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My grandson is about to receive an eLocity A7 and we have been told he would have to download/install recent firmware updates.
#1- Is this a difficult procedure for a 12 year old to do?
#2- We also learn there have been two firmware updates: Version 2.0121 and then Version 2.0124. Is that true?
#3- If he has an older firmware version on his unit, will he have to download both of these updates? Of will he need to download/install the latest one (2.0124) and that would contain all updates in previous version updates?
Please advise soonest and thank you for your help.
Alice
1. It is not difficult. Manual is there - http://elocitynow.com/support_downloads.shtml
You must learn two important things:
- copy update.zip to root directory at sd-card (and do not unpack it)
- plug in ac-adapter (if charge < 50% and ac-adapter does not used, device may turn off while update process is running -> it can brick device).
2. Yeah. It's true. 2.0124 last...
3. I think update 2.0124 contains all previous updates, cause Stream TV Networks posted their updates at same place...
You cann't find update 2.0121 at official site.
Hi Alicez,
Here's the link to the firmware updates page from eLocity/stream networks.
http://www.elocitynow.com/support_downloads.shtml
This provides the details on downloading and installing the update(s).
You should only need to run the latest update which will include previous patches.
This isn't too difficult, but you may want to supervise just in case.
Also, you will need a MicroSD Card to load the update file(s), in case you don't already have one.
While it is not necessary to run the updates before using the tablet. However, it is highly recommended for optimum performance. It is also worth noting that when you apply updates, you should perform a factory reset on the device before updating (unless its brand new of course). So if you do intend on running the updates, I suggest you do so, prior to using it too much otherwise you will loose your personal settings/data during the update.
Also to gain access to the Google Market, Gmail, G-Maps, etc. you will want to think about applying the DexterMod
(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=890042)
NOTE - the "DexterMod" is not supported by Stream/eLocity.
5[Strogino] said:
- plug in ac-adapter (if charge < 50% and ac-adapter does not used, device may turn off while update process is running -> it can brick device). .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your answer.
I am sorry, but I do not understand the above.
Do you mean I should charge the eLocity A7 COMPLETELY before I input the SD card (with the 2.0124 download on it) ?
Or, should I keep the AC power cord plugged into the wall socket after I input the SD card?
Thank you.
DANOinSD said:
Hi Alicez,
While it is not necessary to run the updates before using the tablet. However, it is highly recommended for optimum performance. It is also worth noting that when you apply updates, you should perform a factory reset on the device before updating (unless its brand new of course). So if you do intend on running the updates, I suggest you do so, prior to using it too much otherwise you will loose your personal settings/data during the update.
Also to gain access to the Google Market, Gmail, G-Maps, etc. you will want to think about applying the DexterMod
(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=890042)
NOTE - the "DexterMod" is not supported by Stream/eLocity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
#1- I am a bit confused about the above "perform a factory reset."
What is that? Would that reset the unit to the factory settings that originally came with the unit? I would not have to do that since we have not received the tablet as yet. Do you suggest that as soon as we unpack it, we perform the update of the new Version 2.0124 version? Not doing "factory reset?"
BTW:
#2- What is: Google Market, etc.? DexterMod? Remember, we are completely new to all of this.
#3- Will he be able to watch YouTube Videos and access AOL (free email) and Hotmail on the unit right "out of the box?"
alicez said:
Do you mean I should charge the eLocity A7 COMPLETELY before I input the SD card (with the 2.0124 download on it) ?
Or, should I keep the AC power cord plugged into the wall socket after I input the SD card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stream TV Networks strongly recommends keep the AC power cord plugged into the wall socket before input the sd card and start update
But it's not necessary if charge is more than 50%. This limit isn't accurate, it may be 60%, 75% or anything more... Just notice, if you does not using AC adapter and charge equals 20% (30%, 40%) - you may face with problems, so should charge to 50%+ or stay charged.
5[Strogino] said:
Stream TV Networks strongly recommends keep the AC power cord plugged into the wall socket before input the sd card and start update
But it's not necessary if charge is more than 50%. This limit isn't accurate, it may be 60%, 75% or anything more... Just notice, if you does not using AC adapter and charge equals 20% (30%, 40%) - you may face with problems, so should charge to 50%+ or stay charged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
#1- The "Update.zip" file (93MB - big file!) on the SD card should be put into the 'slot' on the eLocity just as it is. Correct? No other files on the SD card.
#2- Then the 'Update.zip" will be unzipped by the eLocity and AUTOMATICALLY installed to the eLocity. Corret?
alicez said:
Thank you.
#1- The "Update.zip" file (93MB - big file!) on the SD card should be put into the 'slot' on the eLocity just as it is. Correct? No other files on the SD card.
#2- Then the 'Update.zip" will be unzipped by the eLocity and AUTOMATICALLY installed to the eLocity. Corret?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once the "Update.zip" file is your MicroSD card and in you device do the fallowing to run the update:
Go to "settings"
Scrool down and click "about device"
Click the first option "system update"
let it update (this will take some time)
Note: The device my go into a "boot loop" if so just push and hold the power button for 15 to 20 seconds to force it to turn off. Then turn it on again and it should boot normally.
Does this eLocitiy play YouTube videos (right out of the box)?
My grandson really likes watch those videos, but somebody said 'tablets' do NOT play all YouTube videos.
Please advise soonest because if it doesn't play YouTube videos, I will have to return.
Hi ALicez,
A factory reset is just as you stated, "a reset to factory settings", this would revert the firmware (updates, if you have any) back to what the tablet came pre-installed with.
As 5[Strogino] states you will want to charge up the tablet before doing the update, and leave it plugged in during the update process (which can take approx 10mins or more). I would go ahead and get familiar with the tablet and its menus, functions, etc. before running the update, just so you know what you're dealing with.
As 5[Strogino] states, once you run the update the tablet should do the rest (unpacking the zip file, etc).
Regarding the Google Market, this is one of the main features of the Android OS, which allows you to download and install applications from various vendors, many are free and some are for a small cost (usually $1-$3). Almost all tablets currently for sale do not have the Android/Google market pre-installed as Google has set very strict requirements for allowing this application to be pre-installed (mostly cell phones have this). Fortunately, many in the development community (such as Dexter and his Mod) have created update files that provide this application and all its glory to these tablets.
As far as using the tablet without the market, yes you absolutely can. The internet browser is 100% functional and HAS full adobe flash pre-installed, which many other tablets do not have. So, yes you can check email, watch videos, etc with no additional modifications. I will say that many popular websites and email providers have "Apps" available on the Android/Google Market that make checking email faster and easier (such as not having to use the browser to access email, and allowing for login/credential saving). So in my opinion, it is worth the extra effort to install the DexterMod which will provide these goodies. Installing the DexterMod is just as easy as installing an update. Hope this helps!
And yes there are some sites and videos that either do not play at all or play correctly. You Tube should be fine, Hulu does not work, but sites such as ComedyCentral work just fine for me. Also many sites such as You Tube have Apps in the Google Market to aid in this effort. Unfortunately though video is more dependent on the content (video) providers website development and architecture (optimized for mobile, etc.) than the tablet itself.
DANOinSD said:
Hi ALicez,
A factory reset is just as you stated, "a reset to factory settings", this would revert the firmware (updates, if you have any) back to what the tablet came pre-installed with.
As 5[Strogino] states you will want to charge up the tablet before doing the update, and leave it plugged in during the update process (which can take approx 10mins or more). I would go ahead and get familiar with the tablet and its menus, functions, etc. before running the update, just so you know what you're dealing with.
As 5[Strogino] states, once you run the update the tablet should do the rest (unpacking the zip file, etc).
Regarding the Google Market, this is one of the main features of the Android OS, which allows you to download and install applications from various vendors, many are free and some are for a small cost (usually $1-$3). Almost all tablets currently for sale do not have the Android/Google market pre-installed as Google has set very strict requirements for allowing this application to be pre-installed (mostly cell phones have this). Fortunately, many in the development community (such as Dexter and his Mod) have created update files that provide this application and all its glory to these tablets.
As far as using the tablet without the market, yes you absolutely can. The internet browser is 100% functional and HAS full adobe flash pre-installed, which many other tablets do not have. So, yes you can check email, watch videos, etc with no additional modifications. I will say that many popular websites and email providers have "Apps" available on the Android/Google Market that make checking email faster and easier (such as not having to use the browser to access email, and allowing for login/credential saving). So in my opinion, it is worth the extra effort to install the DexterMod which will provide these goodies. Installing the DexterMod is just as easy as installing an update. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
How do we get GoogleMarket? Or if not possible, how do we get the DexterMod, so we can download free apps? Are these free items, etc. Can my grandson do the downloading by himself, or is it difficult?
alicez said:
Does this eLocitiy play YouTube videos (right out of the box)?
My grandson really likes watch those videos, but somebody said 'tablets' do NOT play all YouTube videos.
Please advise soonest because if it doesn't play YouTube videos, I will have to return.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, absolutely.
There is a YouTube app that allows you to view YouTube videos. You can also go directly to YouTube.com with the browser and play videos just like on your computer.
Can someone answer my question in #12 above:
"How do we get GoogleMarket? Or if not possible, how do we get the DexterMod, so we can download free apps? Are these free items, etc."
This unit already has "Getjar" apps. Is that the same as GoogleMarket? Or do I still need GoogleMarket? Please advise as we are new at this and I am trying to get this set-up so my grandson can use it to it's fullest potential.
Thanks
Alice
alicez said:
Can someone answer my question in #12 above:
"How do we get GoogleMarket? Or if not possible, how do we get the DexterMod, so we can download free apps? Are these free items, etc."
This unit already has "Getjar" apps. Is that the same as GoogleMarket? Or do I still need GoogleMarket? Please advise as we are new at this and I am trying to get this set-up so my grandson can use it to it's fullest potential.
Thanks
Alice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getjar is an "App Market" of sorts that come with the A7. Google MArket is a superior Market and easier to use. I would recomend installing the DexterMod that already has the Google Market and Google apps preinstalled.
Go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=890042
download the ElocityMod v1.1 and install the same as you would the official eLocity update. You have to rename it from "ElocityModv11.zip" to "Update.zip" prior to installing.
ElocityMod v1.1 is basically the Official eLocity update with the Google Market and Google Apps already added.
dexter mod
http://dext3r.komodin.org/
Here is the dexter mod link. About mid way down on the page you will find the elocity a7 file. Just download , then rename it to "Update.zip" and install just like regular firmware update. This will pre-install google market,etc. You may want to sign up for a gmail account first, so you don't have to mess with that part after the install as this needed for the market.
Should also be instructions on dexters site or elsewhere on this site (xda) use search bar above to find more.
Getjar is sorta like the google market but has significantly less apps available.
Also since this is for a minor, suggest setting parental controls in the settings menus.
DANOinSD said:
http://dext3r.komodin.org/
Here is the dexter mod link. About mid way down on the page you will find the elocity a7 file. Just download , then rename it to "Update.zip" and install just like regular firmware update. This will pre-install google market,etc. You may want to sign up for a gmail account first, so you don't have to mess with that part after the install as this needed for the market.
Should also be instructions on dexters site or elsewhere on this site (xda) use search bar above to find more.
Getjar is sorta like the google market but has significantly less apps available.
Also since this is for a minor, suggest setting parental controls in the settings menus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it the one for ElocityModv 1.0c.zip from dext3r.kamodin.org for 95MB?
Please, what do you mean by "and install just like regular firmware update?" I'm getting a bit confused and mixed-up, and don't want to do anything wrong with this new Elocity.
Also, I see in the Quick Start guide: "To delete an icon, press and hold the icon, then remove it to the Recycle bin."
We tried that and it does not work. We tried to delete the Facebook and the Amazon MP3 icons, but they still remain on the desktop. How can we remove?
Thanks
Alice
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Elocity A7
A Quick fix custom rom for the tegra2 tablet with root,googleapps and improved game support.
28-dec-2010 ElocityMod v1.0c ElocityMod v1.0c
Initial release with googleapps, root and wma/wmv audio support + build.prop fixes.
Hello,
Just got my Elocity A7 and so far my feelings on it are mixed. When it does what I want it to, I love it! But I am having a couple of issues....
1. How do I copy files from the sd card to the internal memory? I am trying to get the Nook app to recognize some epubs I have loaded on to the sd card. It does not see them at all. I was thinking the solution would be to get the files copied to the nook\mydocuments folder the app created in the internal memory but I cant figure out how to move the files. I tried connecting the A7 to my PC but when I do the PC does not recognize it at all. I tried running terminal, thinking I could just move the files that way, but when it opens, how to you type? Do you need an external keyboard?
2. Every USB storage device I have connected to the A7 just says "checking for errors" and that never seems to go away so it doesnt seem to be mounting the USB devices correctly.
3. Is it normal for this device to have a very limited wifi range? I have several other wifi devices, including the original nook, a media player and a laptop all of which work fine throughout my home but the A7 does not. However, I applied dexter's mod and then did the new official update and that seems to be a bit better now.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated! I have about 12 days left before I can no longer return it so I really want to make sure I can get these issues resolved before then since after its going to be a lot hard to return if I want.
Thank you!
Chris
Re. 1 - I don't have an A7, but it should have a file explorer apparently, and you should be able to use that to copy. For term, try pressing the menu button, or longpress to see if a keyboard or input method menu appears.
Jim
****** All below is from my experience using Dexter's Mod 1.1 ******
1) OI File Manager should be in your list of available mods. Open it, click on the SD card icon at the top. You are not at the sd card level yet, but the A7s symbolic sd card. Go down and find sdcard-disk0 as this is your actual SD card, click on it to open the sd card. Continue to find the desired file. Long hold on the file and a menu appears select copy. Now transverse your way to the desired spot to drop the file (Not in the folder, but to where you can see the folder -- you may not have write permisions to drop a file in some folders -- using a program such as Root Explorer will let you see if you have the right permissions). Long hold on the destination folder, and a menu will appear again. Select copy. Reasons this may not work...permissions and ownership. Linux/unix is particluar about these things.
2) More than likely your USB device is not formatted FAT/FAT32 must be to be able to utilize that type of device.
3) My range isn't extremely strong, but it is not bad. I use it in sever environments from sitting on top of the access point to being down a hall in a brick building with several walls between the A7 and the AP (lots of other devices) and it seems to work. My co-worker has an iPad and it is as strong as the iPad.
Hope that helps!
Dale
EDIT: Thought maybe I should add the following. I have tried several Droid Tablets/Pads and sent them back. Without Dexters mod, this one is not bad. With Dexter's mod it is near perfect (multi-touch would be nice). I am planning to develop software on it and use it as a organizational tool. I have DesktopToGo for editing office products and that works really good. PDF's rock. Music is pretty good (although my Archos 705 has my entire music collection on it with room for a lot more and several movies). I am using compiled help files (have extensive collection of ebooks in PDF format and CHM format) and those are awesome. I can tether this with my Droid phone and it in effect has 3G with no additional expense. I can VNC into my home computers and work computers and have full SSH access to all my servers. Several interesting games are awesome and I can keep up on Facebook and Twitter including playing a couple FaceBook games (and search for my previous posts and you can find out how to update Facebook). The face to face video/front facing video is not a huge item I would use, but it would definitely be adequate. Volume from the speakers is low, but works. Battery life is fine. I guess I am not sure what more I could want to do with it that I haven't been able to figure out. So for me, and mostly because of Dexter's MOD, IT IS A KEEPER!
I am about to try Dexter's mod at version 1.2 when I get home from work tonight.
So far I was on the fence about this device. I think for me I really wanted 3.0 on it and I did not have the patience to wait until 3.0 was released and there was some time for tablet makers to catch up. So in part my dilemna with this device is my own fault for being impatient. That being said I think there was some mis-information out there in regards to the touch screen which is one of the reasons I bought this device for future upgrade.
Now I see for $100 more I can have all I wanted in the newer device about to be on pre-order feb 15th. Of course $300 was a stretch for me so $400 is out of the question. I thought of returning this and getting a nook but the Tegra is so snappy and I just do not know if the Nook will be as responsive as the Elocity is but at least I know someone has already put 3.0 on that device.
My thinking is that there are so many talented and genius type developers who love to tinker and Dexter is one of those who I am so impressed and grateful to that at some point they will figure a way to get 3.0 on here some how!!
However, as you stated so well in your post as it is right now this device really is very nice. It does a heck of a lot and does it pretty well.
I have been thinking despite its shortcomings and unless you spend a lot of cash most of these devices have some shortcomings that I will say almost it is a keeper!! She is so close!!
I am hopeful that when I get Dexters Mod I will be equally happy and it may just lean the tipping machine in favor of the Elocity.
Rob
If you want Honeycomb for $300 or less, I don't really see any other options than the Nook Color.
Most of the information in this post is covered in various threads but I was recently looking for various options for playing video on my XOOM and found it frustrating having to look all over the place. I'd like to try and make this a comprehensive guide to playing video on the XOOM, including streaming over wifi, playing directly from the device etc.
Before you read on...
This isn't always a necessary step, but whenever you plan to interact with your device via USB you should ensure you have the latest version of the USB drivers from Motorola. In my case I was able to access the XOOM and move files to it without any specific drivers, but it's a good idea to keep them up-to-date to avoid potential frustration. Of course if you need to use ADB, you will absolutely need the latest drivers or you'll have no luck at all.
Playing directly from the XOOM
This is obviously the simplest solution, copying the video files onto your XOOM and playing them directly. This won't be the most appropriate solution for those of you with extensive digital media libraries, but we'll cover solutions for that later.
Plug your XOOM into your PC using a micro-USB to USB cable, one of which is typically provided in the box. You'll see your device pop up under "Computer" (Windows 7 & Vista) or "My Computer" (Windows XP).
Double click the device and you'll see that you're able to directly access the device's internal storage.
Double click that and you'll now be looking at all the folders and files on your device
You can now copy files to the device as though it was any other folder on your computer. Feel free to create a folder (I use one called "Files from Computer") if you'd like to keep your copied files separate from the system created stuff.
Choose your player! With all the files copied over to the XOOM, you're ready to play them but you'll first need a decent player capable of playing a range of formats. A couple of my favourites are:
vPlayer
Rockplayer
If there are others that should be added to this list, let me know.
You're all done - either of the above players should be able to play most video files, though I can't say I've really pushed them as most of my files are just XviD avi's. In my experience I've found vPlayer to be slightly better than Rockplayer especially when it comes to seeking, but Rockplayer's free version is an ad-supported full version and vPlayer's is just a temporary trial so it comes down to preference and willingness to pay for a little extra functionality.
Streaming over Wi-fi
This is going to be the preferred solution for many people, since it doesn't involve any copying/moving of files and will allow you to access that media library that you've spent so much time meticulously organising. There's a few different approaches here, I'll cover the simplest approach first.
Streaming from TVersity
If you already have TVersity set up, then you won't need to do much at all and you can skip straight to step 3. Otherwise, you can follow these directions to get it up and running.
Head to TVersity.com and grab the latest version of TVersity. I won't go through the setup and so forth as it's all pretty straightforward and is covered well in TVersity's own documentation.
Once you have TVersity set up, add your video directories to the library and (optional, but preferable) give your computer a static IP address on the network.
Open up your browser on the XOOM and navigate to "YOUR-IP-ADDRESS:41952".
You should see a TVersity page load up with various navigation options. From here it's pretty obvious how to drill down through your folders and locate any file you'd like to play. When you click a file to play it, you will be able to choose which media player you'd like to handle the file in. I've found vPlayer is capable of seeking and will play it quite nicely, but Rockplayer works well also, just without the ability to seek.
Mounting a Network Share
This is more complicated for the novice user (me, for example) but it works well enough and the end result is a little more user friendly once you get there. The major drawback with this one is you must root your device for this method. If you don't want to root your device, you'll need to use one of the other methods discussed in this post. This method allows you to mount a folder that you've shared over the network so that it can be accessed on the tablet as though it's actually a part of the tablet's file structure. This means that almost all video players should simply play the files without too much trouble (at least, theoretically; I can confirm vPlayer and Rockplayer as working with this method).
There are two apps capable of mounting shares, but before we get into that we'll need to ensure you have a CIFS module installed. If you're like me, you're probably wondering wtf a CIFS module is. When you root your device (I used the "one click" process described in this thread) you'll need to find a "cifs.ko" file that matches the particular kernal you've installed. If you use the aforementioned method, you'll find a cifs.ko file you can use inside the zip file (inside the "timat" folder).
Once you have the module use Root Explorer to copy it (or use adb to push it) to this location: /system/lib/modules/cifs.ko and then reboot your XOOM. If you have adb installed on your computer, you can use these steps to verify that it's loaded:
Code:
adb shell
lsmod
You'll be wanting to see the CIFS module in the list as a loaded module. If it's not loaded try typing:
Code:
insmod /system/lib/modules/cifs.ko
If you get an error like I did saying "exec format error" it means you've got the wrong cifs.ko for your kernal, so you'll need to poke around some more and locate the right one.
Congratulations, if you've made it this far you've completed the hardest part - the rest is easy.
Make sure you have an actual folder shared to "Everyone" on your network. Optionally, but preferably, give your computer a static IP address. If you don't do this you'll need to change your settings every time your computer gets a new IP.
Install "Mount Manager" or "CIFS Manager" from the android market. I'll give instructions for CIFS Manager but Mount Manager is just as good and works just fine if you'd rather use that.
Open CIFS Manager. You'll need to do this from the "My Apps" section of the market because for some reason it won't start from a shortcut or from the apptray - annoying!
Open the app-menu and select "Add New Share..."
Your share path should be: "IP-ADDRESS/FOLDER-NAME"
Your mount point will be the location you'd like to mount the share to on your internal memory. By default it likes to mount in "/mnt/cifs/FOLDER-NAME", but this is really up to you. Pick whatever you like here and then go to the next field.
Username/password will be a valid account you can use on the computer hosting the share. I just used my regular Windows 7 account here.
Click "Save Share".
Long-press the new share you've created and then select the option "Mount" when it comes up.
If all is well the icon on the right will turn green and you can now access your share by browsing to your mount point in your favourite video player.
Encoding video for optimal playback
-- COMING SOON --
Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I had a lot of trouble filtering through all the different posts on this topic and it took a lot of time for me to eventually find and experiment with each of these different options. Hopefully I've saved you all some time and helped out with some of the sticking points you might encounter. If anyone has anything they think I should add, just let me know.
I do plan on adding a section for streaming over 3G, but since I haven't tried it myself (I have a wifi-only XOOM) I can't really contribute to that side of things yet.
If you catch any typos or errors in the above text, please let me know asap and I'll fix them right up. This is my first thread here, and I haven't even made 8 posts yet so I couldn't include external URLs, I'll go through and edit some useful links in as soon as I'm able.
With my AFTV2 currently broken down about one day after I set it up - I mentally went through some of the steps I'm likely to repeat very soon and - also seeing that some people in here still are struggling with some aspects of it, that I already learned long ago how to cope with - I thought I share some of my reflections.
This is by the way not meant to be a usability review - or tips guide of Amazons own interface - which I find abysmal for the most part. Let them struggle on their own - and also, for some reason there already are in depth "reviews" of it on aftvnews (which I came to slowly accept and even somewhat like.. ) - which mostly highlight aspects of it deemed positive. Bravo and lull Amazon into false confidence I say...
So here we go.
1. Best launcher (rooted or not) still is Firestarter. Basically because of its deep integration to app settings - which allows you to stop apps, delete their data or uninstall them in the fastest way possible. You'll need it more often than you think and its great that its there.
Change icon PPI to 144 and for your own sake - change the background to something more uplifting and also enable the text background bubbles so you get a higher text contrast, regardless of the BG image you chose.
2. Fire OS v5 and its limitation to one adb connection only isnt the enormous setback I thought it would be. Firestarter literally changes its default automatically within the first 3 seconds of it not being able to access adb - and the one click>double click combo to launch it from anywhere is good enough. Also in OS 5 there are no screen transitions, so switching to Firestarter feels more "instant".
Not having Firestarter use adb frees up you using adb from different devices. Once you are connected via adb from a PC f.e. you can also open different shells, or transfer a file and simultaneously perform another action in the shell - so thats a non issue. Also I rewrote all the scripts I use to cleanly exit adb with adb disconnect - and ultimately that works fine.
Through the two days of setting the Fire TV up and testing use cases I got a "cant connect via adb" error (because there already was another process using it) only twice - which in return can be promptly fixed by toggling adb on and off - and again - Firestarter provides a shortcut to that menu as well - so its fast, and if you use adb disconnect as intended, you dont need it very often.
3. Drop adbFire or equivalent "Helper Tools" as fast as possible - because they prevent you from learning even the simplest command line instruction, that will speed up your life in the long term. Seriously - just do it.
Also, explore the file structure of Kodi and the Fire TV (as in "look at it", try to make sense of it - not as in "I wander what happens if I delete this..."), so you can actually learn how they work. This again brings me back to the do not use adbFire or other "prepackaged" (and poorly laid out and documented) tools.
4. If you transfer single files - and most of them you usually want to drop to /sdcard/ first, you use the adb push command, because it simply turns out to be the fastest way to move stuff - at least if your OS allows you to drop a file onto the command line window to autopopulate the filepath.
If you want to transfer files and folders not directly located in /sdcard/ - either use something more GUI orientated - like AAFM ( https://github.com/sole/aafm ) (Windows cant use it to its fullest extent in its current state (on Windows you can use Total Commander (Windows Version - this time it will cost you something ) - which also has an adb plugin available) and or - zip the folder you want to transfer locally, then push it to /sdcard/ and then use Total Commander to unzip it into its desired location on the Fire TV.
Transferring .zip files wirelessly ultimately almost always turns out to be faster than transferring the individual files themselves. That also goes for zipping files on the AFTV using Total Commander, and then backing them up to a PC.
5. Use Total Commander. No seriously, download it from the Amazon App Store today. I know how popular ES File Explorer became from being the only free filemanager left, that was popular back in the day - but its approach to be iconographic to a fault and hiding away features in sub menus hurts its usability on any device where you try to perform actions with a remote. TC is simply better suited for the usecase.
TC also can write to the sdcard1 partition in Android 5 - either using root, or using a scripted workaround - so you generally dont have the "its not writable" issue. Also adb shell with su can write to it as well - so also use that if you need to.
You can also install Total Commanders LAN plugin ( http://www.ghisler.com/androidplugins/ ) and thereby access network shares.
6. There even is a usecase for the Amazon Voice button - because from Kodi - you can use it to launch Total Commander with just three button presses (say: "Total Commander") - which is faster than it was before - and you can also exit back to Kodi with only a few presses of the back button. Other than for this, the voice button of course is entirely useless - as we generally arent especially interested in how bad the Amazon Store is stocked (at least over here in europe... ).
7. Dont use the RC3 of Kodi 16 (Jarvis) right now. With Kodi 14.2 and 15.2 you can pause a video, drop back to Amazons launcher, then into Firestarter - then launch another app, then leave it and return to Kodi - with the video (usually - if you have enough free memory) still being in the paused state. In RC3 for Kodi 16, the video auto stops as soon as you switch away from Kodi - which in the long run causes much frustration and the need for additional button presses. Just remember to manually stop a video if you dont plan on returning to it anytime soon so Kodis bookmark your current position feature triggers.
8. If you want to install a Kodi repo - its much faster to download it as a .zip file and then adb push it to /sdcard/ where Kodi can find and install it - than to "start typing" anything in Kodi itself.
At some point - create a shell script for your pc that allows adb to connect to your Fire TVs IP address by just typing adb.sh (for example) - so you dont have to type in your Fire TVs ip address each time you want to connect to it.
9. If you dont already have a NAS -get an old router with an USB port that runs dd-wrt and has NTFS support (= all newer firmwares with at least 16mb package size should have it integrated - if you use ddwrt, even some with a 8mb package size). You get a very low power NAS that also can mirror as an FTP server (faster file transfers), and can become a torrent box in case you use that stuff. The negative only is - that with 4.5-6MB/s transferspeeds tops (WLAN, but actually limited by the individual routers CPU - they are low powered, remember) compressed 1080p is the most you can wish for - out of a 10-30 USD device. Preferably run it as a stand alone and not as your main router (reboots can be performed without bringing down your whole network, processor load, ...).
edit:
10. Kodi runs a little faster on the AFTV2 than on the Fire TV Sticks - which turns out to cut out just the right amounts of seconds on Kodi plugins with an "lets aggregate everything" approach.
You failed to mention what is "broken down" lol
You did quite abit of modding there so what "broke" it.
Playing a GPU intensive 3D game and then watching a video.
No, really.
The part you describe as "modding" went perfectly well - and what I describe above is mostly normal Android use for anyone not depending on "prefab click button to do thingy" stuff. Thats actually what I want this community to explore more - because at some point it literally becomes pointless - watching another in depth video analysis of Amazon taking out a row of items from their spreadsheet inspired Smart TV interface..
Amazon should have done more chip testing before they let their devices out of their factories. Or they should have done more testing regarding the 5.0.5 update. Slowly rolling out firmware updates in case you missed something important - is no substitute for proper testing...
All banter aside - the rooting process doesnt modify the kernel of the device, and on mine the GPU seems to have run into problems. From "working perfectly fine" to "full brick" (slightly different colors of black screens flashing, then settling on a full black screen) after playing a game and then watching a video.
AFTV - quality you can trust in.
Also - somehow its curious - when you buy a laptop these days - where you have root rights from the start, most complaining centers around stuff the manufacturer has messed up in producing the device and the software. But if you - as a manufacturer - take away the actual rights (permissions) from people - the discussion suddenly shifts to "OMG what have you done to the device".
But people usually dont get suddenly less educated or less cautious, once you take certain rights away from them - so the only explanation I have come up with is, that actually taking away permissions and property rights from people for some reason surfaces more voices that now very publicly campaign for this being a much more desirable state in the first place.
On a related note - If I had bricked my device during the rooting process, or while the TWRP custom recovery was installed - or by modifying system files (which now that TWRP runs on the Fire TV is easier to fix then ever), my first action would have been to give a full report of what happened (which I have actually done in a separate thread, in this case as well), so potential flaws or stumbling blocks in the rooting method could have been sussed out.
Mine has had 0 issues.. then again i rooted mine and have twrp, xposed, adaway, v4a, play store, firestarter, busybox, kodi, plex leanback youtube, debloated (removed most Amazecrap) etc.
Does more than I expected and then some.. even better than Nexus Player imo
Good - then we only agree that it isnt the rooting process.
And with TWRP you now have the means to entirely wipe and factory reset the device - so even if you for some reason had messed up the entire system partition (system files) - you still have a fallback, in fact a much better one than on a stock Fire TV, to "start over".
But that sadly doesnt fix hardware issues. Believe me, I tried. And documented it along the way. Look for it in another thread.
edit: Also this isnt me taking a jab at the device itself. I dont agree with Amazons product policies (= politics), but I was perfectly happy with my AFTV 2 as well. For as long as it worked..
In fact my fall back was to go back to the Fire TV Stick I had still laying around and I had the same functionality back (including all this "modding" you see in the OP ) within around 15 seconds (I missed the power socket in the wall twice... ).
harlekinrains said:
Good - then we only agree that it isnt the rooting process.
And with TWRP you now have the means to entirely wipe and factory reset the device - so even if you for some reason had messed up the entire system partition (system files) - you still have a fallback, in fact a much better one than on a stock Fire TV, to "start over".
But that sadly doesnt fix hardware issues. Believe me, I tried. And documented it along the way. Look for it in another thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea.. no device is perfect lol.. but the fact it has a gpu processor (when it works) is great! probably one of the cheaper 4k capable boxes available..
For the price, its a great option with root/recovery for what it does do and to achieve what its capable of.. theres bound to be a few bad devices and surely pushed to the max it can die
Sure.
Love the device. Dont love Amazons policies and product politics. Will use any chance to heckle them, that comes my way.
Thats me in a nutshell.
If you like the product, but dont like the company, their Store UI, their Store, the way they managed their store (app removals) in the past, the content thats in their store, their "underground" store program (that puts price pressure on devs)... thats not only possible - but also valid.
I dont think of Amazon as "a package deal".
When I criticize certain aspects of their infrastructure, I dont say that others are bad.
And I also dont proclaim that there is a high failure rate with Fire TV 2s on the 5.0.5 firmware. For me its just a nuisance and another chance to throw some banter..
But look - there is also something good, that came from it - I wrote an entire post about usability and how to best interact with the Fire TV on 5.0.5.
Because people just demanding updates (and root) - isnt enough..
yea.. i can write a banter on any device lol..
chromecast is great but cant say i like it..
the stick is worse..
nexus player is decent but also limited and if you install a full rom its essentially no longer a nexus player etc.
Deleted
Just one little additional tidbit -
Amazon still prevents the Fire TV 2 from using SD Cards formated with exFat. They literally write it out of their firmwares. Their Fire tablets of course support it - because, well its fun to play with your customer, and prevent usecases you see unfit for your current business model.
If you by any chance have purchased a 64GB Micro SD - Windows doesnt allow you to format it in Fat 32 - but this can be circumvented, by following this tutorial:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/sdxc_formatting.md
Of course the 4GB filesize limit still holds up.
edit: Also tested Kodi 15.2 by now - which shows the same pause state/app switching behavior as 14.2. I've edited the OP to reflect that.
harlekinrains said:
Just one little additional tidbit -
Amazon still prevents the Fire TV 2 from using SD Cards formated with exFat. They literally write it out of their firmwares. Their Fire tablets of course support it - because, well its fun to play with your customer, and prevent usecases you see unfit for your current business model.
If you by any chance have purchased a 64GB Micro SD - Windows doesnt allow you to format it in Fat 32 - but this can be circumvented, by following this tutorial:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/sdxc_formatting.md
Of course the 4GB filesize limit still holds up.
edit: Also tested Kodi 15.2 by now - which shows the same pause state/app switching behavior as 14.2. I've edited the OP to reflect that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kodi installs repos fine for me on 15.2.. of course i dont use the remote I use the fire tv app and then the keyboard so it doesnt take forever
It does on all versions.
Installing repos by downloading their .zip files first, then pushing them to /sdcard/ using -
adb push /path/to/zipfile.zip /sdcard/
is just faster - because you dont have to type something you see on one screen, letter by letter - into an app on another screen. You download the file, you open a command line window, type adb push , then drag/drop the downloaded file onto the command line window to get its filepath into it - then finish typing /sdcard/ and press enter. In Kodi you then just use the "install from zip file" option.
You dont switch devices, you dont switch keyboards, you dont have to look at two screens, you dont have to copy a url. But using a BT keyboard probably in the end isnt that much slower...
Its just good practice to not see the Fire TV (stick) as a device that has to be managed on its own. It is a always on, connected Android device. You can look at its contents, you can move files from and to it, you can give it instructions...
adb and adb shell
make it open enough.
Two more usability tips.
1. If you are rooted, sideload WiFi ADB ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttxapps.wifiadb ) - its just a quicker way of disabling and reenabling ADB - when you cant connect (since 5.0.5 the Fire TV only allows one ADB connection at a time) from your PC.
I also tried to replace adbd (the adb daemon file on the FIre TV) - but so far have only found one from API level 21 (and Fire TV 5.0.5 needs 22 (as it is based on Android 5.1)) - that one didnt work at all. Even if replacing it with the exact API 22 version would work, this doesnt necessarily mean that the "one adb connection limit" is gone - but it is something I though would be worth giving a try.
2. If you have WiFi connection issues on a Fire TV 2 - especially with the Fire TV repeatedly failing to connect, It turns out that Amazons Wifi Implementation REALLY, REALLY wants you to have WMM enabled on your router. If you don't the connection tends to drop every day and the Fire TV then has problems to reconnect. With WMM enabled I now run three days without the slightest issue - and I also have changed WiFi networks within seconds, and not as previously - it taking about 10 minutes until thats successful. Before I came by this little quirk of the FIre TV , switching bands - even temporarily on 2.4 GHz would kickstart the Fire TV reconnecting to the same AP, just fyi.
Also when you are on the 5 GHz band, the Fire TV has a "drop off" if you are on any band higher than the first few (five or six), the Fire TV has problems even "seeing" the network. Also the last channel it still "sees" it has problems connecting to - so drop even one below that if you want it running on 5 GHz.
This quirk is more widely reported than the first one, but just as annoying.
Also just a big "really?!" into Amazons direction for messing up the Wifi implementation on the device this badly. I'm sure MediaTeks proprietary drivers play a part in this, as might the Fire TV 2 always running its own ad hoc WiFi network in the background - but still Amazon is selling that stuff.
I could test it with two different routers - on largely uncongested bands in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz space - and I have half a dozen other devices that never displayed any problems with the way I had my network set up in the past - but for the Fire TV 2 I had to reconfigure my routers just so it would stop dropping out - or start finding the respective network in the first place.
Hi all,
first of all I am pretty much beginner level for Android rooting.
Actually what I want to do is play around a bit with the system files and see if I can find some way to turn off HDMI CEC. There is some post here where someone did this by modifying a file on the Amazon FireTV.
But for starters I am even failing to access the file system via my PC
I have rooted following the tutorials, I have installed ES File Explorer , I have granted root to ES Explorer when the SuperSU popup appeared (and it also shows as being granted in the SuperSU app).
Also I enabled Root Explorer in ES File Explorer.
Then when activating Remote Manager when /sdcard is set as FTP root directory I can access the file system (below /sdcard) via FTP from my PC and do see the files - so FTP access basically works and I am pretty sure there is no issue on the PC side.
However when I set / as FTP root directory and then connect from my PC via FTP (using Total Commander, FileZilla.... the client makes no difference) then I can't see anything at all, it lists an empty directory (or not even that as on an empty directory I'd have the ".." entry and I don't even have that.
Also when I try setting anything else except /sdcard as FTP root directory in Remote Manager in ES File Explorer it's the same thing.
It seems when accessing the file system via FTP I just don't have the necessary privileges to browse the root file system.
Within ES File Explorer itself on the other hand it's no problem to browse everything, there I do seem to have the necessary privileges.
Can anyone help me please, either this is an issue with rooting on the Shield or with ES File Explorer on the Shield or I am making some dummy mistake.
I have searched on Google for hours looking for a solution to this but I hardly even find people having this problem.
So now I am a bit puzzled.
How is one supposed to gain access to the root file system via the PC?
Also how do I get SSH access with root privileges?
tbh this all seems a bit strange to me, I am rooted, but it seems almost impossible to gain access to the root file system from the PC!?
I am also amazed because something like this can be achieved on any jailbroken iOS device by any beginner within 5 minutes without any issues, and I always thought for the much more open Android environment there would be 100s of entry paths and 1000s of tutorials but I seem to find hardly anything at all and after hours and hours of trying and research I still fail even accessing the damn root file system from my PC
FireAustria said:
Hi all,
first of all I am pretty much beginner level for Android rooting.
Actually what I want to do is play around a bit with the system files and see if I can find some way to turn off HDMI CEC. There is some post here where someone did this by modifying a file on the Amazon FireTV.
But for starters I am even failing to access the file system via my PC
I have rooted following the tutorials, I have installed ES File Explorer , I have granted root to ES Explorer when the SuperSU popup appeared (and it also shows as being granted in the SuperSU app).
Also I enabled Root Explorer in ES File Explorer.
Then when activating Remote Manager when /sdcard is set as FTP root directory I can access the file system (below /sdcard) via FTP from my PC and do see the files - so FTP access basically works and I am pretty sure there is no issue on the PC side.
However when I set / as FTP root directory and then connect from my PC via FTP (using Total Commander, FileZilla.... the client makes no difference) then I can't see anything at all, it lists an empty directory (or not even that as on an empty directory I'd have the ".." entry and I don't even have that.
Also when I try setting anything else except /sdcard as FTP root directory in Remote Manager in ES File Explorer it's the same thing.
It seems when accessing the file system via FTP I just don't have the necessary privileges to browse the root file system.
Within ES File Explorer itself on the other hand it's no problem to browse everything, there I do seem to have the necessary privileges.
Can anyone help me please, either this is an issue with rooting on the Shield or with ES File Explorer on the Shield or I am making some dummy mistake.
I have searched on Google for hours looking for a solution to this but I hardly even find people having this problem.
So now I am a bit puzzled.
How is one supposed to gain access to the root file system via the PC?
Also how do I get SSH access with root privileges?
tbh this all seems a bit strange to me, I am rooted, but it seems almost impossible to gain access to the root file system from the PC!?
I am also amazed because something like this can be achieved on any jailbroken iOS device by any beginner within 5 minutes without any issues, and I always thought for the much more open Android environment there would be 100s of entry paths and 1000s of tutorials but I seem to find hardly anything at all and after hours and hours of trying and research I still fail even accessing the damn root file system from my PC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you doing this to just turn off HDMI CEC? You can do that without root on stock in the settings>HDMI
I haven't rooted my Shield TV pro. I prefer it stock with the lean back launcher so I can't help accessing the root file system.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Acid0057 said:
Are you doing this to just turn off HDMI CEC? You can do that without root on stock in the settings>HDMI
I haven't rooted my Shield TV pro. I prefer it stock with the lean back launcher so I can't help accessing the root file system.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well basically yes I am doing this only for the HDMI CEC. It is kind of a big deal in actual usage of my Shield actually.
Apparently there is a bug in the Shield firmware related to HDMI CEC, that for me (and many others) results in this behavior when the Shield TV is connected to an AV receiver.
In my case the Shield is connected to an Onkyo TX-RZ3100 and then from there to a Samsung TV.
HDMI CEC is enabled on both because if it wasn't then the ARC audio return channel wouldn't work (but this is needed, otherwise I won't have audio when watching terrestrial TV which is being received by the Samsung TV).
Now what happens is that whenever I turn on the TV, then the AV receiver also switches on via HDMI CEC (in this case this is wanted and normal behavior).
However when the Shield is connected to the AV receiver (which it normally is), then the Shield will *also* turn itself on and switch the AV receiver to the input of the Shield.
So e.g. if I want to turn on the TV to play with the PS4, then I end up with the Onkyo turning on, showing me the PS4 screen as the AV receiver is switched to the input of the PS4. But then 20s later suddenly the Shield turns itself on and switches the Onkyo to its input.
So the end result is this: whenever I turn on the TV to do anything else (PS4, satellite receiver, HTPC, cable box....) then 20s later the Shield will switch to its input and force me to manually switch back to what what I actually intended to watch.
It looks like the issue was introduced with the 5.x firmware as it didn't happen before.
Now you say I should switch off HDMI CEC via settings - however there are no settings to switch it off unfortunately.
There is no Settings/HDMI (in 5.x) .
What's there is Settings / Display & Sound / Power Control, and there you can switch "CEC TV on" and "CEC TV off", however this only controls whether the Shield will turn on (or off) the TV when switching it on/off - and I have these settings set to disabled. But this doesn't help.
Unless I am missing some other settings there seems to be no way to completely switch off HDMI CEC via the UI.
Ah so turning off CEC TV in the normal settings doesn't solve it. Yes that's the options I did mean. In Display and Sound. Sorry I can't be more help. Maybe try the app Settings Editor in the play store on the shield. It might have the settings to completely disable CEC
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk