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I was wondering what everyone's personal setup for their tablets/phones or their new nexus 7 is streaming wise. Like do you use XMBC, Plex, Etc.
I personally have my own cheap dedi running just lighttpd (SSL secured and password protected) with the files in a directory served to me - I tap on the file on my kindle fire and it starts playing in mx player. What are your streaming solutions?
I use plex but I'm getting a synology 2 bay and and I'm thinking about doing just standard upnp. Plex is nice and all but I'm looking to keep it simple.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
I have an Ubuntu desktop downstairs in my basement acting as server. It's doing a whole array of tasks.... file/print/web/backup/disaster-recovery/owncloud/motion (video surveillance), etc. I'm running Samba on it and always have, as it's really convenient to be on a laptop and just pull a video file off the server accordingly. I also have a HTPC box running Ubuntu with XBMC (autostart). Due to hard drive space limitations, I keep all movies on the HTPC, and all important data/personal data (music, pictures, documents) on my server, so I could easily utilize both systems (server and HTPC) via Samba with the use of AndSMB so I can stream over the network. I'm hoping I can successfully stream as I expect, but we'll see how it goes. I thought I remember another using telling me it works fine.
I just started ripping DVD's and sharing them over a Windows network, and I'm using ES file explorer to view them.
Wireless G + 1080p = not fun.
Eagle1337 said:
Wireless G + 1080p = not fun.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Streaming 1080p on wireless G worked on my old router. Is it possible you have a bottleneck elsewhere? I've since upgraded to wireless N and I didn't notice a wireless difference in regard to 1080 playback...
I use Serviio upnp server. Works with all my file formats and organises your tv into season/episode a bit like XBMC. App wise BubbleUPNP is pretty good for connecting to your server; you can also do remote streaming if you get the paid version (otherwise you're limited to half hour usage)
Plex is a more attractive solution and has the advantage of being able to stream outside your local network - but i've found the quality of streaming remotely to be quite poor; that's possibly cause i've got a max upload speed of 1mb. Connecting to the server and navigating through the screens is pretty slow/laggy - so for now Serviio's my choice.
I use Emit (http://emitapp.com). It works great most of the time and does on-the-fly encoding of videos, and is very easy to setup and use. For those familiar it's nearly identical to AirVideo for iOS.
I use PS3 Media Server to transcode and stream content to my xbox over my network, and it works well. Anything that would help an android device pick up on that service on the local network?
I'm planning on streaming stuff off my debian box, just waiting for my nexus 7 to turn up so I can work out the best way of doing it.
JaSauders said:
Streaming 1080p on wireless G worked on my old router. Is it possible you have a bottleneck elsewhere? I've since upgraded to wireless N and I didn't notice a wireless difference in regard to 1080 playback...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had all kinds of problems on wireless G as well, upgraded to N+ and even with a ~150mb connection high bitrate 1080p videos give me problems still.
Matto.stark said:
I had all kinds of problems on wireless G as well, upgraded to N+ and even with a ~150mb connection high bitrate 1080p videos give me problems still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where do you get the 150mb number from? If that's from the network status shown in windows then that's really not accurate. That only shows the max possible link speed at the time, it's a raw number. You can only find out the real speed by copy files across your network and measure the time it take for its size.
If your wifi connection speed is not consistent due to interference or other reason your might experience slow downs. Also, did you enable WMM in the router to prioritize for video?
PlayOn media server.
It will stream tons of stuff available on your desktop to your mobile. Hulu (desktop version), Netflix (really on useful before the Android app was released), CBS.com, any media files in folders you choose, and dozens of other channels. I purchased a lifetime license a couple years ago, it was a great move, I've used it a ton.
Thegreatheed said:
PlayOn media server.
It will stream tons of stuff available on your desktop to your mobile. Hulu (desktop version), Netflix (really on useful before the Android app was released), CBS.com, any media files in folders you choose, and dozens of other channels. I purchased a lifetime license a couple years ago, it was a great move, I've used it a ton.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did the lifetime license set you back?
I refuse to buy a piece of software which still require my subscription to other service as a service it self and expires. Which is why I use the free PS3 Media Server.
I use Qloud Media to stream from my laptop to my Gnex. Works great and plays everything.
One more vote for Plex! Its awesome and probably one of the most simple systems I've setup. Has support for local and remote streaming which makes it even more better! www.plexapp.com
Personally I use tvserity. I have not used a FTP server on my home network because Android fails to connect to it at all.. Normally I would use cerberus but ehh.
I just have a plain server running CentOS 6.3 with an NFS share. I prefer raw access anyway
I run an HP Proliant Microserver N36 with 4x 1TB HDs + Windows Home Server 2011 + Plex Media Server. The server streams to HTPCs in the lounge and family rooms + Plex for Android on my Galaxy Note.
Plex for Android works well now that I have ICS on the Note - ICS (or higher) is required for DirectPlay support in Plex - the Microserver is a little underpowered for transcoding.
Connectivity is via switched 1GbE for the HTPCs and 802.11n for the SGN.
When i connect my iphones pandora to my chromecast the tv plays the music like it should, and the music on the tv matches what is displayed on my iphone, volume works, skip, pause all works like it should. However, when i go to the ipod app on my iphone and press play the iphone stops pandora and plays the ipod like it should, but the chromecast on the TV keeps playing pandora. when i go to the pandora app on the phone it has to restart (like it wasnt running in the background) and starts playing a song, but the song is different than the one chromecast is playing. the iphones controls no longer control chromecast like it did before and chromecast will continue to play song after song even when the iphone is turned off completley. when i change the input on the tv to cable or something else the chromecast will make the tv switch back to it when the next song starts, it will also turn my tv on if i turn the tv off. the only way i can get the chromecast to turn off is to unplug the power. does anyone know why its doing this? as far at i know the chromecast is just to transfer media from another device to a tv, not make its own media. where is it getting the pandora from?
shordinges said:
as far at i know the chromecast is just to transfer media from another device to a tv, not make its own media. where is it getting the pandora from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's where you're wrong, you aren't 'slinging' the actual content to your Chromecast, just the login/tokens and content SELECTION to the chromecast... then it takes over, it runs a regular instance of chrome on the chromecast and does all the streaming of the media directly on the chromecast over the internet... for instance, I can start watching Netflix on my Chromecast from my Android phone... I can then put my phone into airplane mode (which turns off wifi), it will continue playing Netflix... luckily, on Android, when I reconnect, and open Netflix, it realizes that my Chromecast is already playing, and gives me control again. Probably just an iOS bug with Pandora, I would just stop playing it before jumping over to the standard music app, or... Use an an Android device.
*edit*: the exception to the above is if you're casting a tab from a desktop/laptop browser, then you are encoding whatever is on the tab to video, then decoding it on the Chromecast.... This would require the computer as a intermediary as the page itself will always be rendered on the PC.
jmhalder said:
*edit*: the exception to the above is if you're casting a tab from a desktop/laptop browser, then you are encoding whatever is on the tab to video, then decoding it on the Chromecast.... This would require the computer as a intermediary as the page itself will always be rendered on the PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or if you have a rooted Chromecast and you are using AllCast to play media from your Android phone/tablet.
(depending on what you are watching)
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
which app can I use on Android to cast from a NAS without transiting through my phone (Galaxy S4)??
I've tried LocalCast and the ES File Manager chromecast plugin and both stream my files to my phone and then on the chromecast... What a useless loop...
NAS -> wireless N router -> phone -> wireless N router -> chromecast
How can I make it stream directly from the NAS in that sort of way: NAS -> Router -> chromecast, and the phone as remote controller????
Thanks you
mathieums said:
How can I make it stream directly from the NAS in that sort of way: NAS -> Router -> chromecast, and the phone as remote controller????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your NAS supports DLNA you might have more luck. If it strictly supports only CIFS/SMB/AFP type file-sharing, I don't know of any apps whose Chromecast component can browse those.
bhiga said:
If your NAS supports DLNA you might have more luck. If it strictly supports only CIFS/SMB/AFP type file-sharing, I don't know of any apps whose Chromecast component can browse those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, I say NAS but in reality it is a HDD conencted to a Asus RT-N16 router running tomatousb which (I think) runs minidlna of something similar.
My smart TV, xbox, ps3, computers... they all see the files and stream it no problem.
mathieums said:
well, I say NAS but in reality it is a HDD conencted to a Asus RT-N16 router running tomatousb which (I think) runs minidlna of something similar.
My smart TV, xbox, ps3, computers... they all see the files and stream it no problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. Check BubbleUPnP or maybe Avia. I'm pretty sure there as one early app that later started pulling directly, but I can't remember which one it was at the moment. I think it was discussed in a thread here.
bhiga said:
OK. Check BubbleUPnP or maybe Avia. I'm pretty sure there as one early app that later started pulling directly, but I can't remember which one it was at the moment. I think it was discussed in a thread here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I'll look into it right now!
If you're lucky @Asphyx might remember
I think Bubble may be the answer provided no transcoding is required.
I know the dev was dabbling in limited in device transcoding as well but not sure where that is at or if it is even needed for Music.
aVia most definitely runs everything through the phone if I'm not Mistaken but that too could have changed since I least used it.
Pretty much everything I stream to CCast now is via Plex which does not require the launch device to stay on.
Most 3rd party Content providers whose content is on the web and who support CCast via the casting icon will send the stream direct.
That would include Pandora, Hulu Etc...
Bubble or Plex is probably the best option but both will require a PC to handle the streaming.
It doesn't take much or affect the PC's ability to function but it will require an always on PC.
I think last time I checked (which was more than a year ago, probably closer to 2), Avia kept streaming from my server running Serviio (UPnP server) even after I rebooted my phone, but I'm not in a spot that I can retest this.
Asphyx said:
I think Bubble may be the answer provided no transcoding is required.
I know the dev was dabbling in limited in device transcoding as well but not sure where that is at or if it is even needed for Music.
aVia most definitely runs everything through the phone if I'm not Mistaken but that too could have changed since I least used it.
Pretty much everything I stream to CCast now is via Plex which does not require the launch device to stay on.
Most 3rd party Content providers whose content is on the web and who support CCast via the casting icon will send the stream direct.
That would include Pandora, Hulu Etc...
Bubble or Plex is probably the best option but both will require a PC to handle the streaming.
It doesn't take much or affect the PC's ability to function but it will require an always on PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just tried Bubble and it works with the launch device turned off. Exactly what I was looking for :good:
Avia is a paid app, I didn't try it. I'll look into Plex, thanks!
mathieums said:
I've just tried Bubble and it works with the launch device turned off. Exactly what I was looking for :good:
Avia is a paid app, I didn't try it. I'll look into Plex, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In some respects Plex is a semi-paid app...
You don't need to pay to use it with a CCast but to get everythig requires a Plex pass account which has grown very expensive from the day when I bought my lifetime membership.
If Bubble works and the interface is not an issue then stick with it...
Plex is a little prettier and does full scraping of titles for a better display but if all you want to do is fling content you might not need all of that.
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Ruzzah said:
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...(and I'm going to assume you mean to the Chromecast).
Only two options available now...
Plex Player and aVia....
Option 1 - aVia Player should work with any DLNA server provided the files on the server/NAS are already compatible with Chromecast.
Option 2 - Plex has a Server AND a Player component. The server will transcode any file to be compatible with Chromecast. But the Plex Player only works with the Plex Server. And currently (temporarily actually) in order to stream content to Chromecast with Plex requires a PlexPass account. The server software is free, There are two players available one that requires a PlexPass account and another (Plex for Android) that does not (exception being that it won't work with Chromecast for now but will soon).
Plex Server will work with both aVia and obviously Plex Players. And will probably work with any future DLNA players that have Chromecast support in the future such as Bubble or Twonky.
Most NAS systems available today HAVE some sort of Media/DLNA server built into it! SO you should check your NAS to see if it already has that capability.
WD My Book has Twonky Server built in
NetGear has Plex built into it
Seagate has some proprietary thing that does not work at all! Unfortunately I have one of those and had to set up a server on another machine just to get that capability.
If money isn't an issue for you and you don't mind paying for the PlexPass account (you can get a lifetime account for $75) then I recommend Plex as it does transcoding and works much better with Chromecast than aVia does presently.
Also note that some issues with aVia have been encountered with people on JB 4.1.2 but not 4.1.1, Not sure if that means everything above 4.1.1 has issues though....Expect aVia to fix that at some point.
I currently have 4.3.1 on my phone and 4.4.2 on my tablet. Also what type of movies are compatible, and would I need a transcoder for the chromecast to work with the files?
Ruzzah said:
I currently have 4.3.1 on my phone and 4.4.2 on my tablet. Also what type of movies are compatible, and would I need a transcoder for the chromecast to work with the files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll need Plex Media Server or upload to RealPlayer Cloud for real-time transcoding of anything that is not in a Chromecast-compatible format.
See 2.b, 2.c and 2.d in the FAQ.
Ruzzah said:
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could also use the modified AllCast with BubbleUPNP on a rooted Chromecast. Using this method I haven't had issues with MKV files and MP4 files.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47503538&postcount=98
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
burdo said:
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Plex server should be transcoding the media on the fly for you. What are the specs of the machine that's the Plex server?
I don't believe the Android app can transcode as it's just a client.
Sent from a device with no keyboard. Please forgive typos, they may not be my own.
I'll try and paste the answer from our PM so the rest of the folks can benefit...
burdo said:
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hit or Miss (depending on the video format) but the answer is probably not. When using aVia the Plex server can't transcode for CCast as it doesn't even know it exists.What Transcoding Plex might use (if any) when aVia requests a stream is unclear since there is no profile specifically for the aVia (profiles are usually for devices not software and it is up to the software to identify what it needs which may not be the case with aVia).
burdo said:
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Transcoding may or may not happen and even when it does happen what it transcodes to varies from device to device. Only when the App making the request identifies itself as THIS TYPE OF DEVICE (or Profile) will Plex know how to transcode for it and do so. aVia Devs could probably solve this problem at some point so all of what I'm saying could change if they wanted it to.
burdo said:
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES! Plex for Android and Plex for PlexPass will both play files that are not chromecast compatible and transcode them for playback on the CCast, but there will probably be some exception to that from time to time where a file doesn't transcode so easily, or the Plex Transcoder itself doesn't like the file.
The difference is in how the two methods approach playback on the CCast.
Plex treats the CCast like a DLNA player and the Plex Apps don't ever actually play the video itself they merely tell the CCast to get it directly from the Server which makes the Server use the CCast Transcoding profile and rules.
aVia acts as a sort of Middleman where it gets the data and then forwards it to the CCast.(Note this is best Guess not CERTAIN by any means only aVia devs know for sure!) This means the server has no idea the CCast is being used and sends what stream it thinks the aVia can handle (which may not be compatible with CCast.)
Method 1 (Plex) - You pick a file in PlexApp and tell it to cast it, Plex app sends a command to CCast to go get the file from the server. Server transcodes for CCast and the file plays directly on CCast
Method 2 (aVia) - You pick a file in aVia and tell it to cast it, aVia tells the server to send it to aVia then aVia sends the data to the CCast.
Best combination right now for streaming Plex Server (and incompatible) content to CCast are the Plex apps...If Plex Server can recognize the file it should transcode properly for CCast.
Unfortunately (as we speak) to use the Plex apps with CCast requires a PlexPass account (Not free). This is only temporary and it will not be required in the near future.
So if money is not a big issue I suggest trying it for a month by getting a month of PlexPass and giving it a good test run. Hopefully by the time that Month is done PlexPass will no longer be required to stream to CCast after that.
Just to be a little clearer on when and how transcoding happens...
The PLAYER is the key to transcode/Not Transcode and is the one responsible for communicating to the Plex Server what it requires as far as transcoding is concerned. It is the player communicating with the server that tells Plex Server which profile to use when the player makes a request to get the file.
In the Plex System the Player resides on and is written FOR the CCast and it tells the Plex server it is a CCast.
In aVia it is unclear what the aVia player tells the Plex server or that it gives PlexServer any information about itself or it's intentions of what it plans to do with the file at all.
Without any information about it's target Plex server may not do any transcoding or if minimal information is given during the file request it may use a generic profile which may not be as compatible with CCast as lets say a Android profile might be.
And let me be clear (and Fair to the aVia Devs). We are just GUESSING based on observations on how aVia seems to be working in conjunction with CCast. The best place to get answers (and solutions as well) is to ask these questions regarding aVia on their support site (if they have one).
Not only will they be much more informed at how their app works but your Question may even lead them to change or update their code to work much better in a transcoding environment where casting to CCast is concerned.
They may already be working on these things, or we could be totally off base in how aVia is doing what it does.
And I don't want to give the impression that aVia is doing something wrong or that Plex is better for anything other than streaming from PlexServer at the moment.
aVia does many things the Plex Apps will NOT DO such as casting Local ON UNIT files that PlexApps simply doesn't do.
And other than the temporary requirement of needing a PlexPass to cast to CCast with Plex, In the end having BOTH APPS (aVia and Plex) will make a very Versatile and Complementary tandem to stream any kind of local content (be it Plex Server or ON UNIT) to the CCast.
I'm currently using Plex Media Server on my desktop to host my music (app is free for the PC) and then use Avia on my phone or tablet to access the Plex Media Server and stream to my chromecast on my home theater. Its a good work around until chromcast features are free on Plex.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
mpgwrx said:
I'm currently using Plex Media Server on my desktop to host my music (app is free for the PC) and then use Avia on my phone or tablet to access the Plex Media Server and stream to my chromecast on my home theater. Its a good work around until chromcast features are free on Plex.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add to that there is a temporary workaround (that always worked) if your on a PC.
Just load up the Media Manager of Plex Server (it is browser based) and use the the GoogleCast extension in Chrome to send the stream to the CCast no PlexPass is needed.
This is similar to the way aVia works except for the fact that because your on a PC and have the power and buffer space to Transcode, The GoogleCast extension will make a CCast compatible stream out of it.
Probably won't get any surround sound goodness doing it that way but it is a good stopgap method until PlexPass is no longer required.
Good to know!!!
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
burdo said:
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome find!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
burdo said:
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They haven't added it to the Plexweb side of the server yet..It is only on the Plex.tv site right now something I expect will be updated pretty soon.
I was hoping they added this functionality to the PlexWeb.
Anyone with a ASUS Black Diamond Router rt-n65u? It is supposed to be able to share dlna media but I cannot get avia to see it.
I was hoping to stream all my MP4 movies that are on the routers usb3 external hard drive to the Chromecast with Avia.
All my phones/tablets can stream all the movies from it perfectly. ANY IDEAS how to get it to work from anyone that has the same router?
Sent from my Work Phone
RockRatt said:
Anyone with a ASUS Black Diamond Router rt-n65u? It is supposed to be able to share dlna media but I cannot get avia to see it.
I was hoping to stream all my MP4 movies that are on the routers usb3 external hard drive to the Chromecast with Avia.
All my phones/tablets can stream all the movies from it perfectly. ANY IDEAS how to get it to work from anyone that has the same router?
Sent from my Work Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I can see from the product page for that router it isn't a DLNA server just some proprietary Media Server.
Probably only works with their App.
Asphyx said:
From what I can see from the product page for that router it isn't a DLNA server just some proprietary Media Server.
Probably only works with their App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, page 32 of the manual says it is a UPnP server, but not specifically DLNA.
BubbleUPnP should be able to access it, so you might be able to browse via BubbleUPnP and share to Avia for casting, assuming your media is in a format Chromecast can play.
bhiga said:
Indeed, page 32 of the manual says it is a UPnP server, but not specifically DLNA.
BubbleUPnP should be able to access it, so you might be able to browse via BubbleUPnP and share to Avia for casting, assuming your media is in a format Chromecast can play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forget but it may also be possible aVia would be able to see it via Samba if he used one of the many Samba Mapping apps out there so they showed up as local files on his device.
Router is definitely not going to do any transcoding so it had better at least be compatible with aVia and that still doesn't guarantee CCast will work.
Asphyx said:
I forget but it may also be possible aVia would be able to see it via Samba if he used one of the many Samba Mapping apps out there so they showed up as local files on his device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea - cifsmanager or something like it might work. I've been toying with the idea to map some ISO folders so WonderShare can play them but haven't reached that point on my ToDo list yet.
Thanks all for the ideas. I will play with the ideas and see what works. Just had a thought about it as well now.
The Asus router has a app for it and I use it all the time. I "THINK" I chose the mxplayer as the default player. So MAYBE once I clear the default player then "Hopefully" it will ask again and I can choose A via as the player (as this is how I have setup ShoBox to use A via as the player). Do not know why I didn't think of it previously. I will reply here once I get home tonight to see if it will work.
If not I will try some of the other ideas. Thanks again
EDIT: I cleared defaults for MX player, opened up the AiCloud App (that I can access my hard drive connected to my home Asus Router from my phone over WiFi or cell signal), went to my movie folder, chose a movie, the AiCloud app which app to play with, I chose A via and it tried to play the movie. Now I WILL HAVE TO TEST once I get home because the upload from the router over my cell signal is too slow to play the movie. I REALLY HOPE this works like it looks like it will I will update further once I test over my WiFi at home...
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
will i be able to play local files without biting into data i have? from my macbook / android phone to google chromecast
please advise?
also is there a way to play xbmc to chromecast
thank you
wakkaday said:
will i be able to play local files without biting into data i have? from my macbook / android phone to google chromecast
please advise?
also is there a way to play xbmc to chromecast
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes only the Player will use Internet, The actual local streaming does not need Internet access.
CCast uses Internet to load the player and then the file stream over local network no net required once the player is loaded.
As for playing XBMC to CCast best solution I have found is Yatse Remote but it requires in app one time payment to unlock local cast, Once there Install the cast Addon and the content on your XBMC HTPC can be streamed to your CCast.
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
ok thats good to know, could i play local files and continue browsing on my tablet / macbook for example....
would you reccomend getting one? or is roku streaming stick better
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
...
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The player is just a download of a HTML5 app (except for Netflix), it should be tiny, and doesn't matter what you're playing.
Miracast is screen mirroring, so it requires your device to play the movie, and what you see on your device is what goes to the TV.
The advantage is that often times the device can play more via software like MX Player. The disadvantage is that you cannot do other things with your device while playing the movie as exactly what you see on your device is what appears on the TV. Not so good if you get an embarrassing text message or something, and it'll use a lot of battery power.
The advantage to Chromecast is that Chromecast itself does the playback.. Once you make the request to play a video, you can do whatever you want on your device - even turn it off. Your device (or another device on your network) acts as the remote control.
Personally I really like it - I can browse YouTube and add videos to the TV Queue while stuff is playing full-screen on the TV.
I can play a movie in Netflix for my family to watch while I browser other movies they might like.
If I need to leave, my wife can run the same app and connect to Chromecast so she can pause/play/change things.
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably no more than a few K to one MB.
thats good to know...
i will be mainly using my mac for downloaded content (so i need to install mac server) and then i need to install plex app for the chromecast right?
and for my android phone local files that will be via allcast?
whats the situation of playing local files via iphone?
and anything can be streamed across using the chrome browser...
i guess i will have to buy and experiement around and work it out, but thank you for your information
wakkaday said:
thats good to know...
i will be mainly using my mac for downloaded content (so i need to install mac server) and then i need to install plex app for the chromecast right?
and for my android phone local files that will be via allcast?
whats the situation of playing local files via iphone?
and anything can be streamed across using the chrome browser...
i guess i will have to buy and experiement around and work it out, but thank you for your information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you do not install anything on the CCast it does that automatically to load whatever player App is required to work with your Mobile App...
Plex App will tell it to load the Plex player, aVia will tell it to load the aVia Player, Netflix tells it to load the Netflix player.
Once the player is loaded into the CCast (ie in Plex it says Plexc ready to cast) no further internet should be required to stream local content.
For local on device media I suggest BubbleUPnP or aVia but that local content needs to be compatible with CCast.
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ah ok thats explains it. i will be getting it delivered tomorrow....
when you say local content needs to be compatible, do you think i will be ok with the following...
i will be mainly trying to play avi and mkvs movies...
i know you can rename mkv to m2ts which some players will play
is real player cloud not a good app? thats free???
wakkaday said:
\
ah ok thats explains it. i will be getting it delivered tomorrow....
when you say local content needs to be compatible, do you think i will be ok with the following...
i will be mainly trying to play avi and mkvs movies...
i know you can rename mkv to m2ts which some players will play
is real player cloud not a good app? thats free???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CCast compatible means:
Container type MP4
Video Codec H.264
Audio Codec AAC or MP3
Video Bitrate not higher than 8Mbps
4-6 is a good compromise for compatibility with many devices and network conditions
RealPlayer Cloud is okay - but if your media is not Chromecast-compatible you have to upload it to their cloud and their servers will transcode it for you via their SurePlay feature.
You get 2GB of cloud for free and can get some additional storage by completing some tasks (referrals, share).
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
ok thats good to know, could i play local files and continue browsing on my tablet / macbook for example....
would you reccomend getting one? or is roku streaming stick better
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please download EZCast App from Google Play, it can cast local video,music,pdf,word,excel,PPT to your chromecast and show on TV.
i tried this with my chromecast
and it was quite fiddly getting files to play (i could change some files from mkv to mp4 and they played but some files the sound didnt play. however using plex server on mac and i beemed it across it played fine... however i noticed the data took a hit
i was just messing about wiht a few files video and it took around 300mb? it seems its playing over wifi...rather then locally...
am i doing something wrong
Casting uses all my home network bandwidth
I can use my Lenovo A7000-a phone to cast to a windows display. It works well. No 3rd party software is used on either the phone or my desktop. However, it consumes my entire (abysmally low - Hey! its the Philippines) 5MBps network bandwidth. No other user on the local home router can access the internet. I would have thought the casting would just be a connection across the router, is this NOT the case? How can I improve this so no other users are affected?
Hello
I was wondering if there was any savvy xda user out there who had figured out the best method for streaming torrents to the chromecast both with and without a pc?
I know there is torrentTv for the pc which allows you to drag and drop files and cast them to a target which kinda works but it's functionality isn't terribly well designed (ie once it's started playing how do you control it?)
For android I have a mix of apps that allow this but none with particularly satisfying results.
The most foolproof seems to be:
Ttorrent for downloading torrent sequentially
And local cast to cast or
pixel-dms and bubble upnp to cast or
Aviva to cast
Other torrent downloading solutions include
vuze
Torrent stream controller
Popcorntime
with the casting method being reliant on what happens once you start trying to play the file.
Now I have been testing various combinations (after determining I couldnt get xbmctorrent to complete a movie on my pi without crashing) and tTorrent +local cast seems to work pretty well but I think potentially it cuts the file off at about 95% (ie right near the end).
I suspect because the file isn't being fully pre allocated the player only picks up the length of the file as it relates to what has already been allocated when you start watching it. Rather than playing to the end of the file which has been completed whilst you were watching it.
So does anyone know a better method? I can't actually believe that someone hasnt built a torrent downloading + chromecast/upnp streaming apk yet. The chromecast is now over a year old and this is the kind of stuff I expected people to hack together in week 1.
Anyway a single app solution would be a lot better. Or a solution which includes fully preallocating the file would perhaps work better?
So why not just use Plex? I have a local Plex server setup on my desktop computer and I have Plex for Android on my Nexus 6. Works phenomenally!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk, probably while driving.
kdoggy said:
So why not just use Plex? I have a local Plex server setup on my desktop computer and I have Plex for Android on my Nexus 6. Works phenomenally!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk, probably while driving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen plex, and did install it at one stage a while ago before I had the chromecast, to try and do netflix streaming (as before the chromecast I could only do netflix on my phone or pc, no other solution to play it on the tv I could find except for buggy screencasting).
However I already have serviio installed on my pc, which works very will with the sony bdp and bravia 2010 TV, so I wouldnt really want to install plex unless I knew it provided significantly better functionality. Also my serviio setup just works, I dont want to mess with it for no reason.
So specifically what does plex do installed on a pc with the android app that all the other stuff I already installed doesnt do?
I was under the impression that without paying for plex it is crippled? Or is it just the extra plugins or channels which require a subscription?
Does plex allow torrents to be added? What device does the downloading?
Ideally I want a situation where if I am unable to use my pc (one of these days the power supply is going to die and I know I will come home from work and wont be able to switch it on) I can just stream whatever I want to watch or if I cant find it on streaming or the whole rest of the world is on the internet and streaming is knackered I can just torrent stream it to the chrome.
ie what I want is wholly phone based, or pc based with the phone as a remote, not a mis-mash of both.
I use plex... I have my torrent folder listed as on of my media folders in plex settings.. so once the torrent is done I can play from laptop tablet or phone, or cast from any of the 3
Sent from my SM-N900V
I use atorrent, and stream with Bubble. Works fine. Bubble can log into my home network and send video to the Chromecast via mine or my wife computer.
Yeah the whole point was that I wanted to stream torrents WHILE they are downloading. Like xbmctorrent or aceplayer or torrentvideoplayer or torrent stream controller or popcorntime or whatever.
NOT casting stuff once it's finished downloading, which is simple and I'm sure is covered ad nauseum on the forum.
I thought my post was pretty clear.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
popcorn-time.se Android version have Chrome cast support
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
I'll have to look at atorrent, it does offer sequential downloading but I am not sure if it pre allocates the files.
Ok tested a torrent download streamed to raspbmc using atorrent and bubble upnp.
It does work but still only seems to do about 98% of the file. (Been testing stuff on raspbmc as the performance should be similar enough, also I want to be able to do this to the ccast and xbmc)
I suspect the file is locked maybe preventing the last couple of percent of file being played?
Anyway this is the same sorts of results I was having with Ttorrent.
Which leads me to believe that until someone builds a caster with an integrated torrent client that allows the full file to be cast you would have to accept only being to play 98% of the file without having to stop and restart playback once the torrent has completed downloading.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Ok well there are two versions of popcorntime. One appears to offer ccast support the other doesn't but it may be available via an external player.
The one you referenced (popcorn-time.se) on that site it's version 0.1.1 for android and it allows you to play the download via an internal player (no ccast icon for me) or to an external player but when I try that with aviva it won't open and no other player I have offers casting.
The other one (time4popcorn.eu) version 2.4 i think, allows ccast via their internal player, no access to play externally (so no hope of xbmc casting). And none of the movie torrents will download if I'm connected to my wifi (torrents download fine via 4g though so I just switch it back before it connects to any seeds or peers).
Possibly chromecast is just better supported which makes sense because it's only a year old while dnla and xbmc have been around for years.
No one fancies trying to build a more complete torrent casting client?
I'm not talking about transcoding just downloading the files and then serving them in a way that doesn't completely mangle the url leaving the file unplayable at the renderer?
Given the kind of apps which already exist I'm surprised this functionality hasn't already been incorporated.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
So to summarise:
For the chromecast popcorntime from time4popcorn.eu version 2.4 beta allows you to download torrents to stream to the chromecast. Assuming your isp or isp's aren't blocking the torrent site it is searching (for me virgin in the UK is blocking the movie search but not the show search and vodaphone isnt blocking either)
For other dnla players (xbmc):
Atorrent is a free torrent client which allows sequential downloading and can be streamed via bubble upnp (possibly the free version only allows only three executions of externally played files per app launch but this limitation hasn't been much of a limitation to me). I had thought it may lock the file and not allow the final couple of percent to be played without the playback having to be resumed, but I think I may have been using pixel dms as an intermediary to be able to play the file from bubble upnp rather than the file browser. Further experimentation seems to indicate that mp4s and mkvs should play fine streamed via bubble upnp assuming the correct pieces have already been downloaded.
I think i had been using pixel dms previously as I had been watching older avi files which wouldnt play otherwise. Pixel dms seems to work only as far as the file that has been downloaded.
Using popcorntime it is possible to stream avi files ie older episodes or movies which are only available as avi's (fairly certain this wouldnt work on the chromecast but would need to test when the tv isnt in use). You come out of the app before the video starts to play and then launch the file via the file browser using bubble upnp.
Presumably this would work for any other torrent downloaded by popcorntime which is a lot of stuff but not everything.
Hopefully this helps some people as I have been looking for just this kind of information and have been unable to find it. Resulting in me having downloaded many different apps, most of which are generally not very good.
For example local cast would probably be brilliant but it's upnp detection is really shoddy.
Bubble upnp is quality, although I think there may be some limitations in the free version which effect chromecast. Possibly only 20 mins of free playback? Although I think in conjunction with y2cast you could get around that.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
I use showbox with avia (paid)
Showbox is Ok but it's just streaming, from vk.com I think. And at peak times I just can't use streaming services.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Torrent stream controller+BubbleUPnP with Chromecast as a Local Renderer ( local transcoding must be installed in the settings). Maybe it will work with other apps that allow stream torrent.
You can look at the pictures here under the spoilers.
playahate said:
Torrent stream controller+BubbleUPnP with Chromecast as a Local Renderer ( local transcoding must be installed in the settings). Maybe it will work with other apps that allow stream torrent.
You can look at the pictures here under the spoilers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flud torrent + bubbleupnp ( or other media render)
torrentplayer + bubbleupnp ( or other media render)
dr torrent + bubbleupnp ( or other media render)
I use Tera torrent with bubbleupnp
Sent from my SM-G900A using Tapatalk 2
anyone have a utorrent apk that I can sideload?
henryjfry said:
Showbox is Ok but it's just streaming, from vk.com I think. And at peak times I just can't use streaming services.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Single app solution for any Android device: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-media-library-t3971231