[Q] Local Streaming/Plex & Alternatives - Nexus Player Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey guys, I just pulled the trigger and bought a Nexus Player, currently im a kernel developer for the Nexus 4/5/7, will be checking into optimizing it and adding some features, but first I got a question. I know plex only works with plex pass customers, can you sideload the plex app? Looking to save some money, already bought the plex app for android and have an insanely large collection running on a Plex media server, is there any DLNA apps that are Android TV Sexy as an alternative? Getting mine in next week, can't wait
Thanks
defcon

Yes you can side load it with sideload launcher. But as far as the sexiness I would imagine its less than stellar. I've noticed most apps run great that are side loaded but the screen resolution for the apps are not optimized for the player. Meaning some apps will cut off the sides or top of the screen.
However on the plus side...
The plexpass app for the player looks and functions beautifully.
Super easy and fast to navigate.
I was very impressed with the plexpass app.
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

defconoi said:
Hey guys, I just pulled the trigger and bought a Nexus Player, currently im a kernel developer for the Nexus 4/5/7, will be checking into optimizing it and adding some features, but first I got a question. I know plex only works with plex pass customers, can you sideload the plex app? Looking to save some money, already bought the plex app for android and have an insanely large collection running on a Plex media server, is there any DLNA apps that are Android TV Sexy as an alternative? Getting mine in next week, can't wait
Thanks
defcon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. The sideload version *works*, but the official version is so much better. SIdeload one doesn't show on homescreen, no 5.1 surround, no display of movies on home screen, no searchability. Official does 5.1 passthrough, can be searched from the menu, and is aesthetically perfect for the Nexus Player.
Historically, plex pass-only features make their way to the regular app after a month or two. In this case, at least for me, I am absolutely fine with paying $4 or $8 for such an amazing UI. Oh, and it does all kinds of neat category sections when browsing - "Top movies by Ivan Reitman" or "Top unwatched Comedy" if you watch a lot of comedies. It's almost netflix-like...but even better looking.
Also, if you're gonna use it...get a USB NIC adapter. Even over AC, HD streaming is laggy. Having a solid LAN connection will always trump wifi in my mind.

digitalhigh said:
What he said. The sideload version *works*, but the official version is so much better. SIdeload one doesn't show on homescreen, no 5.1 surround, no display of movies on home screen, no searchability. Official does 5.1 passthrough, can be searched from the menu, and is aesthetically perfect for the Nexus Player.
Historically, plex pass-only features make their way to the regular app after a month or two. In this case, at least for me, I am absolutely fine with paying $4 or $8 for such an amazing UI. Oh, and it does all kinds of neat category sections when browsing - "Top movies by Ivan Reitman" or "Top unwatched Comedy" if you watch a lot of comedies. It's almost netflix-like...but even better looking.
Also, if you're gonna use it...get a USB NIC adapter. Even over AC, HD streaming is laggy. Having a solid LAN connection will always trump wifi in my mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you recommend a NIC adapter? I bought one on Amazon and it doesn't work with the Nexus Player. It's supposed to be pretty much automatic once connected, right?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KBZF20W/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

defconoi said:
Hey guys, I just pulled the trigger and bought a Nexus Player, currently im a kernel developer for the Nexus 4/5/7, will be checking into optimizing it and adding some features, but first I got a question. I know plex only works with plex pass customers, can you sideload the plex app? Looking to save some money, already bought the plex app for android and have an insanely large collection running on a Plex media server, is there any DLNA apps that are Android TV Sexy as an alternative? Getting mine in next week, can't wait
Thanks
defcon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree with the others... I sideloaded and bought the plex pass.. IMHO, not worth the extra money... Sideloaded version works just fine.. I personally dont need the bells and whistles of searching for movies or seeing suggestions from the home screen.
You can easily see the app via Sideload Launcher... Plex works perfectly on both the sideloaded and the plex pass version.

defconoi said:
Hey guys, I just pulled the trigger and bought a Nexus Player, currently im a kernel developer for the Nexus 4/5/7, will be checking into optimizing it and adding some features, but first I got a question. I know plex only works with plex pass customers, can you sideload the plex app? Looking to save some money, already bought the plex app for android and have an insanely large collection running on a Plex media server, is there any DLNA apps that are Android TV Sexy as an alternative? Getting mine in next week, can't wait
Thanks
defcon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I side loaded Plex for android but it pretty much unusable for me. Any of my files with DTS audio will not play with sound when forcing direct play (no transcoding). Basically audio pass through for all 5.1 formats is broke.
Kodi/xbmc works as it supposed to but that is not how I want my player to function I feel like I'm booting into another os to play my media. I want the full integration with the launcher and search. Kodi does not do this.
Lastly I have a HD homerun prime that will stream my Comcast cable to my network devices. They are working on a app but from what I have been reading there is no MPEG2 hardware decoding. Seems Asus or google didn't license the codec. Huge fail for me and has got me contemplating on retuning it. A question for you could this codec be added with a custom kernel or rom? Or is this entirely at the mercy of Asus or google? If this won't be implemented im sending it back.
I love the player interface because of it simplicity my family immediately picked it up and figured it out unlike my kodi/xbmc setups. So if I can get the updated interface Plex app with out paying a monthly subscription and mpeg2 hardware decoding support I will purchase one for every TV. Until then this device isn't cutting it for me.
Guys with Plex pass....is direct play and audio pass through for DTS working for you?

WhiteWidows said:
I side loaded Plex for android but it pretty much unusable for me. Any of my files with DTS audio will not play with sound when forcing direct play (no transcoding). Basically audio pass through for all 5.1 formats is broke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you install Plex For Android, I recommend changing the layout to tv rather than mobile, then set the Device Media Profile to "External Player." If you pair that with a good video player app, you can play almost anything (even with dts) stutter-free without needing to transcode. I use MX Player with the x86 version of DTS custom codec, and all hardware decoding options enabled; works perfectly so far. Hopefully the officially supported Plex app will re-add some of these features in time; I don't understand why the ui was completely changed and most of the advanced features/options removed to "best support" the Nexus Player, when the ui of Plex For Android is working lightning fast with no major issues so far.

Ok audio passthrough works for both dts and dd?
What about direct playable video codecs? Is it like chromecast x264 only or does it support other codecs as well. I wish it played video as good as on my Samsung. Then it's a good option to our bedroom TV.
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MX Player? I have it working, but no 5.1 options.. I used the custom codec, and can play DTS, etc - but its all 2.0 - Are there no 5.1 pass through options that work? Does anything besides Netflix and Google Play even have any kind of 5.1 support?

biosystemics said:
If you install Plex For Android, I recommend changing the layout to tv rather than mobile, then set the Device Media Profile to "External Player." If you pair that with a good video player app, you can play almost anything (even with dts) stutter-free without needing to transcode. I use MX Player with the x86 version of DTS custom codec, and all hardware decoding options enabled; works perfectly so far. Hopefully the officially supported Plex app will re-add some of these features in time; I don't understand why the ui was completely changed and most of the advanced features/options removed to "best support" the Nexus Player, when the ui of Plex For Android is working lightning fast with no major issues so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didnt know the tv layout setting existed, thanks for that suggestion!
I have a plex server and I havent been able to get 5.1 to work with plex on the NP at all yet. Things I have tried:
-Plex for Android app
-Plex for Android app + MX Player as external player, with the custom codec pack
-Plex for PlexPass Users
XBMC Gotham does work like a charm for 5.1 audio. I connected it up to my media share, enabled Passthrough and Dolby Digital (AC3) capable receiver (Settings -Advanced Settings Level- > System > Audio)
I was not using any addons, btw.
I still have not tried XBMC Helix.
I prefer Plex's Interface and the Plex Server over XBMC's setup... So has anyone else figured out 5.1 audio for Plex on the Nexus Player? For me it really is not that big of an issue, the NP will be the entertainment box for the kid's tv (no surround system) upstairs, so I dont really require 5.1 audio... but I would still like it to work, and would consider it for my main system if it did.
---------- Post added at 12:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 AM ----------
d2globalinc said:
MX Player? I have it working, but no 5.1 options.. I used the custom codec, and can play DTS, etc - but its all 2.0 - Are there no 5.1 pass through options that work? Does anything besides Netflix and Google Play even have any kind of 5.1 support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sideloaded XBMC, with passthrough enabled in settings

ok just got the NP all hooked up, its badass, much better than roku/samsung smart bluray, I sideloaded plex but pulled the trigger on one month of plexpass, I hope they make it free/integrate it into the android app but I have a feeling they will change for the nexus player app seperately or require plexpass for good... Its really nice for now though. Sideloaded Kodi and that works great too.

Does sideload launcher show the sideloaded Plex app?
For some reason that is the only app that doesnt show in the sideload launcher for me.

psychicsword said:
Does sideload launcher show the sideloaded Plex app?
For some reason that is the only app that doesnt show in the sideload launcher for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope gotta launch it from app settings

defconoi said:
ok just got the NP all hooked up, its badass, much better than roku/samsung smart bluray, I sideloaded plex but pulled the trigger on one month of plexpass, I hope they make it free/integrate it into the android app but I have a feeling they will change for the nexus player app seperately or require plexpass for good... Its really nice for now though. Sideloaded Kodi and that works great too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you like it, as do I, I love the interface and voice search capabilities, but as everyone is saying its not a finished product. All I want to work right now is Plex 5.1 audio with no trans-coding, and MPEG2 hardware decoding. Then it will be perfect for my living room.
I see you said your a kernel dev, well im looking for some collaborators to get mpeg2 hw decoding working on this device. I opened a dev thread and have been trying to build ffmpeg into android x86 hoping this will enable it. So far my builds have been failing. If you can help me out drop me a pm.
Ive been going off this documentation.
https://software.intel.com/en-us/android/blogs/2013/12/06/building-ffmpeg-for-android-on-x86
Also have you herd any chatter on anyone working on a custom recover for the NP?

I have been using Kodi (formerly known as XBMC) and it works like a charm. I'm running the latest beta 2 version, so I experience a crash or two from time to time, but other than that it works wonderfully. 720p content scales up very nicely to my hd screen (even 480p). I have no issues streaming 1080p content from my NAS to the box. I have a 802.11ac network, and I have not tested it with a n network, though.

Related

[Q] video and DLNA/UPNP

Im kind of let down by the lack of video support. I have RockPlayer and MoboPlayer and Ive tried every UPNP app in the market. Music works great, no problems there, but video support is hit or miss (usually miss). I cant really put HD videos onto a 16GB ssd can I?
And whats the point of Flash if half the sites give me a "device not supported" warning? I may as well be browsing on my PS3.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ive used 2player, upnplayer, skifta, andromote and nothing works consistently
You can use the mynet application. It does upnp streaming.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App
I still have no idea how to stream videos or ebooks on this thing. Can someone write a small dummy's guide please.
here it's also a conundrum
I've read on e few places they use the MyNet from asus to view the movies
but on my Tf it only shows the music found on my upNp device no Photo's or vids...(even on the photo tab it's showing my music)
It's running on a WD myBook and that is running TwonkyServer, if I browse to it via a file explorer the file gets copied/cached so no streaming ...
So is the twonky to blame or the TF....
moo99 said:
Im kind of let down by the lack of video support. I have RockPlayer and MoboPlayer and Ive tried every UPNP app in the market. Music works great, no problems there, but video support is hit or miss (usually miss). I cant really put HD videos onto a 16GB ssd can I?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I put my video on a 32GB microsd. If you are trying to watch HD content that has issues fitting in 16GB then the bitrate is going to be too high to play anyway. Please remember that not long ago a 3ghz Pentium4 was having issues playing h.264 high profile well, this is the order of magnitude of the work we're expecting the Tegra2 GPU to do.
Since 3.1 I grab HD content from iPlayer and it generally weighs in at 800mb per hour, at that rate I can fill my Transformer with ~30hrs of video and still have plenty of space for music. I leave all the internal storage for apps and cache.
moo99 said:
And whats the point of Flash if half the sites give me a "device not supported" warning? I may as well be browsing on my PS3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never seen such a warning, I assume you're trying to use the locked-down US video sites like Hulu? Blame them,, they are choosing to lock out your device.
SilentMobius said:
Since 3.1 I grab HD content from iPlayer and it generally weighs in at 800mb per hour, at that rate I can fill my Transformer with ~30hrs of video and still have plenty of space for music. I leave all the internal storage for apps and cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you mind sharing how you do this? Are you using the iPlayer desktop Windpows program and stripping out the DRM or are you using some other method to watch iPlayer downloads on your TF? The iPlayer Android App doesn't work well with Honeycomb and I'd love to be able to watch BBC programmes offline while I'm away from home.
Thanks!
watch videos : mobo/rockplayer + upnplay rocks.
For anyone struggling with the rubbish Mynet app and similar streaming solutions, I can recommend Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/)
The Media Server is free and built on XBMC tech, so managed media flawlessly, and the app allows you to stream video/ music from your home computer to anywhere you like. Even works without stutter with HD MKVs.
funkybudda said:
For anyone struggling with the rubbish Mynet app and similar streaming solutions, I can recommend Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/)
The Media Server is free and built on XBMC tech, so managed media flawlessly, and the app allows you to stream video/ music from your home computer to anywhere you like. Even works without stutter with HD MKVs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want a good upnp client which allows streaming like upnplay. I don't want to install a new server on my nas.
funkybudda said:
For anyone struggling with the rubbish Mynet app and similar streaming solutions, I can recommend Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/)
The Media Server is free and built on XBMC tech, so managed media flawlessly, and the app allows you to stream video/ music from your home computer to anywhere you like. Even works without stutter with HD MKVs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
plex works very well...and it has impressed many of my friends.
I will check out Plex I guess. I know Im whining but Ive got a 2TB HDD that I keep my media on and transferring over every half gig HD video is foreign to me - my wifes windows laptop and my ps3 gladly stream it. Mynet works fine for music but doesnt work at all for most videos.
Yes, I was trying to get into NBc.com and hulu, but really, why do I have a different version of flash from windows and mac desktops? Not being able to alter my Browsers User agent string isnt helping either. I know Im just *****ing and I do appreciate al your comments. Youreright on every note, but honeycomb seems a step behind a ormal OS despite looking the same
There is a thread here on the requirements for encoding your videos for the TF. The TF cannot play RAW Bluray rips if that is what you are trying to do. Acutally no tablet will at the moment. You're only alternative is to get a transcoding streamer like VLC and VLC stream and convert, or tversity pro. I have not tried plex. The issue is that mp4 can only be streamed if the file is complete OR over RTSP/RTMP. I have used VLC but the video quality is pretty bad.
For mpeg-2(DVD) i use upnplay + Rockplayer and it works flawlessly.
I've tried the all (Plex included) and settled on upnplay + moboplayer
Based on advice in this thread, I tried Plex last night. The Plex app plays FLAC music just as well as the stock player, and the honeycomb presentation is good, they really enriched the content, although presentation is nowhere near the awesome stock music player UI feel. Video was good, although it was SD avi stuff on my network. No stuterring and no lag, very very responsive. Some odd behaviors at times, and the media scan has a couple of issues. They are supporting it though.
I uninstalled Mobo, Rock and UPnPlay, and shutdown Windows media connect service on my Atom-based W2K3 home server, and removed the Asus MyNet widget. UPNPlay and DLNA are great concepts, but the Asus implementation only supports what Mirosoft supports (meaning no FLAC). Google music will transcode my FLAC for storage. I got into android because of all these restrictions.
Plex did everything right, in one package, with honeycomb widescreen. Well worth my 5 bucks.

DLNA on CyanogenMod

I was trying to install Samsung's OEM DLNA software (AllShare) on CyanogenMod without success, I stumbled upon these two apps which work the same and/or better.
BubbleUPnP for streaming/server access/DLNA
MX Video Player for local rendering/playing
Streaming/seeking/buffering seems to work faster than AllShare ever did. Picture quality is great.
Cheers!
I'm fairly sure AllShare relys very heavily on touchwiz and samsung drm garbage they have loaded in stock (which are the biggest reasons stock is so much slower and worse on battery). Thanks for the recommendations.
Can't say I'm too supprised the 3rd party ones beat samsung's in performance and quality. AllShare was cool but it never worked all that great for me so I gave up.
I stumbled upon this thread when searching for a DLNA player. You should try "Skifta". It works as a DLNA Server, Remote Control and Player (if you have any player which can play network streams. MX Video Player works great for me). The UI is very straightforward and simple. It also worked with WMP12 as both Server and Remote Control without any issues. AllShare always had some trouble with it. It even plays MKV videos without hassles.
The best part is that Skifta is free.
I use BubbleUPNP all the time. It has a great interface and works very smoothly, it now even works over 3g/4g if you set up a server.
Udayakiran said:
I stumbled upon this thread when searching for a DLNA player. You should try "Skifta". It works as a DLNA Server, Remote Control and Player (if you have any player which can play network streams. MX Video Player works great for me). The UI is very straightforward and simple. It also worked with WMP12 as both Server and Remote Control without any issues. AllShare always had some trouble with it. It even plays MKV videos without hassles.
The best part is that Skifta is free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll check it out I just figured I should post this for all the idiots searching "allshare cm7" like I may have done for two days.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
+1111111111111 for Skifta
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
iuxpoli and
Hi, I'm not able to installa original DNLA.apk on cyanogenmod 7.2...
I used different other apk like BubbleUPNP, skifta and so on... but I have a problem.
It does not work the seek... I saw the video but I'm not able to go forward or backward with tap... the video duration is always set to 10h:00m:00s and does not recognize the exact lenght of the video.
Do you have hints?
CIAUZZZZZZ

Options for free streaming video?

What are the best ways to stream video from my linux server to an N7, over the internet?
What are the best websites that stream free video to an N7?
Thanks!
tlc
Bump I'd like to know this too.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
I set up MiniDLNA on my Linux Mint box and I'm using BubbleUPnP w/ Dice+plugin on my N7. MiniDLNA is lightweight, doesn't offer any fancy interface stuff and doesn't do transcoding, which is exactly what I wanted. Setup was a snap, and it actually took longer to figure out what ports to allow through the firewall than to get MiniDLNA installed and configured. There is just one config file to modify to tell it where to get at your media and what media types you want to show from that location, and that's pretty much it.
I have it list my movies and TV shows that I have stored (avi, mp4, mkv, etc.) and the N7 plays everything perfectly, even the HD stuff that my SGSII won't do cleanly (unless it's actually on the phone). I haven't tried any 1080 HD video though, just 720p high profile, and that much is working fine for me. This is all for my LAN of course, I probably would have gone with a different solution if I wanted access over the internet (automatic transcoding would really be needed there).
Don't have an answer to your second question though, I'm currently looking for the same info.
Plex
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
mtrs said:
I set up MiniDLNA on my Linux Mint box and I'm using BubbleUPnP w/ Dice+plugin on my N7.
...
This is all for my LAN of course, I probably would have gone with a different solution if I wanted access over the internet (automatic transcoding would really be needed there).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I clarified my first post to say I'm looking for something that streams my home media over the internet.
Besides the transcoding issue, IIRC, DLNA doesn't serve the WAN without VPN or ssh tunnels, right?
Plex is very good and in terms of the clients is very flexible (I have it running on my old Samsung blu ray player too!)
orcham sanctifier
tee el cee said:
Thanks. I clarified my first post to say I'm looking for something that streams my home media over the internet.
Besides the transcoding issue, IIRC, DLNA doesn't serve the WAN without VPN or ssh tunnels, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. If over-the-internet is what you need then I agree with everyone else, just go with Plex.
Streaming movies from the web.. Look up Amo Navi-X in the play store.
Have a look at polkast, got it on my NAS and works great.
fridgeman said:
Have a look at polkast, got it on my NAS and works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just sent mail to get the beta linux server.
ownCloud is a competitor in this space. Have you compared them?
tee el cee said:
I just sent mail to get the beta linux server.
ownCloud is a competitor in this space. Have you compared them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No not looked at anything else as Polkast is built into my NAS, and I dont think I can change it
I haven't bought the plex android app yet, but I tried plex with my linux server and a macbook client. For me, it's a big PITA to rename & reorganize my video files and hope that plex matches them correctly. And it's all for a fancy UI that I just want to get past and watch the vids. I may do it eventually though -- some of the streaming plugins look cool. It'd be really cool if I could get that tivo plugin working.
Something I found that works for me today is Air Video. Air Video is designed to serve iOS clients and doesn't advertise a Linux server. But there are server jar files available here and someone rolled an Ubuntu PPA here. And the "Mirage" android client works with it. I've tested with iOS clients and the N7 and it works well for both.
Air Video serving home video to an N7 on the internet.
Pros:
Simple server, Ubuntu PPA.
Serves iOS clients too.
Don't have to rename/reorganize your vids.
Password protected access.
Cons:
Vids only.
Mirage client takes IP address not host name.
For the N7, Air Video may be unnecessarily transcoding to an iOS friendly format.
Basic folder navigation UI.
Give tversity a shot, has a web interface and does transcode if you need it
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
I also use TVersity, streaming from a Windows PC. We usually watch videos on an Xbox 360 and TVersity seems to work best for that, but it also does a bang-up job with the Nexus 7. I use MediaHouse to discover it and MX Player to play the videos.
The only hitch is that DTS audio does not stream. TVersity transcodes, but I have not looked to see about changing the audio to something else.

Dolby Digital on Netflix

I noticed that Netflix only shows Stereo audio options on movies that offer 5.1 DD+. Does this mean that the Nexus Player cannot passthrough DD+ because my receiver supports it. I see no audio options in the player's settings either.
According to Netflix, 5.1 is supported on the Nexus Player (https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23004).
So, I'm not sure why it's not working, either. Still researching.
Android TV doesn't have any type of audio passthrough. Google is working on it though. But it can decode 5.1 to multichannel PCM... it's just netflix hasn't updated their app to take advantage of anything new in Android TV - doesn't use the voice search api, the api that adds suggestions to your home page, ect, ect.
well, according to netflix, the app on the nexus player works too.. which it obviously doesn't for half the users... so I'm not exactly inclined to trust them
Luxferro said:
Android TV doesn't have any type of audio passthrough. Google is working on it though. But it can decode 5.1 to multichannel PCM... it's just netflix hasn't updated their app to take advantage of anything new in Android TV - doesn't use the voice search api, the api that adds suggestions to your home page, ect, ect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Passthrough does work. I have kodi(xbmc) installed and it is passing through dd dd+ dts. My receiver changes to the corresponding mode and the audio is as it should. So this means the android os can pass through. The problem it's not Google. It's the app manufacturers.
pchtc said:
Passthrough does work. I have kodi(xbmc) installed and it is passing through dd dd+ dts. My receiver changes to the corresponding mode and the audio is as it should. So this means the android os can pass through. The problem it's not Google. It's the app manufacturers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong.
There is no passthrough in the default media player in Android TV (exoplayer)... yet (they are supposedly working on adding AC3 passthrough). XBMC (kodi) doesn't use androids stock media player for playback, it uses it's own that is built into the app... which is why passthrough works in that case.
Luxferro said:
Wrong.
There is no passthrough in the default media player in Android TV (exoplayer)... yet (they are supposedly working on adding AC3 passthrough). XBMC (kodi) doesn't use androids stock media player for playback, it uses it's own that is built into the app... which is why passthrough works in that case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not Wrong
Im well aware of that. My comment was specifically to point out that the issue is not hardware and not the android OS. Which you have just agreed with by starting that the issue is the native player not outputting in passthrough.
pchtc said:
Not Wrong
Im well aware of that. My comment was specifically to point out that the issue is not hardware and not the android OS. Which you have just agreed with by starting that the issue is the native player not outputting in passthrough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is almost never a problem at the hardware level for android devices. It's always at the OS level, and starts with the built in media player most apps use. This applies to the ADT-1, Nexus Player, even the Fire TV. Android has never had passthrough built in at the OS level, unless it was added by a device manufacture w/ their customized version of Android. Take for example Sony GTV devices, the Vizio Co-Star. Those only had it because they had customize builds of Android. The Nexus Player runs stock Android, which lacks passthrough at this time.
---------- Post added at 02:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 PM ----------
melophat said:
well, according to netflix, the app on the nexus player works too.. which it obviously doesn't for half the users... so I'm not exactly inclined to trust them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're having problems launching Netflix on Android TV, clear the app data. The app is very buggy on Android TV. Mine craps out constantly with login errors. Only workaround is to clear data and retype all your login info.
How the **** can they release a MEDIA Player without passthrough? I don't care if it can be accomplished with 3d party app like Kodi. This should be done with native player no questions asked. This is in my opinion a big fail.
Also the lack of hardware support for anything else than h264 is quite disappointing. ?
Johan1976 said:
How the **** can they release a MEDIA Player without passthrough? I don't care if it can be accomplished with 3d party app like Kodi. This should be done with native player no questions asked. This is in my opinion a big fail.
Also the lack of hardware support for anything else than h264 is quite disappointing. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, lack of native surround passthrough is really an embarrassment on Google's part. It really shows the lack of practical testing this device went through (if any at all). How did someone not say "wait a minute...you think we should enable surround sound passthrough? It is 2014 after all".
Johan1976 said:
How the **** can they release a MEDIA Player without passthrough? I don't care if it can be accomplished with 3d party app like Kodi. This should be done with native player no questions asked. This is in my opinion a big fail.
Also the lack of hardware support for anything else than h264 is quite disappointing. ��
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Google fails at seeing the big picture. People who invest in surround systems don't want audio decoded on the device to PCM, they want their expensive receivers to do the decoding. They should also be including mpeg2 hw decoding in all android tv devices if they intended these devices to do anything with live TV in the united states.
I'm hoping they turn things around, but remain skeptical considering the failures so far. Sony's 2015 line of smart tv's are supposed to be all Android TV... I hope they get it right...
Those TV's better have passthrough, better be able to pass 5.1 over ARC back to a receiver, and better have mpeg2 hw decoding. Do it right, or don't do it at all. People don't want half baked crap in their home theater systems.
Well...putting the Android media player aside and focusing back on Netflix. I'm trying to get in touch with them regarding the 5.1 audio. I sent their developer e-mail a message asking about it. Any other ideas? I sent the e-mail to [email protected], but maybe there's a different place. The only other options I could find would be to call or chat with them.
Hello,
I'm using the Netflix Android App on a Nexus Player running the most recent Android version and firmware (Android 5.0, Nexus Player firmware LRX21V). I noticed that when I watch movies that normally have a 5.1 surround audio option on other devices (such as the Windows 8 app), the same movies DO NOT have that option on the Nexus Player.
According to the weblink below from Netflix's help center, the Nexus Player suggests that there should be an option for 5.1 surround sound ("Learn how to enable subtitles, closed captions, and alternate audio (including 5.1 surround sound..."). https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23004
Is there any chance that this feature isn't working properly on the Nexus Player? Or is it supposed to be coming in the near future? It would be nice if we could have that option.
Thanks for the help!
Best regards,
David
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Click to collapse
YouTube is stereo only as well
What is somewhat infuriating is that this netflix app looks to be the exact same as the firetv stick's netflix and the firetv streams DD+
Well this is a bummer...
Sounds like they just haven't added it yet. No word (at least from the chat people on an update). Wish there was something we could do to push them along.
Netflix Marian
It's just what you were thinking too... The app on the Nexus player does not support the 5.1 at the moment.
You
Understood. Any word if there might be an update in the future?
Netflix Marian
I'm checking but I am not seeing anything here but no worries, once there is an update available it will be sent through to Google so that they can push it to the device... We are always making improvements to our service and features offered to our customers so I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
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Not only that but I have alot of Google Play movies, and quite a few are in stereo...including fellowship of the Ring. Its not offered in DD+ or the like.. bizzare. But at least the Big movie with Tom Hanks is....grrr
volwrath said:
Not only that but I have alot of Google Play movies, and quite a few are in stereo...including fellowship of the Ring. Its not offered in DD+ or the like.. bizzare. But at least the Big movie with Tom Hanks is....grrr
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Click to collapse
It amazes me the amount of movies on Google Play that are offered in Stereo only. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why I was not getting 5.1 with no success (assuming it was a hardware/setup issue). I decided to check the store and noticed 90% of the movies are only available in 2.0 stereo. This is truly disappointing. I can't remember the last movie I got from iTunes that was stereo only. I cannot understand why Google offers mostly in stereo...makes no sense to me.
To clarify, the hardware supports passthrough, it's just the apps that are not implementing it for whatever reason.
We'll just have to wait until the devs get off their asses and add support. Sigh.
Have to say, for something that people were so excited about, Google has really sh*t the bed with this one. Little to no support and no real info from Google support either. Piss poor. I find myself using my FireTV stick more often than the Nexus Player, as much as I'd much prefer to use the latter.
I do actually get Dolby Digital 5.1 out of Netflix on chromecast. Casting to nexus player is definitely different, though. It actually launches the Netflix app when you cast instead of regular casting. Not sure if this is this is android TV issue or if Netflix is accessing with how casting works.
Even after updating to android 5.1 still cannot get multichannel surround. Dont get it ! It would be expected to get at least similar multichannel audio compared to chromecast. When using hbo go or netflix through the player's google cast functionality I can only get stereo. What are we missing here.

[Q] Is the Nexus Player right for me ?

Hi fellows,
I currently own an Xbox 360 and a Rasperry Pi running OpenElec. The Xbox 360 is used for games and Netflix while OpenElec is running Kodi to play the local media on my NAS. I am looking to replace my RPi with a device that will be able to have the following features :
- Kodi. I tried Plex and didn't like it.
- Netflix (Because my X360 is really noisy and pisses me off)
- Google Play Music
- Google Play Movies (for Renting and already owned)
- Spotify
- Small mobile games
- Can use my phone to remote control
- Chromecast feature to cast my computer screen
I think that the Nexus Player can handle all that, however I wonder how good and stable is the NP at accomplishing these tasks. I am very familiar with Android (been using it for over 4 years on my phones) and I am tech-savvy. I would like however a simple and stable solution where my wife and kids can play with the device easily. I was able to achieve that easiness and stability with OpenElec, but I am looking for a device that will be able to be much more than just a Kodi player.
I think the direct competitor to the NP is the Roku. Roku cannot run Kodi, but has the Google Play Music and Movies available. However, I have seen numerous issues about renting movies through Google Movies not working on Roku. Has anyone ever rented a movie on Google Play Movies on the NP and had issues ? Is this service stable ? Renting through Google Play Movies is cheaper than my local TV provider, so I'm thinking about making the switch to Google. Or any other suggestions than Google Play Movies ? Netflix Canada selection really sucks.
I'm not looking to spend more money than a Nexus Player. The NVidia Shield TV is out of the question and the Amazon Fire TV does not seem to be available in Canada. The Roku and the NP are my 2 viable options as far as I know. I like Android, so the NP looks very interesting. However I wouldn't want to buy the NP to find out that it cannot do everything I want it to do.
Thanks for any input !
Neo.
The Nexus Player will handle almost everything in your list.
* Kodi works quite well on the Nexus Player. It can be downloaded directly from Google Play which means it will automatically update and won't require sideloading APKs.
* Netflix comes preinstalled on this device and generally works fine as long as your Nexus Player has Android v5.1.1 build LMY48J installed. You might want to adjust your TV's aspect ratio modes while watching movies if the black bars from widescreen content bother you. I don't use the app very often so perhaps other users can comment on things like surround sound support.
* Google Play Music comes preinstalled on this device and is linked to your account like the rest of the apps from Google. The only issue I see with it is that the on-screen album cover doesn't move around like it does when you cast from the app but the Nexus Player's "Daydream" screen saver mode cycles through different images after a few minutes without user interaction. Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) will support Bluetooth audio streaming which means you can pair the Nexus Player with a sound bar and play music that way.
* Google Play Movies comes preinstalled and seems to work fine. It probably is the most convenient option to rent or purchase movies or TV shows on this device. I don't use this service enough to say much about it but the free movies I have in my account are synced and easily accessible. As with Netflix, you may want to adjust your TV's aspect ratio during playback.
* Spotify is the only thing in your list that doesn't work well on the Nexus Player. You can try sideloading the app but it may not be easy to use with a remote. The developers of Spotify don't support casting either, as far as I'm aware.
* You can download Android TV games from the Google Play Store and some of them will be playable with the remote but others will require a gamepad. You can either use a separate Bluetooth gamepad or root your Nexus Player and pair a PS3 or PS4 controller with it using the paid Sixaxis Controller app.
* Yes, you can use your phone to control the Nexus Player with the free Android TV Remote Control app from Google. It is rather basic, though, compared to a paid root app combination like DroidMote Server & Droidmote Client which is definitely more versatile. If you're willing to buy a Flirc infrared USB dongle for about $24 USD, you can even use a universal remote to control the Nexus Player. I have one and it works very well after being programmed for convenient usage with my Philips SRP5107 universal remote.
* Casting to the Nexus Player generally works well but there may be a few apps which work better with an actual Chromecast. I prefer casting to the Nexus Player because it supports 5 GHz wireless AC while the Chromecast only supports 2.4 GHz wireless N.
I've never used a Roku device but the Nexus Player provides great value for the price and you can do a lot with it (especially if it's rooted). As for the limited content selection of Netflix Canada, you can use a smart DNS service such as UnoTelly to "change your region" and access content that's licensed for other countries. UnoTelly even offers a free trial and up to 3 free months of service if you mention them positively on social media. In conclusion, let's answer your question. Is the Nexus Player right for you? I certainly think so.
spookyneo said:
Hi fellows,
I currently own an Xbox 360 and a Rasperry Pi running OpenElec. The Xbox 360 is used for games and Netflix while OpenElec is running Kodi to play the local media on my NAS. I am looking to replace my RPi with a device that will be able to have the following features :
- Kodi. I tried Plex and didn't like it.
- Netflix (Because my X360 is really noisy and pisses me off)
- Google Play Music
- Google Play Movies (for Renting and already owned)
- Spotify
- Small mobile games
- Can use my phone to remote control
- Chromecast feature to cast my computer screen
I think that the Nexus Player can handle all that, however I wonder how good and stable is the NP at accomplishing these tasks. I am very familiar with Android (been using it for over 4 years on my phones) and I am tech-savvy. I would like however a simple and stable solution where my wife and kids can play with the device easily. I was able to achieve that easiness and stability with OpenElec, but I am looking for a device that will be able to be much more than just a Kodi player.
I think the direct competitor to the NP is the Roku. Roku cannot run Kodi, but has the Google Play Music and Movies available. However, I have seen numerous issues about renting movies through Google Movies not working on Roku. Has anyone ever rented a movie on Google Play Movies on the NP and had issues ? Is this service stable ? Renting through Google Play Movies is cheaper than my local TV provider, so I'm thinking about making the switch to Google. Or any other suggestions than Google Play Movies ? Netflix Canada selection really sucks.
I'm not looking to spend more money than a Nexus Player. The NVidia Shield TV is out of the question and the Amazon Fire TV does not seem to be available in Canada. The Roku and the NP are my 2 viable options as far as I know. I like Android, so the NP looks very interesting. However I wouldn't want to buy the NP to find out that it cannot do everything I want it to do.
Thanks for any input !
Neo.
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would agree with all answers above, only thing that I'll add is that its a shame the community isn't larger or more active.
BUt with the addition of a couple of additional peripherals can also be considerably more user friendly.

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