Does this allow for streaming from an Android phone, or only PC?
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Amazon FireTV Announced and Released [$99 box, $40 controller, game capable STB]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
Does this allow for streaming from an Android phone, or only PC?
My god that looks and sounds dry.
You are correct.
Plex (like Boxee) is a fork from XBMC. The direction they went is for a client/server model, where a server PC or NAS streams to various devices including PC's, tablets, phones, STB's, etc. It works great if you're are looking to view content from various devices, but is overkill if you simply want an all-in-one.
It's a client app, so it can stream from anything that is running Plex Media Server.
which isn't on Android as far as I know 
Depends on if there are PC drivers available and if it is detected as Xinput or Directinput. The former has become the PC standard.
I wonder if you could connect a DS4 to the Fire TV via bluetooth and play games that way. I don't have one, yet, but I would like one for PC games and my inevitable PS4 purchase in 2015.
WAR recon zero
Banned
still no external USB support?
The device has only been available for 24 hours. Most people are probably getting theirs today. I am.
WAR recon zero
Banned
since it powers up mice and keyboards The lack of storage support is either a bug or a Drm issue.
I thought someone posted that it was compatible with HID wireless controllers or something to that effect. I'll be trying out both a DS3 and DS4 controller with it when I get mine today unless it's already been confirmed that they don't.
Let me know if they are compatible.
If they are, I would just throw down my Best Buy giftcard and pick one up today. I've already been waiting to grab one for PC use.
tensuke
Member
DS4 shows up as a 'wireless controller' but doesn't pair for me. Haven't tried a DS3 yet, is there a way to put it into pairing mode or do I have to connect it to my PC and change the bluetooth address there?
It should be possible to play local content either on-device or from a network share. Dice Player runs on it, so you can copy local media to it and play it (but 8GB...) and Dice also supports playback from network shares, ftp, http, etc. Plex is your best bet though if you are okay having a media server set up.
1) Voice Search is just that, search, it searches for movies/shows/actors/etc. in Amazon's library as well as apps/games in the store. It doesn't search other services or do any kind of navigation within apps. However, you can use it to open games/apps by searching for say 'Netflix', Netflix will pop up as the first search result, and if you have it installed you can just hit enter to open it. I imagine other search services like Netflix, Hulu+, etc. will come. Navigation I can't say.
2) Haven't seen any. I've tried putting the play store, play services, etc. and nothing works. Perhaps another app store will work, I haven't tried others as Google Play is the only one I'd want.
It should be possible to play local content either on-device or from a network share. Dice Player runs on it, so you can copy local media to it and play it (but 8GB...) and Dice also supports playback from network shares, ftp, http, etc. Plex is your best bet though if you are okay having a media server set up.
1) Voice Search is just that, search, it searches for movies/shows/actors/etc. in Amazon's library as well as apps/games in the store. It doesn't search other services or do any kind of navigation within apps. However, you can use it to open games/apps by searching for say 'Netflix', Netflix will pop up as the first search result, and if you have it installed you can just hit enter to open it. I imagine other search services like Netflix, Hulu+, etc. will come. Navigation I can't say.
2) Haven't seen any. I've tried putting the play store, play services, etc. and nothing works. Perhaps another app store will work, I haven't tried others as Google Play is the only one I'd want.
For people that have it already ...
Does it have a replay function a la Roku? ie. a button that replays the last 10 or so seconds of what you were watching? The fantastic thing about Roku is this feature is not at the app level, but at the underlying video decoder/buffer level. That way it works on any video stream (ie. all apps)
I find this feature absolutely invaluable. There are so many times when you miss something someone says and want to just skip back a few seconds.
Obviously the hope is they can add Netflix and Vudu like Roku does. That is definitely a limitation right now.
Does it have a replay function a la Roku? ie. a button that replays the last 10 or so seconds of what you were watching? The fantastic thing about Roku is this feature is not at the app level, but at the underlying video decoder/buffer level. That way it works on any video stream (ie. all apps)
I find this feature absolutely invaluable. There are so many times when you miss something someone says and want to just skip back a few seconds.
Unless they are lying, universal search also works in Hulu Plus. Or am I thinking about something else?
Obviously the hope is they can add Netflix and Vudu like Roku does. That is definitely a limitation right now.
csquared587
Member
I really hope they do gaming right on this thing. It could be a cheap beacon of creativity if they don't try to match xbox 360 and up style games. I hope amazons game developers look at less power as a creative motivator instead of a crutch, I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out on this thing.
tensuke
Member
I think you're right, it supports Amazon and Hulu right now. I just don't use Hulu so I kind of forgot.
As for the buttons, yeah, if you just press (rather than hold down) rewind or fast forward it will jump back/forward 10 seconds, like the Roku. Well actually, it appears to do that in the video player for Amazon, Youtube, jumps in 5 second increments everytime you hit it in Crackle, and in Netflix it starts fast forwarding or rewinding (and goes faster when you hold it down). I think it jumps 10 seconds in Crunchyroll, too. So, most of the time yes, but not in Netflix, there you have to hit rewind and then hit play a second or two after.
As long as you have the app on your phone, yes
Hold the Playstation button while holding the share button will put the device into pair mode.
the light bar will start flashing rapidly and than you can pair it with your device. To than shut it off just hold the playstation button till it turns off.
hope it works, I didn't try it last night.
constantstatic
Member
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but most of the tv apps like showtime and espn don't have direct tv support yet I was kinda bummed. Good thing I still have a Roku and two apple tvs 😀
tensuke
Member
I was asking about pairing a DS3, already tried with a DS4 and it shows up but doesn't pair. :3
edit: while fpse has controller issues, epsxe works perfect (sticks too). Many emus support a second player, and I'm pretty sure you can use the remote and controller as p1/p2 (on the remote I guess you have 4 directions, the center button, and the 3 media playback buttons). Haven't gotten a second real controller connected yet, but it supports up to 7 amazon controllers even, so multiplayer gaming ought to be good on this.
CrashPrime
Member
Yea ESPN and Showtime dont support charter on Amazon but do on my Roku. Major bummer!
tensuke
Member
Okay so WOW, I feel so dumb for not even trying this, but I plugged in my DS4 through USB and it works. D-Pad to navigate around, Square for 'enter' and X for 'back'. In epsxe, selected controller 1 to be the Sony Controller, and it pretty much mapped all the buttons for me (although I went through to double check). Analog mapped itself too. This is great!
Woah, so the DS4 works on the FireTV? USB only?
tensuke
Member
Yeah, I got it paired through the controller pairing thing in settings but it never connects. It's possible there's a bluetooth pairing app out there that would make it work, though. Also I haven't really tried anything with a DS3, but I'm less optimistic since DS4 is a normal HID controller, DS3 may require a sixaxis app to function if at all.
Heads up if no one has mentioned is, Riptide GP2 is free on the Amazon app store right now. No doubt a great starting game to play with the FireTV, game is incredible on my Nexus 7 2nd gen tablet, but I only have it on the Google Play store, so this works out great.
Wondering about that, too. Going to get mine hooked up when I get home and probably chat Amazon up and see where those Coins are, right now I just have 99, which I had before.
Nabs
Member
Did you buy the controller as well?
how do you transfer your back-ups over? As well how do you delete them lol
EDIT: you get 1,000 coins with each controller purchase not the FireTV
Ahh, it was only for the controller, missed that part.
Ahh well, I may end up ordering a controller anyway, even tho they're back ordered.
constantstatic
Member
Yeah it's not a bad game probably my favorite so far.
ThatsMytrunks
Member
tensuke
Member
I used Dropbox, although it's possible you can use ES File Manager to copy stuff from networked drives. For dropbox, without a mouse you can't choose log in, but if you put in your username/pass in the sign-up screen it will log you in anyway. Then just longpress something and choose export to tell it where to download to. For deleting them, just install a file manager.
And the DS4 works great in epsxe, doesn't seem to work in Riptide, I can't accelerate at all. Sad, although the remote can play it so there's a second player.
It's really neat that it has 4 player splitscreen, I hope a lot of future Amazon games have local multiplayer like that.edit: ^neat, let us know when it's approved! Does it use Amazon achievements/leaderboards or anything?
Mouse an pad functionality on the Logitech K400 work fine on the Fire TV, been messing around in a side loaded copy of Firefox. Unfortunately, one of the things I was hoping to do with this, watch live content on Youtube, doesn't work, just says "Live event playback is not supported on this client". Maybe it's because it's Firefox, loaded Chrome but it runs sideways on the screen.
I'd be very surprised if a native youtube app doesn't make its way to the device, or you can try sideloading one now.
ThatsMytrunks
Member
There already is a native YouTube app. It's in the app store.
Won't load live streaming content on Youtube, which I don't think any Android device does, I believe you have to do it through Chrome, and you have to have the exact URL for the live stream to put in.
Barkley's Justice
Member
Was there anything you had to do different to prep it for FireTV? Could you describe that process a bit? Curious.
I haven't been able to test it yet as I have an AMD card, but someone over at the XDA forums reported success sideloading and running Limelight:
Hopefully, the developer will submit the app to Amazon's store to make everything a bit more seamless. Very psyched. I think my next video card is going to be Nvidia instead of AMD.
Saberus
Member
Is it powerful enough to play HD files smoothly? are you having the FireTV decoding the video files or its it your PC/NAS doing the decoding?
thank you