Develop Bugs

[Q] Firetv XBMC Issues

Whenever I exit XBMC and try to stream from Netflix, Amazon or Plex I get error messages that it cannot play. I have to force close XBMC for anything else to work. This is the 2nd device that has done this. Is anyone else having this issue and is there a fix?

jhatfield said:
Whenever I exit XBMC and try to stream from Netflix, Amazon or Plex I get error messages that it cannot play. I have to force close XBMC for anything else to work. This is the 2nd device that has done this. Is anyone else having this issue and is there a fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sometimes get this like once or twice a week. when it happens, I run es task manager and kill spmc/xbmc if it's running, and kill any other running apps that aren't being used. this seems to fix it.
although I think it really only happens when, instead of quitting xbmc with the xbmc-bottom-left-power-button-thing, I press the remote's home button and skip right to the home page.

Oops, I crapped my pants! (Because Netflix doesn't work anymore!)

I didn't actually crap my pants.
Netflix was working for a couple of months, then it stopped working. When I try to play any video it says it can't play it and to try again later or watch something else. I uninstalled and reinstalled Netflix, I cleared the cache and data for the app, I created a new Netflix account, nothing has helped.
Anything short of a factory restore I can try? Netflix support has been unsuccessful and referred me to Amazon. But I just rooted the Fire TV and I've got XBMC all set up the way I like it and I don't want to lose all that crap.
Thanks
Joe

http://downdetector.com/status/netflix
hope I caught you before you reformatted your ftv....

roustabout said:
http://downdetector.com/status/netflix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I've been having this problem for weeks now and Netflix works fine on other devices on the same LAN.

I had this issue too with both Netflix and Amazon videos. unfortunately, I had to factory reset to fix problem.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

pope523 said:
I didn't actually crap my pants.
Netflix was working for a couple of months, then it stopped working. When I try to play any video it says it can't play it and to try again later or watch something else. I uninstalled and reinstalled Netflix, I cleared the cache and data for the app, I created a new Netflix account, nothing has helped.
Anything short of a factory restore I can try? Netflix support has been unsuccessful and referred me to Amazon. But I just rooted the Fire TV and I've got XBMC all set up the way I like it and I don't want to lose all that crap.
Thanks
Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had strange problems with my Netflix. Whenever I exit XBMC and launch Netflix it will start to load the video I want to watch, then it gives me a similar message. Pull the power and reset FireTV and it works fine. I wish there was a simple reboot app that I could sideload. A reboot always fixes any weird problems that I am having with Netflix.

Netflix??
I know this a matter of opinion and add-ons installed, but I would say ditch Netflix and use XBMC exclusively.

htpcforall said:
I know this a matter of opinion and add-ons installed, but I would say ditch Netflix and use XBMC exclusively.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'd be perfectly happy to do so. But my kids want to unending supply of idiotic animation that Netflix provides and I don't want to fill my file server up with it.

falkien said:
I have had strange problems with my Netflix. Whenever I exit XBMC and launch Netflix it will start to load the video I want to watch, then it gives me a similar message. Pull the power and reset FireTV and it works fine. I wish there was a simple reboot app that I could sideload. A reboot always fixes any weird problems that I am having with Netflix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Select and Play on the Fire TV remote for 5 seconds, I think, forces a reboot.

Clear data for Amazon Video in the app settings. Got Prime videos and Netflix working for me again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

polarbear9711 said:
Clear data for Amazon Video in the app settings. Got Prime videos and Netflix working for me again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried this and it does not seem to have worked.

Have you tried using the amazon app control to uninstall it and then redownload? I had both the Amazon and the Play versions of Netflix on my ftv at one point, and had some issues loading Netflix videos. I uninstalled both, then reinstalled just the Amazon one and have not had problems more than once or twice since, and rebooting cleared the issue each time once I'd done the reinstall.

Sure you exited XBMC properly, or killed it.
I get this problem if I start playing something in xbmc press home and niether prime or netflix will play, seems like it's because xbmc is holding on to the video layer still.

roustabout said:
Have you tried using the amazon app control to uninstall it and then redownload? I had both the Amazon and the Play versions of Netflix on my ftv at one point, and had some issues loading Netflix videos. I uninstalled both, then reinstalled just the Amazon one and have not had problems more than once or twice since, and rebooting cleared the issue each time once I'd done the reinstall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I had done this early on.

realtuxen said:
Sure you exited XBMC properly, or killed it.
I get this problem if I start playing something in xbmc press home and niether prime or netflix will play, seems like it's because xbmc is holding on to the video layer still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think power cycling the FireTV would clear that up.
In any case, I came into the living room the other day and Netflix was suddenly working again. Perhaps the clearing Data and Cache for Amazon Video did it, but it needed to reboot and I didn't do that part?
I hate not knowing for sure how something got fixed. But hey, the kids can watch the friggin' Power Rangers and My Little Pony again.
Thanks everyone
Joe

Yeah sure it will,, But your know sometimes it's some odd little thing, and I did not register that you power cycled although I would think so but again I missed the post saying it, so I just threw an idea out there for everybody who encountered this in various ways.
Anyway.. I'm glad to hear everything is working again.

pope523 said:
Select and Play on the Fire TV remote for 5 seconds, I think, forces a reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am amazed that this is not more well known. I have to reboot my fire many times to make it work right. Thanks for the tip....it works!!!

Netflix

Is anyone else having problem with Netflix not working. Video won't load
it say that with any movie or show I pick

MikeSkiX said:
Is anyone else having problem with Netflix not working. Video won't load it say that with any movie or show I pick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try force quitting all your other apps, and/or restart the Fire TV. Netflix seems to have issues when apps,like XBMC, are closed but still ideal in the background.

I got it fix had to call amazon I had yo cleat data on amazon video and power off the system for about 1 min. Amazon said it has sometime to do with drm

SMPC and official XBMC keeps throwing me back to menu.

I have just purchased a FireTV, and have sideloaded XBMC. Everything seems to work perfectly, however when I have a queue of TV shows for example, after an episode finishes I get like a kaleidoscope effect, then it boots me back to FTV home screen.
This happens on SMPC and XBMC directly from their site. Does anyone know any fixes?

I got something similar! When i watch a serie or a movie in xbmc after some time it stops! Then i have to open the movie/serie again. This keeps on repeating till the other day. I think it started when i used sdmaid. I am on the latest prerooted firmware. Network and Internet connection a fine.

Thinking of Returning My Shield TV. Please Help

I'm getting ready to cancel my cable and are going to stream most of my content. I have a 1st generation chromecast that I have had for years. It performs pretty well, but since I will be streaming more of my content, I wanted a remote (other than my phone) and a UI. Nearly every review I read said that Shield is easily the most powerful and capable streaming box. I've had mine for about a week now and are having serious doubts. I hope that some of you can help.
First off, I knew going in that there are not as many Android TV apps as there are Roku channels. I also knew that apps could be sideloaded, so I didn't consider this that big of an issue. However, I'm noticing more and more that sideloading apps is pointless. I sideloaded the Cinemax app. After installing it, I can't do anything. I guess since it was made for a touchscreen, I can't use the arrows on the remote to select anything. I also tried sideloading the Charter Spectrum app. Same thing, I can't select anything. Even though this is not Nvidia's fault, I also can't use HBO GO, as Charter Spectrum allows me to sign in on an android mobile device, but not an Android TV, which makes absolutely no sense to me. I know that I can use my phone and cast to the Shield, which brings me to my next problem.
It seems that when I cast to the Shield using my phone, the stream is not smooth. It kind of stutters every few seconds. My internet speed is not great, but I don't have this problem when streaming to my old chromecast. I have tried them back to back with the same results. Also, on my last attempt to cast HBO Go on the Shield, along with stuttering, it paused itself. I went to my phone and hit play again. A few minutes later, the same thing. I thought it may be my internet connection, but I switched the cast over to the old chromecast and never experienced a single problem.
The remote seems to freeze up pretty often as well. If I watch something for a few minutes and then try to use the remote, it is unresponsive for several seconds, if not a minute.
I don't know if it is a problem with the apps or the Nvidia. Although it hasn't done it in the past day or 2, the Netflix app was freezing after only a few seconds of opening. In the middle of scrolling titles, the app would freeze and the entire Shield would seem to freeze with it. No buttons on the remote would work for several minutes. The FXNow app was also acting up. When browsing movie titles, some thumbnails would not show up and when clicking other titles, it brought up a different movie than the thumbnail. The Youtube app seems extremely slow to open. After clicking the app on the homescreen, I watch the spinning wheel for at least 10 to 15 seconds before the app opens.
Lastly, I was a little disappointed in the voice search. I used the microphone to search for a movie that I knew was streaming on one of my apps. However, it only showed me results to buy the movie on Google play. I had hoped that it would browse your apps to see if it was available free before showing results to buy.
I know this post is extremely long, but I am hoping some of you can help fix these issues. I have a hard time believing that a device as powerful as the Shield suffers from these simple problems. Most of which, the 5 year old chromecast still performs well.

I would either install full android or return the shield. Me personally, I have been running full android for over a year and will never go back to stock.

What are the benefits of running full android? I imagine you gain access to the full play store, but will apps actually work?

Yes. Full Android lets you run both normal and TV apps. There are a few that may not work, but I haven't run into any major problems so far. One other thing - to get the full use out of it, you will need a mouse and keyboard such as the Logitech K400.

I just run the stock nvidia android TV rom but I have a wireless mouse attached. That lets me run the majority of sideloaded apps that require touchscreen input, but I get to keep the custom shield programs and apps that make use of the regular remote. It's the best solution for me.

I have had mine for 4 weeks and love it for several reasons:
- I use youtube TV and YoutTube TV is not supported on Roku
- It is fast (I do not have the problem you describe with YouTube)
- I like my 4K picture
Other people love the Shield because of Kodi, but I do not use Kodi, so I cannot comment about it.
Having said that, if you are not using YouTube TV, Kodi, do not get into gaming, and/or do not care to run stock Android, I think you are better off with a Roku 4K and you will be fine. You can probably get 2 Roku 4Ks for the price of a Shield and it will have all the channels you ever want.
Again, for me it was YouTubeTV, Netflix, Amazon, HBO GO (works great for me), WatchESPN, Hulu, Vudu. Hulu does not support profiles in Android TV yet, but everything else works great and fast for me.