Database Users

Slingbox vs Vulkano

For anyone who is interested, I have both a Slingbox Pro & a Hava/Monsoon/Vulkano Pro.
Both of these devices have Android players available to stream live TV to your phone although the Vulkano app is a free DL & the Sling app is $30 (it should be free)
These two devices are completely different & each has distinct advantages over the other. The Vulkano records to a 1 TB hard drive so it works as a DVR but only at 720p resolution & if you want to watch it on your phone you need to record at an even lower resolution.
The Slingbox has two tuners in it, which is really handy as I can hook my High Def cable box to one tuner & basic cable to the other. I can then watch a different channel on the phone than the home TV is set on. The Slingbox will work fine with no TV connection at all, which is a HUGE advantage over the Vulkano which has no internal tuner at all.
The Vulcano HAS to be hooked to a TV & then it only provides a 720p signal to the TV which is a noticeable downgrade in picture quality on my 50" LCD TV. It does provide really good quality streaming video quality however, better than the Slingbox on the phone.
So basically, the Vulkano gives a better image on your phone, but degrades the image on the TV it's hooked to. The Slingbox doesn't need a TV connection at all, but doesn't record & charges for the software app.

there is a way to get free app for sling, sorta if you subscribe to dish i believe their dish app connects to their sling adapter and you can sling for free as long as you are subscribed to their satellite service, one thing i am sure of they have an android app because i have seen it in the market and its free.

Which one will let you burn the show to a disc from your laptop? Or add items already on your dvr to the device to take and watch?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

'Taint bad, better than a dingbox pro
btucker2003 said:
Which one will let you burn the show to a disc from your laptop? Or add items already on your dvr to the device to take and watch?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do both with the Vulkano.
I also had the slingbox pro and it was giving me a jacked up pic on Win 7, tried everything (some posts said to change win themes, etc.- none of it worked, which is why I got a Vulkano).
The only real drawbacks to the Vulkano are that it doesn't record to your PC in HD and only passes 720p resolution to the TV (from what I've read- not a big deal if you have an HDMI cable running to your TV and component running to the Vulkano, which I do), and it only has capability for one video input at a time (so no hooking up your DVD player and TV at the same time).
One of the cool features of the Vulkano is that you can record whatever program you're watching directly onto the laptop you're watching it on, or you can record it to an external hard drive connected to the Vulkano- you choose. Plus you can program remote signals into the vulkano (I haven't done it yet, so I don't know how well it works). It also records into mp4 format (H.264).
I bought a component switch ($26) that works by remote and plan on hooking up my blue ray that does streaming netflix so I can get whatever I want streaming from netflix onto my HTC HD2 (with dual boot to android- vulkano doesn't have an ap for windows based phones as of yet, I know, it's supposed to- but they can still play the mp4s).
I can let you know how it works out once it arrives if you like.

TestTube / Havafun
This is for anyone stuck with an older tv-box like the Hava Player [myhava.com/havamobileplayer.html] (Monsoon's predecessor to it's Vulkano products) i have. Check out [sites.google.com/site/overvoltagesoft/home/testtube] Over Voltage Soft's TestTube (avail. in market). TestTube is an:
Application for Android powered devices that allows owners of Hava place-shifter devices to watch and control their TV.
TestTube doesn't work like the commercial Hava Software that you've probably downloaded directly from Moonson Media. Instead of requiring a Username and Password to connect to your Hava, TestTube requires only the IP address of the device. Since this is a homebrew project that is unaffiliated with Monsoon Media, TestTube does not have access to the login servers which normally redirect you to your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being that I run Ubuntu and there is no native client support I have to manually watch through the crappy RTSP stream and use just-barely-working scripts (see below) to channel change and all that. See: [sourceforge.net/projects/havafun] Havafun - A package of shell binaries that talk directly to the Hava video streaming device, control key features from the command line (particularly on linux), grab high quality "local" video stream (particularly on linux) for eventual inclusion into MythTV. I imagine almost the same thing could be done from an android box if anyone was interested and proficient enough.
Hope these links helped someone out heh look at me blatantly spamming some guy's app i'll be expecting my check in the mail, overvolatesoft developer guy.

[Q] Cable Box Integration

Am I right in saying that this does not include cable box pass through. i.e. I cannot use this device to search through by cable channels like I can with Google TV?

Right
Sent from my Nexus 5

Thanks. But darn, that's a big loss IMHO

Personally I use a hdhomerun prime and a windows 7 box with WMC to record TV. Have ServerWMC installed there which allows XBMC to be used as a WMC client for viewing live TV and recorded programs as well. I am already doing this with two FireTVs so doing it on the nexus player will be a no brainer. I don't miss a cable company STB and since the player has googlecast support I finally have everything I need in one box.
Sent from my Nexus 5

Google wants us watching Google "TV" via the Internet: Youtube, Play Movies etc.
Google does not want us watching cable, satellite or OTA TV. Google doesn't make money on advertising or content there.
Same deal with OTA FM radio (despite Android One, which is only for "developing" markets.)

mikereidis said:
Google wants us watching Google "TV" via the Internet: Youtube, Play Movies etc.
Google does not want us watching cable, satellite or OTA TV. Google doesn't make money on advertising or content there.
Same deal with OTA FM radio (despite Android One, which is only for "developing" markets.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not the case at all, and in fact quite the opposite. there is even a tv input framework built into android tv and they were demoing the tv app with a hdhomerun at google i/o
i suspect that they will be working with stb manufacturers to deliver live tv over IP, and we will probably see other hardware shortly with HDMI in.
check out the framework here https://developer.android.com/training/tv/tif/index.html
and showing it off at i/o with the live tv bit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3dCUPeyhag#t=1822

blackic3 said:
demoing the tv app with a hdhomerun at google i/o
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BEST NEWS ALL WEEK.
I'd still like an official Windows Media Center Extender app, but watching live from the HDHomeRun is a huge win.

I'm pretty excited. I think they have cracked the input problem with the new framework. I suspect there will be a slew of network tuners coming to market for android TV.

SiliconDust HDHomeRun VIEW
Just to update this line of thought, SiliconDust released an updated version of their VIEW app on Friday.
This allows you to use their network tuners to view live TV on Android. While they listed official support only for the ADT-1, I've had some luck with my Nexus Player. I suspect the trouble is from the difference in the ADT-1 being ARM based while the Player is x86. You can keep an eye on their development on their Android TV development forum.
For me, it works perfectly from their VIEW app (which shows up in the leanback launcher without needing to go into chainfire's side launcher). The problem arises when trying to go through the TV Input plugin. I can see the channels, and sometimes get sound, but never video and usually a "tune failed" toast.
Particularly relevant to the OP might be that I'm using their Prime tuner which has a CableCard so basically replaces my Comcast STB.

[Q] Is the Nexus Player right for me ?

Hi fellows,
I currently own an Xbox 360 and a Rasperry Pi running OpenElec. The Xbox 360 is used for games and Netflix while OpenElec is running Kodi to play the local media on my NAS. I am looking to replace my RPi with a device that will be able to have the following features :
- Kodi. I tried Plex and didn't like it.
- Netflix (Because my X360 is really noisy and pisses me off)
- Google Play Music
- Google Play Movies (for Renting and already owned)
- Spotify
- Small mobile games
- Can use my phone to remote control
- Chromecast feature to cast my computer screen
I think that the Nexus Player can handle all that, however I wonder how good and stable is the NP at accomplishing these tasks. I am very familiar with Android (been using it for over 4 years on my phones) and I am tech-savvy. I would like however a simple and stable solution where my wife and kids can play with the device easily. I was able to achieve that easiness and stability with OpenElec, but I am looking for a device that will be able to be much more than just a Kodi player.
I think the direct competitor to the NP is the Roku. Roku cannot run Kodi, but has the Google Play Music and Movies available. However, I have seen numerous issues about renting movies through Google Movies not working on Roku. Has anyone ever rented a movie on Google Play Movies on the NP and had issues ? Is this service stable ? Renting through Google Play Movies is cheaper than my local TV provider, so I'm thinking about making the switch to Google. Or any other suggestions than Google Play Movies ? Netflix Canada selection really sucks.
I'm not looking to spend more money than a Nexus Player. The NVidia Shield TV is out of the question and the Amazon Fire TV does not seem to be available in Canada. The Roku and the NP are my 2 viable options as far as I know. I like Android, so the NP looks very interesting. However I wouldn't want to buy the NP to find out that it cannot do everything I want it to do.
Thanks for any input !
Neo.

The Nexus Player will handle almost everything in your list.
* Kodi works quite well on the Nexus Player. It can be downloaded directly from Google Play which means it will automatically update and won't require sideloading APKs.
* Netflix comes preinstalled on this device and generally works fine as long as your Nexus Player has Android v5.1.1 build LMY48J installed. You might want to adjust your TV's aspect ratio modes while watching movies if the black bars from widescreen content bother you. I don't use the app very often so perhaps other users can comment on things like surround sound support.
* Google Play Music comes preinstalled on this device and is linked to your account like the rest of the apps from Google. The only issue I see with it is that the on-screen album cover doesn't move around like it does when you cast from the app but the Nexus Player's "Daydream" screen saver mode cycles through different images after a few minutes without user interaction. Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) will support Bluetooth audio streaming which means you can pair the Nexus Player with a sound bar and play music that way.
* Google Play Movies comes preinstalled and seems to work fine. It probably is the most convenient option to rent or purchase movies or TV shows on this device. I don't use this service enough to say much about it but the free movies I have in my account are synced and easily accessible. As with Netflix, you may want to adjust your TV's aspect ratio during playback.
* Spotify is the only thing in your list that doesn't work well on the Nexus Player. You can try sideloading the app but it may not be easy to use with a remote. The developers of Spotify don't support casting either, as far as I'm aware.
* You can download Android TV games from the Google Play Store and some of them will be playable with the remote but others will require a gamepad. You can either use a separate Bluetooth gamepad or root your Nexus Player and pair a PS3 or PS4 controller with it using the paid Sixaxis Controller app.
* Yes, you can use your phone to control the Nexus Player with the free Android TV Remote Control app from Google. It is rather basic, though, compared to a paid root app combination like DroidMote Server & Droidmote Client which is definitely more versatile. If you're willing to buy a Flirc infrared USB dongle for about $24 USD, you can even use a universal remote to control the Nexus Player. I have one and it works very well after being programmed for convenient usage with my Philips SRP5107 universal remote.
* Casting to the Nexus Player generally works well but there may be a few apps which work better with an actual Chromecast. I prefer casting to the Nexus Player because it supports 5 GHz wireless AC while the Chromecast only supports 2.4 GHz wireless N.
I've never used a Roku device but the Nexus Player provides great value for the price and you can do a lot with it (especially if it's rooted). As for the limited content selection of Netflix Canada, you can use a smart DNS service such as UnoTelly to "change your region" and access content that's licensed for other countries. UnoTelly even offers a free trial and up to 3 free months of service if you mention them positively on social media. In conclusion, let's answer your question. Is the Nexus Player right for you? I certainly think so.

spookyneo said:
Hi fellows,
I currently own an Xbox 360 and a Rasperry Pi running OpenElec. The Xbox 360 is used for games and Netflix while OpenElec is running Kodi to play the local media on my NAS. I am looking to replace my RPi with a device that will be able to have the following features :
- Kodi. I tried Plex and didn't like it.
- Netflix (Because my X360 is really noisy and pisses me off)
- Google Play Music
- Google Play Movies (for Renting and already owned)
- Spotify
- Small mobile games
- Can use my phone to remote control
- Chromecast feature to cast my computer screen
I think that the Nexus Player can handle all that, however I wonder how good and stable is the NP at accomplishing these tasks. I am very familiar with Android (been using it for over 4 years on my phones) and I am tech-savvy. I would like however a simple and stable solution where my wife and kids can play with the device easily. I was able to achieve that easiness and stability with OpenElec, but I am looking for a device that will be able to be much more than just a Kodi player.
I think the direct competitor to the NP is the Roku. Roku cannot run Kodi, but has the Google Play Music and Movies available. However, I have seen numerous issues about renting movies through Google Movies not working on Roku. Has anyone ever rented a movie on Google Play Movies on the NP and had issues ? Is this service stable ? Renting through Google Play Movies is cheaper than my local TV provider, so I'm thinking about making the switch to Google. Or any other suggestions than Google Play Movies ? Netflix Canada selection really sucks.
I'm not looking to spend more money than a Nexus Player. The NVidia Shield TV is out of the question and the Amazon Fire TV does not seem to be available in Canada. The Roku and the NP are my 2 viable options as far as I know. I like Android, so the NP looks very interesting. However I wouldn't want to buy the NP to find out that it cannot do everything I want it to do.
Thanks for any input !
Neo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would agree with all answers above, only thing that I'll add is that its a shame the community isn't larger or more active.
BUt with the addition of a couple of additional peripherals can also be considerably more user friendly.

New to XDA and the Shield!

Hi everyone, just got done setting up my new Shield TV with Kodi to stream media files from my unRaid NAS! I purchased the Shield because my old WDTV Live was dying and there did not appear to be many options for media boxes that could stream network content without transcoding with Plex or similar. My unRaid server uses a very old Atom CPU and doesn't have the horsepower to transcode 720p video or above.
Setting up Kodi was pretty easy, although it wasn't able to install it from the Play store. I had to go the route of loading the APK from a USB stick. All of my networked media seems to play flawlessly!
So now onto my question, what is everyone using their Shield for? I've got mine in the bedroom and I'm curious to see what else I can do with it. Out of all my Android games (I have a lot because I've gone through 3 android phones and 2 android tablets) only Wayward Souls was available for Android TV. I some experience with PS1 and SNES emulators from my tablet, but it seems the Shield is much more capable.
My general household includes 2 android phones, an android tablet, a gaming PC with an nvidia graphics card, the unraid server, and an HTPC in the living room. Solid AC Wifi connection between the Shield and the rest of the network.
Throw some ideas at me - what else should I do with the Shield?

Welcome.
I'm using my Shield as a main media center hooked up to my TV in the living room.
I do some android gaming sometimes, but there aren't enough titles i like (hoping this will change)
once nop releases the NTFS and samba kernel, i'm planning to use it as a NAS with a 2.5" usb 3.0 hdd connected to it.

RetroboxTV is pretty sweet for game emulation.
We use our Shield as our primary media device. It does everything we want minus native WatchESPN. We have an hdhomerun prime that we use with the Live Channels app for live TV.
We have a 2 TB external HDD hooked up with movies and TV shows that we watch through Kodi.
What else are you looking for?
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk

Get sideload launcher, it will give you a wider range of apps you can run. You can also install amazon underground (first download and install the Chrome .apk to browse to it). IMO, ES file explorer provides a lot of the network search functions that I used to use Kodi for, so that removes some software layers. MXPLayer seems to be the most capable video player I've tested.

Mount as fileshare
xd4d3v said:
Welcome.
I'm using my Shield as a main media center hooked up to my TV in the living room.
I do some android gaming sometimes, but there aren't enough titles i like (hoping this will change)
once nop releases the NTFS and samba kernel, i'm planning to use it as a NAS with a 2.5" usb 3.0 hdd connected to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey can you help me out? I cannot figure out how to mount a network share into the filesystem.. ive tried using cifsmanager and tutorials but to no avail. can you please help?

just ordered my Shield TV
Relatively new here, roamed forums and maybe posted once or twice. Just ordered my NVidia shield tv and cant wait to get my hands on it! One question that I have yet to get a concrete answer to is can you run amazon prime video on it? Currently have an AFTV second gen and love it but always wanted more power out of it. Think im good with the shield tv but I do need to have prime video. Can someone give me a concrete answer? I've read through tons of threads out there and seems some people say you can while I've read others who say its a no go. HELP PLEASE!!!
P.S. thank you in advance!!!!

v-ince said:
Relatively new here, roamed forums and maybe posted once or twice. Just ordered my NVidia shield tv and cant wait to get my hands on it! One question that I have yet to get a concrete answer to is can you run amazon prime video on it? Currently have an AFTV second gen and love it but always wanted more power out of it. Think im good with the shield tv but I do need to have prime video. Can someone give me a concrete answer? I've read through tons of threads out there and seems some people say you can while I've read others who say its a no go. HELP PLEASE!!!
P.S. thank you in advance!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You CAN run prime video. However, the current workaround will not give you you 1080p (or 4K). You'll be limited to 720p. http://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tv/development/amazon-prime-video-demand-android-tv-t3278778

OK everyone so I've been using my Shield for a bit now and here are my quick thoughts. I haven't rooted or installed ROMs or done anything else. The most complicated thing I've done is put APKs on a flash drive and clicked "OK" in ES File Explorer to install them. I've also had to use a computer with the Play store to install a few games/apps.
1) ES File Explorer is OK but the user interface is very difficult to navigate (not intuitive)
2) Getting a PS1 and SNES emulator up and running were easy
3) Netflix, PBS, and CBS Sports are the only native video streaming apps I can get to work because I have Comcast/Xfinity and they hate Android TV. However, CBS Sports is only clips, not full programming, I find that pretty useless.
4) HBO Go and Showtime Anytime work with built in app casting functionality from my Android phone
5) Fox Sports Go works by casting my phone through Android (not within the app)
6) There are very few games in the Play store that seem to support Shield TV. So far I've only got Wayward Souls and Reaper.
Questions:
1) I've got Retro Arch and Arc Browser installed because I read about them a lot. However, I can't figure out what to actually do with either of those apps.
2) What other Android/play store games?
3) What other video streaming services (I have Comcast/Xfinity)
4) What emulator next? I'm thinking PSP would be good... anything else?
5) Any other apps or cool uses I should look at?

u.of.ipod said:
OK everyone so I've been using my Shield for a bit now and here are my quick thoughts. I haven't rooted or installed ROMs or done anything else. The most complicated thing I've done is put APKs on a flash drive and clicked "OK" in ES File Explorer to install them. I've also had to use a computer with the Play store to install a few games/apps.
1) ES File Explorer is OK but the user interface is very difficult to navigate (not intuitive)
2) Getting a PS1 and SNES emulator up and running were easy
3) Netflix, PBS, and CBS Sports are the only native video streaming apps I can get to work because I have Comcast/Xfinity and they hate Android TV. However, CBS Sports is only clips, not full programming, I find that pretty useless.
4) HBO Go and Showtime Anytime work with built in app casting functionality from my Android phone
5) Fox Sports Go works by casting my phone through Android (not within the app)
6) There are very few games in the Play store that seem to support Shield TV. So far I've only got Wayward Souls and Reaper.
Questions:
1) I've got Retro Arch and Arc Browser installed because I read about them a lot. However, I can't figure out what to actually do with either of those apps.
2) What other Android/play store games?
3) What other video streaming services (I have Comcast/Xfinity)
4) What emulator next? I'm thinking PSP would be good... anything else?
5) Any other apps or cool uses I should look at?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) There is a touchpad on the bottom of the game controller. It's hidden, but if you run your finger over the gray area above the volume control it should respond as a mouse pointer. That should help you navigate some apps easier.
2) Implosion (play store), Sonic CD & Goat Simulator (Chrome.apk -> Amazon underground -> amazon Apps), and some of the more ambitious MMO like War Thunder and Vendetta should work well.
3) HBOGo should work from your phone by casting, as will a lot of other video apps. FoxNow, WatchESPN, NBC, xfinity TV Go are some others I've tested successfully.
4)
5) sideload launcher if you don't already have it. Kodi is good for live TV from external devices (i.e. HDHomeRun Connect), but I've always found its navigation to be more complicated than it needs to be.

Hisense 43A6G And Android smart tv s in general... (My first post here)

I own a CHANNEL MASTER Android set top box. I bought the thing so that I can continue to enjoy Over The Air free ATSC broadcast tv. The CHANNEL MASTER via GOOGLE's LIVE CHANNELS app lets me view,schedule and DVR.
I buy an ANDROID Tv with the hope to plug in my antenna and a formatted USB harddrive and use LIVE CHANNELS app to do the same. I read somewhere that some European models (Phillips) allow OTA, dvr and provide EPG. LIVE CHANNELS app on my HISENSE 43A6G (a native GOOGLE app) does nothing !! No EPG No DVR option !!
Can someone here point me to how to MOD the LIVE CHANNELS app to enable these options. Has anyone even considered this ? I seems obvious that an ANTENNA tv should at least provide EPG.
It's next to unbelievable that any ANDROID smart tv with LIVE CHANNELS app lacks OTA dvr and EPG capabilities !!

Android TV puts a focus on helping you discover the content you can enjoy on your TV, whether it's through one of your subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Google Play Music, or from your own personal media collection via media center software like Plex.

?????
Not an answer to my question.

Find a copy of the app from the euro TV and install it.