UKC

In a thread at the end of last year, I suggested using a 'headless Hudl', or generic Android media box as a UPnP/ DLNA media renderer for playing music and videos:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=604349#x7944216

Having got the Christmas mail madness out of the way, I decided to follow up this idea, and, searching Amazon for devices using the Rockchip RK3188 chipset used in the Hudl (for no good reason other than I know the Hudl works okay as a DMR), I picked this, somewhat at random:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GYRDZGE

Ordered on the 9th Jan, and arrived, from China, today.

It came with a UK-plug PSU, an HDMI lead, an AV lead and a small remote control. I rushed home and connected it to an HDMI TV, and AV to the hifi, stuck in a USB mouse, and powered it up. Android came up, with a familiar desktop, and Play installed, along with XBMC, a browser, email client, gallery, YouTube, etc. and none of the usual Google hard-installed 'shopping opportunities' which is nice... It looks like I can uninstall everything, and install everything I choose.

So, connecting it up to my Play account, I downloaded a bunch of apps I use, connected to my email, and we're away.

XBMC installed is 13.1 Gotham, but I might replace that with the latest Kodi Helix 14.1.

XBMC found my Twonky media server, and happily plays music.
UPnPlayer is installed and available as a networked DMR?
Kinsky is installed (but I still have to figure out how to make it advance to the next track in the playlist; looks like a bug/feature introduced by Linn some versions ago).

There's a pre-installed app called 'CloudTV' that looks like it's connected to a Chinese media server, as there seem to be some commercial channels there, and recent films like Frozen and Divergent...

To my ears, the sound is pretty excellent, and iPlayer works fine. If you watch iPlayer and stream music to the thing from an external controller, it simply mixes the two audio streams... I'm assuming audio is being sent to HDMI and AV; I'm using a TV that I've replaced the tinny speakers with 3.5mm jack sockets, and have no speakers connected at the moment.

The advantage of a plain-vanilla Android box over a Smart TV is that you're not stuck with the limited apps that are usually available from the closed stores. I've enabled Developer mode with the usual frantic clicking on the Build number in settings/about tablet. The kernel build is reported as Dec 16 2014, and is Android 4.4.2

I'm connected by wifi at the moment, but there's an Ethernet port.

The PSU and android box are both fairly cool; probably about body heat.

All this for £35. Although I now see that it's £31 (ah; that's without delivery); I might buy some more, and scatter then about the house, or give one to my parents. I'm pretty gobsmacked so far, as it seems to work perfectly, and has been a cinch to set up; just like any other Android tablet. Only thing I've not figured yet is how to get it to recognise a USB HDD, with the intention of making the thing into a media server, too...

In reply to captain paranoia:

Since the thing is essentially a tablet, I suspect the USB-A sockets won't support an external drive. But it also has a Micro-USB socket labelled 'OTG', and OTG sockets on tablets and phones can usually be made to operate as hosts, talking to USB disk drives (according to Googled websites). I suspect I'll probably need to use an external PSU for the drive, though.

I'll try an externally-powered drive in one of the USB-A sockets first, as I don't have an OTG cable to hand.

Any advice from Android gurus would be appreciated.

<given the interest on the original thread, I thought this thread might attract some discussion, but it seems to be just me wibbling on at the moment...>

In reply to captain paranoia:

Please continue wibbling. I'm interested.

In reply to captain paranoia:

I agree with John.....

Nothing to add sorry but I'm also interested in your wibbling

cheers

Gaz

In reply to captain paranoia:


I think that might be the answer.

In reply to john arran:

Okay...

Well, I decided to move the thing onto my main TV, which is also new (and cheap), so that meant mounting the TV and removing the now redundant NowTV box, and giving up the Free view HD receiver. TV now set up with the Android box, and I'm sitting in my armchair, using a USB mouse to control it and type this...

Will try playing with HDD tomorrow.

XBMC does play audio happily through the TV. Even though the Android screen output is set to FullHD, XBMC reports HD Ready, and it won't allow changes. I'd say this browser looks like FullHD.

I tried using the little IR remote, but it's a bit hopeless, but that's what all the reviews said, so no great surprise.

Essentially, it's like using an Android tablet with a big, remote screen.

In reply to captain paranoia:


I thought I had it then: started XBMC, then started Kinsky, selected an album to play, and a little blue 'playing' icon appeared beside the first track, like it's supposed to, but never does. But it got to the end of the track and then stopped. Subsequent plays don't show the blue icon; needs XBMC restart. Now, if only the Linn forum admin would approve my membership, I could report these findings...

In reply to captain paranoia:

would you be able to replace your mouse/keyboard and use a phone/tablet by installing gmote?

I use gmote to control my PC which is connected to my telly but, as yet I have never tried to get gmote to control an android device such as your android TV.

Would your android TV be able to connect to a network storage device rather than trying to connect directly to a hard drive?

In reply to The Lemming:

The terse manual mentions an app that replicates the IR remote, but I haven't looked at that yet; I just looked on Play, and there are more than 200 remote control apps...
I'm sure a bluetooth mouse/keyboard would work.

I might play with google remote desktop.

The thing already accesses my NAS, both as an NFS and as a DLNA server, just like my android tablets.
However, I'd like to see if I can get it to work as NFS/DLNA server itself; to explore what the thing can do.

In reply to captain paranoia:

Well, I borrowed an OTG lead (thanks Ross), and gave that a go with my Toshiba portable HDD. No joy. Not even any sign of power to the drive.

So I tried another tack; I'd originally plugged the mouse into the side USB socket, and disk into the back. So I swapped them over, and lo! the disk powered up and started working, and is visible to the system. Using the built-in eHomeMedia utility, I've shared the media folder on this drive (media server/add share/navigate to folder, then long press, and 'start share'), and my router dialogue is now showing an eHomeMedia DLNA server, and Kinsky can see this server. It's slowly building the DLNA database, as the available content is growing.

Currently playing Afro Celt Sound System to UPnPlayer, controlled by Kinsky... Playing to the eHomeMedia renderer opens eHomeMedia, and dropping to the desktop stops play; UPnP is happy to play in the background.
UPnP Monkey show three media libraries: XBMC (no content), eHomeMedia & Twonky. This suggests that XBMC ought to be serving local media. Just have to figure out how to make it do that... Oh, having started BubbleUPnP, that's showing as a server, too. But it requires a licence to make it serve local media, it seems.

So, the system as supplied includes a DLNA server (eHomeMedia), allegedly provided by the chipset manufacturer, Rockchip.
Hmm... Seems to have stopped indexing at 32 artist folders...

Now to see if I can access the USB disk as an NFS drive... Any thoughts on how to make it visible to the network?

[edit] yoiks! My router network config is now showing five media renderers and three media servers on the Android box...

In reply to captain paranoia:


No, it's having another go. Completed one collection, and started on another. And now another. Not sure yet if it remembers them...

In reply to captain paranoia:


I tried the disk in the rear USB port again. And it worked perfectly. Maybe I hadn't pressed it home far enough last time...

eHomeMedia app seems to forget the media content, and rebuild a list every time you start up; doesn't seem to create a true database, andcdoesn't offer multiple views based on metadata like Twonky and other DLNA servers do.

So, still experimenting with DLNA server and remote file access on the thing. Googling not being to helpful at the moment; my google-foo is weak...