Stupidly bought a FireTV Stick with the intention of putting it in the offpsrings room so they can watch stuff from my Plex server in their own rooms.
Installed Plex, it wants to activate, £3.99, fair enough, bought it, it then says I can't watch stuff until I activate it, so I try again and it just errors..
Plex forums are about as much use as a fart in a cullender, so ended up here..
Any root or custom ROM options for the stick so it actually becomes useful?
Same LAN network correct?
I've noticed that if Plex uses a WAN address it behaves differently and nags for money. If your on a local network and you've attached to the correct server than you should be good to go.
Maybe you've already done this but make sure you are connected to the correct server and on your local network. And also if the content is HD make sure you are using h.264 encoding. I've noticed the firetv stick struggles with MPEG2 HD.
I've got my Plex server locally with a static as well as the FireTV stick having a static IP, the problem lies in the fact that you cant get Plex to work for more than a minute, says it needs activating, charges you the £3.99 then when you try to play something it again says it needs activating, try to activate it a second time and it errors...
Might have to go down the sideloading Kodi or similar although I would prefer something that just launched straight in rather than having to go into Settings, Apps, Manage Apps then fire kodu up from there, hence the request for some sort of custom ROM...
Trig0r said:
I've got my Plex server locally with a static as well as the FireTV stick having a static IP, the problem lies in the fact that you cant get Plex to work for more than a minute, says it needs activating, charges you the £3.99 then when you try to play something it again says it needs activating, try to activate it a second time and it errors...
Might have to go down the sideloading Kodi or similar although I would prefer something that just launched straight in rather than having to go into Settings, Apps, Manage Apps then fire kodu up from there, hence the request for some sort of custom ROM...
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I've never had that problem, ate you in the uk? Works gangbusters in the us. I'm also plexpass, so maybe that's why...
Trig0r said:
I've got my Plex server locally with a static as well as the FireTV stick having a static IP, the problem lies in the fact that you cant get Plex to work for more than a minute, says it needs activating, charges you the £3.99 then when you try to play something it again says it needs activating, try to activate it a second time and it errors...
Might have to go down the sideloading Kodi or similar although I would prefer something that just launched straight in rather than having to go into Settings, Apps, Manage Apps then fire kodu up from there, hence the request for some sort of custom ROM...
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I can't say much about plex. I tried it. It was good to very good, depending on my device, but kodi is better in my opinion. However, if that tedious navigation in getting to the app is really your only issue, you can use llama to put it right on the recent section, or boot right to it. Adbfire makes the setup simple. There's also firestarter that allows side loaded apps on the home screen.
I've been using Plex for years and I'm pretty regular on the forums, and I agree, the issue with the repeated activation requirement doesn't seem to fix itself. Here is the most complete thread on the subject (http://forums.plex.tv/discussion/151349/app-already-purchased-but-still-prompting-for-activation/p1), I seem to remember that the main suggestions are (1) do a factory reset on the stick, (2) contact Amazon, and (3) PM one of the Plex devs with your amazon account name and maybe the receipt info from the app purchase (I don't remember the details of that). Like ldeveraux I have a Plexpass membership, that seems to provide the magic to avoid the issue (but I'm not promoting the purchase, the price now is kind of high).
Kodi+PlexBMC+Amber Skin works very well and looks similar to Plex Home Theater, sideloading is pretty easy (http://sideloadfiretv.com/sideload-apps-amazon-fire-tv-windows), and I think it's just a better solution to avoid any issues with surround sound.
Firestarter (http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/themes-apps/app-root-home-launcher-replacement-app-t3118135) is an awesome app to easily access your sideloaded apps.
Ahh, llama might sort me out then if I can boot the stick straight to Kodi/XBMC, dont have a Plexpass here which might be why its working for you guys and not me..
So friend gave me a FireTV Stick, brand new (Fire OS 5.2.6.3 (606754020), Fire TV Home Version 6.0.0.6-127).
Little desire to deal with Amazon, need to enable USB Debugging & ADB. Gotten as far as Fire App on Phone to bypass Registration to get to Settings-Device-Options, held Center/Down to Enable X-Ray, Developer Options Hidden Menu etc, but can not find any way to Access USB Debugging or ADB to enable them. When you enable Developer Options, only thing it does is give option clear Recorded Metrics whatever. Enabled it, rebooted, disabled it rebooted, re-enabled etc etc, only option I get is to clear recorded metrics.
Tried several diff ways, nothing can recognize it ADB as I can't enable it, tried USB to PC, it recognizes FireTV Stick, can see whats on the Drive or SD Card, but again, can't send files to it without USB Debugging. Rooted every Android Toy I own, not new to this, but has me stumped.
How do you enable USB Debugging or ADB to a FireTV Stick with latest OS without ever Registering it? As far as Normal stuff, it hooks to Network fine (behind Firewall & VPN), but won't Update, why if you go with the Fire App on phone, you can "pair" and get as far as Option to Access Hidden Developer Options etc, but no USB Debugging or ADB Enable Option is there.
Never messed with one, was more a sort of Gag Gift for a favor he owed me, so said why not, lets see what all the fuss over these things is, I wanna tinker with it.
You can always de-register the device from your Amazon dashboard after setting it up for the first time.
I remember reading in another post, someone describing the exact same situation.
Using the app to skip registration and discovering there was no option to enable adb debugging.
Sounds like they may have fixed that.
I noticed in 5.2.6.3 the same security feature Amazon has implemented to detour people from buying and selling blacklisted devices. I have spent more time than I would like to admit trying to find a loophole, but without the ability to enable abd and unknown sources it seems impossible. I hate to say this but Amazon has it locked down and if anyone could figure it out they would have to someone on xda but no one I know has jad a clue. I don't condone theft one bit, but love a challenge and this one has me stumped.
Well, part of the fun, lol. Voice in my head keeps saying the Fire App, has to be a way, but not seeing it as yet. Did read where someone built a special HDMI setup and over loaded the OS, prompting a a "bootloader" screen and got in that way somehow, but far beyond me and said the parts to build it were like $150, let alone knowing what to solder to what etc, beyond my capabilities.
matafact said:
Well, part of the fun, lol. Voice in my head keeps saying the Fire App, has to be a way, but not seeing it as yet. Did read where someone built a special HDMI setup and over loaded the OS, prompting a a "bootloader" screen and got in that way somehow, but far beyond me and said the parts to build it were like $150, let alone knowing what to solder to what etc, beyond my capabilities.
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Honestly its fun and has also become consuming trying to find any way to get past each screen lol. I heard the same voice in the past and it worked lol. Now with these 5.2.6.3 2nd gen firesticks I have no way to get to Dev options and with the 4k firesticks it says my login is incorrect to Amazon, and as I previously mentioned I am pretty much out of ideas. Overload HDMI huh? Sounds interesting. Well back to the drawing board for now and If I learn anything I will let you know.
Well, Fire App in my head, dont know why, just keeps coming back to me. Not a programmer, not a Droid, Hacker type, but thinking this way, feel free to tell me Nope, won't work and this is why.
How does it pair with FTV Stick etc? Not Bluetooth etc, so how does it connect? Possible to take Fire App and tinker with code, add some/modify code or a script etc to modify it and get further into FTV OS 5?
Or thinking again, don't know, but seems with a Laptop on say WiFi Network, just like Droid, Iphone, with a Virtual Machine, know Virtual Box you can set up about any Android setup ya want.
So setup a Virtual Machine, tinker with Fire App in some way, and if Laptop can connect to FTV , well, just idea in my head that must be away to get around it, or at least with a Laptop would open many more options to try & beat it. Havent tried this yet, just keeps floating around in my head, may not even connect to a Virtual Machine, maybe over weekend I'll tinker with that a bit.
Somebody who programs etc would know far more on topic, but same idea keeps bouncing around in my mind. Could be dead wrong, maybe they have that locked down to, but guys here, well, how many "can't hack" toys have they already beat, lol.
matafact said:
Well, Fire App in my head, dont know why, just keeps coming back to me. Not a programmer, not a Droid, Hacker type, but thinking this way, feel free to tell me Nope, won't work and this is why.
How does it pair with FTV Stick etc? Not Bluetooth etc, so how does it connect? Possible to take Fire App and tinker with code, add some/modify code or a script etc to modify it and get further into FTV OS 5?
Or thinking again, don't know, but seems with a Laptop on say WiFi Network, just like Droid, Iphone, with a Virtual Machine, know Virtual Box you can set up about any Android setup ya want.
So setup a Virtual Machine, tinker with Fire App in some way, and if Laptop can connect to FTV , well, just idea in my head that must be away to get around it, or at least with a Laptop would open many more options to try & beat it. Havent tried this yet, just keeps floating around in my head, may not even connect to a Virtual Machine, maybe over weekend I'll tinker with that a bit.
Somebody who programs etc would know far more on topic, but same idea keeps bouncing around in my mind. Could be dead wrong, maybe they have that locked down to, but guys here, well, how many "can't hack" toys have they already beat, lol.[/QUOTE=matafact;78395384]
I wish I knew how to use tasker. Im a newbie but your ideas are great and have me thinking the remote app is the key, but it is a task I do not know how to execute.
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I had read on XDA that you could bypass logging into an Amazon account on a Fire TV Stick by using the remote app and pressing the gear icon on your phone, which would kick the stick directly into the settings menu; the Stick would essentially be just an Android set-top box at that point, which is my goal. But it seems like a recent firmware patched this, as trying to press the gear in the app just makes the TV screen flicker for a minute, then continue to prompt you to log in. Is there a way around this on newer firmwares that anyone has found? I'm just trying to use the Stick locally to do things like stream my Steam games over the same network, and if the Stick is anything like the Fire HD tablets, not associating an Amazon account with it would make it run a ton better. I also just like using things without having to rely on accounts whenever I can, and the Stick seems way more convenient than other Android boxes, so it would be great to be able to do that here. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Sorry if I've posted this in the wrong section. I'm looking to set up a firestick I've just purchased to allow my mum to watch tv and movies on it she is very much behind the times with technology and even the thought of using a mobile phone worries her.
So far with stick I've tried to make it as easy as possible for her to use and the easiest way I imagined would be the default amazon account with the stick and paying for the prime service but this is a little too confusing for her as so far she has clicked tv shows and movies that have taken her interest and unknowingly selected signing up for starszplay, Netflix and other things that aren't included in the prime account but still continue to flash up as a choice... I've even select in app purcheses off and it has still allowed her to sign up to different packs including itv hub ( when did this become costly ? its free on windows) anyways I've managed to turn them all off again but she is afraid to select anything incase it involves a subscription and isn't free with the prime account.
I then opted to try and remove the Amazon set up completely by using a different launcher and installing free movie/tv apps like teatv or stremio however this isn't great either... the launcher doesn't startup as the default launcher.
I Also have a VPN that would be perfect if I continued down the streaming free apps however even when I set it to have the killswitch and to load at boot... I've noticed im still manually having to go in and start it up and at times it has failed to load an I.P due to the killswitch.
And even using these free apps she is unsure of what streat to select etc... sometimes there will be links showing up for a show that wasn't selected etc...
So basically im looking to bypass the amazon launcher and just have either a plain launcher with only the apps I've installed for her to use and seek movies and shows.. something very basic that will show just movies and tv shows to select and continue watching section... and will auto find the best link and play the correct file similar to ones that pick the 1080p file first and then just loads.
And also have the vpn up and running from boot with no worry of it disconnecting or not running while streaming something.
Just whatever you guys can suggest, she is very much a novice and even with me showing her I don't think she will get until she plays around with it for a while... but she wont do this is if she is worrying about clicking wrong things or purchasing things etc.
How would you setup a Firestick for someone that is new to it just so they could watch movies and shows and be able to resume things they are enjoying with ease.
Thanks for any help.
Kodi with a simple skin. You can customize the skins in their own options even further to remove menu items.
So I woke up this morning to my 4k Fire TV Stick updating to the horrendous new UI. I suffer from a visual disability and the new UI is triggering eye strain and migraines. So first I would like to thank Amazon for doing something completely unnecessary and rendering a device I paid for unusable. I will be contacting them demanding a refund for breaking a device I paid for, we'll see how that goes
As luck would have it, I have another 4k Fire TV Stick still in the box, unopened. So it will have the old UI on it. Is there a way to set that up and block the update on it? I have read that you cannot complete setup without connecting to wifi, and as soon as you connect to wifi, the update auto installs (again thank you Amazon and the tech industry in general for removing user choice on what happens to things we paid for). Is it possible to set up the old fire stick, not have it update, and then block the update? I had no idea updates were rolling out so I didn't know this was coming (and for a third time Amazon, thank you for rendering a device unusable for me with ZERO heads up or notice. Awesome customer service)
Alternatively is there any way I could pull the old launcher APK off that fire stick and put it back on my current one?
And before you recommend it I tried Wolf Launcher and it is terrible and way to basic, it doesn't even have a search function, so it's not a usable option
Would I be able to connect to the new stick over USB and adb push the update blocker to the stick and install it via adb prior to activation?
Alternatively could I root the new device and install the blocker prior to activation?