So i had the AFTV up and running for about 3 weeks and there are some great things but few annoying issues are out waving all pros in my view. I only use it for xbmc as media center. I am curious to hear how other are using and feel about it.
Pros
1) Really great hardware and Spec for $70 which is what i paid and it is hard to find anything out there with these spec, plus remote for this price.
2) xbmc is super fast so are other update, everything loads up fast.
Cons:
1) The amount of storage capacity that is actually available for usage after installing few things is 3.5gb and i don't have single game installed.
2) Recently noticed wifi and wired connection issued, unable to connect or connected with a problem. Try rebooting AFTV many times but didn't work until i rebooted my router. All my other devices were working fine except AFTV.
3) unable to view sideload apps under apps menu.
4) unable to actually shut down the box, beside unplugging the power supply
5) Remote is great but gosh it would have been awesome if it was an universal remote that would control your tv with basic functions channel and volume button instead of voice search.
6) Unable to actually use the USB as external storage, my AFTV out of the box from amazon had 4.85gb free space from (5.49 gb) and the box it self has 8gb. Yes i know you can increased your storage after you have rooted your fire tv and i have rooted but amazon has just put one too many blocks for average user.
7) Forcing auto updates to AFTV and not letting user decided if they want to update or not.
8) i am always scared something will go wrong with AFTV since so many folks have managed to brick the fire tv and there is no way to fix it.
Personally for xbmc i love my Raspberry Pi B, sure it slower and not sexy as AFTV but never has to worry about bricking it and i have this running in my living room running for over 1 year with any issues except i may have to reboot is once or twice a week cuz some addon takes for ever and i just don't have patient. It plays 1080 and 3d movies flawless once you run this things on 8gb USB 3.0 with 0 cache setting.
If Amazon goal was to use the AFTV just for there echo system than this leads me believe with future firmware updates they will remove the ability for user to side load apps. Anyone else see this as possibility?
Thank you
I have a Fire TV, a Flirc, and a vintage MX-500 universal remote clone.
The Fire is un-rooted, have OTA turned off, and I have side-loaded FiredTV, Firefox, Adobe Flash, and Kodi with 1Channel, IceFlims, and Genesis. (Two out of the three I don't even use.)
Pros
2) I've had many streaming devices. This is far and away the best hardware.
Cons
1) Did I read another post by you that the box is actually complaining about running out of storage?
EDIT: Nope. Wasn't you.
2) If you can't resolve this as a network or setup or ISP issue, I'd be concerned that your box might be defective.
3) FiredTV.
4) Flirc for sleep/wake. The majority of streaming devices are expected to stay on and either go to sleep or deep sleep. That way they wake up instantly and can accept (unauthorized) OTA updates.
5) I'm sending back a Harmony 650. But if I hadn't already had what Remote Central says is one of the best they'd ever tested, I might have kept it.
6) True. But not a show-stopper for me.
7) Turn off OTA updates. This isn't unique to the Fire TV.
8) Only happens when you dink with it. :cyclops: Not really a con though, is it?
I have a Pi B. I also have a Neo X5 and just gave my sister a Roku 3. The performance of those devices pales significantly when compared to the Fire TV. IMHO. Of all the devices I've had over the last several years, barring any defects, all were functional but useability on some was questionable. The Fire TV stands head and shoulders above the crowd in performance. Now if Amazon would only get their head out of their posterior and sell a more open device maybe "with special features," I think they'd take the market by storm. It's already their #1 selling item.
I apologize for being so frantic, but I'm really confused. I've seen things about using Kingo Root on a certain firmware and am worried my device will update on me. How can I get Kingo Root? Thanks so much!
Fire OS 5.0.5
FlashTheFox said:
I apologize for being so frantic, but I'm really confused. I've seen things about using Kingo Root on a certain firmware and am worried my device will update on me. How can I get Kingo Root? Thanks so much!
Fire OS 5.0.5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are on OS 5.0.5 you can root it however after the procedure just disable updates and under any circumstances do not try to replace it with SU. (If you are looking for version 4.1 just scroll down to the bottom of first post however vs 4.6 should work as well).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/one-click-root-tool-android-2-x-5-0-t3107461
bula1ca said:
If you are on OS 5.0.5 you can root it however after the procedure just disable updates and under any circumstances do not try to replace it with SU. (If you are looking for version 4.1 just scroll down to the bottom of first post however vs 4.6 should work as well).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/one-click-root-tool-android-2-x-5-0-t3107461
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much. Could you explain the procedure briefly? How do I get the .apk on my Fire TV Stick, and what do I use to install it?
Here you will find a good guide how to do it...
--> http://www.aftvnews.com/start/
in theory could i flash rom on firestick with no root to cause boot loop on 5.2.1.1 to cancel out the not in my house system app and then run kingo pc to gain root and install the 5.0.5 firmware. im just wondering dont really want to try this my self with no recovery
On a related note, I just bought a FireTV stick yesterday. The "virgin" FireTV stick is doing the same thing as my Fire TV 2: It is requiring me to connect to a network before I can check the installed O/S version.
If I let the FireTV Stick connect to the internet, will it automatically upgrade to the latest unrootable O/S v5.2.1.1 before I can get to a menu to see my O/S version?
What are my options to root & block updates on my new FTVS if I don't know what O/S version is installed?
@¿GotJazz?:
The answer is to pull the plug on your wireless router as soon as the authentication gets through. Blocking amazons update servers also blocks authentication - afair. You could also change the Wifi Password beforehand (to something short preferably) - and then switch it back to the old one - once you "hot" unplugged the Wifi router after the authentication goes through (and youve turned off the fire tv stick). That way the stick won't autoconnect the next time its turned on.
Also - Amazons firmware updates up until now have been incremental - so it is not uncommon for a FIre TV stick to have to update several times in a row - with several update packages - to get on the latest firmware version. This gives you a little security buffer - at least potentially/theoretically.
Thanks, @harlekinwashere - I followed your advice as best as I could. I had my router set so that Amazon updates were visible, and I saw the Fire Stick check for updates. After it checked on updates, I temporarily turned off my WiFi on my router, and then reconfigured my router to block Amazon updates via OpenDNS.
My FireTV Stick is at O/S v5.0.5.1. I don't know if I should upgrade or not, but I did block updates on the Stick via Method #2 here.
I haven't found any recent FTV-S ROMs or TWRP yet, but at least I can hold off Amazon updates for now until somebody finds a solution.
From what I have seen, the only rooting solution for now on the FTV-S 5.0.5.1 is KingoRoot, correct?
Cheers,
¿GJ?
Correct - the only (software) rooting solutions available for the Fire TV Stick - ever - were either King Root or Kingo Root. There was a HW rooting method before - but it required some very precise soldering with extra thin wires and...
Kingoroot and Kingroot arent optimal either - as they do act as bloatware from time to time - so the first time I rooted my Fire TV stick, was when the tutorial to "replace Kingoroot/Kingroot" with SuperSU popped up.
I froze my update schedule on firmware 5.0.5 - as I very much enjoy the features of Firestarter ("force exit app", or delete app data for a certain app are crucial every day tasks - that you can perform with firestarter MUCH faster, than with the stock UI.
Amazon started to play BS cat&mouse games with Firestarter - because it wanted you to experience banner ads, while choosing your apps - essentially. And steal its functionality. And steal UI design from Kodi and Microsofts Xbox UI. And be buddy, buddy with Plex so the "I needz it to be eazy" crowd had another monthly subscription path Amazon could cut into. (Here is how that goes. Kodi = distributed, native rendering, Plex = transcoding (why?), server dependent, login required, pays for Amazon cloud storage, gets featured on their main page, had to make concessions to never ever, allow python scripts, because an internet we understand is bad for corp. And why was Kodi banned? Because it acted like a browsing platform, Outside the amazon and affiliates ecosystem - so amazon ran a smear campaign. The product blogger was very understanding...)
The Amazon product blogger that ran this community here for a while - decided to praise them for waging war against an alternative Launcher (that btw didn't replace the original interface, but rather linked to it by default) -- instead of antagonising it as an "unprecedented move - never seen anywhere on android before" -- so we HAD to split as a community.
People who actually use the FIre TV for stuff, stayed mostly on 5.0.5 or 5.0.5.1. While the rest didnt care and not only lost Firestarter functionality, but also full adb access (its only the last remaining interface into the FireTV, why not mess with it, until its much less usable, right Amazon?) - and didn't care.
Now - using Xposed modules - you can replicate most of Firestarters features on 5.0.5.1 and above (on 5.0.5.1 you could at least use firestopper, but Amazon took that away as well (or will do so shortly - havent followed up on how far they have come.)) - using a certain Xposed Module - but as always, you have to be extra careful with them on FireTV Sticks - as you don't have a working recovery on them currently. Its best to install only modules others have tested and that are confirmed working.
Also as a result of the community split - the community never really recovered. It wasn't especially active beforehand (despite frequent help soliciting from "I bought a fully loaded... - it stopped working" folks), but with the product blogger "gone" (less interested in the hacking scene, because of the fragmentation after the "split") that wrote most of the tutorials - and put them on his blog to commercialize them - even that stopped.
Amazon so far has not halted content delivery to older firmware boxes (good idea, because despite everything else, I still buy apps) - but they could at any time, If they chose to.
Long story short. Amazon is the worst. They acted like malicious bullies, implemented tripwire routines, blacklists, froze apps they had no discernable right to even access. On devices that arent "owned" by the customers who bought them, according to some license agreement you clicked through. No one even halfheartedly whispered, that this is a real issue - and what they did was malicious -
now, its basically over. There was no pushback - the scene basically turned over on its back and surrendered under the de facto leadership of a product blogger that had them cheer for it. #cheeringforcompanyblacklists-onadeviceyoubought.
Just in case some day a historian stumbles over this - and wonders what happened.
@harlekinwashere - Does that mean that nobody is working on a TWRP Recovery / ROM for the FireTV v1 Stick? I have held off on the Kingoroot method for now (unsure about security/malware), hoping that a real ROM/Recovery become available.
any way to enable OTG on a 5.2.1.1 fire stick?
I have a kindle fire that is broken and not worth repairing the screen (cost of parts is almost what I paid for it, so I just bought another one).
I'd like to put this old model to good use- it still works aside from the screen being dead, I can it turn on and many of the pixels activate and try to display. I'm wondering if I can use it to run Android apps remotely for testing and/or ad related apps (swagbucks, perk, etc) by sideloading them onto it. Some of them had been previously sideloaded and work like a charm.
I've seen demonstrations of remote apps like VNC working on a Kindle Fire, but I don't know how I can install it without access to the screen!
I've read about people who broke their phone screen and used ADB and/or Google Play to force installation of an app so that they could remote in via the computer. But I haven't figured out yet if this is possible on a Kindle. I wish this thing had an HDMI out or something, but alas- its the 2015 edition Kindle Fire 7. No HDMI, just a usb port and card slot. Is such a thing possible, or is this destined for the trash heap?
Dishe said:
I have a kindle fire that is broken and not worth repairing the screen (cost of parts is almost what I paid for it, so I just bought another one).
I'd like to put this old model to good use- it still works aside from the screen being dead, I can it turn on and many of the pixels activate and try to display. I'm wondering if I can use it to run Android apps remotely for testing and/or ad related apps (swagbucks, perk, etc) by sideloading them onto it. Some of them had been previously sideloaded and work like a charm.
I've seen demonstrations of remote apps like VNC working on a Kindle Fire, but I don't know how I can install it without access to the screen!
I've read about people who broke their phone screen and used ADB and/or Google Play to force installation of an app so that they could remote in via the computer. But I haven't figured out yet if this is possible on a Kindle. I wish this thing had an HDMI out or something, but alas- its the 2015 edition Kindle Fire 7. No HDMI, just a usb port and card slot. Is such a thing possible, or is this destined for the trash heap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not the 5th gen forum
ask here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/amazon-fire/help
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Labs
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!
I have a first Gen Firestick-E9L29Y-Green Head Droid-white eyes-White Antenna, described as Chinese tracking also Malware. In Notification Droid shows up with music. went in to ES files and deleted it-keeps returning in Notifications with Notification turned off.
I tried a refresh--no help. Heard by some users that tried reinstalled it still appeared- It must me permanently embitted in the root system. Am I better off purchasing another fire stick. I have a IPTV side loaded and have not had a problem in four years. So did I get this from amazon on an update or a program download-or is it in embitted in EES files of the File Manger. Is this too complex to fix. ust want to side load a IPTV Program with ease and try not to catch malware on a device. I also use Nord VPN on Firestick.. Is there a better device you can recommend. I am an Amazon prime member and get free access to many Amazon programs. Any help or ideas would be appreciated -Should I make a door stop out of this Firestick ?