Repurpose EVO as video streamer? - EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I just picked up an HTC EVO 4G LTE, and I've got 3 OG EVO's that I'm not using. I have a few HDMI adapters as well.
Has anyone tried to turn it into a media streamer? I'm not having much luck, wanted to know what others have done.
I can use Tablet Remote to remote-control the original EVO with my EVOLTE.
I have installed HDMwIn to do native output via HDMI (and it works quite well).
The problem I am having is with the actual streaming. I've tried TVersity, PLEX, and VLC Streamer without much success. PLEX streams the video, but it looks pixelated and 'slow'.
Has anyone had success with this or is the OG EVO just not powerful enough to do this?
Most of my videos are XVID/DIVX and some MKV..

When the EVO 4G initially came out, CNet did some testing with the HDMI output and couldn't get it to play smoothly for higher resolution videos.
After spending some time encoding various file formats and sizes, we found that MP4 movie files performed the most consistently. Also, files rendered closer to the Evo's native 800x480 resolution worked best as larger videos stuttered and would not play properly on-screen.
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And this was presumably using the original HDMI-out support that HTC's API provided. I'm guessing your videos are higher resolution than 800x480? If so, a Raspberry Pi might be the right tool for this job instead of the Evo.

I have found that a server/app combo called "Emit" works extremely well for me. It's been the best solution for streaming media across my network to my EVO by far!
It plays practically anything I throw at it, handles subtitles well, and has had great video quality.

Thanks, I'll have to check out Emit to see if it's any better.
I'm currently using an older Xbox 360 with Tversity to stream my videos, but I thought it might be 'better' to use my EVO, but it's not.
I can get them to stream, they just don't look very good when output to the TV (as pointed out by the cnet reference).
No matter what I do, I get pixelation at the higher resolutions. Maybe someone will eventually make a Google TV ROM or something...it seems like all the hardware is there, just lacking the right software to get it done correctly.
Just for reference, I use PLEX to stream it, HDMIwIn to mirror the screen, and Tablet Remote to control the phone.
For just about everything else though, it works pretty well. Can run the other apps and such without any issues, it's only the streaming video. I wonder if I played them natively on the phone if they would be pixelated or not.

Related

Orb streaming

I tried to search for it so I'm sorry if this is a repeat...
Has anyone else tried Orb streaming service. I think it's the best thing I've found since my WM6 Rom and of course it's free and requires no new install on the phone.
Once you download an app to your computer to allow it to stream media out, you can access media on your computer over the web. This isn't a new concept, but the thing that stands out for me is the fact that it works great with the hermes - streaming stored videos, pictures, and music from the PC (among other things)
If you have a TV tuner on your computer it's even better. It will let you watch live TV or previously recorded TV. It will even let you schedule a recording from the phone if you forgot while you were at home (albeit - not through WMC rather their own, but they usually play nice).
My only recomendation is to lower the expected stream speed to 40 or 80 kbps at the bottom of mobile website to eliminate chopiness. Also, if you have a media player other than WMP on the phone - make sure the stream goes to WMP (it works well in there)
i have been using it for a couple years, and its great for live tv and i have a few hundred divx movies on my harddrive that i can stream and its free!
Yes, it is a very nice program. I've been using it for a while, too. It even supports webcams. Probably one of the best programs I've ever used.
I just wish it was able to skip commercials on a recorded tv program or skip to a point in a recorded TV show...
yeah it is a great service! i've been using it even before i got into winmo (which was in '03!!)
GreyGabe, edit the comercials out on your pc with a vid editing software...
same here, using it for years. first started to stream with it on my MPX220 (non-edge) and i was blown away then. About to stream one of my shows in an hour or so at work....
Just for live TV, have a decent computer. after i did an upgrade to a better processor and ram, the streams coppyness/buffering almost dissappeared. Also, having something better than DSL helped a lot too...

Streaming Video from Darwin

I have been wrestling with this all day and I hope someone who has this setup can shed some light on it for me. I wanted to run Darwin Streaming Server on my dedicated box and stream video files to my phone. I got Darwin up and running no problem and can successfully stream with the rtsp protocol to quicktime on my home desktop.
The issue is no matter what file I try to get the Evo to play it just says "Media Type not supported" I have done my research and made sure the files were compatible (allegedley) using h264 and aac lc as the codecs as well as hinting them. I tried with Super/Quicktime/linux ffmpeg all to the same end. The files play fine from the sd card. Even the default array of samples included with DSS didn't stream (even after hinting them). I have tried .mov,.mp4, and .3gp just for good measure with no success.
I am running Fresh's latest (0.3) and having no issues with it if it makes a difference.
This is driving me crazy as it should be playing the files....any advice or insight would be appreociated.
I just tried my EVO with my copy of Darwin and everything I threw at it worked flawlessly.
A few points to note
1) Be sure you "hint" all your movie tracks
2) Ensure that you have the proper out bound ports opened in any firewalls, etc.
But I tried, MP4 containers with the following codecs (H264, H263, MP4V (Divx)). I tried 3GP containers and I tried a MOV container with H264 codecs.
Let me know if you are still struggling on your EVO.
Rick
Just out of curiosity, have either of you gotten this working over 3G/4G (not Wifi)?
And if so are you on Android 2.2 yet?
I'm having issues with other RTSP streamers (Haven't tried Darwin just yet) over 3G (no 4G here yet), and wondered if this app might work instead.
listen i have been at this forever and finally found the best solution to watch streaming movies from my home computer....the software is in the market its called.......ready.....androstream there is a free version to test. pm me if you need (MORE) information...i can help

Incorrect Netflix aspect ratio with HDMI adapter on a HDTV

Why do I get 4:3 screen aspect ratio (with black borders on the sides) on my HDTV (capable of full 1080 16:9 HD) when using a HDMI adapter and the Netflix official app?
Also, I can't get the subtitles to be shown on the TV, even though they are shown along with the playback options on the droid's screen.
I'm certain it's not the adapter, but maybe some intentional limitation on the app. Has anyone tried this on a different device, app, ROM or situation?
By the way, I'm running stock ROM on Jely Bean 4.1
Is it the 11pin adapter? If not might be your issue.. also do other apps behave similarly?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I noticed the same thing. It only happens on this device, the GS3 via MHL. I had a Motorla Photon 4G from Sprint that I would connect via micro HDMI, never had this problem. I even did it on my old Evo 4G with the HDMI hack, never had a problem. I currently use my ASUS TF201 (Prime) and the aspect, functions, etc, all work perfectly.
My theory is that there is a difference between just mirroring what is on your phone, and actually utilizing something in Android called videoview. I think the Netflix app detects it's connected via MHL, and switches to videoview. Older devices like the Evo 4G would only display content over HDMI via video view. I never tested netflix on that without the hack.
I couldn't get it to change. I finally just accepted I had to use my tablet.
This is the only app I know that does that (only mirroring the video instead of the complete phone screen).
Everything else works just fine.
Lol we are talking about netflix here of course its far from perfect, up until now they cant even fix their own android app which constantly freezes and has playback issues, netflix in general is going downhill. They only update new movies once every 6 months.

Is MiraCast superior to BubbleUPNP

My whole house is wired with CAT 6 ethernet. Everything except my tablet and my cell phone is connected with a wire. WIth my Nexus 7 I am able to browse to an HD video stored on any pc in my house with ES File Explorer. I am able to open the file with BubbleUPNP and stream it to any TV in the house. Most of the time, it works ok. Most importantly, the files are played with DTS audio. I have to have my surround sound.
How does MiraCast compare? I have searched for the past half hour and found not one mention of whether MiraCast supports DTS Audio for example. Does anybody have any info?
volumnus said:
My whole house is wired with CAT 6 ethernet. Everything except my tablet and my cell phone is connected with a wire. WIth my Nexus 7 I am able to browse to an HD video stored on any pc in my house with ES File Explorer. I am able to open the file with BubbleUPNP and stream it to any TV in the house. Most of the time, it works ok. Most importantly, the files are played with DTS audio. I have to have my surround sound.
How does MiraCast compare? I have searched for the past half hour and found not one mention of whether MiraCast supports DTS Audio for example. Does anybody have any info?
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It depends. BubbleUPNP runs in the background if you want to stream something that is compatible while Miracast is mirroring what is on your tablet.
On the other hand, BubbleUPNP is not compatible with everything (for example, Xfinity Streampix, or games) and also it isn't free.
I use Miracast regularly for watching YouTube videos. I also use it for movies once in a while. I like it because of the convenience it offers compared to my existing alternatives (WDTV & PS3 YouTube apps). I recently bought a Chromecast. So, I expect my dependence on Miracast to go down.
With Miracast, you get what you see in tablet. So, I assume there won't be any DTS audio.
I faced a few head aches when using Miracast initially:
1. It wouldn't connect reliably. I used to get stuttering in the video and audio. With the latest PTV3000 firmware, its working fine for me (see my post here).
2. The screen has to remain on all the time when you are playing something. To work around this, you will have to root your device and install Screen Standby app.
3. The TV resolution and Nexus 7 resolution should match. Otherwise, the video will get boxed. To work around this, I am using this app. Whenever I connect to Miracast, I use that app to manually set the Nexus 7 display resolution to 1920x1080, and revert to default after disconnecting. I came across another app that can do this automatically, but didn't try it because of its $6 price. Note that once you change the resolution, the icons will get misaligned (until you change it back).
4. I would also recommend the device be connected to a charger. I bought a Lugulake wireless portable charger so that I can leave the tablet on top of it without having to worry about battery.
Can PTV3000 be used as a DLNA renderer?
In BubbleUpnp, I can select the renderer device when playing music from my nas.
Can I use PTV3000 as a DLNA renderer without mirroring?
allsts said:
In BubbleUpnp, I can select the renderer device when playing music from my nas.
Can I use PTV3000 as a DLNA renderer without mirroring?
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Click to collapse
No. Only option is to choose the "Cast" option in tablet. Whatever you see in tablet will appear on TV. PTV3000 doesn't get listed as a renderer similar to how it is in BubbleUpnp. If you are concerned about having to leave the tablet on, if you are rooted, you can use Screen Standby app.
Thanks for the answer. I have one more.
Someone knows any device (blu-ray, media player, etc) supporting both "Miracast" and "DLNA rendering" systems with mkv playback?

HDMI connect to TV - audio cuts out

I really hope I am not the only one with this issue. I recently purchased the official Samsung MHL 2.0 cable and noticed that when streaming YouTube or any other video through the regular web browser the audio cuts out and back in every few minutes. Although it is something I can live with it is rather annoying. Is this a known issue with this tablet?
Doesn't happen with my generic eBay cable, so no.
Get yourself a chromecast and do away with silly wires.
Thanks for the quick reply!
My Wifi kinda sucks so unfortunately Chromecast won't do me much good. I'm going to try a factory reset and if that doesn't work I'll have to return the tablet.
Maybe try a different browser or use semper vidlinks or vget to stream online videos through a media player, highly recommend mxplayer for this. As for you tube I would use the app not the browser.
Yea I think the YouTube app works, but I don't want to deal with ads (also don't want to root while under warranty)
I tried both Dolphin (adblock plugin) and NoChromo which blocks ads by default, audio still cuts out for about a second every so often.
Give vget and mxplayer a go. You can also use web video caster to do the same thing. Between the 2 almost any online video is playable via mxplayer.
So couldn't get vget to open up any videos in mxplayer or vlc, it keeps saying video unsupported, any advice?
spartasr said:
So couldn't get vget to open up any videos in mxplayer or vlc, it keeps saying video unsupported, any advice?
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Click to collapse
You need to make sure that you are on the page where the playable video that you want is. Semper vidlinks is good for extracting links from web pages.
Try the page below it contains several different types that should all play with vget or web video caster.
http://www.quirksmode.org/html5/tests/video.html
Open the page then select share from the menu options in your browser, select vget, you should see the orange download arrow for each video link. Click any then select mxplayer.
For web video caster, do the same but when clicking the video link, select options then open with.
I managed to route the video through VLC but the issue still persists. I ended up returning the Tab only to find that I am having the exact same issue on my second one! At this point I am going to say it may be a compatibility issue between the tablet and my crappy comcast modem/router. Are you by any chance able to recommend a good router to go with this Tablet?
BTW I really appreciate all the help you have provided thus far!
spartasr said:
I managed to route the video through VLC but the issue still persists. I ended up returning the Tab only to find that I am having the exact same issue on my second one! At this point I am going to say it may be a compatibility issue between the tablet and my crappy comcast modem/router. Are you by any chance able to recommend a good router to go with this Tablet?
BTW I really appreciate all the help you have provided thus far!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your router? Does that mean you are streaming media to your device and then to your TV via mhl? Have you tried playing a media file direct from your device to the TV?
No just streaming media on the tablet and hooking it up to the TV using the MHL cable. I don't know what else to do, I tested my Galaxy S5 and it plays fine, so I know it's not the cables.
EDIT: Yes videos stored locally on the tablet play fine on the TV, the problem only occurs when streaming anything.
How is the tablet connecting to your router, 2.4ghz or 5ghz?
Doesn't your TV support dlna? Most modern tv's do.
I am not sure about the tablet connection, is that something I should look into?
Our TV is almost 5 years old, we got it right before smart TV's really became a thing
spartasr said:
I am not sure about the tablet connection, is that something I should look into?
Our TV is almost 5 years old, we got it right before smart TV's really became a thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes it helps to switch bands and/or Wi-Fi channels as interference can affect the connection.
Look at your tablet Wi-Fi settings it will tell you which band it is connected to.
Yea I changed channels a while ago and I also changed both DNS' to google's
How are you streaming to your tablet, which app are you using? Does the streamed media play OK on your tablet?
All streamed media be it via the browser, XBMC or VLC has the audio cutting out for about a second roughly every 5 minutes or so.
spartasr said:
All streamed media be it via the browser, XBMC or VLC has the audio cutting out for about a second roughly every 5 minutes or so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it's the same playing on your tablet even without mhl?
Sorry had to do a quick test, videos play fine when not connected to the TV. Could it be an incompatibility issue between the TV and/or Soundbar? I know the cables are good because I tested my phone.
So the issue is tab to TV? Have you tried any lower definition movies?
Also does music play OK on its own or still stutter?

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