I am trying to connect a FireTv box to an older 70" XBR Sony TV with only DVI and component inputs. Can someone direct me what would I need to make this work. Thank you
Nope, because it gets boring pretty quick.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/general/fire-tv-hdmi-to-vga-converter-t3116404
What you didnt do so far.
Look on page 2 of this forum.
Search Amazon for HDMI to component.
Ask how hdcp is handled.
So get your answers from the thread I linked to instead.
Also at some point dragging along people that still dont have HDMI ports gets too bothersome. I dont care how much you spent back then - if people in third world markets have adopted a standard you still are scrambling with, something is very wrong. 70" wasnt economical back then (dont care), and now you want a cheap solution for a problem almost no one else has. Which also isnt economical (from a different POV, and now I care) right now. It will always be a cheap solution, because there is no market for it. Amazingly this means - that there are no consumer grade "brand" products. Amazingly this might also correlate with the fact that you have to strip DRM in order for it to work. Amazingly this means - this just doubled the unlikelyhood for there being branded products.
tldr to is it possible - yes. Even with the copy protection problem.
Translation: Hi - I want illegal, cheap, eastern market converters to degrade my video signal, or strip the audio from the HDMI chain - to facilitate the use of my 10+ year old TV which cost me a small fortune back then. Who is the expert here - that can solve this (partly industry created - see DRM) problem for me? For free.
No, no - thank you.
Chop, chop. Even though Radioshack has gone bankrupt, because the middle of society has turned to the internet to ask their very specific case problem questions - this still doest make this Radioshack. You see - the people you would ask before did get paid to listen to your very interesting case problem, then sell you a gadget. You had value to them, regardless of what you said, because you were a sales target. Question in return, what value do you bring to this forum - with this question?
Especially to those experts who surly would want to help you with your problem.
What you need is an IBM service rep. IBM, where you buy overpriced electronic solutions that will last you for decades. Hint - those are the guys with pocket protectors in a company suit, that still occupy the mental spot of "what electronics as a field is" to probably the majority of an aging society.
Wow! what a lecture for a simple question and BTW I did not ask you (in special) for any illegal options.
And after the rant:
http://www.amazon.com/E-More®-Conve...pebp=1435681310873&perid=0H04E8YTJV3JE9B58KMG
DVI is the better solution, since the video signal doest have to be touched.
Does it work? It should (educated assessment), but I dont care. Is there something better? There is no comparative level also no one would be interested in finding out at that point. Could there be a problem when I... Yes.
Did you really just use the amazon search for me? Yes.
At this point we can stop it - short, but hopefully not entirely uneventful.
---------- Post added at 06:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 PM ----------
@bula1ca: Thats the entire problem - you did (ask for an illegal solution).
You just dont care about any of the ramification, about whose support we are "playing" here, about who created the issues along the way (DRM which requires an illegal solution, but dont threat, amazon will gladly sell you one), about prolonging certain behavior models, about what a community is, about what motivates it - and what behavior actually destroys it and so forth
This is the prototypical example of being ignorant (part of that also includes not knowing how exactly) and in the end still getting an answer out of it. You did - but hopefully it wasnt entirely painless.
In short - the industry has abandoned you, some of the problems you are facing are industry created, there is no popular interest whatsoever in answering your question, you didnt bring anything to the table (searching, asking the right questions), your electronics buying and usecycles are adding to the problem and you are mistaking a forum for a support site. Also you want free. Thank you.
So at what point would we both find it easier to ignore this question entirely and behave like it didnt happen? And at what point would this discourage others from, in a very distinct way, abusing this platform?
This is the only cause I'm putting this much effort into answering it. To make people like you realize, that if you treat communities like a zero sum game that do your bidding (Hey, I just searched amazon for you! Doesnt that make you feel grand?), you dont do any of us any good.
If you are ignorant to whats causing problems ("Those hackers will always crack DRM!" "Pirates are bad, mkay") - this causes additional problems in the long run. You have managed to get this far without thinking about DRM. Congratulation - but maybe this should change.
Also - I write fast.
edit: As a further notice, if the solution linked to above doesnt work, the DRM on the FIre TV is to new. Is it? Well, find out. Do some research.
bula1ca said:
I am trying to connect a FireTv box to an older 70" XBR Sony TV with only DVI and component inputs. Can someone direct me what would I need to make this work. Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before I upgraded my amplifier, I did something similar.
This cable will get you from HDMI-out to DVI-in without any perceptible loss in picture quality. I'd offer my old one for the asking, but it's huge and they're cheap. That takes care of the video.
For the audio, you'll need something like this. I used it because my old amp had optical inputs but no HDMI switching. As with the cable, you can have it for the asking, but I'd recommend getting a newer one. The first gen ran hot and the LEDs are blindingly bright (easily fixed with electrical tape ) But if your old TV has optical inputs, you'd be set.
If your old TV doesn't have optical audio inputs (most only have outputs), it's time to start thinking about HTiB or Home Theater in-a-Box. You can have all my old stuff, but by the time you've paid for the shipping, you can get something newer and shinier.
P.S. Try to ignore the trolls. Eventually, they will get bored and go back to the sandbox.
wellersl said:
Before I upgraded my amplifier, I did something similar.
This cable will get you from HDMI-out to DVI-in without any perceptible loss in picture quality. I'd offer my old one for the asking, but it's huge and they're cheap. That takes care of the video.
For the audio, you'll need something like this. I used it because my old amp had optical inputs but no HDMI switching. As with the cable, you can have it for the asking, but I'd recommend getting a newer one. The first gen ran hot and the LEDs are blindingly bright (easily fixed with electrical tape ) But if your old TV has optical inputs, you'd be set.
If your old TV doesn't have optical audio inputs (most only have outputs), it's time to start thinking about HTiB or Home Theater in-a-Box. You can have all my old stuff, but by the time you've paid for the shipping, you can get something newer and shinier.
P.S. Try to ignore the trolls. Eventually, they will get bored and go back to the sandbox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much appreciated, LOL. I had it hocked up with a HDMI to DVI cable (used for my cable box) however I had a very choppy picture when any video played. This box is the basement very close to the router and should not be a wifi problem. BTW I even plugged in a cable direct from my router and no difference in video quality. My 1st unit on the 2nd floor and plays without any issues.
"Something like this" is also stripping HDCP - so it is in fact the same solution (HDMI goes into a powered black box, ...). With a unnecessary switch added to it. And you made him/her buy an additional cable that arguably isnt needed. (But thats a minor thing.)
When people would at least be surface educated about DRM (HDCP) in this case "just strip it out using these fine products you find on Amazon" wouldnt be an acceptable answer.
Still there is a faction that thinks that we should ignore that, and find it totally normal that we have to point to illegal applications to solve legacy problems, that this is our function on XDA - and please do that politely and mostly silent - because thats what good product support does. Please be so understanding and you get a LOL out of it in return - for your efforts.
I dont see myself as a product support kind of type. Much.
I have different interests - like talking about issues, when they are so obvious. They cant be ignored.
Luckily some are still willing in assisting you in "buying them away". There is just a little problem to it. There is no guarantee that this will work after the next revision of HDMI, or the one after, or the one...
And as we have established, no one is willing to educate, search, or reflect on the issue at hand.
I insist, that the OP is more of a troll than I ever was, not intentionally, but in effect.
Thank you to everyone participating - especially the members of this community that still think skipping the "learning something" part and getting right to the product endorsement was what was needed in this case.
Also, thats just the "ignoring DRM" part. The selfentitlement in not finding out anything about where the problems lie, and how to circumvent them (thread was on page 2) is an entire different chapter. I've covered that one as well.
That is enough. No need for you ignorance and sarcasm to a simple question.
When did I request any support from you?
I asked a simple question. Do you really think it is OK with Sony building all these TVs and now we are left behind with no support?
That is the only reason we are looking for a solution so give us a break and go find someone else to irritate with your stupid remarks.
Thanks for the flavor text.
HDMI and DVi are entirely digital. A choppy image that is caused by the signal connection from the box to the screen is basically impossible (maybe after 50 feet of cable, but still - *neh*). But it surly isnt the wifi. Why even look at the player cache?
When flavor text is used to "simulate" being "technically interested" it changes the entire mood of the situation. Im always appreciative of that one as well.
But thank you for mirroring the "being ignorrant" mantra on to me.
My reaction was animated - but it is justified.
If you can find someone that is willing to give you a product endorsement, you win.
You had little to no effort opening this thread, the other person had little effort answering the question. You learned nothing and no expertise was needed. ("i found that on amazon" was successfully transfered from one person to another) Thats minimal effort, no harm done - maybe the wrong forum, but who cares.
And tomorrow two of you follow.
edit: As for the question "are you ok with this being Sonys fault and us not getting any support from them". Again - your question basically is a paid support question ("dosnt work with what I bought"). You get no support from Sony, because the screen at this point is over 10 years old, or was sold as a professional screen, produced not with consumer devices in mind. Understand that. Companies factor in support, they pay for it, and after a few years, you cant get it anymore. Also, it isnt Sonys fault, because the push towards HDMI always was at least "accompanied" by content provider interests. Your problem to the largest extend is a DRM problem and not a compatibility problem. Solving the DRM problem requires illegal solutions. That are openly sold on amazon (lets not talk about that) - so amazon can profit from it, but we should solve it for you, right?
In addition you havent read up on the problem behind your issue, have bought the hdmi/dvi cable that doesnt solve it for you (but you can now buy a switch for that will strip HDCP), and way back when bought a 70" screen with none of the conventional inputs (maybe an age issue). Again - what have you brought to the table, and why should anyone on XDA cater to your problem - when it was discussed already in a thread on page 2.
Again - "looking for a paid solution, getting it of amazon, followed by an "oh it works" moment - then sharing it with another one" is easy. But it ignores all structural issues with it, the approach, the solution, the problem itself...
And to be very frank - I would even have reacted if someone had just posted an amazon link not contextualizing that this vendor (and amazon) are profiting from an illegal solution to an etirely made up problem (DRM) that was factually "produced" to harm users (legacy issues), on behalf of the content industry.
Why is it in your interest that none of this gets addressed?
I'll gift you not talking about your product buying cycles and why XDA should be the last source to frequent to get support for "whale" (industry term, not derogative) like behavior..
Reduced complexity. Not having to learn anything. But that lets these threads pop up one after the other, and I dont get my chance to point the finger at who actually is responsible for the problem (not you. For the most part. Although you could have done your research.). Because everything becomes "just a simple question" in this light.
Related
I found a few old (and dead) threads on the subject, but I wanted to start a new one now that there are a lot more Evo owners out there who may help keep this going. Feel free to bump this and maybe we can get some support from the devs by demonstrating this will be worth their while.
I have read that the phone was not loaded with a proper Bluetooth stack making the Evo incompatible with several Bluetooth devices out there; the PS3 being one of them. I don't know how accurate that is, or if there are more underlying issues which prevent my requests from being plausible. With that said, here is a list of things I would be interested in:
1) Instead of paying $20 for the Blu-Ray remote for the PS3, I'd rather pay for an app that can control the basic functions of the PS3's media player. Me, personally, I don't like using the PS3 controller for video playback AT ALL. Also, it'd be one less remote to have in the house if I can use my phone instead of Sony's remote.
2) Use my phone as a headset. I cannot stand having an earpiece or headphones on for longer than a few minutes. If I could just pair my phone to the PS3 with a speaker phone option during online gaming, that would be LOVELY.
3) The most obvious one is being able to use the phone as a keyboard instead of buying the keypad that attaches to the PS3 controller. I do have the keypad, but I would put it on eBay in a split second if I were able to do it with my phone.
I'm sure there are some other things people have thought of that would be handy. Feel free to PM me anything else you may want to be able to do and I will gladly add it to the OP. Hopefully there are enough people out there interested in this so as to warrant the devs taking the time to figure this out. Honestly, I do not have the time to maintain a bounty thread, and it is not my intention to start one. However, I will say that I will make a $50 donation to anyone who can get this to work, as that is how much the Blu-Ray remote and keypad cost me on eBay. I am confident that I will not be the only one who donates, but again, this is not a bounty thread and will not be treated as such. If you say you will donate and one of the devs comes through, please keep your word and make your donation.
Mods: My apologies if anything I posted here is outside of the guidelines of this forum; feel free to call me out on any changes I should make.
Thanks in advance to all the devs, mods and forum members for your support on this.
sounds like a good idea, but also sounds far away from become a reality
HOPE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENS
Sent from my Evo 4G using a tooth pick
b_allert said:
sounds like a good idea, but also sounds far away from become a reality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Our phones can already work as remotes for certain applications, which leads me to believe it can be done by someone with the knowledge and (more importantly) the drive. With apps like Gmote 2.0 already on the market, I don't see why not. I have a Samsung Bluetooth ear piece that pairs to my PS3, and it is 2-3 years old, at least. Why can't the phone do it?
Maybe an app isn't even necessary. Maybe it can be a flashable file that just adds Bluetooth info to whatever is on the phone.
I'm pretty sure this is possible. +1
Devs will correct me if I am wrong.
I love this idea. Id throw in 20 if its workable.
And another twenty if I could use my phone as a tv remote.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
(bump)
Well, now that a root method was found for Evoers with 2.2, maybe this thread will be more successful.
almost over a year old. Ill throw 10$ into a pool to get this working.
Hey guys, I just reported on a story that you may be interested in checking out. Very exciting news if it's true.
http://windowsphonedaily.blogspot.com/2011/07/rumor-future-microsoft-os-to-run-phones.html
Original source:
http://thisismynext.com/2011/07/14/microsoft-one-ecosystem-pcs-tablets-phones-tvs-windows-brand-over/
Here's the important part:
Turns out that almost exactly describes something we heard from a source the other day, and we’ve got some more details that point to a far more radical plan within Microsoft. What we’ve been told is that Microsoft is planning to somehow harmonize not only Windows for PCs and Windows Phone, but also the Xbox operating system sometime within the next four years — a timeframe that perfectly lines up with both the end of the Xbox 360′s 10-year lifecycle and the end of Windows 8′s expected three-year run. That would mean Microsoft’s next next OS will run on PCs, tablets, phones, and the next-gen Xbox when it hits sometime in 2015 / 2016. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it fits perfectly within the broad outlines Lees confirmed during his keynote yesterday. And that’s not even the wildest part.
Our sources also tell us that Microsoft is seriously considering ditching the “Windows” brand name in favor of something new when all this goes down. The idea is to rebrand this new super-OS with something that better fits with Redmond’s vision of the future. Obviously that could well change over the next few years as this plan takes shape — Steve Ballmer in particular has always been quite enamored with the Windows brand — but dropping the name is apparently at least on the table, and that’s a big step.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Although many rumors say a new Xbox will be out before that time frame.
I love what Microsoft is planning! Too bad for me the one breaking that link would be the video game console. Xbox sucks. PS3 FTW! in everything else though, I'm a MS supporter, so lets do it big!
No surprise as quad core 2.5 GHz SoC's are right around the corner. Computer hardware isn't moving as fast as these mobile chipsets. In a matter of a few yrs, they're catching up. Plus they use far less power.
I think this makes total sense, and it was just a matter of time. The Windows 8 interface looks like the next level of computing. It doesn't make sense to have tool bars, and icons, and little notification things all over the place. And these tiles really are "windows", so it just reinforces their brand. Good stuff.
Back to video games, the transition to the next gen consoles will be interesting. Online play is SO huge now compared to what it was, how will they transition it all? I'm guessing that xbox live will stay as is, but 360 users won't be able to play with 720 users? But could probably still stay on the same friends list, join parties, etc. At least that woul make the most sense.
With all of Windows new announcements, the future of Windows is actually pretty exciting. [/nerdout]
Regardless of which console is better, being able to seamlessly move from phone to pc to tablet to xbox is going to be pretty good.
I'm curious why they haven't already. current hardware in phones are capable of 1080p output, recording, etc.
either there is a huge markup on pc's, or someone hasn't decided huge boxes full of unefficient parts is silly. think atrix like hardware... a quad core cpu in a phone sized pc... plug in a 500gb hdd, connect screen, bluetooth keyboard/mouse... viola
On the topic:
The idea of one OS for all sorts of devices is logical and consequent move following modern trends. I see no reason why products of one company should all have different interfaces. Super powerful phones will be able to run it without problems.
I will welcome this on two conditions:
1) Don't base the whole data communication on cloud only (like some parts of WP7 now)
2) Give us those sqared icons/hubs under start menu and keep the PC homescreen idea - with customizable looks and feel. I mean seeing those squares as a main screen on black background is depressive and claustrophobic experience, just like WP7.....
eternalemb said:
A unified Windows experience would be awesome though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly would be. We'd all have to see how the implementation works out though. As a general idea though, it's not a bad idea. It's something Bill Gates was pushing back before he retired. I believe that's why Live Mesh came out.
hurting sales ?
one of the reasons I think you'll never see this on windows, or apple:
4.5" screen phone/tab/whatever, quad core, dlna, huge 3000mah battery, here's the scenario....
make a phone call on it on the way home... unlock the house (bluetooth), walk in, toss it on the counter charger and shower. plop on the couch for some entertainment, fire up the bluetooth keyboard/mouse and dlna the phone (is phone accurate anymore?) to the big screeen on the wall.
rent a movie
email
google+ (facebook is dead, or will be in another week)
surf a little
make a LTE video call to mom (broadband cable just died too)
grab phone from charger and log you midnight run
possible ? yep, with todays hardware, less the quad core in the phone.
what's missing? sales. 3 of them:
pc
gamebox
tablet
the phone killed them all,and a one-os-for-all-devices idea killed them. mmm, maybe microsoft forgot about all those license sales too ?
thoughts ?
ohgood said:
one of the reasons I think you'll never see this on windows, or apple:
4.5" screen phone/tab/whatever, quad core, dlna, huge 3000mah battery, here's the scenario....
make a phone call on it on the way home... unlock the house (bluetooth), walk in, toss it on the counter charger and shower. plop on the couch for some entertainment, fire up the bluetooth keyboard/mouse and dlna the phone (is phone accurate anymore?) to the big screeen on the wall.
rent a movie
email
google+ (facebook is dead, or will be in another week)
surf a little
make a LTE video call to mom (broadband cable just died too)
grab phone from charger and log you midnight run
possible ? yep, with todays hardware, less the quad core in the phone.
what's missing? sales. 3 of them:
pc
gamebox
tablet
the phone killed them all,and a one-os-for-all-devices idea killed them. mmm, maybe microsoft forgot about all those license sales too ?
thoughts ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see that as missing any sales. It's just that the sales will be structured differently. There will still be consoles, service and content providers, and other ways (possibly not even considered yet) to "network" the phone you describe.
Did the creation of satellite TV services kill cable? No, they adapted. Did Hulu kill either of those services? No. I don't see the scenario you described lessening sales in any respect. I just see smart businesses adapting to take advantage of it. The new Ford MyTouch system is a perfect example of that.
Well I can already send music via DLNA from my Phone to my TV using an LG E900 and an xbox 360 running Windows Media Center. I know that more and more TVs will be getting DLNA and LAN built in but at least for the time being I will always need some kind of set top box (in this case the xbox).
Anyway, I actually like the idea. This way you could write an app that will run on phones, tablets and maybe even the xbox using touchscreens and kinect, respectivly.
Dropping the "Windows" name: Windows is currently mostly known for Windows on the PC as a client and server OS. Windows Phone is not that popular and "Windows" is generally associated with not-so-hip concerning anything but PCs (phones, slates).
Hence, dropping the "windows" name might be a smart move because people might not buy "Windows" for their phone or living room.
This thread will be cleaned soon. Please stay on topic, this is not a debate or argument whether personal opinions on a console = superiority over the clashing view. Or for that matter, anything. Stay on topic from now on, this is the last warning.
~~Tito~~
~~Tito~~ said:
This thread will be cleaned soon. Please stay on topic, this is not a debate or argument whether personal opinions on a console = superiority over the clashing view. Or for that matter, anything. Stay on topic from now on, this is the last warning.
~~Tito~~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Tito said..^.^.^..
Also, just to clarify.....
eric12341 said:
if someone is going to say Xbox sucks then I have the right to say gaystation. the point is that should never have been said in a thread like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are wrong, this is a petty and childish response to a simple expression of opinion. Just because somebody expresses an opinion that you do not agree with does not entitle you to belittle that opinion. Especially when you resort to juvenile and homophobic insults to do so.
This thread is not about which consoles or social networks are better then the rest. If you wish to post please read the OP again and think about what your posting as any further derailment of this thread will result in its closure.
One more thing, guys, I know its a pain in the ass but if you see a thread heading in this direction then please drop one of the moderation team a PM, posting in thread is not the best way of getting our attention as we may not see it for some time. If you PM me for something like this however, I can usually get to it in a flash. (Unless Im asleep )
Carry on.... business as usual...
~~Tito~~ said:
This thread will be cleaned soon. Please stay on topic, this is not a debate or argument whether personal opinions on a console = superiority over the clashing view. Or for that matter, anything. Stay on topic from now on, this is the last warning.
~~Tito~~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I was on topic ? debating the possibility of it happening when sales would be hurt is off topic ?
ohgood said:
I thought I was on topic ? debating the possibility of it happening when sales would be hurt is off topic ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your posts still there, I didnt delete or edit either of your posts...
WOW INTERESTING!! my comments get deleted but the Xbox sucks PS3 FTW still stands? isn't that off topic too? such a comment opinion or not should not have a place in this thread. seems that the mods have some bias against Xbox too ¡increíble! I think this integration is a great idea and I certainly don't see Sony doing anything to combat this other than to create a music unlimited app for android (which isn't even owned by them).
eric12341 said:
WOW INTERESTING!! my comments get deleted but the Xbox sucks PS3 FTW still stands? isn't that off topic too? such a comment opinion or not should not have a place in this thread. seems that the mods have some bias against Xbox too ¡increíble! I think this integration is a great idea and I certainly don't see Sony doing anything to combat this other than to create a music unlimited app for android (which isn't even owned by them).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could edit his post so that it reads;
"I'm not a fan of Xbox, I prefer the PS3" but its would still be an expression of the samne opinion. One which is loosely within the topic of the thread.
I absolutely refuse to remove the comment altogether as it used to emphasise the fact that the user likes the idea in general however that part does not interest them.
The problems arise when someone decides to pick up on such a trivial detail and turn it into the focal point of the thread.
Either way, this discussion is over. The thread is back on topic.
And just fyi, there is no bias here, I absolutely could not care less about either Xbox or PS3. I'd much rather fire up the N64 and play through "The Ocarina Of Time"
All that aside, this discussion is over. The thread is back on topic.
Huh.
I'm surprised my comments didn't survive either.
Not a rumor. But confirmed.
Also this is off topic for this board. :|
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I'm a new Note 4 user, and generally like the phone. Like anything complex, though, there are a handful of things that I'd prefer to be different. I'll spare everyone from my litany of pet peeves, and just get to the question:
QUESTION: What is the best way to send feedback to Samsung regarding new features / fixes / etc. for the Note 4?
I went to their web site and found various technical/customer support options, but I'm looking for something more focused for enhancement requests. TIA.
I wouldn't waste the time, they are to concerned with jamming their sub par software and applications into their devices just to have their branding and signature on everything you see or interact with to concern them selves with anyone's logical or rational suggestions. Just look how Samsung operates in total perspective, they make TVs and monitors, that's their bread and butter, its where the majority of their most profitable pattens reside. To put this into the most transparent terms possible, they sell more TVs each year than there are phone subscribers with access to their devices in the entire global cellular phone market.
However for some reason to prove to them selves or whoever it is they think they are impressing or competing with, they chose to build garbage on top of googles already 1st class, free operating system and interface, they waste millions of dollars doing so and for some odd reason continue to think that they will one day create a better user experience than Google the company whos bread and butter is development and let's not forgot the company who designs every operating system for every phone they sell.
Until Samsung learns to stop wanting so much counterproductive attention on their products and realizes they would make more money hand over fist buy just selling their products as is with free standard android OS, they will continue to just shovel crap onto their mechanically awesome products rendering them to nothing but bright HD displays running ads that say how stupid they are.
In my personal opinion Samsung just looks stupid next to every other electronics company. And Google needs to grow a pair and say no android OS if you modify a single thing on it. I can't be the only person who sees this flawed business model am I? When's the last time you used an HP, Dell, or Gateway computer that had System modifications of any kind on Windows? You can go out on the limb and applaud HTC for their modifications because they are cell phone company that's all they do, but for Samsung a company that specializes in displays and makes no mobile hardware of their own worth noting, they somehow get the green light on damaging Android OS with their cut rate software, and continue to make the end user of their products disappointed. The worlds gone mad.
Whoa!
:laugh:
I can't say I entirely agree nor disagree with the long post above. I don't hate Samsung, nor am a fanboy of theirs. I just needed a large phone with a stylus, and my previous phone, while large and I LOVED it, didn't have a stylus which was highly needed. All I'm going to say is this:
Most of the time, a large corporation who sells many different devices within a market (ie, phones) wouldn't care about a single consumer's opinion. You are but a single-celled organization to them. They know you're there, but you aren't big enough to see as an individual. In addition, what changes you'd like to see or need- or whatever- most likely won't be what these corporations think their consumer market wants and will buy.
So in other words, if you send them feedback, all you'll get in response is a prewritten thank you letter saying (in summary), "Thanks, we appreciate the feedback and will keep it mind," (but wont).
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (sm-910a) using Tapatalk
So, it sounds like Samsung doesn't have an email address, web form, forum, etc. for enhancement requests?
On the parallel topic of big evil companies, and with respect to the folks who have offered their opinions on that subject so far, my experience has been quite the opposite - I find that most successful companies do care what their users think about their products. I work in the software industry, and the products I use most on a day-to-day basis invariably offer some sort of channel for sending feedback to the developer. Every app on the Google Play store has a "Send email" link at the bottom of it's page - in addition to many companies monitoring and responding to written feedback in the ratings section. QuickBooks has a "Send Feedback Online" option under the help menu - and even offers different options for sending comments onenhancements, bugs, and doc. A large software company that I used to work for recently implemented a suggestions forum where users can vote on enhancements, actively prioritizes work on new releases based on this feedback, and publicizes the heck out of the results in conferences, doc, and webinars. Every year I see literally thousands of people give standing ovations at one of their conferences because the developer added better Excel integration, or trimmed two clicks from a common workflow. Perhaps the best example is Atlassian, whose products many in these forums no doubt use. They are laser-focused on the people who use their tools - developers - and have been extremely successful at growing into small and large companies alike by inspiring grass roots adoption.
The list goes on. From what I've seen, companies who listen to their users do well as a result.
That said, not every company is as open to feedback as the ones in the examples above. I've found it difficult to provide feedback to Microsoft, for instance, without being part of a beta program. That said, they have robust forums that are well-attended by their internal staff. I can't say for sure, but I have to assume that the most common squeaky wheels get at least I little grease in future releases.
I don't know Samsung very well, which is why I'm asking about feedback options. It would seem odd to me that they don't have some way for users to weigh in on their Android implementation. Collectively, we buy new phones too frequently and switch vendors too easily for them not to care what we think. I like my Samsung phone, but not because it's a Samsung - it just has the features that I want. They obviously do their research into what's likely to sell. I'm hoping that there's some channel where they're actively soliciting input for improvements.
Like spexwood said, I'm not going to waste my time sending a letter to the president of Samsung and get some generic form letter in return. I know that that doesn't work. I also don't expect that Samsung will care about my suggestions, per se, even if they do have some feedback form. But, I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses text messages because the [email protected]#$ing notification beep doesn't fire when a thread is already on the screen (for example), so if mine is one of 10K voices complaining of the same thing, it would behoove them to listen - or maybe next time I'll switch to that nice LG G3 that I almost bought instead of this Note 4.
Anyway, I'm still interested in practical options for sending OS-related feedback to Samsung. Otherwise, I can just rant about stuff xda-developers and hope that someone at Samsung is watching.
Please excuse me for quoting myself, but I stand corrected:
mcmannion said:
[Samsung] obviously do their research into what's likely to sell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just read an article on the S6 that says that it neither has a replaceable battery nor an SD card slot? When I went phone shopping last month, these were the only two requirements I had. I looked at phones from different manufacturers, with different OS, in different price ranges... the battery and card were the only thing they all had in common.
Maybe Samsung is right and I'm wrong on this one. People seem to flock to the iPhone because it has metal and glass on the outside, even with it's hardwired battery, fixed (and expensive) storage, small screen, lack of widgets, etc. If the S6 sells better than the S5 then... then... well I'll just be a monkey's uncle.
BTW, "premium" has gained the cherished center spot on my bull$hit bingo board. The only premium I see is the extra money you'll pay for a metal phone - which will probably be covered by a rubber case, anyway. I'll take a plastic phone with a swappable battery any day.
mcmannion said:
Please excuse me for quoting myself, but I stand corrected:
I just read an article on the S6 that says that it neither has a replaceable battery nor an SD card slot? When I went phone shopping last month, these were the only two requirements I had. I looked at phones from different manufacturers, with different OS, in different price ranges... the battery and card were the only thing they all had in common.
Maybe Samsung is right and I'm wrong on this one. People seem to flock to the iPhone because it has metal and glass on the outside, even with it's hardwired battery, fixed (and expensive) storage, small screen, lack of widgets, etc. If the S6 sells better than the S5 then... then... well I'll just be a monkey's uncle.
BTW, "premium" has gained the cherished center spot on my bull$hit bingo board. The only premium I see is the extra money you'll pay for a metal phone - which will probably be covered by a rubber case, anyway. I'll take a plastic phone with a swappable battery any day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost waited for the S6, then saw the final specs on it, yep not gonna happen no water Resistance no dust resistance and by the way the metal case most likely will have the same issue with scratches that the bezel on the note 4 has. not to mention an octocore 64bit processor that is hobbled at 32bit.
I still might go check it out once my local AT&T store gets them in stock. just to see
Hi this is my first post. I'm looking at buying the Fire TV stick but my TV has no HDMI socket. My TV is a Panasonic Viera TH-42PE30 and I'm wanting to know what converters will work with this TV and the fire TV stick. I've been told that some converters haven't worked for some people. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated as I'm looking at purchasing both the fire TV and the converter together.
They make HDMI to DVI and VGA cables should work fine. That's how my PC is running at the moment HDMI out of video card to DVI on my monitor. The HDMI port went bad
Keep in mind that there might be problems with the HDCP copy protection of the HDMI output. If it´s activated within the FireTV many converter may delivered only a black picture on VGA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection
edit removed wrong links provided.
No comments about quality, because those things have to do a signal conversion. Its not a simple "cable", all of them are doing signal processing.
Also you might run into problems with HDMIs copy protection.
No comments about quality, because those things have to do a signal conversion. Its not a simple "cable", all of them are doing signal processing.
Also you might run into problems with HDMIs copy protection.[/QUOTE]
So do you think both of those might work?
How likely do you think it is, that I spend the 10 dollars and the effort of hooking up the Fire TV to a VGA port, just to figure out which parts of the video output amazon encrypts with HDCP?
Also - there is a hint in there what you should google next to find out how android devices usually are set up in regards to a certain form of copy protection.
Or you just spend the 10 USD and then come back to tell others - highly unlikely concept, trying something and then reporting back... Nobody does it on social platforms today. Not enough upvotes. people care about the occasional insight into a field, because it makes them feel like they are diverse in their interests, but really, the second time around, it already feels somewhat old. Ask into the aether, wait for the Answer to come back. No filter, no quality control, just random noise. And if you feel like you really want a more valid answer, just venture out and try to exploit a tech community. XDA made a video for this demographic once.
Also, just as a tip - there is a reason that I cant tell how the image quality on these things would be today - even in third world countries - and I mean this in no way demeaning - the proliferation of HDMI enabled TVs is high enough that they start to reach lower income households. Thanks to offbrands. There is absolutely no market anymore for those converters. Thats why they now are in the 10 dollar impulse buy category.
Now you want buying advice on that... Ask your walmart sales rep often which 10USD coffee is the best? Ask some one who worked at those specially retailers, who now go bankrupt, because they were in the business of hiring people who understood what they were selling first, and were salesmen only after that? Then buy it on amazon. You know - the difference between Rhine capitalism ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Albert ) and whatever form americans are living in contrast to that today.
The economy in an internet forum is really not made for such requests. You bring nothing, you've invested nothing, you take value, you learn nothing that would prevent you from needing personal treatment the next time around, then you repeat the process whenever another need comes along. You exploited others when this still was a job they were paid for by companies - now you are exploiting nameless random people on the internet.
Face it - at least to some extend. Or be happy with the "there be cables" answer, because - there is no middle ground. The economy to provide you with informed and detailed answers simply does not exist.
Do something for yourself, show engagement, search before you ask - and dont fake it, because it just makes you a person who now knowingly abuses others for their benefit.
(And please follow, click subscribe and become a premium member of my one person brand. I get 20% of the proceedings. - You know, the new type of artist, we currently all like so much. Clickingly.)
---------- Post added at 09:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 PM ----------
Also, this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/help/to-disable-hdcp-t2888934
Thank god for copy protection.
edit: And if you are really in need for a solution, read this: https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com...magic_intensity_ps3_owners_read_here_101.html
I can sum it up for you. Just buying a cable that says HDMI to VGA will not work. You have to actually have a converter. Converters for what you are wanting to do usually cost around $40 minmum. The cables are usually used in conjunction with PCI type converters. PCI type converters will not work with the Fire TV since they only work with PCs, so you will need a converter that plugs into an electric outlet.
Actually - I learned something today.
I learned, that amazon.com now does freely sell devices that strip HDCP out of the signal into the american market. Which of course is illegal.
So search for hdmi vga dac hdcp
and read the product descriptions and or comments.
Whatever those boxes cost, they cost 16+ USD from an asia based vendor. Also - because they are this cheap in production (it doesn't count that some vendors sell them for tripple their price), your monitor better supports 1080p natively. With the correct scaling (picture not squished or cut off) and everything.
According to a german amazon post by a customer who talked to their technical support, the FIre TV (not the stick) needs at least a HDCP 1.3 compatibility - at least this was suggested by an answer regarding potential sound issues.
So whatever device you end up buying in the end, it should have the ability to strip HDCP 1.3.
Also - Im suddenly much more forthcoming, because I accidentally, initially provided two links to devices that will not fit your questions profile (just looked for the right connectors (male/female), didnt read that they still werent dac (Digital to Analog converters - which is what you need)) - so I'm in "making good" mode. Because if you are talking as harshly as I was, imho you have to be correct down to the last details.
Wow, thank you all so much. I'm not really a tech guy but I can tell you I'm very appreciative of all the information provided. I will have a look at some converters and let you know how I get on. Thank you again
Its just a very unfruitful question - because the real answer is "buy something that has a HDMI port, everything does - nowadays". The followup answer is, to achieve this your way, you need something that converts the signal. Which is not just "buying a cable" - this thing has to have a chip in it. The follow up answer to that is, that those devices commercially only make sense anymore, if they are dirt cheap, which might lead to signal quality issues (also, potential scaling issues).
The next problem is the copy protection layer (HDCP 1.3) which has to be removed so you can even convert the digital HDMI signal to analog VGA. This wasnt always possible. Also - I would not openly talk about this information, if not amazon themselves were suddenly selling those devices in their store. So I'm choosing just not to share links.
At which point you also have to take into account the different versions of HDCP (because the industry doesnt like broken copy protection standards and writes new ones) and which one you have to circumvent.
And what for? First - copy protection at a point in the signal path, where currently only game streamers rip anything. And second - all that for something that increasingly even woulndt be an issue anymore in third world markets. Because everything nowadays has a HDMI port (- supporting or stripping HDCP). So this is all theoretical, and practical for almost no one in here. Which is why "should I buy this one, or that one" is even harder to answer.
harlekinrains said:
Its just a very unfruitful question - because the real answer is "buy something that has a HDMI port, everything does - nowadays". The followup answer is, to achieve this your way, you need something that converts the signal. Which is not just "buying a cable" - this thing has to have a chip in it. The follow up answer to that is, that those devices commercially only make sense anymore, if they are dirt cheap, which might lead to signal quality issues (also, potential scaling issues).
The next problem is the copy protection layer (HDCP 1.3) which has to be removed so you can even convert the digital HDMI signal to analog VGA. This wasnt always possible. Also - I would not openly talk about this information, if not amazon themselves were suddenly selling those devices in their store. So I'm choosing just not to share links.
At which point you also have to take into account the different versions of HDCP (because the industry doesnt like broken copy protection standards and writes new ones) and which one you have to circumvent.
And what for? First - copy protection at a point in the signal path, where currently only game streamers rip anything. And second - all that for something that increasingly even woulndt be an issue anymore in third world markets. Because everything nowadays has a HDMI port (- supporting or stripping HDCP). So this is all theoretical, and practical for almost no one in here. Which is why "should I buy this one, or that one" is even harder to answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate its not easy to answer but thank you for trying to do anyway. You've really helped me out so thanks! I'll be sure to let you know how I get on.
Does not work. Tried it. You need a converter that has its own power source, cable or other so called converter powered by USB will not work. You need something like this:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00AQMZI0Y/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AGP6GC0L2FALW
Most cost effective one I've seen with good reviews.
I'very tried a few others that have not worked which is why I'm confident in what I'm saying. Good thing about AMAZON, hassle free return if it doesn't work.
To reiterate again, I wouldnt have answered the question properly, If I hadn't indadvertedly messed up and linked to two wrong items in the shortform statement. (The hints toward solving the problems were right, the links were wrong.)
I dont care how much this helped your case specifically . I simply dont accept a simple line of heartfelt gratitude as "currency". Is it decent - sure. I'm just not motivated by it at all. Not before I read the question, not after the fact.
And if you feel the need to emphasize your gratitude again I have clearly done something wrong here - my motivation was to show, that it is not ok, to drag a picture perfect example of an egoistically motivated request into a public forum, without any research or intellectual investment on your part - and then expect a short solution delivered to you on a platter.
The investment of people who are clued in is so much larger on their part, and is almost solely concentrated on you personally - without any chance, that this will help many others, that it becomes necessary to demand work from you as well. Not gratitude. You acquiring information yourself and therefore rethinking the approach of exploiting the community.
This goes differently, when a community is highly active and you have many people reitering the snippets of information they just learned and helping each other out, because it is encouraging for them. Which is by the way what support forums sell to advertisers (Context matters).
See the difference in the approach, see the resulting difference in motivation.
If you dont want to learn or reciprocate yourself - do what the last poster did, and exploit a company that factors in consumer support/returns into a business model. That way it can at least be measured by capitalism as a social structure.
What you are doing is effectively destroying social structures. You take all efforts that go into problem solving, and give back no value in return. Again, gratitude does not count.
And by the way - you are lucky and in the end some one else had the very same problem and had to solve it for themselves. When they have done so - they put in the work for themselves (in this case by exploiting a companies return policy), and sharing doesnt take much effort on top of it. But looking for others to solve your problem - not parts of it, just the problem entirely - is a different animal. My motivation then is to first refute the false answers that come out of the "well I dont care who..." "well I dont care so much about how either, but I have heard" exchanges that follow. At the end of which no one even cares so much about if its factually correct or not - or even to mention the outcome.
I made an error at that stage.
And this is the only reason, why I have become this active in here - because suddenly it potentially impacted my reputation negatively.
The problem with information ecosystems is, that information nowadays is practically free, but filtering and researching it - is not. Always try to remember that.
harlekinrains said:
To reiterate again, I wouldnt have answered the question properly, If I hadn't indadvertedly messed up and linked to two wrong items in the shortform statement. (The hints toward solving the problems were right, the links were wrong.)
I dont care how much this helped your case specifically . I simply dont accept a simple line of heartfelt gratitude as "currency". Is it decent - sure. I'm just not motivated by it at all. Not before I read the question, not after the fact.
And if you feel the need to emphasize your gratitude again I have clearly done something wrong here - my motivation was to show, that it is not ok, to drag a picture perfect example of an egoistically motivated request into a public forum, without any research or intellectual investment on your part - and then expect a short solution delivered to you on a platter.
The investment of people who are clued in is so much larger on their part, and is almost solely concentrated on you personally - without any chance, that this will help many others, that it becomes necessary to demand work from you as well. Not gratitude. You acquiring information yourself and therefore rethinking the approach of exploiting the community.
This goes differently, when a community is highly active and you have many people reitering the snippets of information they just learned and helping each other out, because it is encouraging for them. Which is by the way what support forums sell to advertisers (Context matters).
See the difference in the approach, see the resulting difference in motivation.
If you dont want to learn or reciprocate yourself - do what the last poster did, and exploit a company that factors in consumer support/returns into a business model. That way it can at least be measured by capitalism as a social structure.
What you are doing is effectively destroying social structures. You take all efforts that go into problem solving, and give back no value in return. Again, gratitude does not count.
And by the way - you are lucky and in the end some one else had the very same problem and had to solve it for themselves. When they have done so - they put in the work for themselves (in this case by exploiting a companies return policy), and sharing doesnt take much effort on top of it. But looking for others to solve your problem - not parts of it, just the problem entirely - is a different animal. My motivation then is to first refute the false answers that come out of the "well I dont care who..." "well I dont care so much about how either, but I have heard" exchanges that follow. At the end of which no one even cares so much about if its factually correct or not - or even to mention the outcome.
I made an error at that stage.
And this is the only reason, why I have become this active in here - because suddenly it potentially impacted my reputation negatively.
The problem with information ecosystems is, that information nowadays is practically free, but filtering and researching it - is not. Always try to remember that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearly you have too much time on your hands.
harlekinrains said:
To reiterate again, I wouldnt have answered the question properly, If I hadn't indadvertedly messed up and linked to two wrong items in the shortform statement. (The hints toward solving the problems were right, the links were wrong.)
I dont care how much this helped your case specifically . I simply dont accept a simple line of heartfelt gratitude as "currency". Is it decent - sure. I'm just not motivated by it at all. Not before I read the question, not after the fact.
And if you feel the need to emphasize your gratitude again I have clearly done something wrong here - my motivation was to show, that it is not ok, to drag a picture perfect example of an egoistically motivated request into a public forum, without any research or intellectual investment on your part - and then expect a short solution delivered to you on a platter.
The investment of people who are clued in is so much larger on their part, and is almost solely concentrated on you personally - without any chance, that this will help many others, that it becomes necessary to demand work from you as well. Not gratitude. You acquiring information yourself and therefore rethinking the approach of exploiting the community.
This goes differently, when a community is highly active and you have many people reitering the snippets of information they just learned and helping each other out, because it is encouraging for them. Which is by the way what support forums sell to advertisers (Context matters).
See the difference in the approach, see the resulting difference in motivation.
If you dont want to learn or reciprocate yourself - do what the last poster did, and exploit a company that factors in consumer support/returns into a business model. That way it can at least be measured by capitalism as a social structure.
What you are doing is effectively destroying social structures. You take all efforts that go into problem solving, and give back no value in return. Again, gratitude does not count.
And by the way - you are lucky and in the end some one else had the very same problem and had to solve it for themselves. When they have done so - they put in the work for themselves (in this case by exploiting a companies return policy), and sharing doesnt take much effort on top of it. But looking for others to solve your problem - not parts of it, just the problem entirely - is a different animal. My motivation then is to first refute the false answers that come out of the "well I dont care who..." "well I dont care so much about how either, but I have heard" exchanges that follow. At the end of which no one even cares so much about if its factually correct or not - or even to mention the outcome.
I made an error at that stage.
And this is the only reason, why I have become this active in here - because suddenly it potentially impacted my reputation negatively.
The problem with information ecosystems is, that information nowadays is practically free, but filtering and researching it - is not. Always try to remember that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure who this is aimed at or what you are trying to say. My gut feeling is that you're offended that I asked for some information to something. It was merely a question that I asked. For your information I have done a lot of research but am not the most technically savvy person when it comes to this. Why some people feel the need to have knowledge and not share it is beyond me, but that is your choice.I thanked you for your help, just as I have everyone else for theirs, accept it or don't, that's up to you. I did not intend to offend but am thankful for the help I have received
I agree with the post above, maybe you have too much time on your hands.
I'm using this one, you can extract the sound from the HDMI too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-HDMI-Ma...473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d40dfe01
chuandinh said:
I'm using this one, you can extract the sound from the HDMI too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-HDMI-Ma...473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d40dfe01
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Click to collapse
Wow I didn't think anything like this would work. I have an old Panasonic viera so I'm hoping something like this might work as would be a lot cheaper that way. Thank you for posting:good:
>Wow I didn't think anything like this would work.
If you had read amazon reviews, you' have found out that some of those models strip HDCP as well. Just saying. They advertise it as "compatible with DVD players, Playstation 3 and XBOX", because its illegal.
harlekinrains said:
>Wow I didn't think anything like this would work.
If you had read amazon reviews, you' have found out that some of those models strip HDCP as well. Just saying. They advertise it as "compatible with DVD players, Playstation 3 and XBOX", because its illegal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was there really any need? I have read reviews about this so stop making such a big deal about this. People are trying to help, yet you seem intent on making out what I've done is wrong. Nobody else has reacted like you, I suggest you don't post if it annoys you so much
Yes there was a need. Focusing on the form factor is harmful, when more than half of those adapters (same form factor) dont strip DHCP from the signal.
Linking to certain ebay sellers or product rebrands is solicitation. Also ebay auctions are gone within a few weeks which might induce the search for similar looking models. "I never thought it would be possible within this form factor" - without context - is drawing potentially harmful conclusions that others could copy and end up with non working devices.
Those are two reasons why It was necessary to break the focus on form factor - and focus on the stripping DHCP part again. As far as price point is concerned, 16USD from some sources also was old news. (This one is 10 USD with no mention of DHCP stripping in the product description (could still be in it) and one anonymous recommendation from someone on the internet.)
This is enough for me to feel the need to become active again.
I'm Curious....I have a Fire TV with Kodi and love it. Thinking of getting another…BUT can/will Amazon send out an update that will stop a Kodi from functioning on a Fire TV Box?? Don't want to waste money on another if it's destined to fail.
Thanks
I'm curious about this as well. It kind of boggles my mind that a simple exploit can give you access to everything.
If you are not rooted, Amazon can do whatever they want with firmware updates. It is their ecosystem. However, as long as they allow sideloaded applications (which if they want development of apps, they have to allow) Kodi can continue to be sideloaded.
That said, what "exploit" is the previous poster referring to?
Yes they can.. Would they. highly unlikely..
Lots of people asking this question now that kodi has been removed from app store. I actually understand amazon removing the app (don't like it) but it makes sense. They do after all, sell media and having that app in their store is a little like Starbucks advertising the special deals Dunkin Donuts is currently offering. But most people who know better than I do don't think you need to worry about kodi no longer working.
Btw--Ive never been clear about the rules regarding android. Its basically Linux which has always been open source. From what I gather that means you can modify it however you like but you need to leave it open. The word "open" must be interpreted very liberally because when you look at AFTV it runs android but it seems pretty well locked down to me. But I can't really comment on it. If anyone can share some good info on the legal reasons behind it, please do so.
It seems to me the vast innovation here was started by the public. And technology in general is a government subsidized industry. The pentagon uses tax dollars usually in the name of "security" and over decades develop things that go from very undesirable even by big business then get polished up and made into consumer products. Often times its just handed over to big business. This isn't really a commentary on capitalism. Im just taking a look at how we get from the public funding and/or the public actively developing tech to the point where people here can't even mess around with a product they paid for? I don't know that it makes sense but you certainly can argue its profoundly unfair.
Thank you for all the answers and im sorry for what I have caused!!! I love the Fire TV... I don't personally care if its Android 4, 4.4 etc.. As long as it works for Kodi im happy!
Ok everyone,
Thread cleaned....
As you all can see almost all posts have been removed. The OP asked a rather simple question. It wasn't an open invitation to rant and rave about assorted topics ranging from Kodi to your displeasure with xda-developers.com and what you think this website is personally not doing for you. In addition to all kinds of other off-topic nonsense. Also, it's still a mystery why some people can't have a discussion without it turning into personal attacks and flaming. Some of the posts removed were downright awful and disgusting.
This isn't the streets. This is a private website where rules and respect for one another apply. If any of you have trouble following the rules as they were laid out here, please find a new website to frequent.
Regards...
I've posted a response here after the fact - that mentioned again, that the moderators here are also cleaning any evidence of a political standing against the crisis facilitated by Amazons move, to retract the most frequently used open source media player from their store and engaging in a smear campaign against "ownership of device" interests. Which translates to - users rights to use a file player on a device they own. And in this process harmed my standing more than any of the slanderous comments that spiraled out of control here before.
The response got deleted subsequently, without any indication or even a comment as to why.
The political statement, I'd like to repeat, was -
Amazon crossed a line here. The company violated the trust relationship they had established in regards to their early adopters. They used their monopoly on distribution within their device infrastructure to remove a legal competitor and started a public smear campaign against him, based on a lie. Use and even heavily (ab)use the Fire TV you have already bought, if you have to, but stop recommending it to your peers and parents. There are cheaper, more up to date, more potent TV boxes on the horizon ( http://goo.gl/z1n9fj ), from companies that arent primarily interested in making this a fight about licensing and subscription models, chained to the hardware itself. Following a standing, where no user should be allowed to use a media player on a device they have bought from them anymore.
Amazons anti competitive move came unprovoked and is aimed at removing common ground between users of their product and company interests. They changed their position, it is time to change yours.
Background information can be found here: http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-apps...piracy-while-google-play-store-approves-kodi/
Please do not censor political speech. The original post had more room for positional nuance and argumental flashing out of positions, and frankly was a better posting - this one is more concise.
When people are reduced to a state of waiting and worrying - structurally this cant be accepted as normal.
https://kateheddleston.com/blog/how-our-engineering-environments-are-killing-diversity-introduction
@harlekinrains: return your device and go away if you hate it that much
That way nothing could be learned from it. You dont hate the product. You hate the entity that killed of the common ground principle and mounted a campaign against the normal use of open source video player software on their device.
This is a pivotal moment. We have to be able to talk about it.
Oh get off it. This is not a pivotal moment for anything. You are straight up delusional.
You are wrong. I'll explain again.
The company just killed off the only remaining public sign, that they honor the silent agreement, that users have to be able to use video player software on the device, by banning the most commonly used open source media center from their entire distrubution infrastructure. And moreso - openly declaring it illegal, on their grounds, without giving any explanations.
Remember there is no independent judicial system to aid the consumer in the case of this being anti competitive behavior.
In technology and business relations, we refer to those important public facing signs as "canaries in the colemine". Killing them is considered to be an aggressive act, because you are eliminating the signs of there being a common interest you, as the company, care to honor as well.
Thats what activates people like me.
Because the issue we suddenly are facing is, that we do not get any more public indications of policy changes, before they can go into effect.
If you proclaim "Amazon will still honor other agreements, because they really have to...." you are proclaiming this, totally blind and only out of trust. This is what characterizes a dependency.
Remember - Amazon themselves didnt allow for Kodi to be installed on the Fire TV through their infrastructure. This already wasnt normal as far as Android distribution agreements are concerned. What they did now is to publicly position themselves against it (the most commonly used open source media player software out there).
Now you get these threads popping up with people being more and more uncertain, because they are confronted with conflicting proposals what they should be allowed to use on hardware they bought. This is a new and recent development, which is why we have to talk about it now.
And the way to address it, is not to calm them down - but to explain to them, that all bets are off, and we simply dont know anymore if, or when Amazon will retaliate further.
Because there is no public sign of mutual recognition left and their last move already was unprecedented, and hostile - and was executed without any prior provocation.
You can see that something is very "off", by the fact that even the companies "product bloggers" are taking an open stance against this move.
It is my opinion that whoever removed the Kodi app didn't understand the purpose. And Amazon will go the way of reinstating it (vs. removing every other media app that can play an internet link) once there is enough feedback and it gets the attention of a manager somewhere.
It is also my opinion that you are delusional in the depth of your concern over this app removal and the FireTV in general. There are far more concerning issues in life to be angry about. A media streaming device is not worth your emotions. Which is why this is the most I have ever, and will ever write about this. I am here to help contribute by answering questions and learn from the developers. You made a great contribution in one of your posts. You are obviously capable. Stick to that and check your soapbox at the door.
There are lots of other hardware options out there to put Kodi on, there always will be. There are many other media center applications on the Amazon app store. Nothing is "pivotal" about Kodi not being listed now. I put my money where I want. No one is forcing me to do anything. So no, I am not wrong. Because it is my opinion and choice. Nothing you can say will change my opinion on this. Especially coming from you.
Lastly, I assume this will all get deleted again and I hope so. This has nothing to do with the question from the OP. Kodi was never even a compatible app for the FireTV in the App Store. It always had to be sideloaded. So Amazon has changed nothing regarding the usage on the FireTV. And they won't be doing anything further in the future to stop it from being sideloaded either.
Edit: Don't reply to me. I am not going to respond to you. You keep editing your prior post over and over. You are obviously too emotional about this topic and I don't engage with people that are crazy.
You might be right.
But I dont care about opinions (*hm* double entendre.. ), I need coverage. And we are starting to get it right now.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/17/bezos_bozos_swing_ban_hammer_at_media_player/
@aftvnews, we still might need you later. Start thinking allegiances.
I take internet/consumer rights VERY seriously but its hard to get worked up here. I was sort of annoyed by the abrupt tone of the note amazon sent to team kodi but this changes almost nothing for aftv. Maybe some tablet or fire phone users are upset?
Imho this is team kodi's fight. And i would support them if they choose to better educate amazon.
Thread closed.
Certain people or particular person can't seem to stop with the long-winded rants (spam). Please either take your grievances to Amazon.com or Google+. No one here can provide you with the "help" that you need.
Regards...