BTV Android app

[FastEddie]

I'd love to have an android app. Too bad there isn't much interest...

[ZetaVu]

Resurrecting an old thread here since I just picked up and rooted a Coby Kyros 7015. Great little toy for about $140. Zogg, I like your thinking, I was going to play around with the web remote in BTV again, now that I've got a decent screen to play with, but eventghost sounds like a better plan overall. Right now I use my server both with BTV and with Zinc.tv in Firefox for all online streaming. Zinc.tv doesn't have a good remote program so I use the mouse functions on my remote, and rather than have another service run I'd prefer to use Eventghost. Then again I may explore other android remote programs to get full mouse functionality.

Streaming is another issue. They're working on a moonlight for android to replace silverlight, I've never gotten a clear answer from Snapstream if moonlight could be used in linux or now android to replace silverlight in webadmin streaming. If that could be done once moonlight for android is released we could set that up for streaming. If not, the only thing I've found is vlc streaming, which requires vlc server on my server. Zogg, if you get a chance write up what you've done, I'd like to play around with it. Otherwise I'll keep hunting for a trick to play streams.

[Zogg]

Hi ZetaVu,

I did write up what I did over at Android Forums.

As I indicated in the post, it didn't always start up correctly but it seemed to be the capture card causing the problem. I guess it could be VLC though, it's a great program but certainly not perfect.

Using Orb though has been pretty solid. You can directly stream your recordings if you let Orb see your recording folders, and then with access to the WME stream (have to start it up separately before you go to Orb though) it works pretty well.

A couple of points: you can use VLC to stream from an HDHomeRun directly to an Android device. Nice, clear picture, too. Also, Orb can see an HD tuner and use it as well. I've had problems off and on with the tuner being recognized, but usually it works with my Kworld HD OTA tuner and the picture is really good.

If you want any of the files let me know and I'll be glad to post them.

[cartoonman]

I am hoping to reenergize this thread. Has there been any progress or updates on either a BTV App or using BTV link on tablets? Is anyone tracking the potential of this particular tablet, the Vizio VTAB1008 tablet that has a built-in IR emitter? This looks like a neat way to control a Link machine and possibly set it to control multiple LINK machines versus having multiple firefly remotes. can anyone comment about the feasibility of using this as a remote replacement with BTV? This is a new topic not exactly related to Android App, but it's close enough. hope folks are still out there using BTV and looking for potential use of tablets with BTV.
http://www.vizio.com/accessories/vtab1008.htm
http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/vizi...=rvwBody;page2

[ZetaVu]

I am using eventghost on my android tablet to control BTV through wifi. IR emitter is nice, but I had one on my Ipaq H2200 and really never used it. (although it did make for a great way to store custom IR codes as a backup for learning remotes).

I use an rf to ir module for all my electronics, which lets me control any device from any room. would be great if they had that as a wifi option (or even bluetooth), I'm sure its out there but we just haven't found it yet.

Getting back to Android and BTV, you also have the webadmin "firefly mobile" remote control if you want to directly control btv and get some show info. This is incredibly underdeveloped in my opinion and should be expanded to really take advantage of webadmin and streaming to device as well as controlling btv through wifi network. The biggest hurdle I think is still that webadmin can be used to remotely stream shows, but you need silverlight which is not available on android. Has anyone got it to work with moonlight? Alterntatively vlc player would work, but they haven't finished their android version yet. Anyone have any luck streaming to other Android video players?

[cartoonman]

ZetaVu- Thanks for the update. I do not own any tablet but I am investigating the potential to invest in one for a few things, namely home network control of lights, security, thermostat, etc. for home efficiency/safety, but also BTV. I guess controlling BTV is good, but I am checking feasibility to use the table like it runs BTV Link. I don't know anything about eventghost, but it looks like Zogg stated he explained a setup in the android forum. I checked it but its above my experience level. some basic questions that maybe someone can help point me to the right place:
-where can I learn about the RF to IR module to control electronics? right now I use harmony remotes
-what is the recommended setup for streaming BTV shows over the wireless network to the tablet (android vs ipad)?
not sure if the setup is the same for either tablet, but it appears from the forum there is a way that is working, but I don't know much about Zogg's setup with using Orb. Zogg, can you post or have you posted any directions on how you stream your BTV shows over wireless? I appreciate any insight here. Thanks.

[ZetaVu]

I have not has as much success streaming .tp shows, but mpg and divx steam fine using different Android media players and network streaming tools. I don't know about ipad, they may or may not have video streaming apps, but my money is on Android.

Here are some links for the rf to ir extenders
http://www.amazon.com/MRF100B-PowerB...637453&sr=1-22

http://www.amazon.com/X-10-POWERMID-...637453&sr=1-10

http://www.amazon.com/Next-Generatio...637453&sr=1-17

[cartoonman]

thanks very much!

[The_Keymaker]

Id be interested!

[Fickey]

The simplest solution I've found is the OP of Zogg's link, VLC Stream & Convert Free. While not perfect or as functional as his Orb setup (no live streams), it works reliably for me. I have a simple bat file set to run every evening changing .tp extensions to .ts, which allows those to stream as well. I couldn't get it to work right with VLC 2.x, so I'm using 1.1.11.
http://traveldevel.com/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ndroid.vlc.app

Here's my batch file, probably displaying my ineptitude with the Echo & Exit in there:
@ECHO OFF
rename *.tp *.ts
EXIT

I had to point windows scheduler manually to a "renameTPtoTS.bat.lnk" shortcut, which is set to open minimized, as the only workable solution I found to prevent the DOS box from popping up when executed.

Edit: After using this daily on a Droid 2 running CM7GB for the last week, "live" streaming does work for in-process *.mpg files. It may work for *.ts files, too, but no way for me to test since BTV only produces *.tp files. I have no idea what happens when it reaches the perceived "end" of an in-process *.mpg recording, been too busy/chicken to test that while on the road. Seeking forward or back is touchy, causing VLC Stream & Convert to force close several times, but you simply reload it from the Android notification bar & playback continues uninterrupted. Switching form portrait to landscape is a bit glitchy, I just set both to 720 & always start playback in landscape. I also managed to crash VLC itself on the server twice (I think by seeking too aggressively on *.ts files), but luckily had TeamViewer installed on both the phone & server so I could easily remote desktop in & restart it. Overall, I'm very pleased to have this functionality for free.

There's also VLC HD Remote (+ Stream), which I have not tried. It's more recent, supports VLC 2.x, but is only a week long trial. Unlocking currently costs $2.67.

Maybe there's Android web video players that'll work with the asx or "format specific web players" playback options, but VLC S&C works for me.