer a static IP address on the network.
Open up your browser on the XOOM and navigate to "YOUR-IP-ADDRESS:41952".
You should see a TVersity page load up with various navigation options. From here it's pretty obvious how to drill down through your folders and locate any file you'd like to play. When you click a file to play it, you will be able to choose which media player you'd like to handle the file in. I've found vPlayer is capable of seeking and will play it quite nicely, but Rockplayer works well also, just without the ability to seek.
Mounting a Network Share
This is more complicated for the novice user (me, for example) but it works well enough and the end result is a little more user friendly once you get there. The major drawback with this one is you must root your device for this method. If you don't want to root your device, you'll need to use one of the other methods discussed in this post. This method allows you to mount a folder that you've shared over the network so that it can be accessed on the tablet as though it's actually a part of the tablet's file structure. This means that almost all video players should simply play the files without too much trouble (at least, theoretically; I can confirm vPlayer and Rockplayer as working with this method).
There are two apps capable of mounting shares, but before we get into that we'll need to ensure you have a CIFS module installed. If you're like me, you're probably wondering wtf a CIFS module is. When you root your device (I used the "one click" process described in this thread) you'll need to find a "cifs.ko" file that matches the particular kernal you've installed. If you use the aforementioned method, you'll find a cifs.ko file you can use inside the zip file (inside the "timat" folder).
Once you have the module use Root Explorer to copy it (or use adb to push it) to this location: /system/lib/modules/cifs.ko and then reboot your XOOM. If you have adb installed on your computer, you can use these steps to verify that it's loaded:
Code:
adb shell
lsmod
You'll be wanting to see the CIFS module in the list as a loaded module. If it's not loaded try typing:
Code:
insmod /system/lib/modules/cifs.ko
If you get an error like I did saying "exec format error" it means you've got the wrong cifs.ko for your kernal, so you'll need to poke around some more and locate the right one.
Congratulations, if you've made it this far you've completed the hardest part - the rest is easy.
Make sure you have an actual folder shared to "Everyone" on your network. Optionally, but preferably, give your computer a static IP address. If you don't do this you'll need to change your settings every time your computer gets a new IP.
Install "Mount Manager" or "CIFS Manager" from the android market. I'll give instructions for CIFS Manager but Mount Manager is just as good and works just fine if you'd rather use that.
Open CIFS Manager. You'll need to do this from the "My Apps" section of the market because for some reason it won't start from a shortcut or from the apptray - annoying!
Open the app-menu and select "Add New Share..."
Your share path should be: "IP-ADDRESS/FOLDER-NAME"
Your mount point will be the location you'd like to mount the share to on your internal memory. By default it likes to mount in "/mnt/cifs/FOLDER-NAME", but this is really up to you. Pick whatever you like here and then go to the next field.
Username/password will be a valid account you can use on the computer hosting the share. I just used my regular Windows 7 account here.
Click "Save Share".
Long-press the new share you've created and then select the option "Mount" when it comes up.
If all is well the icon on the right will turn green and you can now access your share by browsing to your mount point in your favourite video player.
Encoding video for optimal playback
-- COMING SOON --
Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I had a lot of trouble filtering through all the different posts on this topic and it took a lot of time for me to eventually find and experiment with each of these different options. Hopefully I've saved you all some time and helped out with some of the sticking points you might encounter. If anyone has anything they think I should add, just let me know.
I do plan on adding a section for streaming over 3G, but since I haven't tried it myself (I have a wifi-only XOOM) I can't really contribute to that side of things yet.
If you catch any typos or errors in the above text, please let me know asap and I'll fix them right up. This is my first thread here, and I haven't even made 8 posts yet so I couldn't include external URLs, I'll go through and edit some useful links in as soon as I'm able.
So after updating to OTA 63, I noticed that PC Streaming outside the network using Shield Proxy was no longer working. I would have the same issues I had before I had upgrade my ISP service to over 5 Mbps which is basically the lowest you can go to achieve streaming outside efficiently.
The main issues I was having was it seemed if I connected to Steam or other game, it would launch, show for a second, and then after a few seconds disappear and say it could not continue due to network interference. I know full well that it worked before the OTA, and so I set out to fix it. I also had a problem where if I disconnected it would immediately tell me it was "busy streaming to another device" even though that device was indeed the one I JUST disconnected from.
I have not completely tested this fix, but if anybody intends to do so before the end of tomorrow and report back that would be fine. If not, I will be testing this as soon as I can tomorrow.
As another added note, the streaming lag, which was non-existent or barely noticeable was much greater even on a local network after the OTA.
This fix assumes the following:
- You have GeForce Experience 1.7.0.1
- You are rooted
- You have CWM installed as recovery
- You have updated to OTA 63 or 64
- Your Shields bootloader is Unlocked (which would be assumed if CWM is recovery)
Anyways, here is the fix:
1. Either download the attached ZIP (and extract), or go here and download and rename the files (Shield PC Streaming, TegraZone Dashboard, and Shield Services) in the following manner in a directory on your desktop:
shield_pc_streaming[1].apk - nvpgcservice.apk
shield_services[1].apk - RothProvider.apk
TegraZone_Dashboard[1].apk
2. Download ES File Explorer and Use Root explorer with "/system" mounted as R/W to delete all the above APKs in "/system/app" and reboot
3. Clear all data in the following apps under the "ALL" category in Settings->Apps:
- Shield Services
- Shield PC Streaming
- Dashboard
3. Copy the renamed APKs you put in the directory mentioned in step 1 to a similar directory on your "Internal storage" of the Shield ("/sdcard")
4. Using ES File Explorer's Root Explorer in the same manner as above, copy those APKs you just put on your internal storage in the "/system/app" directory of your Shield
5. Reboot to recovery (CWM) and wipe both cache, and dalvik-cache just to be safe, and reboot to system
6. On your computer under "Preferences->Streaming" press the "Reset" button
7. Connect to your PC and click the usual "Connect" button, and have fun!
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please let me know. If you try this and it doesn't work, please let me know what results you have, as I have been getting drastically better results.
I got the idea for this fix from this thread in which agrabren had mentioned he replaced the new Dashboard with the older one, and it seemed to work fine. Then knowing that (obviously) apps must specify a minimum (not maximum) API level, I decided to try the stock Dashboard, Streaming Services, and PC Streaming App. I am very new to XDA, and don't really post anything, I mostly use the forum to find information, but I figured there hasn't been much in the way of fixes for this, and I got anxious xD
Please understand I am very much a newer XDA member, but thought this would probably help some people.
UPDATE:
So I realized that it was not working remotely, but the local network mode was working much better.
If you'd like to have a better fix for remote streaming, check out my ROM
I always try on not to be a party p**per but also would like to make this debate as civilized as possible so no need to bash me if you found my doubts in a negative way.
But after spending all this time with the Nexus Player of Google, I found myself with the conclusion, why is worthy my time for any root for the device.
At least I have a goal on showing my step-dad that paying DirecTV (Nothing against DirecTV BTW, just want to save money) is not 24/7 cost-effective versus Google Play Service and popular streaming services.
Heck, I didn't even felt left out in terms that versus Apple TV, the Nexus Player is still short without service like WWE, Amazon, NFL, etc. I was happy with the service available as of the writing of this.
To tell you the truth, the exact moment when I read all the possibility for free TV and streaming needs with Kodi (XBMC), I realized that was exactly why I bought the Google Nexus Player on the first place, beside having an alternate set-top box instead of my lovely Playstation 3 and except for improvement on hardware level for Android TV (reboot capacity WILL BE so WELCOMED!) I don't see how rooting the device can be compared as rooting a Smartphone.
Also some needs that we find regularly on Android Smartphone can be requested to Google either by AOSP or direct feedback (I realize that Google might just ignore anyways) and I am pretty sure that future Android 5.0.x or 5.x version will be synonymous of improvements.
No, this is not ignorance and definitely not naive-ness, perhaps I need another point of view to better understand or see more benefits for rooting the device.
Again, please I created this thread as a informative and debatable spot for this topic, do not flame me and not flame each other if you don't agree with an specific opinion.
TheGeeZus said:
I always try on not to be a party p**per but also would like to make this debate as civilized as possible so no need to bash me if you found my doubts in a negative way.
But after spending all this time with the Nexus Player of Google, I found myself with the conclusion, why is worthy my time for any root for the device.
At least I have a goal on showing my step-dad that paying DirecTV (Nothing against DirecTV BTW, just want to save money) is not 24/7 cost-effective versus Google Play Service and popular streaming services.
Heck, I didn't even felt left out in terms that versus Apple TV, the Nexus Player is still short without service like WWE, Amazon, NFL, etc. I was happy with the service available as of the writing of this.
To tell you the truth, the exact moment when I read all the possibility for free TV and streaming needs with Kodi (XBMC), I realized that was exactly why I bought the Google Nexus Player on the first place, beside having an alternate set-top box instead of my lovely Playstation 3 and except for improvement on hardware level for Android TV (reboot capacity WILL BE so WELCOMED!) I don't see how rooting the device can be compared as rooting a Smartphone.
Also some needs that we find regularly on Android Smartphone can be requested to Google either by AOSP or direct feedback (I realize that Google might just ignore anyways) and I am pretty sure that future Android 5.0.x or 5.x version will be synonymous of improvements.
No, this is not ignorance and definitely not naive-ness, perhaps I need another point of view to better understand or see more benefits for rooting the device.
Again, please I created this thread as a informative and debatable spot for this topic, do not flame me and not flame each other if you don't agree with an specific opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno, i rooted mine because i really needed to have expandable storage. So i rooted for chainfires stickmount. So i could have all my movies on my external hard drive run through xbmc natively.
↑This!↑
I have not rooted mine but if i do it will be for the ex-storage as well.. i am at the point of not storing a lot of movies because they are almost all online for a fee or free if you go that way.. We watch a movie once or twice and that is the end of it.. So to add to your debate i don't at this point see why you would root this device.
Would like a reboot function..
Im sure someone will come up with some nice ways to use root.. give them a week or so lol..
The main current use for rooting in my home is support for PS3 & 4 controllers wirelessly, using stick mount & folder mount to store game data and kodi data on an external drive and the ability to modify xml to re-arrange the order of programs in the NP's leanback interface (kodi gets top billing). My daughters now have immediate access to over twenty very large installed games so far thanks to folder mount. I also store all my kodi fanart, cover art, cd art, etc on the external as it takes up so much space internally for my large media collection that kodi accesses from my nas.
There will be future uses for root as well, of course (there always is), but these were my immediate needs.
Elrondolio said:
The main current use for rooting in my home is support for PS3 & 4 controllers wirelessly, using stick mount & folder mount to store game data and kodi data on an external drive and the ability to modify xml to re-arrange the order of programs in the NP's leanback interface (kodi gets top billing).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently rooted my NP, and I'm completely new to android and rooting. My main desire is to be able to get all of my sideloaded apps into the leanback interface, and to be able to rearrange the order and hide app icons I don't use. I've noticed by default Kodi RC2 appears in the leanback interface.
Do you have any tips for modifying the leanback interface in the way I've described?
kaess said:
I recently rooted my NP, and I'm completely new to android and rooting. My main desire is to be able to get all of my sideloaded apps into the leanback interface, and to be able to rearrange the order and hide app icons I don't use. I've noticed by default Kodi RC2 appears in the leanback interface.
Do you have any tips for modifying the leanback interface in the way I've described?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since things are so new with the leanback launcher there hasn't been much time for any semi-automated tools/apps to be coded to accomplish what you want. Manually, however, is very doable depending on your desired time investment.
You can modify select sideloaded apps to make them show up on the leanback interface by uncompressing its apk, editing its manifest then re-compressing and re-sideloading. See this post: How to sideload XBMC/Kodi on Nexus Player. See also this helpful post from @zlexy : [Q] Launching Netflix From Within Kodi.
You can re-arrange the order of apps listed in the leanback interface by editing leanback launcher's database. See this post by @ariful : [Q] Rearranging Apps on Android TV Nexus Player.
Again, these methods are a bit labour intensive... it'll have to be that way until more devs start/finish coding for this brand new interface/device and/or for Google to release more customizable updates. Good luck.
Elrondolio said:
Since things are so new with the leanback launcher there hasn't been much time for any semi-automated tools/apps to be coded to accomplish what you want. Manually, however, is very doable depending on your desired time investment.
You can modify select sideloaded apps to make them show up on the leanback interface by uncompressing its apk, editing its manifest then re-compressing and re-sideloading. See this post: How to sideload XBMC/Kodi on Nexus Player. See also this helpful post from @zlexy : [Q] Launching Netflix From Within Kodi.
You can re-arrange the order of apps listed in the leanback interface by editing leanback launcher's database. See this post by @ariful : [Q] Rearranging Apps on Android TV Nexus Player.
Again, these methods are a bit labour intensive... it'll have to be that way until more devs start/finish coding for this brand new interface/device and/or for Google to release more customizable updates. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last thing you said is exactly why I am resisting the temptation.
I am being fair with the fact that this is the first face of Android Tv and there is yet more to see and I am faithful that most feature that needs root for now, Google might have something on their sleeves, but they are waiting to see how many Nexus Player gets sold, specially after the holidays.
My mom and my step-dad were impressed with the Nexus Player so great, that my step-dad sold me the Google Chromecast as he wanted to have an experience on his own and he really didn't find the Cast environment hard but he liked the more controlled environment of the Nexus Player, so we are buying a second one for me and I will let him take the first one after the second arrives.
I think that is another example that rooting (again, my exception is that a proven restart method gets developed) for now is not needed in base of a normal usage and still haven't got the problem of storage (yet, I know the day will come).
Feel free to move this thread, but I thought I should ask somewhere people know about hardware.
I own a local store which has about 35 stands for each product, and me and my team want to run slideshows (picture+video) in each one.
My guess is that I should use tablets.
Why tablets?
a) Slideshows needs a software to run them. Displays are just displays.
b) KODI (XBMC) app is a good option, as each Kodi would also run a Samba server and I could send the media I need to play to each one from one computer.
c) I looked for digital photo frames, but they don't support any kind of networking, and the few ones I've found are as expensive as tablets.
My questions are,
1) Is it fine if they are connected to AC power all day 24/7? Our local is opened 24hs. Should I take off their batteries? I don't know if tablets are prepared for that purpose.
2) Is there a difference between generic tablets and Samsung Galaxy Tabs 3? In fact, I really don't need high-end tablets, I just need to run the slideshows. But my only fear is the device-life.
When its plugged in it runs off ac power an keeps the battery's charged so as long as there is power you are good it won't hurt it. I can make a app that's a slide show for them if you want just install the app an open it an itll play. The send the videos an slide show pics an I'll work on when I can. 12 hour shifts this schedule
afox27 said:
When its plugged in it runs off ac power an keeps the battery's charged so as long as there is power you are good it won't hurt it. I can make a app that's a slide show for them if you want just install the app an open it an itll play. The send the videos an slide show pics an I'll work on when I can. 12 hour shifts this schedule
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your help.
I actually found out a solution to this. Not the best but fine.
I've installed Kodi and configured everything to block everything but the slideshow.
I needed to rooted them. Installed Xposed framework, and a Xposed addon to blocked hardware keys (leaving a combination to escape).
Installed Touch Blocker, to disable touch.
Installed Samba Filesharing app (running on default samba port thanks to root)
Configure Kodi to autostart Slideshow when it opens, and made a custom service-addon to auto refresh slideshow when new media is detected after 2 minutes, skipping if files are still transferring.
That took a lot more time to replicate in all 35 tablets because there is no cmw or teamwin recovery for Galaxy Tab 4 8'', or at least I haven't found, so Titanium Backup and Helium for some other stuff