Develop Bugs

[Q] Sending files to FireTV w/External HD connected

I have a rooted FireTV with a connected external HD (1.5 TB WD) that I use for watching shows and movies via XBMC. Previously I had the hard drive connected to my laptop that sits next to the FireTV via an ethernet bridge connection, but that became cumbersome and I had to move the laptop to a new area. My router doesn't support connecting the drive as a network drive, so I figured out how to connect the HD directly to the FireTV and none of the buffering issues are present like they are over wifi with the HD connected to my ancient laptop.
Problem is, I'm not sure how to easily connect to the drive (wirelessly) from the laptop to the HD while it is connected to the FireTV so that I can move new media to it. I might be overthinking this, but is there an easy way to do this through Windows 7 on the laptop or will I need to use an FTP service or other program to connect to the HD? The FireTV comes up as a device in Network and Sharing Center but I can't double-click and see the HD like you could for other computers.
Thanks!

For me personally the easiest way I found to move files from pc to the AFTV/AFTVS is to install an app called Web PC Suite. In a nutshell it allows you to move files from your pc's web browser to the Fire TV.
Install the app on your Fire TV, run it & type in the ip & port into your web browser on your pc, accept the connection & move your files. The caveat here is, as to whether this app will recognize external storage but if your run StickMount then theoretically it should, your device has to be rooted though, for StickMount to work.
I have the Stick with no external storage attached but moving files from pc the the internal storage is a breeze.

EL TEJANO said:
For me personally the easiest way I found to move files from pc to the AFTV/AFTVS is to install an app called . In a nutshell it allows you to move files from your pc's web browser to the Fire TV.
Install the app on your Fire TV, run it & type in the ip & port into your web browser on your pc, accept the connection & move your files. The caveat here is, as to whether this app will recognize external storage but if your run then theoretically it should, your device has to be rooted though, for StickMount to work.
I have the Stick with no external storage attached but moving files from pc the the internal storage is a breeze.
Click to expand...
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This worked, and I was also able to FTP into there after going through some tutorials I found online for moving items to the internal storage. It took me awhile to find where the USB drive was hiding, but I did finally click through enough folders to find its path and was able to move a video file there over wifi that played via XBMC. It did, however, take about 40 mns to move a 2GB file so I'm not sure that it's best for moving files quickly but it will be nice not to have everything physically plugged into each other. I do have root and I use stickmount to mount the drive; looking forward to adding ROMS this way and using the FireTV as an emulator. I appreciate your help!

Wow, 40 min for 2 gigs? I can't say if that's a limitation on the connection, the Fire Tv or a combo of both but yeah I can see how that can become a nuisance. Anyhow, glad you found a temp. solution for now.
At that rate of transfer, you're probably better off disconnecting the external hdd & connecting it directly to your pc, at least for files that large. Smaller files you should be good to go as is.

No root. No HDD usage. Alternative?

So, I cant root the fire tv obviously and I bought it so someone i know can use it offline to watch offline movies instead of dvds. No way around this problem? I sideloaded KodiTV but its no use since I cant even use a flash or HDD

Can you sideload ES Explorer and connect to an SMB share on a NAS or Windows/Linux Server? it sounded like some people are doing that.

lowridincrew said:
So, I cant root the fire tv obviously and I bought it so someone i know can use it offline to watch offline movies instead of dvds. No way around this problem? I sideloaded KodiTV but its no use since I cant even use a flash or HDD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a PC with spare hard drive space on the same network?
Kodi/SPMC/XBMC has the ability to make an SMB connection to a windows file share and play files from it. I do this with my Fire TV (box) and Fire TV stick to connect to my Win2012 server with many hard drives in it (holding all my movies converted from my blurays).
If a "Browse Master" isn't available on the network you wont be able to "browse" to find the computer and shared folder, and will instead have to manually use IP address and folder info for the "server" machine into Kodi/SPMC/XBMC when trying to setup the SMB connection. Extra info see -> http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=133624

Offline usage.
I have this Dane-Elec Media Streamer for hooking USB and SD cards that lets me connect to it through the FireTV's internet menu.
If you can sideload a matching app for one of these streamer doohickies,you should be able to connect straight to one.
There is one downside where it can stupidly auto-connect to a different remembered internet connection when you are using the streamer's connection.
I wonder if there is an offline cloud box for accessing files via "offline internet" or maybe even bluetooth?

She doesnt have a computer. I'm thinking I gotta keep this for myself since I got a few hard drives on my computer

There are quite a few Video Add-ons for XBMC/Kodi that make local storage a thing of the past. Between those and IPTV configs, you may not even notice. Although, most USA ISPs don't like streaming only households. Overages, etc may hurt the pocketbook...

Perspective buyer. Root still necessary not that HDD are supported?

Looking to buy one of these bad boys, however, with Nvidia Shield console and other android TV boxes to follow, I'm weary to do so as amazon seems to be apple-esque in how they wall everything off. Firstly, is FTV running a custom Android TV? Or heavily skinned android? Second, now that HDD are supported is it still worth it to root (assuming I find a unit that can be rooted) any other features you gain? I read that FTV only supports Fat32. That sucks. Think they'll allow for larger than 32 GB drives in the future. Thanks for any help.

Bbbuuuummmmpppp. Bought a fire TV today that is able to be rooted. However, don't know if I want to. Above still applies. Also, it there a way to use a HDD connected to my WiFi so I don't have to worry about the maximum imposed by amazon? I don't want to use Plex because that requires an always on PC. I just want a HDD attached to my router that I can access via fire TV. Preferably with a nice ui/cover art. Kodi? Will Kodi be able to do that with cover art and alphabetized? Thanks

supremekizzle said:
Bbbuuuummmmpppp. Bought a fire TV today that is able to be rooted. However, don't know if I want to. Above still applies. Also, it there a way to use a HDD connected to my WiFi so I don't have to worry about the maximum imposed by amazon? I don't want to use Plex because that requires an always on PC. I just want a HDD attached to my router that I can access via fire TV. Preferably with a nice ui/cover art. Kodi? Will Kodi be able to do that with cover art and alphabetized? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you got a rootable one, there is no reason to not go with root. If anything there are a few benefits to root. If you root you can use the usb for direct access. You can use kodi with the network share drive on your router regardless of root.

navigates said:
If you got a rootable one, there is no reason to not go with root. If anything there are a few benefits to root. If you root you can use the usb for direct access. You can use kodi with the network share drive on your router regardless of root.
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Awesome. You rock for taking the time to help me out! Digital high five.....pow! Let's just go hypothetical (I've rooted every device I've had so I probably will this one too, but say amazon somehow kills root later) if it were unrooted and I used Kodi to access files on DLNA from a router connected HDD, would Kodi inject cover art to my backup DVDs, or, is that something I have to add to the HDD? One reason I want to go NAS route is because I have a bedroom TV with a Chromecast that I'd access it too. Unless I can access the HDD on the fire TV from another Chromecast? Thanks

supremekizzle said:
Awesome. You rock for taking the time to help me out! Digital high five.....pow! Let's just go hypothetical (I've rooted every device I've had so I probably will this one too, but say amazon somehow kills root later) if it were unrooted and I used Kodi to access files on DLNA from a router connected HDD, would Kodi inject cover art to my backup DVDs, or, is that something I have to add to the HDD? One reason I want to go NAS route is because I have a bedroom TV with a Chromecast that I'd access it too. Unless I can access the HDD on the fire TV from another Chromecast? Thanks
Click to expand...
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Thanks for the high five. !!  ok couple of clarifications If you root correctly and block the amazon updates, the firetv will always remain rooted regardless. The only downfall I see is that when a new firmware is released with majority of the changes it takes anywhere from few days to a week or two until the modified firmware is released. After you install the boot menu, updating the firmware has become really simple. Its literarily a two step process.
It’s a good idea to access the NAS through the router vs. direct USB. I do that as well. I have two hard drives. One on my router and the other is my laptop. I keep switching across. Best way to access the content is Kodi and you can even put the kodi icon on the home screen easily.
If you are new to rooting which I don't think so. Then its a challenge to get the right files and I can help with that sequentially. PM me and I can send you the link for all the files organized correctly. Starting from the downgrade to Firmware 1, then Bootmenu and finally the latest Rom.

Kodi will find the cover art and other metadata and save it on the FireTV.

Terry T said:
Kodi will find the cover art and other metadata and save it on the FireTV.
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Even if I'm accessing mp4 dvd backups from my NAS? The files for cover art, cast, etc don't need to be with the mp4 on the HDD? Kodi will recognize movie and fetch it? Thanks

As long as you have the file named in a way that Kodi will recognize it. I use Filebot to rename everything per TheTVDB and TheMovieDB, this works well with Kodi.

Fire TV as playback device (without internet)?

I know the unit wasn't designed for this, but in theory can a Fire TV or even Fire TV Stick be used to just play back locally stored content?
I'm on the fence to get one of these for my home use (especially seeing it run Kodi/XMBC), but if I could use it for work presentations or backyard projectors, I'd be sold in a heartbeat! To be clear, these are situations in which there is no WiFi signal or device streaming to it... rather, I'd like to have locally stored media that it can play back in either Kodi or the Android version of VLC. Having a nice little device and remote seems far simpler and enjoyable versus hooking up my honking laptop to do those things.
Thoughts?

I was going to just pick up a Stick today for the $24 sale price and figure it out myself, but it appears I was too late. Am I better off with something else?

It should work as a local player with apps like MX Player, Kodi and VLC. Just that the stick has a few gbs of storage that can be used to store movies and to add movies you need to do it wirelessly or through adbfire. The Fire TV box can use HDs which can help with having the movies there. But if a portable player is what you want just use your phone with movies in a microsd, install mx player or Kodi and use a HDMI to microusb cable. That way you always have your player with you and only need that 6 dlls cable.

solorzano_felipe said:
It should work as a local player with apps like MX Player, Kodi and VLC. Just that the stick has a few gbs of storage that can be used to store movies and to add movies you need to do it wirelessly or through adbfire. The Fire TV box can use HDs which can help with having the movies there. But if a portable player is what you want just use your phone with movies in a microsd, install mx player or Kodi and use a HDMI to microusb cable. That way you always have your player with you and only need that 6 dlls cable.
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Click to collapse
Might want to double check that.... In theory you are correct, but in personal experience no internet means no loading of the home menu, meaning can't run anything at all. This may have changed or there may be a way around it, not 100% sure.

Solorzano, the idea is to have a dedicated player, not use my phone. That's why I originally dismissed the idea of a Chromecast... Sometimes I set up these boxes at fundraising events and hand all the hardware over to someone else to project. I'm often handling other technicalities of the event, or not even on location once they play it! I've been using my laptop to feed the presentation until now, but I'd rather not dedicate my laptop to the cause each time.
I'm actually leaning more towards one of those Kit-Kat quad core media boxes from china for this reason. They have USB ports (multiple ones!) and are much faster than the Fire TV Stick, maybe even faster than the Fire TV Box, for half the price. Only catch is that I won't be able to stream Amazon content if I ever wanted to do that at home (looking to make this a dual-purpose work and home purchase), but I think its a better suited device for everything else I want to do.
Thanks guys!

I posted a similar question elsewhere here, one responder stated that if you have Firestarter installed then you can go to that home screen and use apps, even though you can't go to the standard FireTV home screen. I haven't tried it yet, I'm not home where my Stick is.
Regarding a "standard" Android box, I have a Matricom G-box Q, I can watch Amazon videos with it using the Amazon Instant app. It basically takes you to the Amazon Instant home page (I have this defaulted to use Chrome), then when you select a video just choose the Amazon Instant app for playback. I seem to remember it was a little weird to install, something like: I installed it, I ran it, and then during the first run it asks if you want to install the app again, if you do it seems to work.

Terry T, yes with firestarter you can get to kodi. You can also go to the settings manage apps way of launching provided parental control is not on. The pin is verified on Amazons server. However, assuming you at least have wifi with an internet outtage you can also launch Kodi with firestarter, wukong remote or Apps Shortcut for FireTV. These methods bypass the parental PIN number
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Thanks guys! Next question: If I go with the Stick version, which lacks expandable storage or USB storage, is there a relatively easy way to load files onto the internal memory? For example, if I need to play a specific mp4 file at an event, can I sideload it over Wifi at home first, then show up the event and play it with kodi?

Yes, sideload ES File Explorer. You can cut or copy (long press, then the file is selected and options are at the bottom of the screen) from either a shared drive on your network or from a cloud source like Dropbox to the Stick. You will have to tell Kodi or whatever video player you are using where you saved the file.

FireTV/Kodi - Can I Watch Movies From Flash Drive Without Internet Connection?

FireTV/Kodi - can you watch movies from a flash drive without internet connection?
Hi there,
I have an Amazon Fire TV box (and some sticks too).
And I use Kodi with it to stream video.
And I've also been able to play some movies that I have on a USB flash drive.
All good; I love it!
I then thought I'd be able to take the little Amazon box on holiday with me, and watch some movies from flash drives by just connecting the Fire TV box to the TV in the holiday cottage.
However, it didn't seem to work. I couldn't seem to get past the obstacle that there was "no internet connection" (cottage is remote with no internet).
My assumption had been that the video player software was installed on the Fire TV box (whether Kodi or the Fire TV software itself), and that the data (the movies) were on the USB drive. Therefore, no need to require an internet connection.
Is that assumption completely wrong, or is there some way to use that FireTV/USB setup to watch movies with no internet connection in place? Is there some setting/process I should adopt in such situations?
Many thanks for any pointers/advice you can offer,
Richard

rswan1967 said:
Hi there,
I have an Amazon Fire TV box (and some sticks too).
And I use Kodi with it to stream video.
And I've also been able to play some movies that I have on a USB flash drive.
All good; I love it!
I then thought I'd be able to take the little Amazon box on holiday with me, and watch some movies from flash drives by just connecting the Fire TV box to the TV in the holiday cottage.
However, it didn't seem to work. I couldn't seem to get past the obstacle that there was "no internet connection" (cottage is remote with no internet).
My assumption had been that the video player software was installed on the Fire TV box (whether Kodi or the Fire TV software itself), and that the data (the movies) were on the USB drive. Therefore, no need to require an internet connection.
Is that assumption completely wrong, or is there some way to use that FireTV/USB setup to watch movies with no internet connection in place? Is there some setting/process I should adopt in such situations?
Many thanks for any pointers/advice you can offer,
Richard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found the answer to this, elsewhere.
For anyone else that needs to know - apparently it's simply tied in to having "parental controls" enabled or not.
I had it enabled, and therefore the device couldn't validate the PIN entered, and so couldn't go any further.
With internet connectivity, I disabled parental control.
Then disconnected from the internet.
Then was able to start the device, get to applications / manage all applications - and launch kodi.
From there I was able to access my USB flash drive and play movies I have stored.
Looking forward to our next holiday now!
Love Amazon Fire TV
Love Kodi

Also if you have Fire Starter you can just launch any app from there and not the official menu.
Just remember that current version AFTV can only mount FAT32 partitions on your stick and needs and external power supply for (some) external harddrives.