Develop Bugs

Cannot decide between Fire Tv stick or chromecast.

Chromecast advantages
1. Cast anything from PC , especially streaming videos from browser tab.
2. Cast entire desktop, but mostly useless if you do not have proper internet connection.
Fire Tv advantages
1. Sideloading any android app
2. can work independently
Will fire tv ever get casting support for windows ? amazon cast plugin or something ... if it gets that i will easily ditch chromecast

Just get both lol. That's what I did

Fire stick is closer to a tablet than anything
depakjan said:
Chromecast advantages
1. Cast anything from PC , especially streaming videos from browser tab.
2. Cast entire desktop, but mostly useless if you do not have proper internet connection.
Fire Tv advantages
1. Sideloading any android app
2. can work independently
Will fire tv ever get casting support for windows ? amazon cast plugin or something ... if it gets that i will easily ditch chromecast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The way I see it, AFSTV is a tablet used for streaming. Chromecast needs more apps and a native browser; maybe chromecast II will be able to compete in the same league (if it ever shows up).

depakjan said:
Chromecast advantages
1. Cast anything from PC , especially streaming videos from browser tab.
2. Cast entire desktop, but mostly useless if you do not have proper internet connection.
Fire Tv advantages
1. Sideloading any android app
2. can work independently
Will fire tv ever get casting support for windows ? amazon cast plugin or something ... if it gets that i will easily ditch chromecast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4. Most US FTV's from Amazon, Staples, BestBuy, Radio Shack can still be rooted.

depakjan said:
Chromecast advantages
1. Cast anything from PC , especially streaming videos from browser tab.
2. Cast entire desktop, but mostly useless if you do not have proper internet connection.
Fire Tv advantages
1. Sideloading any android app
2. can work independently
Will fire tv ever get casting support for windows ? amazon cast plugin or something ... if it gets that i will easily ditch chromecast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 2 of each, but hands down the Fire Stick is a better device with may more uses.
FS has MUCH MUCH(get the idea) better wifi.
The one thing I've found that the CC is better at is taking on a trip since you don't need the remote to get it connected on a new wifi. FS you MUST have remote so far as I can figure out.

gottahavit said:
I have 2 of each, but hands down the Fire Stick is a better device with may more uses.
FS has MUCH MUCH(get the idea) better wifi.
The one thing I've found that the CC is better at is taking on a trip since you don't need the remote to get it connected on a new wifi. FS you MUST have remote so far as I can figure out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as taking it on a trip, if you stay in a hotel that requires you to accept the terms of service through a browser good luck connecting the chromecast.

I have both, and I never use my Chromecast. The only reason I could think of why I would use it is for my 2 movies in Google Play... The Fire Stick is just better in every way.

adfurgerson said:
As far as taking it on a trip, if you stay in a hotel that requires you to accept the terms of service through a browser good luck connecting the chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes neither works perfectly traveling, but having to bring remote just to get it to connect to phone sucks. The only thing chromecast did right was the private wifi setup with devices.

Both are good I'm leaning more to aftv just has more features.. But I also have chromecast connected as well it's good to have back up to send media to the tv with my phone

adfurgerson said:
As far as taking it on a trip, if you stay in a hotel that requires you to accept the terms of service through a browser good luck connecting the chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Although having just experienced this, you'll need to sideload a browser and some mouse mode (controller, mouse, phone mouse,etc) to actually navigate and accept terms.
What I do is tether to my phone and cast predownloaded movies using All cast.
Chromecast is great for basic stuff and used with a tablet. When using my phone, everything gets paused and occasionally locks up when getting calls and messages on my phone.
Fire TV stick is also a pretty good emulator player for retro gaming on the go.

Unless you need to stick with the small form factor or the budget doesn't allow, the correct answer if you can't decide between the two is to get a Nexus Player. If you are not in a hurry, wait until spring when I'm sure the market will be flooded with cheap Chinese Android TV boxes (Android TV version of Android, not just Android on a stick). Essentially the same as FireTV, but with Chromecast functionality built in.
If I had to choose between a Chomecast or AFTV stick I'd take AFTV stick every time.

Comes Down to Apps
You should research the App you know you want to use. I really just want a Chrome cast with a physical remote. I was excited when I grabbed a FireTV stick for $25. I was not excited that the Showtime Anytime app doesn't support on Dish on FireStickTV but does on Chrome cast?
I would tell you make a list of the apps you really want and see what platform has them.

thats what i did too

No brainer.. AFTV.
Maybe its just me, but i really dont have the urge to "cast" everything from various devices. A nice standalone box that can connect to networked drives on its own while having native streaming capability nicely beats a simple "casting" box...

If you have a miracast compatible computer, you can use that with the firetv.
Youtube on chromecast is good in "social" settings. Friends can queue up videos (eg. songs) to be played.

ziddey said:
If you have a miracast compatible computer, you can use that with the firetv.
Youtube on chromecast is good in "social" settings. Friends can queue up videos (eg. songs) to be played.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen 1 person post that Miracast works from a PC to the Fire TV.
See this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/help/miracast-t2954237/

After using both for a few weeks apiece, the fire stick with xbmc and a remote >>>>>>>>>>>> the chromecast.
It gets tiresome having to keep turning my phone etc and having some files need transcoding with the chromecast. The stick, since they updated the firmware and fixed the video quality problems, is almost perfect and I love that remote
The only thing chromecast has over the fire tv is the ease of use with the phone with the little cast button but I can live without that
As soon as the fire sticks go on sale again, I'm picking up another 3!

The AFS seems to be a more flexible platform. It's essentially a Android Stick computer. Will be even better when someone figures out how to root it. For the most part you can sideload the same working apps that work on other Android devices. That's pretty useful.
The Chromecast seems to be more of a one trick pony. The casting feature is interesting but why would you not want to just run apps directly to control it?
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

I have both.
I bought the Chromecast last year. The biggest use I got out of it was binge watching to catch up on Game of Thrones via HBO Go app. Video was definitely grainy, lower quality than the On-Demand HD from Comcast. Since then, I've rarely used it. Having to start everything via the phone or pad, then "casting" feels clunky. Casting videos/movies from my PC browser was choppy at best.
The Fire TV Stick is pretty smooth. I like having the physical remote and looking at the TV when I do things (i.e. not having to use/look at the phone). YouTube works (although I'm not able to play Purchases). Plex works well, as does SPMC (XBMC fork). NBC Live Extra app seems to work ok, but I'll get a better feel for that tonight watching football. HBO Go isn't officially available for the FireTV STICK yet. On my Fire TV (box) I am disappointed that HBO Go and Showtime Go (I would be there are some other apps too) do not have the ability to sign in for Comcast/Xfinity customers like the apps on iOs and Android do. I do realize that is a COMCAST limit, but it still stinks.
As @alton987 said earlier, it important to know the apps you want to use, and what is available on a particular device.

I bought a Fire TV Stick the day before Thanksgiving at Best Buy for $24.99. I bought it primarily for Amazon Prime.
So far, it's been working perfectly. Along with Prime movies and tv, I'm also using Prime music, Netflix, Crackle and AllCast. All work perfectly except for Netflix. On Netflix, video freezes about 10-15 minutes before the end of the movie, audio continues. I have to back out and then resume. Only takes a few seconds but it's annoying. It's the only app that's giving me a problem.
I also sideloaded BS Player and ES File Explorer. I wanted to use them for playing movies stored on my PC. Both are working just fine. I have mine connected to my A/V receiver (Yamaha). Picture quality is excellent, as is audio through my system.
I'm VERY pleased with the stick, and will buy another one for a second tv.
I have no experience with the Chromecast so I can't comment on it.
But the Fire tv stick is, for me, a no brainer if you subscribe to Amazon Prime. Terrific add-on to my system.

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.
Click to expand...
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
Posted using Tapatalk

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.

Shouldn't this be simple

So I don't own a firestick so maybe I am missing something here but shouldn't I be able to just install the firestick software on a flash drive and plug it into my tv and stream? I'm assuming the firestick is just a program accessing streams to Netflix and Hulu etc etc.. I own a Samsung smart TV (believe it's tizen) and have read up that kodi doesn't work on them basically. Just boggling my mind that this isn't simple. Is it a thing to install a os and kodi on a flash drive then hook it into the TV? I'm seriously dumbfounded over here.

Scarecrow.666 said:
So I don't own a firestick so maybe I am missing something here but shouldn't I be able to just install the firestick software on a flash drive and plug it into my tv and stream? I'm assuming the firestick is just a program accessing streams to Netflix and Hulu etc etc.. I own a Samsung smart TV (believe it's tizen) and have read up that kodi doesn't work on them basically. Just boggling my mind that this isn't simple. Is it a thing to install a os and kodi on a flash drive then hook it into the TV? I'm seriously dumbfounded over here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Suggest you do some reading on it first. It's basically a
"Mini computer" with processor.

Scarecrow.666 said:
So I don't own a firestick so maybe I am missing something here but shouldn't I be able to just install the firestick software on a flash drive and plug it into my tv and stream? I'm assuming the firestick is just a program accessing streams to Netflix and Hulu etc etc.. I own a Samsung smart TV (believe it's tizen) and have read up that kodi doesn't work on them basically. Just boggling my mind that this isn't simple. Is it a thing to install a os and kodi on a flash drive then hook it into the TV? I'm seriously dumbfounded over here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what to tell you, man. At this point, you might as well hook up a HTPC to your TV.

SirBindy said:
ROFL
You can't be serious. How did you even figure out how to make your computer go to XDA? Clearly you don't understand technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha.

wow.....cut the dude some slack. he seems to think the Fire Stick is similar to a usb drive with software on it. Everyone isn't tech savvy, and even some who are may not be familiar with what a Fire Stick is.

SirBindy said:
Then they don't belong here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What an ignorant comment. Fortunately I don't see Moderator under your name so you don't get to say who belongs here and who doesn't. I'm not interested in going back and forth with you so this is my last post on this topic.

Scarecrow.666 said:
So I don't own a firestick so maybe I am missing something here but shouldn't I be able to just install the firestick software on a flash drive and plug it into my tv and stream? I'm assuming the firestick is just a program accessing streams to Netflix and Hulu etc etc.. I own a Samsung smart TV (believe it's tizen) and have read up that kodi doesn't work on them basically. Just boggling my mind that this isn't simple. Is it a thing to install a os and kodi on a flash drive then hook it into the TV? I'm seriously dumbfounded over here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, you can't run another OS off of a USB stick plugged into Tizen. Even if you could, you'd need to output to HDMI or cast to the screen some how.
A FireTV Stick runs Fire OS and outputs through HDMI so your TV just runs it like any other set-top box.

Scarecrow.666 said:
So I don't own a firestick so maybe I am missing something here but shouldn't I be able to just install the firestick software on a flash drive and plug it into my tv and stream? I'm assuming the firestick is just a program accessing streams to Netflix and Hulu etc etc.. I own a Samsung smart TV (believe it's tizen) and have read up that kodi doesn't work on them basically. Just boggling my mind that this isn't simple. Is it a thing to install a os and kodi on a flash drive then hook it into the TV? I'm seriously dumbfounded over here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fundamentally you need an operating system , which in your question is the FireTV OS, and you need a background hardware set, PC or the like, FTV compatible, computer on a stick (FireTV for example) which the (FireTV) OS is written to run on. They both must be mated to each other to function correctly and output the results, video, computation, music, or what-ever. Gotta have both.
Now, you could install Kodi for Windows, for example, on a USB drive, via a PC, and plug that into a PC and Kodi will run, as the Windows OS and hardware are it's operating hierarchy. You may also be able to install FireTV OS onto a USB drive, via another hardware/software set which is compatible with FireTV, so that hardware could use the USB as a 'system drive', as it were. Not very practical, and too much of a work-a-round to get to the end point of having a FireTV system which works.
... easier to just buy a FTV.
Good question, never-the-less.

FireTV V2 (Sloane) Root/NTFS disk ?

Hello there, I have some questions regarding the FireTV
I bought one some day ago, I already have an AndroidTV box but it's sh*t and don't play 4k video so that's why I took the FireTV, unfortunately I didn't know that you can't put a NTFS disk on it.
So I have some questions, which can seems noob for you experts but I need to know, how can I read my HDDE (Seagate Expansion 3To) with the AmazonTV knowing that USB can't power it on, I guess the USB don't deliver enough power..
Also I'd like to root but I can't because I'm on 5.2.4.1 I tried the unbrick method provided here (I don't care if it bricks the FireTV anyway) but I'm stuck at "Reading 000000200 : 0%", I tried on W10, W7 it's the same problem. On Ubuntu I can't make the software working (Permission denied, tried with sudo & sudo su etc without forgeting the chmod -x...) I guess that's because preloader aren't the same anymore and can't read it.
Sorry for my english, and thanks for reading/helping.

Use Kodi and play with videos through network, I play UHD on external drive through my router with Kodi. I connect with SMB in Kodi. At least this works for me....

This is what I was doing before I bought the HDDE.. The problem is that I can't let my computer ON every night (I sleep with the TV yeah, bad habits ), It's been almost 1 year that my computer runs 24/24..

I use a wireless router that I plug a external hard drive into. I use it as a network drive, all my fire tv's and computers have access to it. Can you plug it into your router?

Unfortunately you don't have root, so looks like streaming content may be your only option. Personally I hate streaming and don't want to clog up my network so I use a rooted Fire TV with an external NTFS hard drive.
To answer the first half of your question you need to use a powered hub. The Fire TV can't power an external HDD, only thumb drives. Plug your external HDD into the hub, then the hub into the Fire TV. Works like a charm. I have a 4 TB HDD that I use for Kodi.
For those who do have root and want to use an external NTFS formatted hard drive (for those big HD files that go over 4 GB) I have a tutorial here: https://tinyurl.com/mgzvy52
You are wasting your time trying to root 5.2.4.1 on an unrooted device. The only method available is the one where you have to break out the soldering iron.

Michajin said:
I use a wireless router that I plug a external hard drive into. I use it as a network drive, all my fire tv's and computers have access to it. Can you plug it into your router?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have wireless router, also 4k movies would be laggy I guess. But thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can do something with it.
Thanks a lot PhoenixMark, that's what I saw on another thread, you can not root unless you dissasemble the FireTV.
Thanks for the tutorial, really appreciate.