Related
Greetings,
I've been planning on buying an external dvd drive for my laptop. I found an interesting feature in samsung slim drives. For example, the samsung SE-208AB has an AV-Connectivity mode that turns the drive into a sort of external HDD! We know that android and the note 8 can already read flash drives via OTG. If this external DVD drive has this external HDD funcitonality, can we in theory connect it to the note 8 and get external DVD rom functionality? here's a you tube video connecting a samsung drive to the nexus 7.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvoyab75QgQ
As an external HDD, the drive is read with files in it so you can't really play the disc as a DVD rom (so no DVD menus I guess) but the VOB and other data files if present can be read. I know that samsung already released a dvd drive (Samsung 218bb) which android devices can detect but the problem there was that there was no app that could recognize DVD, iso formats.
but I recently tried XBMC! and XBMC can read ISO and even NRG images! Tried reading one off of the NAS via WLAN. with this app, is it possible to connect these samsung drives and read them as native roms using XBMC? has anyone tried it?
This is a real deal breaker for me. I don't think that the ASUS or Lite-on external drives have this kind of functionality. If a can get a drive that is read/write for my laptop and potentially "read" (in the least) for the note 8 then this is a no brainer purchase.
So has anyone tried this? Thanks.
UPDATE: after doing some more reading on XDA I found these threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2171111
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1086842
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2009186.
There are mixed bits. some say that the note 8 does not support external drives but here there is clearly evidence of external drives being read by android. So is it simply the MHL not supplying enough power in the case of the note 8? in another thread, an external drive with an external power source was suggested while another thread noted that this fried the drive and his note 10? These are all for different devices however. Just want to know if anyone has experience with the note 8 in particular. So far the only video showing this actually works is the you tube video with the nexus 7 shown above.
I own a Samsung Mobile SmartHub <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tsst.app.opticalsmarthub>. It works but in my experience the audio quality SUCKS. Much better to just rip the DVD and stream over standard DLNA.
---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
Also, I've never had a USB external DVD drive work with any of my devices (as they would a laptop). Not sure if I've tried on my GN8 though.
Spidey01 said:
I own a Samsung Mobile SmartHub <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tsst.app.opticalsmarthub>. It works but in my experience the audio quality SUCKS. Much better to just rip the DVD and stream over standard DLNA.
---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
Also, I've never had a USB external DVD drive work with any of my devices (as they would a laptop). Not sure if I've tried on my GN8 though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh? Thanks for the reply so iI guess video/audio/media playback has better alternatives. but what about reading and copying files off of the dvd while using the AV-connectivity (External HDD) Drive mode? Sometimes at meetings people still have discs instead of flashdrives, the note 8 is already slowly replacing my laptop but lacks this last functionality: reading/copying files off of a local disk. if it could do this than the laptop stays at home completely as the note 8 almost completely replaces it now for presentations, media serving/control and the like. I'll just bring the external disc drive. It's better than still lugging a laptop. Thanks again.
ProjectER said:
the note 8 is already slowly replacing my laptop but lacks this last functionality: reading/copying files off of a local disk. if it could do this than the laptop stays at home completely as the note 8 almost completely replaces it now for presentations, media serving/control and the like. I'll just bring the external disc drive. It's better than still lugging a laptop. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say that I've tried it in that mode. Picked up the unit dirt cheap and almost never use it because of the streaming quality. Was so disappointed I basically gave up on it lol.
Using a USB OTG cable it's possible to access FAT and NTFS volumes on USB Mass Storage devices, like flash drives and external HDDs. I'm using the one from my moms Acer A700 but they're quite cheap off Amazon. Sometimes useful. Anything that is exposed like that (class 08h / UMS) should work. Hubs, most HID devices like keyboards and mice also work via the same means. I haven't tried the drive that way, just a little ASUS unit, which doesn't function as a USB mass storage device.
USB OTG works a hell of lot better on my GN8 than my nexuses, and if memory serves tthe optical hub bridges the disc to a FAT based UMS.
At home, rather than use an external hard drive or optical discs, I use DLNA for movies and things like Dropbox/Google Drive for files. I rip my movies with MakeMKV, store them on my server machine (bigger HDDs then my gaming PC), run a DLNA server on that and point an app from my tablet at it. Least pain I've had, give or take Chromecast and video apps. I can get Chromecast to play the content via DLNA as well but where as the Galaxy Note can handle 30 Mbit/s full HD video (Wi-Fi permitting) the Chromecast really should be kept under 3 or 4 Mbit/s.
thanks for the reply
Spidey01 said:
Can't say that I've tried it in that mode. Picked up the unit dirt cheap and almost never use it because of the streaming quality. Was so disappointed I basically gave up on it lol.
Using a USB OTG cable it's possible to access FAT and NTFS volumes on USB Mass Storage devices, like flash drives and external HDDs. I'm using the one from my moms Acer A700 but they're quite cheap off Amazon. Sometimes useful. Anything that is exposed like that (class 08h / UMS) should work. Hubs, most HID devices like keyboards and mice also work via the same means. I haven't tried the drive that way, just a little ASUS unit, which doesn't function as a USB mass storage device.
USB OTG works a hell of lot better on my GN8 than my nexuses, and if memory serves tthe optical hub bridges the disc to a FAT based UMS.
At home, rather than use an external hard drive or optical discs, I use DLNA for movies and things like Dropbox/Google Drive for files. I rip my movies with MakeMKV, store them on my server machine (bigger HDDs then my gaming PC), run a DLNA server on that and point an app from my tablet at it. Least pain I've had, give or take Chromecast and video apps. I can get Chromecast to play the content via DLNA as well but where as the Galaxy Note can handle 30 Mbit/s full HD video (Wi-Fi permitting) the Chromecast really should be kept under 3 or 4 Mbit/s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
so there is hope that it can access data files on the disk. Plan to use it mainly for raw data transfer at work but only for those still not keen on a flashdrive. It's rare but some still use discs...(i guess it's more resistent to viruses and malware...).
Don't plan to use the external drive really for playing media. As you already enumerated, there are a ton of options for that already, The review for that samsung wifi optical disc media hub is that its a great idea introduced way too late and executed too poorly for it to compete with our NAS's and WLAN's. I personally use XBMC for android, it runs on all devices now, android, windows, linux and even iOS i think. Then I have yatze or bubble upnp as well. I realized that with XBMC, don't really need chromecast anymore, although I use "cheap cast" with my android minipc I realized it's simply easier to send the you tube link to xbmc. Instead of having a you tube play list(for chrome cast), I can send the vid to xbmc and play it there and still play another you tube video on the note 8. XBMC now also reads Iso's and NRG's so all those dvd's ripped into images just run on it even via the wlan/upnp/network. Just my take on the whole video streaming option.
But I haven't tried this MakeMKV app you suggested. I hope to compress my stored DVD collection. Is it like handbreak? Can it compress a 4 gig dvd into a smaller MKV file? My NAS is slowly getting filled up. Anyway thanks! More power to XDA!
BTW: Since we're on the topic of streeaming, I'm thinking of starting a thread on the note 8's miracast/ALLSHARE CAST/screen mirroring. I realized that Samsung's screen mirroring is not really miracast compliant (just like the S4) in the sense that it doesn't work with all screen mirroring devices (something with HDCP and samsung proprietary software which i think is just there to "encourage" you to buy they're all sharecast dongle).
Here's the link: http://android-minipc.azurewebsites...ast-fails-to-mirror-samsung-galaxy-s4-screen/
Do you know of a fix for this? or should I start a Q/A thread for it? Thanks...
With regard to MakeMKV, it seems to decrypt the disc and remux the content streams into Matroska (.mkv) files, or at least about as lossless as you can get off the disc. You'll get the same MPEG-2/AC3 stream off a DVD as what's on it. No compression.
I do conversions either via Handbrake on my gaming box or by directly running ffmpeg on my server with about the same options as handbrake uses. My server's faster at it, hehe.For DVD, I normally use H.264 with x264's constant quality set to 22 or 23, and convert the audios; normally stereo with Dolby Pro Logic II downmix and another stream that's AC-3 pass through. Good enough that I don't usually notice quality loss vs the original DVD. DVD's usually end up under 2GB and especially for things like episodes of The Simpsons, can be really small. Sometimes a movie is still like 3~4GB though.
Some of Samsung's devices are certified, never tried them with another dongle. Miracast's latency is high enough that it's more limited then the MHL cable, and my old GS3 tended to soft reboot when using any video output until the 4.1 update lol. One of the CM developers had posted about issues between Samsung, Google, and perhaps a few other implementations. I think they support different HDCP versions but I'm not sure of the details.
I finally baught the samsung external dvd drive se-208. I tried AV connectivity mode so it get's recognized as a fat 32 flash drive. Well my laptop recognizes it (but my laptop recognizes it as a disc as well so that really isn't the point). Tried AV connectivity mode and connected it to my note 8. The drive just keeps spinning but my note 8 never recognizes it. Really sad. I then connected it to my samsung TV which allegedly can play media files off of a USB thumb drive. The drive still isn't recognized. Weird cuz on you tube, they connected it to a samsung TV and it worked. I tried media files and data/doc/pic files, the drive never gets recognized. Only my laptop recognizes it as a "flashdrive." Any suggestions? (I know switching to AV connectivity means pressing the eject butto for 1.5-3 seconds so I'm sure it's in AV connectivity and not in ODD or optical drive mode). Could it be power? but the drive lights up and spins when connected to the note 8 and the TV. Thanks for any suggestions.
BTW, i'm not interested in streaming as i already have a NAS for all my videos. Just want the functionality of an optical drive reader without having to bring a laptop around. The note 8 is already amazingly functional...this would just max it out even more. Thanks.
The bottom line is the device (whether it's the tablet, computer, TV or whatever) needs to have the drivers built in not just to access the optical drive, but also to read the file system on the optical disc (which I think is UDF, but don't quote me on that). You could try to find a custom kernel that has that support, see if there's a program on the Play Store or elsewhere that has that support built-in, or compile your own kernel with that support built in. But usually, when it comes to hardware support, it almost always comes down to driver support (I'm assume there DVD drive plugs into the wall so it's not an issue with lack of power).
Spidey01 said:
Can't say that I've tried it in that mode. Picked up the unit dirt cheap and almost never use it because of the streaming quality. Was so disappointed I basically gave up on it lol.
Using a USB OTG cable it's possible to access FAT and NTFS volumes on USB Mass Storage devices, like flash drives and external HDDs. I'm using the one from my moms Acer A700 but they're quite cheap off Amazon. Sometimes useful. Anything that is exposed like that (class 08h / UMS) should work. Hubs, most HID devices like keyboards and mice also work via the same means. I haven't tried the drive that way, just a little ASUS unit, which doesn't function as a USB mass storage device.
USB OTG works a hell of lot better on my GN8 than my nexuses, and if memory serves tthe optical hub bridges the disc to a FAT based UMS.
At home, rather than use an external hard drive or optical discs, I use DLNA for movies and things like Dropbox/Google Drive for files. I rip my movies with MakeMKV, store them on my server machine (bigger HDDs then my gaming PC), run a DLNA server on that and point an app from my tablet at it. Least pain I've had, give or take Chromecast and video apps. I can get Chromecast to play the content via DLNA as well but where as the Galaxy Note can handle 30 Mbit/s full HD video (Wi-Fi permitting) the Chromecast really should be kept under 3 or 4 Mbit/s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, have you tried if screen mirroring works between the Note 8.0 and Chromecast? I'm thinking of buying the dongle, but I'm interested mainly for screen mirroring, so I wish to know if it works well.
Thanks
gabripranzo said:
Hi, have you tried if screen mirroring works between the Note 8.0 and Chromecast? I'm thinking of buying the dongle, but I'm interested mainly for screen mirroring, so I wish to know if it works well.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Performance when mirroring to Chromecast sucks but it does work. I would say latency is around 0.75 seconds to 1.20 seconds from when I scroll left or right in Nova Launcher to when I see it finish on the TV. Encoder quality also sucks at rendering transparency or anti aliasing and it tends to peg the CPU to full clockrate most of the time. I haven't tried video on it. I believe my Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is simularly Crappy. Nexus 5 and Galaxy S5 work better, so it seems like only my Snapdragon 800+ chipsets seem to have decent mirroring performance over Chromecast. I don't think Google has optimized things very well for Exynos & Mali. I can say the GS5 will mirror to it well enough to watch a video not that I'd advise it. Really, Samsung's very crappy AllShare Cast dongle works better in terms of casting performance. Miracast is only useful for videos or stuff like email/websurfing because of the latency (e.g. not gaming) but Chromecast is the worst mirroring I've ever used, and I've even SideSync mirrored my tablets to my PC before. My Amazon Fire TV box works awesome sauce as a Miracast Display to all of my current devices (GN8, GNP12.2, and GS5) in terms of performance but sometimes will not connect; I've yet to determine why, maybe it just hates my monitor/switch more than my TV.
If cash is a primary concern and mostly mirroring: I would suggest a Fire TV Stick (which is Miracast Certified) or some real Miracast adapter like the Netgear PTV3000 ($50) or Belkin Miracast Adapter ($60). Chromecast is great for leaning back and casting video from apps like Netflix, Plex, AllCast, etc but not so awesome at screen mirroring. Perhaps like Chromecast's video decoder it will improve with time but it's just not that awesome for mirroring right now. MHL wired adapters are still better for screen mirroring IMHO.
Well, I wish to use the screen mirroring function mainly to stream videos: sometimes it happens that my Bd player hasn't the right codec for the video, so I wish to stream it directly from tablet to TV.
Just a quick question for anyone who already received their Fire TV (Mine will be here Wednesday hopefully)
I see that people have had success in getting everything from mice/keyboards/etc working with their Fire TV, but I'm curious if powered USB hubs and external USB drives work as well.
Ultimately I'd like to have something along the lines of a USB keyboard/mouse as well as an XB360 controller, as well as a USB slot that I can throw some media on if I have a friend over who doesn't want to set up their machine/share on my network and we can still watch something through either XBMC or Plex.
TooSlo said:
Just a quick question for anyone who already received their Fire TV (Mine will be here Wednesday hopefully)
I see that people have had success in getting everything from mice/keyboards/etc working with their Fire TV, but I'm curious if powered USB hubs and external USB drives work as well.
Ultimately I'd like to have something along the lines of a USB keyboard/mouse as well as an XB360 controller, as well as a USB slot that I can throw some media on if I have a friend over who doesn't want to set up their machine/share on my network and we can still watch something through either XBMC or Plex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to plug in a USB 3 hub, unpowered, and used a keyboard and mouse at the same time.
rooobbbbb said:
I was able to plug in a USB 3 hub, unpowered, and used a keyboard and mouse at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With a non powered usb hub I was able to hook up a mouse,keyboard,wired 360 controller. Hopefully that answers your question
What about USB storage? Can you guys read movies files from a flash drive or USB hard drive?
-Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk
no drive support yet, hoping someone can figure out how to enable it
movie
Hi
Can we watch some avi mkv mpeg movie on firetv directy on usb key?
saerdryl2 said:
Hi
Can we watch some avi mkv mpeg movie on firetv directy on usb key?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
saerdryl2,
Please take the minimal amount of time to read the responses from others as this has been answered... Most recently right above your post:
screwyluie said:
no drive support yet, hoping someone can figure out how to enable it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ordered an Ouya that hasn't arrived yet and considering return/refuse.
Does anyone have any information for the future of FTV USB storage?
ie:
Is it not possible with the current hardware?
Is it a feature that is under development and will likely be enabled in the near future?
i8nt said:
Ordered an Ouya that hasn't arrived yet and considering return/refuse.
Does anyone have any information for the future of FTV USB storage?
ie:
Is it not possible with the current hardware?
Is it a feature that is under development and will likely be enabled in the near future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely not a hardware issue, but the software distributed with the device by Amazon does not support it. I think they want you to use their cloud services instead.
Most likely fixable once Root is available, but currently there is no distributed Root available yet. Most likely will see Root available after the device gets 4.43 updates.
Thanks, the hdd is a must have for Mashup's direct download, instead of using a dvr.
Since I got the Ouya on the cheap, will probably keep it for now.
I see the xbmc wiki says usb storage can be enabled with root.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Confirmed it's working. Just root + sideload StickMount.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
nadimsoze said:
Confirmed it's working. Just root + sideload StickMount.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, just to confirm, you are using a USB Hub to get all three USB items? Keyboard/mouse, controller AND external storage?
need to get that last part clear..
Nope. Didn't try that. Just the 2.5" usb 500gb external.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Vylle said:
So, just to confirm, you are using a USB Hub to get all three USB items? Keyboard/mouse, controller AND external storage?
need to get that last part clear..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a simple 4 port unpowered USB 2.0 hub connected to my Fire TV at all times. In that hub is a 64GB NTFS thumb drive at all times that is mounted via StickMount on boot. When I need to, I plug a USB mouse and keyboard into two of the 3 open USB ports on the hub. Everything works with all 3 devices plugged into the hub. I hope that's the info you're looking for.
fireTVnews.com said:
I have a simple 4 port unpowered USB 2.0 hub connected to my Fire TV at all times. In that hub is a 64GB NTFS thumb drive at all times that is mounted via StickMount on boot. When I need to, I plug a USB mouse and keyboard into two of the 3 open USB ports on the hub. Everything works with all 3 devices plugged into the hub. I hope that's the info you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks - this is all i need to know
now to go off to amazon n get one
Which usb hub are you using? I'd like to order one from Amazon, along with a 128GB stick.
fireTVnews.com said:
I have a simple 4 port unpowered USB 2.0 hub connected to my Fire TV at all times. In that hub is a 64GB NTFS thumb drive at all times that is mounted via StickMount on boot. When I need to, I plug a USB mouse and keyboard into two of the 3 open USB ports on the hub. Everything works with all 3 devices plugged into the hub. I hope that's the info you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if that's disk related, but I have an old LaCia external 2.5" 500Gb HDD. It has a regular USB2 port and an additional 5V in which can be used optionally (if attached to the computer, it works with just the USB).
With the AFTV, I had to use the additional 5V.
A friend of mine is having the same issue with his external HDD, the power from AFTV is not enough
Hi,
I read that Fire TV doesn't support USB storage, but I believe it does although I've not been able to access a drive (plugged in to powered hub) yet. So far using sideloaded es file explorer I can see the USB device and alongside it the drop down button which when clicked seems to unmount the drive. Looking in the dmesg log (familiar to Linux users I'm sure) the kernel loads appropriate USB driver module and the recognises the USB storage the device as /dev/sda with partition sda1. There is also an entry in the list of mount points for /storage/usb, but it seems to point to 'tmp, tmp' which doesn't make much sense to me. It seems to me the only thing missing is automount of the recognised partition, does anyone agree or disagree? Does anyone know a way of mounting on an uprooted device (l'm on the latest update and would prefer not rooting unless unavoidable).
I've been using this one without issue: http://goo.gl/yXFV9o
Is there like a network device that I can buy to turn my 2.5" external hard drives into NAS so I can access my movies from Stick TV running XBMC?
hydeah said:
Is there like a network device that I can buy to turn my 2.5" external hard drives into NAS so I can access my movies from Stick TV running XBMC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried it myself, but something like this should work: http://www.amazon.com/HooToo-TripMate-Wireless-Pocket-Travel/dp/B00HZWOQZ6/
hydeah said:
Is there like a network device that I can buy to turn my 2.5" external hard drives into NAS so I can access my movies from Stick TV running XBMC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most new wireless routers have usb with media server features.
If you use a separate router that allows you to connect your external HD & wish to keep the Fire TV connected to your current router then I believe you'll have to bridge both routers, if not then you can only connect to one wireless router at a time. The setup itself shouldn't be that hard but it does take some configuration.
Another option would be to purchase a Y-OTG cable that allows you to connect your external HD directly to the stick but I believe your external HD would need an external power source to make it work. Again, I can't confirm if what I wrote would actually work..just throwing some ideas out there.
AFTVnews.com said:
I haven't tried it myself, but something like this should work: http://www.amazon.com/HooToo-TripMate-Wireless-Pocket-Travel/dp/B00HZWOQZ6/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I don't believe this will work because it works as a separate router, if it was a USB to CAT5 hub of some sort, it would be ideal but this does not function like that. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
gottahavit said:
Most new wireless routers have usb with media server features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they only work with one USB at a time and the one I had (Netgear AC1750) did not work properly, kept dropping connection or just would randomly not see the hard drive, the way it works is not very user friendly. In fact once it even corrupted one of my hard drives, and I freaked! Luckily Wndows was able to correct the issue. It doesn't show the folders as NAS but more like a network device like a PC, so you couldn't easily see the data in there. I now have a TP Link, WDR3600, I believe it works fine with USB Thumb Drives but it won't work with USB hard drives (multiple) but I can at least try to buy a USB HUB and try that to see if it can mount multiple hard drives. As I mentioned above, I am also concerned about corrupting the hard drives when router is finicky.
EL TEJANO said:
If you use a separate router that allows you to connect your external HD & wish to keep the Fire TV connected to your current router then I believe you'll have to bridge both routers, if not then you can only connect to one wireless router at a time. The setup itself shouldn't be that hard but it does take some configuration.
Another option would be to purchase a Y-OTG cable that allows you to connect your external HD directly to the stick but I believe your external HD would need an external power source to make it work. Again, I can't confirm if what I wrote would actually work..just throwing some ideas out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe Fire Stick TV has only one USB port for power and power is required to keep it running. With Y-OTG, we won't be able to get power to the 2.5" external drive anyway and also there is no way to mount that drive easily , so network would be best option.
Found this but it has less than stellar reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Addonics-NASU2-NAS-Adapter/dp/B001OC5J9U
you could try a pogo plug, also make sure the hard drive is not going to sleep. i use a netgear router and have not had an issue with the stick seeing my media. i can mount it as a dlna drive or smb. if you are looking to use it with plex then u will need an actual nas drive so u can run the plex server on it. if the router u have only has one port it is prob only going to mount one drive. but with what ever solution u use i would make sure that the sleep function is off on the hard drive as it can cause issues. if i remember correctly on some of the pogo plugs u can install arch linux and then plug a drive into and have it act as an actual nas and not just a hard drive plugged into the router.
hydeah said:
I believe Fire Stick TV has only one USB port for power and power is required to keep it running. With Y-OTG, we won't be able to get power to the 2.5" external drive anyway and also there is no way to mount that drive easily , so network would be best option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, which is why I said the external HD would have to have a separate power supply that is not powered via USB, I do see your point though as most new external drives are powered through the USB.. The Y-OTG cable will still allow you to power your stick & utilize the other connection for data but again if your external HD doesn't have a non-usb connection for power then yes you're out of luck.
I know with the Fire TV Box, people use an app called StickMount to mount external storage, the caveat though is your AFTS has to be Rooted; my guess is with the Y-OTG cable it should allow you to connect your external HD & run the same app but that's if everything I mentioned is in order.
EL TEJANO said:
Correct, which is why I said the external HD would have to have a separate power supply that is not powered via USB, I do see your point though as most new external drives are powered through the USB.. The Y-OTG cable will still allow you to power your stick & utilize the other connection for data but again if your external HD doesn't have a non-usb connection for power then yes you're out of luck.
I know with the Fire TV Box, people use an app called StickMount to mount external storage, the caveat though is your AFTS has to be Rooted; my guess is with the Y-OTG cable it should allow you to connect your external HD & run the same app but that's if everything I mentioned is in order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about getting the box since it has better hardware and more ways to "hack" but at $19 I couldn't pass on the Stick which finally allowed me to turn off my computer completely! Now if I can get my XBMC see my storage, i'll be done. Honestly if they charged $50 for stick with USB input or for the actual fire TV box and add USB ports, that would be amazing. I think Apple TV does that, right? But can we get Amazon and XBMC on it?
pbanj said:
you could try a pogo plug, also make sure the hard drive is not going to sleep. i use a netgear router and have not had an issue with the stick seeing my media. i can mount it as a dlna drive or smb. if you are looking to use it with plex then u will need an actual nas drive so u can run the plex server on it. if the router u have only has one port it is prob only going to mount one drive. but with what ever solution u use i would make sure that the sleep function is off on the hard drive as it can cause issues. if i remember correctly on some of the pogo plugs u can install arch linux and then plug a drive into and have it act as an actual nas and not just a hard drive plugged into the router.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does Pogo exactly do? I thought it was a hardware for a very specific service to access your files remotely, can you even see the files locally using simple sharing process?
Is this something I can do with Raspberry Pi? I just thought of this, I remember seeing RP units with multiple USB ports and RJ45. If there is a small NAS software, or even a simple linux that allows you to share your drives with other devices, this just might be what I am looking for. I am not sure if RP can power 3 drives simultaneously,
How is something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Ultimate-Starter-Components/dp/B00G1PNG54
Thanks again guys.
hydeah said:
I thought about getting the box since it has better hardware and more ways to "hack" but at $19 I couldn't pass on the Stick which finally allowed me to turn off my computer completely! Now if I can get my XBMC see my storage, i'll be done. Honestly if they charged $50 for stick with USB input or for the actual fire TV box and add USB ports, that would be amazing. I think Apple TV does that, right? But can we get Amazon and XBMC on it?
What does Pogo exactly do? I thought it was a hardware for a very specific service to access your files remotely, can you even see the files locally using simple sharing process?
Is this something I can do with Raspberry Pi? I just thought of this, I remember seeing RP units with multiple USB ports and RJ45. If there is a small NAS software, or even a simple linux that allows you to share your drives with other devices, this just might be what I am looking for. I am not sure if RP can power 3 drives simultaneously,
How is something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Ultimate-Starter-Components/dp/B00G1PNG54
Thanks again guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya you can use minidlna i think it is called for the rpi. a buddy of mine does that, he says its not the best thing in the world but it does work. i think if you got a banana-pi it may work better as it has better specs and still works with all the rpi stuff. as for the pogo plug im not sure how it normally works but i do know people have been putting arch linux on them to use them for dlna stuff and the model for that is under 20$ iirc
this is the banana pi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...44&cm_re=banana_pi-_-9SIA6DB2337144-_-Product
http://www.amazon.com/EP-3701-Wireless-Access-Drive-Android/dp/B00IR5DJ4E
pbanj said:
ya you can use minidlna i think it is called for the rpi. a buddy of mine does that, he says its not the best thing in the world but it does work. i think if you got a banana-pi it may work better as it has better specs and still works with all the rpi stuff. as for the pogo plug im not sure how it normally works but i do know people have been putting arch linux on them to use them for dlna stuff and the model for that is under 20$ iirc
this is the banana pi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...44&cm_re=banana_pi-_-9SIA6DB2337144-_-Product
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been checking these, I thought r-pie was about $20 but it seems it will cost a bit more than that if I consider using it as NAS after case, etc it will be $50-$60 or so looks like it. Found this page, btw: http://www.howtogeek.com/139433/how-to-turn-a-raspberry-pi-into-a-low-power-network-storage-device/
krawhitham said:
http://www.amazon.com/EP-3701-Wireless-Access-Drive-Android/dp/B00IR5DJ4E
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I think I need couple of these, one for each drive, also not sure how the drives get their power or how this one is powered. If it is possible to use this with a hub, maybe it might work, but I am not sure.
In case this thing doesn't work as planned (if I can't easily get XBMC to see external drives) what would you guys recommend as a device that I can run Amazon Prime Video AND be able to access my local videos without having to run my PC 24/7 or at least having to run it whenever I want to watch something off-line.
This will allow pass-through of wifi.
http://www.staples.com/Kingston-MobileLite-Wireless-Flash-Reader/product_195697
krawhitham said:
http://www.amazon.com/EP-3701-Wireless-Access-Drive-Android/dp/B00IR5DJ4E
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It do want to point out that these wireless dongles that connect to the external HD need the option to work in infrastructure mode & not in ad-hoc mode (peer to peer).
If they strictly work in ad-hoc mode then you'll only be able to connect to the ad-hoc device (in this case whatever is physically connected to the dongle), which means you won't be able to connect to your home's wireless network at the same. In others words you'll have to disconnect & then reconnect to each different wireless connection as needed.
"An ad hoc network is one where computers connect directly to each other on a one-to-one basis. This is useful for impromptu file sharing between two computers. An infrastructure network is one where computers connect to a shared access point. This kind of connection is useful when sharing a printer, Internet connection, and/or file sharing server." - via Amazons Q&A page.
adfurgerson said:
This will allow pass-through of wifi.
http://www.staples.com/Kingston-MobileLite-Wireless-Flash-Reader/product_195697
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion, but it seems like this is a one-to-one connection. Sort of like how new "wifi" cameras worked until they changed the way they work, they could only act as hotspot so you could get pictures from your camera with direct connection from PC and not via router.
EL TEJANO said:
It do want to point out that these wireless dongles that connect to the external HD need the option to work in infrastructure mode & not in ad-hoc mode (peer to peer).
If they strictly work in ad-hoc mode then you'll only be able to connect to the ad-hoc device (in this case whatever is physically connected to the dongle), which means you won't be able to connect to your home's wireless network at the same. In others words you'll have to disconnect & then reconnect to each different wireless connection as needed.
"An ad hoc network is one where computers connect directly to each other on a one-to-one basis. This is useful for impromptu file sharing between two computers. An infrastructure network is one where computers connect to a shared access point. This kind of connection is useful when sharing a printer, Internet connection, and/or file sharing server." - via Amazons Q&A page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand why they can't just make these devices with an ethernet port instead... That would solve the problem.
hydeah said:
Thanks for the suggestion, but it seems like this is a one-to-one connection. Sort of like how new "wifi" cameras worked until they changed the way they work, they could only act as hotspot so you could get pictures from your camera with direct connection from PC and not via router.
I don't understand why they can't just make these devices with an ethernet port instead... That would solve the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look here for where it says "create an Internet briigde to access the web" http://www.kingston.com/us/wireless/wireless_readers#mlw221
or check out the app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kingston.mobilelite&hl=en
or download the user manual
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...g&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNFYGaP4eemi_KkjPmUYtyB_aVr15g
I know this feature works as I have used it myself, but the only storage that I have used are thumb drives and sd cards.
It is supposed to work with USB hard drives up to 1tb but I don't have any to test with.
Edit....the G2 model.has an ethernet port. In the questions section someone replied that the G2 will work with 2tb HD's and I see that up to eight devices can hook to it rather than only three.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU2E9IW?tag=wwwkingstonco-20
Pogo with archlinux
The Pogoplug e02 hacked with archlinux and minidlna works nice. Cost 20$ on amazon, a bit slow but gets the work done.
adfurgerson said:
Look here for where it says "create an Internet briigde to access the web" http://www.kingston.com/us/wireless/wireless_readers#mlw221
or check out the app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kingston.mobilelite&hl=en
or download the user manual
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...g&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNFYGaP4eemi_KkjPmUYtyB_aVr15g
I know this feature works as I have used it myself, but the only storage that I have used are thumb drives and sd cards.
It is supposed to work with USB hard drives up to 1tb but I don't have any to test with.
Edit....the G2 model.has an ethernet port. In the questions section someone replied that the G2 will work with 2tb HD's and I see that up to eight devices can hook to it rather than only three.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU2E9IW?tag=wwwkingstonco-20
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the app only way to change settings or access the device? Does it have SMB or DLNA type file server? Every single device shown on their product page is either a phone or a tablet, how do you get your data on Windows (it lists windows as compatible)?
It also says "For Android and Kindle Fire, video support is limited to 2GB." I believe that doesn't matter if we use XBMC on any device including Android based Fire Stick, right?
Found the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tQ1GRf38e8
Thanks, the G2 model's ethernet port is acting as WAN port to turn wired connection to wireless, so only way to connect with this device locally is still wireless, which is still OK since it seems like this is the only device that can do this. I have 3 devices, varying from 500 to 2TB so it sounds like I definitely need G2.
hydeah said:
Is the app only way to change settings or access the device? Does it have SMB or DLNA type file server? Every single device shown on their product page is either a phone or a tablet, how do you get your data on Windows (it lists windows as compatible)?
It also says "For Android and Kindle Fire, video support is limited to 2GB." I believe that doesn't matter if we use XBMC on any device including Android based Fire Stick, right?
Found the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tQ1GRf38e8
Thanks, the G2 model's ethernet port is acting as WAN port to turn wired connection to wireless, so only way to connect with this device locally is still wireless, which is still OK since it seems like this is the only device that can do this. I have 3 devices, varying from 500 to 2TB so it sounds like I definitely need G2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to admit it was an impulse buy from Staples store and other than connecting to it to make sure it worked I haven't used it at all. Sorry I can't answer any more questions, but in the question section of Amazon for the G2 there were responses from a Kingston agent named Jewell and she gave this at the end " For any further assistance, please call us at 1-800-435-0640 (USA and Canada only) M - F 6am - 6pm PT and I or another available Technician will assist you. Thank you for choosing Kingston".
adfurgerson said:
I have to admit it was an impulse buy from Staples store and other than connecting to it to make sure it worked I haven't used it at all. Sorry I can't answer any more questions, but in the question section of Amazon for the G2 there were responses from a Kingston agent named Jewell and she gave this at the end " For any further assistance, please call us at 1-800-435-0640 (USA and Canada only) M - F 6am - 6pm PT and I or another available Technician will assist you. Thank you for choosing Kingston".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry! It sounds like I overwhelmed you with my question, which I admit might have been excessive. :angel:
I'll check out more info on Amazon.
Also found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Cirago-International-NUS2000-CiragoLink-Network/dp/B005C31H34
im buying a qnap nas which has an ir sensor
i know the fire tv remote works off bluetooth, is there a way of making the fire tv remote work with the qnap nas which i will be running kodi etc
thanks
Why using a remote for the NAS when you´re running KODI on the aTV? KODI could access all NAS files via UPnP/DLNA.
Calibaan said:
Why using a remote for the NAS when you´re running KODI on the aTV? KODI could access all NAS files via UPnP/DLNA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why offer alternative instead of answer question?
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
if the nas has no bluetooth, i think there is no way to use it to control the nas.
and without more infos about the nas (model, maybe link to website) how we should help you? we know you have a nas and a aftv remote and now?
ig you provide more infos, maybe there are more people that can give you some hinds or help you.
but i tink without bluetooth on the nas, there is no was and even with bluetooth i dont know if its so easy to get it connectet or work
ldeveraux said:
Why offer alternative instead of answer question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is your alternative...?
My alternative is as I said using UPnP playback within KODI where you can still use the regular aTV remote since it is fully supported by KODI. So you don´t need to start the playback directly at the NAS since it is fully controlled remotely via UPnP protocol.
Calibaan said:
Where is your alternative...?
My alternative is as I said using UPnP playback within KODI where you can still use the regular aTV remote since it is fully supported by KODI. So you don´t need to start the playback directly at the NAS since it is fully controlled remotely via UPnP protocol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just answer his question, don't give an alternative at all. That's all he asked
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Let him decide on his own which comments are helpful for him.... Oh, and you could still answer yourself to the question instead of giving your typical helpfull comments which are not based on the topic....
yeh sorry i am moving away from amazon tv, but have the remote which i quite like.
the qnap ts-253 has direct kodi support and will be on the tv via hdmi... just controlling around the 'os' on the qnap.. i think it has an ir sensor and people are using measy remotes etc
Maybe it will work if you have a bluetooth usbdongle for the nas but i dont know if this will work or if the nas supports bluetooth dongles.
as i sayed without bluetooth on the nas you not able to use the remote.
alternative you can use a smartphone/tablet with kodi remote app to control the nas via wifi.
Even with a supported USB bluetooth dongle you may probably have to rework the keymapping of KODI. I don´t know if this is possible with the embedded QNAP KODI or if you have access to the keymap.xml on the NAS. But interesting that QNAP is now embedding KODI, didn´t see this as official feature in NAS devices until now.
After reading a few links at the QNAP forums to see what people with similar requests found out, it was revealed that any generic BT dongle requiring drivers and a software pairing interface would not work. Dongles already paired with devices from a factory that plug in and interface like a HID keyboard and mouse work fine.
Someone sarcastically mentioned that you could wipe it and install Debian for better driver / software support ("Debian on QNAP forum" - requires login).
As you've already found out, there is a built-in IR port and people have used a variety of remotes and Logitech Harmonies to control their systems, in addition to the QNAP supported one.
I want to connect a Fire TV 2 box directly to my Synology NAS using an ethernet cable, so I can stream local media using Kodi over NFS or SMB, and ideally leave the WiFi working so I can view online content as well.
I'm using my landlord's WiFi, but don't have access to the router, so I can't connect my NAS to the network. That's why I want a direct LAN connection between the devices. I've tried both straight and crossover cables, but the Fire TV cannot see my NAS at all.
I know almost nothing about networking, so can anyone tell me if this is even possible? And if so, any tips?
Thanks!
Try this, if it does not work, use the support tab, the developer will respond straight away and will bend over backwards to help you!
Its the best app out there for reading from a NAS
http://www.vimuplayer.com/
You will have to also make sure your NAS is the correct format for the AFTV to read.
Can you elaborate on making sure the NAS is the correct format for the AFTV to read? What format are you referring to and what formats are supported?
Also, I looked Vimu like you suggested, but I'd rather stick with Kodi if possible. Vimu hasn't been updated in over a year and it costs money to download.
For the format see this.
http://www.aftvnews.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-usb-storage-with-the-amazon-fire-tv/
Not sure what you were reading on Vimu but it has just undergone a major update and are you serious about the cost of it (£1.59) to get things working how you want them !
ls0 said:
I want to connect a Fire TV 2 box directly to my Synology NAS using an ethernet cable, so I can stream local media using Kodi over NFS or SMB, and ideally leave the WiFi working so I can view online content as well.
I'm using my landlord's WiFi, but don't have access to the router, so I can't connect my NAS to the network. That's why I want a direct LAN connection between the devices. I've tried both straight and crossover cables, but the Fire TV cannot see my NAS at all.
I know almost nothing about networking, so can anyone tell me if this is even possible? And if so, any tips?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe buy a cheap router that is compatible with DDWRT firmware. Install DDWRT onto it and turn it into a repeater bridge and link it to the landlord's wifi, then just plug your Fire TV and NAS into the router via ethernet. I haven't done this myself so I am not a 100% sure, but in theory, this should work perfectly. There are a thousand tutorials on Youtube if you decide to try it.
Plex?
Please what kind of Ethernet cable should use to connect from my fire tv box to router?