Database Users

Streaming videos from websites from XOOM to LCD TV

Here is what I'm trying to do. I watch a lot of streams and I would like to connect my xoom to my hdtv which does 1080i so I can watch the streams on a large monitor. however, the quality on my lcd tv is for lack of a better word, crap. Is there anything I can do to improve the quality or am I basically stuck with what I'm getting when I connect my xoom to my tv?
Thanks.
PS- The same can be said of divx files and other movie files I load onto my xoom. They are higher quality on the device than they are on the tv.

Suggest a HTPC/STB connected to the TV, and the Xoom using a remote-access app. Boxee just announced an iPad app for May, and an Android version should follow. XBMC has a beta remote app for Android you can try. Then there are proprietary solutions like Slingbox, Orb, etc.
You don't want to stream FROM the tab. HD-thru-wifi is always iffy, and you'd need double the bandwidth (for vids going to the tab, and from there to the TV). Streaming from HTPC, preferably thru a wired pipe, would also bypass the Netflix/Hulu constraints on mobile devices.

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$70 is a good price for this product since the average price that you'll find at retail stores is $109 CDN. If you use the latest Kodi v15 (Isengard) x86 builds which are posted on Kodi's web site, I think you'll find that the stability and video playback is pretty smooth on this device. I don't use Plex, however, so I can't really speak about that software.
I've now had my Nexus Player for about a month and aside from its main use as a streaming media player, it's nice that I also have plenty of control and customizability after the device is unlocked and rooted. My HTPC almost never gets used anymore which is helpful in terms of saving on energy costs.

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No, you don't need a USB adapter of any kind to set up Kodi. It works automatically with the Nexus Player's remote. You may, however, want to map Kodi's "context menu" function to the remote's play/pause button. The instructions on how to do that can be found at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59821276&postcount=111.
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One other convenient way to control Kodi, when you have your Android phone nearby, is with the Kore app. It's the free, official remote app for Kodi and it just keeps getting better with each update. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.xbmc.kore

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I got this for half off at my job and find it to be garbage if your using it for a home theater setup. No Dolby digital for Netflix or 5.1 in any video apps except for Google movies which is in Pcm. Kodi will do Dolby and DTS but not pass HD Audio codecs. A major miss for any home theater enthusiasts. If your using this as a streamer for your bedroom or kids room. For $50 I paid good deal then.

I really like my nexus player. But with the Forge tv out probably on may 1st for $100 or less (without a controller) I think you may be better off waiting.

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if you just want a media player than i think its a great choice. i have been using mine to play either netflix or my media from a network share via kodi and it works flawlessly, especially since the latest kodi update. i don't know how well the audio is decoded (it might be great for all i know) but you may want to double check that. my nexus player is just hooked up to my bedroom tv, haven't tried it on my nice 5.1 audio system downstairs so i can't speak for that but for my uses its great. my main criticism is the crappy remote and no ethernet. i would also recommend getting a micro usb to ethernet/ usb otg to usb to ethernet if you want to do streaming video. i don't believe wifi technology is stable enough to stream video without occasional buffering hiccups and such so thats what i did for like a $10 fix.

A few questions about using the Nexus player as a cable box

Hi all,
Since the price of the Nexus player has dropped considerably, I'm thinking I may get one + a HD Homerun prime for my father for Christmas, but I have a few questions. I already have a Nvidia Shield TV, so I know how Android TV works and it's limitations. The only thing I haven't done is use the live TV apps for watching TV on it.
Is watching TV on it using a HD Homerun prime pretty painless once configured? I should note that we live in Oregon and the cable provider here is Comcast. In terms of channels, he really doesn't watch much (mostly Fox News, ESPN, HBO, and local channels). The big one that is a MUST though is Pac-12 network - my sister plays softball for the University of Washington and Pac-12 network is necessary to watch all the games we can't make it to. My understanding is that DRM channels won't work with the live TV app - is there any other way to view them on the device? I should also note that DVR functionality isn't a must have feature if it's a pain to get it working.
I'm not worried about it being too tech heavy for my dad to use - he's already got Ethernet running throughout the house (this device would be connected via Ethernet) and has done OTA TV before using Windows Media Center & my Xbox 360. However, if it isn't more seamless to browse and watch TV on than his cablebox, I'm not sure he'll actually want to make the change.

what you think about your shield?

just bought 50 inch 4k lcd tv, brand is tcl
it plays anything i tried so far (with exception of dts audio, but this is easy to convert with avidemux)
the thing is - smart tv functions is pure [email protected]
around 1 minute to start, 10 seconds to open youtube, and 30 seconds of buffering
what is most annoying is just 360-480p video with no settings to change that
so i need to buy some android box that will:
play all 1080p media smoothly
play 1080p youtube videos
run skype with external camera
allow me to run some games etc.
there is plenty of solutions but shield seems to combine decent specs, good design and reasonable price
can anyone confirm that it will work ok with external webcam (both video and microphone?)

PLEASE DELETE THIS POST... I believe the OP was complaining about the functionality in his TV.. Not the Shield
I have no issues whatsoever playing any 1080p videos from the net or from my home network.
I'm guessing you are running wireless and / or have a slow internet connection. Try putting a 1080p video on a usb stick or memory card and playing it from there.
I'm running wired gigabit and have a 100Mbs Internet speed and this box really shines, even with 1080p Game streaming through their service.

my only issues with the Shield TV are:
* It only comes with a North America-spec power adapter, with a proprietary device-side connector. I think you can change the power pins, but it only comes with an american one in the box (not really an issue if you live in north america)
* The controller is a bit rubbish
It's very fast, and it plays all the media I throw at it through Plex, although with some of the high bitrate stuff, it complains about low connection over wireless - it doesn't seem to connect via 802.11ac all the time.
The games are just your standard Android fare. Games & apps can be installed from the Play Store website if they don't show up on the built-in one. Be aware though; some of them say that they work on AndroidTV but don't actually do any such thing.

I love mine, I got it to replace an old acer revo which was running openelec.
The apps I use the most are Kodi (all in one media streaming app), Retroarch (an app which allows you to play various emulators), Youtube, Twitch, iPlayer, and Gamestream. I havent tried the subscription based game stream option that Nvidia offer as I have the majority of the games which they offer. I do use the option which allows me to stream games from my pc. This runs superbly at 1080p over homeplugs.
The device is very quiet and very fast. I also like having a headphone socket on the remote and joypad.
I would like to see some more UK based media apps on the store (4OD, 5 on demand, Sky), my Xbox One is better for this. Kodi does have addons to get around the lack of this.
The google play store does seem a bit limited for android tv at the moment.
I did have to root mine to enable me to write to the sdcard (for Retroarch).
I would highly recommend one if you want to use Kodi or Emulators.

DrSeahorse said:
I would highly recommend one if you want to use [...] Emulators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this. In fact, I now remember this was my major reason for buying it. It emulates pretty much anything up to and including the Sega Dreamcast, but once again.. it has a pretty rubbish controller. However, it does support the XBox 360 pad if you have the wireless adapter for it, so that's an improvement, and I'm pretty sure it'll natively support any controller that Linux does - so all your USB adapters for your NES or PSX or whatever controller will work.

Gotta throw my opinion in since I've only had it for about 2 weeks now...
Its fast, and I must much better interface than what i was expecting. I bought it for primarily playing PC games from my computer and it does so without any problems at all. It even will pass through full surround sound from the games (which I was NOT expecting).
I also use KODI more than anything and it works great. I do have some sound sync issues here and there and it can be annoying to remedy. But, if you put the time in and use KODI's audio delay correctly you can fix it. (the Wiki will say to use the Shield's built in HDMI-Audio Sync feature, but it doesn't have an overlay for when you are setting the delay. So you basically have to base it entirely off the bouncing ball which doesn't help at all when you are trying to sync voices to the actors mouths. Plus, I found that 0ms works great for all audio syncing through shield (netflix, youtube, etc) and the KODI sync lets me sync JUST KODI.
I only paid $150 for mine since I got in on the controller bundle and they never sent me the controller so I got the $50 refunded. I still would recommend it at $200 though. Once the MM update comes out it will be much better for customizing the start screen.
DO IT is my short answer.

As a media player, about the only thing it lacks is Amazon Prime, though there is a workaround and rumors of official support later. I've been able to play high bitrate rips, Hi10p video, a 1440p VHS 10-bit rip, and everything else with no issues over 802.11ac. It's by far the best player I've seen for SlingTV, also.
Anything that doesn't work natively, you can just cast it to the Shield TV and you're in business (HBO Go, specifically, because Comcast is stupid).
Games work well enough as long as they have controller support. Most of the higher-end and big developer games do. There's Nvidia game stream you can test for 3 months, but I don't have any use for it, honestly. I think you can also stream games from a PC with an nVidia GPU, but I have AMD.
Basically they've built the best video player on the market, hands down. The next best thing is a full-blown HTPC, but the price and lack of a simplified UI (IMO) puts the Shield on top, again.

Android TV box advice

Hi,
I'm looking for a box that could transcode Dolby Digital Plus to dolby Digital on the flight.
My problem is that my sound system must be connected throught SPDIF and doesn't support DD+. Therefore Netflix and Prime are delivering stereo sound tracks only.
I was told that some boxes can do the transcodong. I wanted to buy the Chromecast with Google TV but unfortunately it doesn't transcode the audio.
I was close to order a Fire TV Max stick until I discoved they don't support Google Cast (TBH Google doesn't allow anyone to implement their own Google Cast device.)
I'm open to open source solution (Lineage) as long as I can run the streaming apps (Netflix, Prime) and the Google Cast service (which I think is complicated on non certified devices)
For now I plan to buy the Xiaomi TV s which includes SPDIF output.
My concern about the Xiaomi is the performance limitations and the fact that updates won't happen for long because it's a quite old device already.
I was interested with the Shield TV but the lack of USB port is a no go for me.
Anyway my goal is to get a box that solves the audio compatibility problem (SPDIF not required, HDMI extractor is acceptable) and can last for years with updates.

Not sure if this is the answer you're looking for but have a look and see. Once I went to the Nvidia Shield Pro I never looked back.
AVR / Surround Audio Setup
AVR / Surround Audio Setup
www.nvidia.com

Here's a list: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/streamers-that-will-transcode-dd-e-ac-3-to-dd-ac-3.3203865/

I just tested an onn. box myself, and, at least in my case, since I'm using an HDMI to optical extractor, I had to manually configure the onn.'s audio settings to get it to work. I had to make sure to manually switch on Dolby Digital Plus -- even though my receiver only supports Dolby Digital. After that, I was able to check it by going into Netflix and looking next to the "HD" indication on each movie or show. If I hadn't switched on Dolby Digital Plus in the onn.'s audio settings, Netflix wouldn't detect support for it, and, correspondingly, wouldn't show the "5.1" indicator next to content, continuing to pass PCM audio.