Good day,
I have a TV with a USB port, can I run kodi on a fire TV stick and pull media off of the USB stick connected to the TV directly?
Sorry, searching for this in the wiki was a nightmare
Probably not, unless your TV creates some kind of media server out of the USB storage. I have no idea whether any TV does that, but if you provide the TV model, you might get a different response from someone else.
TVs are display device, they don't usually have video output, not by USB anyway.
As Claude Koch already mentioned the TV must run as media server, which is not a standard feature of most TVs. Check if your TV does support "UPnP" or "DLNA" distribution as server. It is important that those protocols are supported as server since most TVs which do support DLNA/UPnP work only as client! KODI could then access the served content via UPnP source setting in the Video or Audio tab. A direct connection to the USB stick via file explorer is not possible.
Related
Is there a way to access movies that are on a HDD connected to a Fire TV via a USB as external storage from a Chromecast in another room? I have my DVD collection ripped to a HDD that'll be connected to my Fire TV in my living room, however, I have chromcasts throughout the house and would like to access my DVD collection from those chromecasts. How can I achieve this? Is there a way to use the Fire TV as a host like having a NAS box? Fire TV will be rooted. Thank you
Maybe attach HDD to router and access it that way? Thing is I wanna use Kodi to access it so I have all of the cover art and such...
If your router can be used as mediaserver this should be possible since KODI does support UPnP/DLNA. So this could be the way to do (I simplified a little bit since I´m not at home where my aTV is )
1.) attach your hdd to your router
2.) configure your router as (UPnP) media server and select the hdd as content source
3.) in KODI go to "Videos" -> "Files" and call "Add videos..." and search for the "UPnP devices" entry. Now there are 2 possibilities:
3.1) accept just UPnP devices in general without selecting a specified device. KODI will use this as "UPnP autodiscover" and does list all available UPnP media server
or
3.2) select a single device and add it as static entry which does show up only your router later (you can do still more than one static device entry if needed)
Afterwards in KODI you do have now an additional entry for accessing UPnP devices and/or your specified router device as content source. You can now access all your content via network.
The same procedure does also work for music or picture content you have just to add the UPnP device or UPnP autodiscover to the music/picture menu of KODI.
Calibaan said:
If your router can be used as mediaserver this should be possible since KODI does support UPnP/DLNA. So this could be the way to do (I simplified a little bit since I´m not at home where my aTV is )
1.) attach your hdd to your router
2.) configure your router as (UPnP) media server and select the hdd as content source
3.) in KODI go to "Videos" -> "Files" and call "Add videos..." and search for the "UPnP devices" entry. Now there are 2 possibilities:
3.1) accept just UPnP devices in general without selecting a specified device. KODI will use this as "UPnP autodiscover" and does list all available UPnP media server
or
3.2) select a single device and add it as static entry which does show up only your router later (you can do still more than one static device entry if needed)
Afterwards in KODI you do have now an additional entry for accessing UPnP devices and/or your specified router device as content source. You can now access all your content via network.
The same procedure does also work for music or picture content you have just to add the UPnP device or UPnP autodiscover to the music/picture menu of KODI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. That could probably work, but I'd also like to cast movies from kodi on the fire TV from popcorn time etc.
I don´t use popcorn time so I can´t help you with that in particular but for local files KODI must run as UPnP server (http://kodi.wiki/view/UPnP/Server) and every other device can access the local content if they are capable as UPNP clients.
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.
im buying a qnap nas which has an ir sensor
i know the fire tv remote works off bluetooth, is there a way of making the fire tv remote work with the qnap nas which i will be running kodi etc
thanks
Why using a remote for the NAS when you´re running KODI on the aTV? KODI could access all NAS files via UPnP/DLNA.
Calibaan said:
Why using a remote for the NAS when you´re running KODI on the aTV? KODI could access all NAS files via UPnP/DLNA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why offer alternative instead of answer question?
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
if the nas has no bluetooth, i think there is no way to use it to control the nas.
and without more infos about the nas (model, maybe link to website) how we should help you? we know you have a nas and a aftv remote and now?
ig you provide more infos, maybe there are more people that can give you some hinds or help you.
but i tink without bluetooth on the nas, there is no was and even with bluetooth i dont know if its so easy to get it connectet or work
ldeveraux said:
Why offer alternative instead of answer question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is your alternative...?
My alternative is as I said using UPnP playback within KODI where you can still use the regular aTV remote since it is fully supported by KODI. So you don´t need to start the playback directly at the NAS since it is fully controlled remotely via UPnP protocol.
Calibaan said:
Where is your alternative...?
My alternative is as I said using UPnP playback within KODI where you can still use the regular aTV remote since it is fully supported by KODI. So you don´t need to start the playback directly at the NAS since it is fully controlled remotely via UPnP protocol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just answer his question, don't give an alternative at all. That's all he asked
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Let him decide on his own which comments are helpful for him.... Oh, and you could still answer yourself to the question instead of giving your typical helpfull comments which are not based on the topic....
yeh sorry i am moving away from amazon tv, but have the remote which i quite like.
the qnap ts-253 has direct kodi support and will be on the tv via hdmi... just controlling around the 'os' on the qnap.. i think it has an ir sensor and people are using measy remotes etc
Maybe it will work if you have a bluetooth usbdongle for the nas but i dont know if this will work or if the nas supports bluetooth dongles.
as i sayed without bluetooth on the nas you not able to use the remote.
alternative you can use a smartphone/tablet with kodi remote app to control the nas via wifi.
Even with a supported USB bluetooth dongle you may probably have to rework the keymapping of KODI. I don´t know if this is possible with the embedded QNAP KODI or if you have access to the keymap.xml on the NAS. But interesting that QNAP is now embedding KODI, didn´t see this as official feature in NAS devices until now.
After reading a few links at the QNAP forums to see what people with similar requests found out, it was revealed that any generic BT dongle requiring drivers and a software pairing interface would not work. Dongles already paired with devices from a factory that plug in and interface like a HID keyboard and mouse work fine.
Someone sarcastically mentioned that you could wipe it and install Debian for better driver / software support ("Debian on QNAP forum" - requires login).
As you've already found out, there is a built-in IR port and people have used a variety of remotes and Logitech Harmonies to control their systems, in addition to the QNAP supported one.
I want to connect a Fire TV 2 box directly to my Synology NAS using an ethernet cable, so I can stream local media using Kodi over NFS or SMB, and ideally leave the WiFi working so I can view online content as well.
I'm using my landlord's WiFi, but don't have access to the router, so I can't connect my NAS to the network. That's why I want a direct LAN connection between the devices. I've tried both straight and crossover cables, but the Fire TV cannot see my NAS at all.
I know almost nothing about networking, so can anyone tell me if this is even possible? And if so, any tips?
Thanks!
Try this, if it does not work, use the support tab, the developer will respond straight away and will bend over backwards to help you!
Its the best app out there for reading from a NAS
http://www.vimuplayer.com/
You will have to also make sure your NAS is the correct format for the AFTV to read.
Can you elaborate on making sure the NAS is the correct format for the AFTV to read? What format are you referring to and what formats are supported?
Also, I looked Vimu like you suggested, but I'd rather stick with Kodi if possible. Vimu hasn't been updated in over a year and it costs money to download.
For the format see this.
http://www.aftvnews.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-usb-storage-with-the-amazon-fire-tv/
Not sure what you were reading on Vimu but it has just undergone a major update and are you serious about the cost of it (£1.59) to get things working how you want them !
ls0 said:
I want to connect a Fire TV 2 box directly to my Synology NAS using an ethernet cable, so I can stream local media using Kodi over NFS or SMB, and ideally leave the WiFi working so I can view online content as well.
I'm using my landlord's WiFi, but don't have access to the router, so I can't connect my NAS to the network. That's why I want a direct LAN connection between the devices. I've tried both straight and crossover cables, but the Fire TV cannot see my NAS at all.
I know almost nothing about networking, so can anyone tell me if this is even possible? And if so, any tips?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe buy a cheap router that is compatible with DDWRT firmware. Install DDWRT onto it and turn it into a repeater bridge and link it to the landlord's wifi, then just plug your Fire TV and NAS into the router via ethernet. I haven't done this myself so I am not a 100% sure, but in theory, this should work perfectly. There are a thousand tutorials on Youtube if you decide to try it.
Plex?
Please what kind of Ethernet cable should use to connect from my fire tv box to router?
(General question to choose between firestick and chromecast 2)
My main need is to be able to
1) stream/cast music and movies from both Android smartphone and Windows 10/Linux(Ubuntu) to the firestick or chromecast WITHOUT NEED OF ACTIVE INTERNET CONNECTION PREFERABLY . I have my music collection mainly in my android smartphone. i want to cast directly from music player/YouTube/soundcloud or through any other music app directly to firestick or chromecast and same for videos too with proper audio sync and no lag.
2) Able to screen mirror the smartphone/Windows 10/Linux(Ubuntu) to the firestick or chromecast without lags or frame rate drop or out of sync video.
3) To be able to connect Bluetooth headphones so i can listen to audio wirelessly through headphones and video on TV, where content is being played by firestick or chromecast through desktop or android smartphone.
4) Can connect external USB devices such as wirelss mouse,usb drive (can be accomplished on firestick with usb host otg as saw on a youtube video for ver.2 of firestick- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vSwYeJd5fI)
5) Able to use JioTV/JioCinema/HotStar by out of the box or by some mod or something.
i am confused between two.
Currently the amazon firestick is available on amazon for just 2900 with offers and Chromecast for just rs.1800 from flipkart with offers.
so about Rs.1000 price difference roughly.
What should i choose ?
Please reply ASAP as the sale ends on 16th may and so will be the cheap offers.
BUMP !
what about a miracast dongle? cheap and you can stream from win10 and android devices
but back to your question.
chromecast is not as good as a miracast dongle (both are just able to stream. chromecast you´ll need internet, miracast you won´t).
firetvstick should fit the most of your needs but only a few. you should be good with a fire tv box.
texten said:
what about a miracast dongle? cheap and you can stream from win10 and android devices
but back to your question.
chromecast is not as good as a miracast dongle (both are just able to stream. chromecast you´ll need internet, miracast you won´t).
firetvstick should fit the most of your needs but only a few. you should be good with a fire tv box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, fire tv isn't avaialble in India and can you suggest some good miracast dongle ? How about some popular chinese android tv box on aliexpress ?
chromecast dosent have bluetooth AFAIK
go with fire stick as it is better or spend a little more for mi box 3 to get best of both
Fire TV has out of the box support for most streaming services and otherwise it supports Android TV and phone apps. You can use AirPin to get AirPlay support for audio and video. Other apps like AirScreen have options for Chromecast and Miracast but neither worked when I tried them out for a short while. However, the Fire Stick is grossly underpowered to run background services while ensuring a smooth interface. I imported the AFTV3 though Amazon only sells the Fire TV Stick locally. The Fire TV box was too expensive when imported and I needed 4K at 60 FPS with no gaming requirement.
Chromecast is good enough for mirroring from Chrome and casting apps but requires a working WiFi connection to operate. Moreover, it can be extremely laggy when mirroring high definition content depending on local WiFi network and the streaming device. Another thing to note is that content protected apps block any sort of mirroring and hence Chromecast might not work even when mirroring the entire Android device.
The best offline wireless solutions I had researched in the past that worked with almost all phones and Windows was the Screenbeam Mini 2 as it is Miracast and WiDi certified, but I suppose you will have to import that as well at a higher price.