I spent some time over the weekend trying out various ways to stream movies, specifically ripped BluRays, to my Android phone (EVO) and tablet (Galaxy Tab 7") when I'm outside my home. I thought folks looking to do something similar might appreciate a list of what's available, as in all my searching I didn't come across one.
So here are my thoughts on each with Windows based desktop server software in blue, and Android client in green when from a different source:
VLC server to VLC Direct and VLC Stream and Convert - $4-5
Best quality, seek!, streamed subtitles!, VLC & clients buggy, no security (should be used with VPN), complex setup.
Splashtop Remote Desktop- $5
A remote desktop app promoted as a way to stream video. I set my laptop to 1024*768 and tried various videos, including Netflix and Hulu, and video quality was tolerable. (MUCH better than LogMeIn Ignition, or the VNC/RDP apps I use.) A little cumbersome to use if you just want to watch video, but it's as flexible as the desktop computer you are controlling. I'd be interested in hearing how CrazyRemote compares, as that includes "joystick" controls. - For the $1 sale price, I'll be running this off my laptop for NetFlix and Hulu.
Plex - $5
Soso video quality, easy to set up, included posters with movie data and such, by far the nicest interface. If video quality improves, they'll be the one to beat.
PlayOn - $5 / month for "Premium Services" like Netflix and Hulu, $0 To stream local videos
Similar to Plex without the movie posters and such, but includes Hulu and NetFlix. Unfortunately video and sound wouldn't stay synched.
RemotePotato to Remote Media Center - $0
Set up was tolerable, video quality is acceptable, seek!, big wins on having a very nice desktop silverlight web player and some integration with Windows Media Center. If the (separately developed) Android client continues to improve, and/or they stream from my WMC TV tuners, Netflix, etc, I'd be in love. - This is the one I'm sticking with for now because I like the option of streaming to desktop OR Android, depending where I am at the moment.
Subsonic - $Donation of an amount you choose for video streaming. Audio only is free.
Similar to RemotePotato, but more complex to set up, better security, but browser based FLV playback had soso video quality. RemotePotato was just easier. - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=968774
TVersity - $0
Seemed complicated and I didn't want to re-encode anything, so after installing I just yanked it without testing. Other folks have had good luck with it though! - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6085651
PS3Mediaserver - $0
Another one that I didn't test because it seemed complicated. Again worth mentioning because other folks have had good luck with it though! - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=898796
Other Android server/app solutions seemingly based off of VLC - $Varies
AndroStream - Server wouldn't install (on two Win7x64 systems)
MyTVStation - Server installed as Admin, but couldn't connect to it. (Dev replied via email that he's working on it.)
Video Source - I tested using a 40GB MKV file ripped directly from BluRay without recompression, including English subtitles and both HD and stereo sound tracks. - As I am NOT willing to spend hours/days/weeks transcoding my BluRay collection to the native resolution(s) of my mobile devices (or to re-transcode them when the devices are replaced) I specifically wanted to include in my testing on the fly transcoding capabilities. (Avatar in this case)
Connection Speed - I tested using WiFi at home, WiFi at another location across town (but with the same ISP) and WiMax at a location which tested as 6Mb down. (My home upstream is 5Mb, and the remote WiFi and WiMax results were comparable, because the streams were all set to around 1-2.5Mb.)
DLNA is interesting stuff, and bears investigating, especially for playback FROM Android to a TV without wires. Normally it will not stream outside of your local network, but I'm thinking of trying it via VPN, as my Galaxy Tab includes a native player.
I realize the reviews are brief and very subjective, and my requirements and testing won't match many peoples. That said, I still thought folks might appreciate just having a nice big list to refer to, with hopefully some good comments on other people's experiences, to save them some time digging around.
After a long weekend of fiddling, I'm using Splashtop for Netflix (not available on my Tab yet) and Hulu, and RemotePotato w/ the Remote Media Center app for my movies and recorded TV.
There also looks to be some development happening with Media Portal plug-ins for Android that could be quite promising for 2.3+ devices in a few months. If things pan out...you'll load your media one time into the server, and be able to watch it on any device, be it iOS, Windows, or Android.
Related
Hi everyone,
I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a Xoom since it was announced, but before launching myself into a 500$+ purchase, I would like to make sure the device does what I expect it to.
Here is a short list of what I am looking for in a tablet. If possible, could you guys tell me if the Xoom fits my needs.
Microsoft Exchange support
If yes, can I add multiple Exchange accounts? Support for calendars as well?
Video Playback
I watch a lot of 350MB (xvid) and 1.09Gb (mkv) tv shows. Is there a good player that supports playback? Is playback choppy/laggy or loses audio sync? I've seen and read a lot of bad press on this.
Video playback is potentially a deal maker/breaker. Video has to be smooth, and I'd like to avoid having to re-encode video if I dont have to. If a made in china device like the superpad can read MKV files, why not a dual core beast?
Tethering
I have an iPhone 3G and a tethering plan. I can tether to my laptop. Will I be able to tether to the XOOM?
SAMBA/SMB Share navigation
Can I browse network shares stored on my computer? Can I provide logon credentials to browse shares for a domain network? (Ex : DOMAIN\userassword or user(at)domain.localassword). Can I stream video over Wifi and network shares?
VPN
Is there support for L2TP over IPSEC? Certificate or PSK?
I'm quite computer savvy, it just seems difficult to get facts straight on tablets these days.
Thank you all in advance for reading this and taking the time to reply.
ipigi said:
Hi everyone,
I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a Xoom since it was announced, but before launching myself into a 500$+ purchase, I would like to make sure the device does what I expect it to.
Here is a short list of what I am looking for in a tablet. If possible, could you guys tell me if the Xoom fits my needs.
Microsoft Exchange support
If yes, can I add multiple Exchange accounts? Support for calendars as well?
Video Playback
I watch a lot of 350MB (xvid) and 1.09Gb (mkv) tv shows. Is there a good player that supports playback? Is playback choppy/laggy or loses audio sync? I've seen and read a lot of bad press on this.
Video playback is potentially a deal maker/breaker. Video has to be smooth, and I'd like to avoid having to re-encode video if I dont have to. If a made in china device like the superpad can read MKV files, why not a dual core beast?
Tethering
I have an iPhone 3G and a tethering plan. I can tether to my laptop. Will I be able to tether to the XOOM?
SAMBA/SMB Share navigation
Can I browse network shares stored on my computer? Can I provide logon credentials to browse shares for a domain network? (Ex : DOMAIN\userassword or user(at)domain.localassword). Can I stream video over Wifi and network shares?
I'm quite computer savvy, it just seems difficult to get facts straight on tablets these days.
Thank you all in advance for reading this and taking the time to reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A quick set of answers for you:
Exchange support - Yes
Calendars - Yes
Video Playback - unfortunately I can't answer that but I'm sure it won't be a problem with all the available apps and answers from other users regarding HD playback/re-encoding/compression
Tethering - Yes, works a treat...I'm doing it from my HTC Desire and Laptop.
SAMBA/SMB - Yes, 'Cifs Manager' from th Android Marketplace is a doddle to use. Streaming video/audio via wifi and network shares is easy.
VPN - not sure
Hope that helps.
Video playback - Yes, moboplayer
VPN - Yes openvpn just look around the fourms
Be aware that not everything (like openvpn) - will work out of the box. You will need to do some work, and possibly void the devices warranty (Unlock/root)
Costco has 90 days .... to return if you have one... Or can Order on line
(As I did)
Thats the way I went thanks and good luck
pyrator said:
Video playback - Yes, moboplayer
VPN - Yes openvpn just look around the fourms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How good of a playback are we talking about. I've been reading a lot of people (on these forums and other places as well) who are having problems playing back some video files. Stuttering, laggy, things like that.
I'm going to be using this device for personal use first and work second, so smooth video playback is important and is probably the biggest reason for the purchase of a xoom.
For VPN, I've been digging around and found a thread on the xoomforums dot com website (I cant post a link yet, I'm too green). Note that I plan to use L2TP over IPSEC, and not pure IPSEC to connect to a VPN. Apparently there is native support for that without the need for OpenVPN.
Also, does anyone know if there is a Remote Desktop app so I can connect and control windows 7/vista PCs from the tablet?
Thanks to everyone for the replies!
ipigi said:
How good of a playback are we talking about. I've been reading a lot of people (on these forums and other places as well) who are having problems playing back some video files. Stuttering, laggy, things like that.
I'm going to be using this device for personal use first and work second, so smooth video playback is important and is probably the biggest reason for the purchase of a xoom.
For VPN, I've been digging around and found a thread on the xoomforums dot com website (I cant post a link yet, I'm too green). Note that I plan to use L2TP over IPSEC, and not pure IPSEC to connect to a VPN. Apparently there is native support for that without the need for OpenVPN.
Also, does anyone know if there is a Remote Desktop app so I can connect and control windows 7/vista PCs from the tablet?
Thanks to everyone for the replies!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
350MB (xvid) ---> play beautifully using moboplayer
1.09Gb (mkv) ---> choppy as **** on any player or if the video plays smoothly, the audio is non existant.
Im assuming these are "borrowed" videos downloaded from the internet.
I just use Handbrake to convert files to my Android devices. I just run into too many problems otherwise.
And if you are trying to play MKV files with subtitles. I've found no solution for that. Rockplayer kinda works if it's 480p or less. Though sometimes the audio gets out of sync.
If the subs are in text (srt) format, HB should move them over. If they're bitmaps (vobsub/pgs) or have styles (ass/ssa/smi), they can't be converted w/o an intervening translation/OCR step, since MP4 container only accepts plain text subs.
MKV->MP4 conversion is OK if you don't watch foreign films and don't care about subs. It's a PITA otherwise.
Do a search for 'Remote Desktop' on the market place...there are a handful which all work great. I can verify blistering speeds connecting to Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit)
robbiev80 said:
1.09Gb (mkv) ---> choppy as **** on any player or if the video plays smoothly, the audio is non existant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Xoom can't decompress the audio at all? I'm not a huge fan of re-encoding video and I perfer to just drag and drop to play videos, my Desire can just about keep 20-25 fps playing 350Mb HD video, 20 minute anime series, the audio is fine as well. Why can't the Xoom play a 1Gb file with it's dual core CPU?
*edit* That's my Desire playing MKV's, not AVI etc.
For what its worth I just tested an 840mb mkv file on moboplayer and it was flawless, no issues with audio at all. I haven't tried anything over 1gb though.
Hi All,
I'm looking for a good Streaming Video server that can be used on Android that works over cell networks (3G or 4G) and has tablet support. A giant bonus would be a server that is also a DLNA. Something with a Windows client would be pretty sweet as well. The TF will be my primary device, but I'd really like to be able to stream to my phone, laptop, and Blu-Ray player as well.
I'm currently using Plex, and it sucks. The server is buggy and laggy, doesn't find Metadata for shows unless they're named PERFECTLY, and won't show me videos that it can't find Metadata for. I will say the interface is fantastic, but it needs a lot of work.
I've read some good things about the VLC server, but it appears to not be very user friendly. While I'm technically savvy, I'd prefer to try something first that works just as well and doesn't require a difficult configuration.
Thoughts and recommendations please?
One thing i really miss from my time spent with iPhone is airplay, used it everyday.
Since jumping on to WP7 i have searched hi & low for a streaming solution and haven`t found one yet.
So my question, is there any video/music streaming option for Mac to WP7 out there?
That might actually be worth developing. Bear in mind that WP7 users who run OS X PCs are going to be an extremely niche market, though. There are two ways that I can see to do it, though:
* Write a WP7 app that acts as a client for a current streaming service on OS X / iTunes. Make sure the stream can be decoded on the phone and that the service recognizes the app, but neither should be too hard (WP7 already recognizes most of Apple's codecs).
* Write a WP7 app that acts as a client to a dedicated media server app. Write that dedicated media server app, for OS X and possibly other platforms. The server would take care of ensuring WP7 compatibility. You'd need Apple dev tools (which is expensive, for somebody who currently owns no Apple hardware) and knowledge of writing good server code, though.
For HTC phones, you can download "Connected Media" from the HTC section of marketplace. Although not the greatest player, it does allow you to play non-DRM music and videos stored in your library (no streaming) to DLNA receivers. I use it to play to my Linksys Extender of my Media Center every once in a while.
@spokanedj: I think the OP is looking for the other direction, streaming files from the PC (Mac, in this case) to the phone. I'm guessing the goal is working around the limited storage on the phone for people with a really big media library.
I enjoy watching tv-shows when laying in bed, so yes im only interested in streaming.
I saw on https://www.emitapp.com/ that wp7 app coming soon.
I used emit on android, it wasnt perfect but i did the job
What is the best RDP client for my TF700?
One that i can stream video/audio to my TF700 from my computer without hickups.
I see that PocketCloud have one... that cost a bit of money if you want to use 1920x1080 resolution.
I dont mind paying if i know it works good.
PocketCloud
PocketCloud works very well.
Why not download the free version to see if you like the results? The only features the free version lacks is the ability to configure multiple servers, custom resolutions, and support for WYSE's encryption scheme.
Streaming full-motion video over RDP is going to be a tall order for any app because of the limitations of WiFi and the fact that RDP isn't optimized for that kind of full-frame rendering. Have you considered something like installing Remote Potato on the server side and using Remote Media Center on the tablet side to stream your content? There are of course other packages for streaming content such as Plex or PS3 Media Server if you prefer something not dependent on Microsoft's Media Center framework.
I'm also a fan of PocketCloud; I even bought the paid version. For video I've had a lot better luck with MediaHouse and a UPnP server on my desktop.
I have used them all and the best by far is xtralogic. It does everything using native rdp compression so it is fast, has support for remoteapp, and is as "real time" as you can get with a rdp session. I currently have several users that use their tf700 as a thin client for their primary desktop. It works very well and is highly customizable.
If you are not tech savvy, go with a different one though. It requires a real rdp connection- so it works with terminal services and gateways flawlessly. If you know how to connect to the computer that you want to through a regular windows rdp session-- this will work the exact same.
The best I have found for the video/audio streaming requirement is splashtop thd-- IF you have a recently made nvidia graphics card. Can't beat that combination.
Splashtop 2 works great.
I bought PocketCloud, works nice yes!
Google updated their Youtube application, so that works very well now too.
But i use RDP often to my servers, so i bought it anyway.
For video stored on my server i found a file browser application with a nice SMB addon/builtin. File mamanger HD (play store link)
I've tried root explorer, astro, and a bunch more, but i found this the best. Can save shortcuts to shared folders on my fileserver.
I also bouhgt MX player (pro?) and it plays almost everything!
It's soon becoming a laptop replacement.
Hi. New to XDA! Lurking for some time, but registered to tell you this. Crawled through all other MediaLink posts, but none were relevant, or had any answers/tips for further exploration. Well. This also has nothing to do with any phones, for now. Only htc media link hd, a pc, and a tv.
I'm really starting to see the potential of the Media Link HD.
First and foremost, it allows HTC One devices, and other phones, as well, (gsIII, pureview 808, google it to connect to the tv with a simple gesture to mirror or stream content.
What I am starting to discover is, it is possible to connect your PC to the tv with the Media Link as well. (My TV has no internet connection or DLNA natively, so the Media Link is all i have to help me share to my TV.) Pictures, videos and music can ie. be sent to the tv via Windows' "Play To"-function, where Windows Media Player uses the device to stream content. So the Media Link works as a generic DLNA DMR, Digital Media Receiver (i think). Try it out!
I was just wondering if you guys have had other experiences, or knew any other programs that can take advantage of the Media Link, preferrably using a browser to stream online web content, or maybe stream the whole desktop? I'm not buying another receiver or the like, now that I have the Media Link.
I've tried Twonky, and it works with MLHD! - but they have a certain 'media library' you can choose from, not use it everywhere on the web. They have an extension for IE that will let you share to your tv. They had a firefox extension, but sadly that doesn't work anymore. Imma try out XBMC and Serviio (Tried a bunch of other programs, Tversity, tvmobili, plex, mezzmo, mediatomb, universal media server, couldn't get it to work), but as i try stuff out I can update this thread with more results if you want.
Let me know what you guys have found out! And just ask me if i have missed something, and you don't understand anything of what i say..
regards from Denmark
Alright, so after having tried about 20+ programs, I've found something that works well so far!
J.River Media center works as a digital media controller right now on the computer - it sees the Media Link HD and lists it. Now I have to figure out the program, because it's filled with features, and it's very overwhelming. Anyway, I'm watching Youtube videos from the web on Windows, through JRiver, then through Media Link, to the tv - wirelessly! Talk about having a cheap wireless setup
I'll post here again if i find something more simple and easy to use.
But for now, using PlayTo for local files, and JRiver for (some) online content (though it also plays local files) is good enough for me.
As before, feel free to buy in with suggestions if you know anything.
Now, at least i know what DLNA types there are.
DMS - server - hosts content.
DMC - controller - finds content on DMS and sends it to a DMR or a DMP.
DMR - renderer - receives content, but is not able to browse content on DMS (i think)
DMP - player - receives content, and is able to browse the DMS.
So far so good. Again, ask me if anything seems odd here..