topic Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC in Android TV

Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

willowozzy1 — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:31:13 GMT

We've just bought a new Android TV and I was hoping to be able to view photos stored on my PC through the TV. Can this be done without using an HDMI cable? Thanks

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 18:06:01 GMT

Hi there

You will need to install a DLNA Media Server such as Serviio : http://serviio.org/

Once setup and running, you can use the Album app on the TV, or alternatively Kodi (available from the Google Play Store on the TV) to view photos, videos etc.

Cheers

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 22:49:08 GMT

I suppose the first thing to say is no, you can't use anything but HDMI to view media from your computer over a wire.

As I do; but if you don't have HDMI on the computer, and can't add a card with it on, you need to go the network route.

Which I thought I'd look at, prompted by this query, and got into a world of incomprehensible hurt with.

To handle media, I downloaded Kodi and Plex from the Google Play Store. Not that I thought I needed both at once, but I thought I'd let them duke it out to see what was best.

Pretty soon, I found I needed a Plex server on the laptop I was using as my source - an aging Windows Vista one - and the Plex model was to store all your media in one place. No good to me - my media is where it is, and it just wants fetching when I want to look at it, not shifting round all over the place. And it I wanted it all in one place, I'd put it on my MyCloud, which the Android TV can certainly play video from with no bother, and so probably photos as well?

Kodi seemed better; it saw my laptop, saw the folder I had Shared, and - I got stuck there. I could see the folder, couldn't see what was in it. No way. Kodi just kept offering to password protect the folder. What's that all about?

So I looked at the Kodi help. Reams about the possible difficulties of installing it, and install tweaks you might do; none if it applicable to the straightforward install I'd done. And it all looked like a nostalgia trip for people who had once got a Linux distro running, and about twice as complicated.

But I was past that stage, so I looked in the Kodi help for how to view photos. All the help for which started from the assumption that you could see them 😞

So - what can be wrong - is it that Kodi can't see my files unless I have something like serviio on the laptop to serve them?

Or is it, as the Help hints, that Kodi on its own can't show photos, and needs an add-in to do this for it? Shades of Make, and dependencies resolution...

I mean, I understand what add-ins are from Firefox. But it sounds that if Firefox was like Kodi, you would need a browser add-in before Firefox would work 🙂

Anyone with some clues for the bewildered? What's the best and simplest way to see photos from the Vista laptop on the screen of the Android TV?

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

Anonymous — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 00:48:46 GMT

@royabrown

Doesnt the WD MyCloud have the ability to setup a Twonky Media Server? This would negate the need to use a media server on your laptop.

If you have a Vista Laptop and the files are on the laptop itself, you could enable Media sharing via Windows Media Player - simplest solution?

I have just re-installed Kodi after having it removed for awhile to test accessing my photos from my DLNA server. First thing I noticed is that Kodi have updated to version 17.0 - Krypton - This version is So much better that 16.1. Much more polished. Anyway, I added the network filepath to Kodi under the Photos area, and I do not get any username/password box appear. I can view photos with no issues. And I am not serving them via my laptop (as a middle person) by the way.

Is your Kodi version updated?

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

willowozzy1 — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 09:00:20 GMT

Wow, thanks for spending so much time and effort looking into this for me. I am very new to all this (don't even use a smartphone!). I will have a go at downloading Kodi and see if I can access them through that. I have managed to set a HomeGroup which my TV can see under settings, but that is about it! My main problem is that my PC is a long way from the TV and we have very thick stone walls so at the moment I have 2 sets of plug-in powerline adapters - 1 cabled to my TV and 1 wifi for my tablet. I appreciate I can upload all my photos to icloud, but they are currently stored on my PC and I thought it would be realatively easy! Thanks again

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

willowozzy1 — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 09:01:43 GMT

Thanks very much for this. I'll try Kodi first and if I get nowhere with that, I'll try Serviio

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

willowozzy1 — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 12:00:23 GMT

No I'm still stuck! Got as far as seeing my PC (under SMB - is this the correct one?) but also get the username/password bit and can't get any further!

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 16:11:44 GMT

@Quinnicus wrote:
@royabrown

Doesnt the WD MyCloud have the ability to setup a Twonky Media Server? This would negate the need to use a media server on your laptop.

If you have a Vista Laptop and the files are on the laptop itself, you could enable Media sharing via Windows Media Player - simplest solution?

I have just re-installed Kodi after having it removed for awhile to test accessing my photos from my DLNA server. First thing I noticed is that Kodi have updated to version 17.0 - Krypton - This version is So much better that 16.1. Much more polished. Anyway, I added the network filepath to Kodi under the Photos area, and I do not get any username/password box appear. I can view photos with no issues. And I am not serving them via my laptop (as a middle person) by the way.

Is your Kodi version updated?

The Kodi is 17.0 Krypton

The TV can see the MyCloud and play a video from it in the Video app. Does that tell you that it has the Twonky Media server set up on it?

And I have now managed to watch the same video in Kodi, which found the MyCloud by IP address on a Network Search, decided it was /nfs (?), and when searched (manually, but in Kodi) turned up the video, told me all about it, and then played it to me.

But how does all this help me look at pictures on the Vista laptop?

Is there a sensible guide to Kodi anywhere, as I don't understand any of this?

i thought I might try copying the pictures to the MyCloud, as, if that showed them to me, might help me understand what is supposed to be happening.

But the Vista laptop is trying to download device driver software for the MyCloud, and currently failing to find any.

So perhaps now I have to try this on my Windows 10 laptop?

This is a very steep learning curve....

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

rooobb — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 17:13:48 GMT

If you see the mycloud on video device than twonky is enabled on it. You can fine tuning it accessing the port 9000 on the same ip of the nas. And you will be able to access your photos too via the album app in the same way. Regarding the Vista laptop if you want to access it directly in the same way you should install a dlna server on it ( serviio should have a version for Vista too)

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 21:49:34 GMT

@rooobb wrote:
If you see the mycloud on video device than twonky is enabled on it. You can fine tuning it accessing the port 9000 on the same ip of the nas. And you will be able to access your photos too via the album app in the same way. Regarding the Vista laptop if you want to access it directly in the same way you should install a dlna server on it ( serviio should have a version for Vista too)

Cheers Rooob

So is it expected that, in the absence of a DLNA server, that Kodi can see the folder on the Vista laptop, but not what is in it?

Whats this name/password thing that willowozzy1 and I are getting, but Quinnicus isn't? How do we avoid it?

I turned Windows Media Player on, on the Vista box, but I don't understand its relevance, and it does not seem to make any difference. Should it, and if so, how?

I gave up trying to install the MyCloud drivers on the Vista laptop (though I left the install running) and moved the USB drive with the photos on to my Win10 laptop.

While I was trying to persuade.this laptop to be visible on my network (it isn't yet) the Vista install finished, successfully.

So i can now move the USB drive back to the Vista laptop, copy some pictures to the MyCloud, and see if I can see them on Kodi.

And/or get the Win10 laptop set up correctly.

This is turning into a marathon....

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

rooobb — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:21:14 GMT

AFAIK (but I do not use it anymore) Kodi can access resources on the network via SAMBA protocol, but if you get a request of user/password it is because you shared that with specific permission or do not shared anything (so just what Windows shares automatically for administration purposes and obviously is protected).

You should check and share the folder that you want you r tv to access. DLNA do not require it beacuse it assumes that you want to access those contents freely... but could be dangerous in term of security... whoever breach your network can access your multimedia contents

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 11:09:48 GMT

Right, we press on.

I looked up serviio on Google, but it seemed the site had been hacked, as the Download' operation went to some scam site instead, and the main entry said there had been an error, But 'Version 1.8 released' seemed fine, and I downloaded the software and installed it without further incident.

Then the Console would not load, giving the error 'Shell_NotifyIconGetRect not found in SHELL32.dll' or words to that effect. Maybe this entry point is only found in later Windows versions?

But the alternative, browser-based Console load worked fine - even though, as far as I can see, it is referencing the same local copy of the Console - and I was able to teach it my Picture folder.

After which, serviio (Vista-PC) showed up just fine in the Album app on the TV, and I could at last view my pictures!

In Kodi it was more complicated (of course), but I eventually found Serviio (Vista-PC) lurking under uPNP devices, added it, and opened it under Pictures, where it now appears.

But no pictures were shown when I chose it. I could now see Actions/View Slideshow ungrayed, and I could choose it, but still nothing appeared,

Tantalisingly, there is a tiny circle in the middle of the right hand margin with a thumbnail I recognise as possibly one of the pictures in the folder (it is a ship), but other than that, nothing.

So Album can now see my pictures - hooray, so serviio wins the day, as per the advice above.

But Kodi still can't - and I don't know if this is a missing add-on, a misconfiguration, or a bug 😞

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 11:48:00 GMT

@rooobb wrote:
AFAIK (but I do not use it anymore) Kodi can access resources on the network via SAMBA protocol, but if you get a request of user/password it is because you shared that with specific permission or do not shared anything (so just what Windows shares automatically for administration purposes and obviously is protected).
You should check and share the folder that you want you r tv to access. DLNA do not require it beacuse it assumes that you want to access those contents freely... but could be dangerous in term of security... whoever breach your network can access your multimedia contents

Yes! The folder was shared, but not with Everyone, I just shared it with Everyone, did not get asked for User/Password, and pictures appeared on the entry for my Picture folder in Kodi, under the original smb:/ access. And when I went in, there they all were. I can even start a slideshow.

i still can't see them under Serviio (Vista-PC), though.

And that hat little circle with a thumbnail of one of the pictures in has become a fixture on my screen now, even though I have shut Kodi down.

What put it there, and how do I get rid of it?

Edit: Looks like it got bored and went away of its own accord eventually. I'd still like to know, though.

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

Anonymous — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 12:27:31 GMT

@royabrown

Oh wah - Just went to serviio.org and it did go to a scam page. Refreshed a few times and it directed me back to what it should be.

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 15:17:47 GMT

Wah indeed. Firefox blocked a redirection, and Avast! didn't trigger.

But I've run a full scan with Malwarebytes since, just to be sure nothing piratical swarmed aboard from that experience, and it does not look like it has, here.

But you would do well to do the same virus check...

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

rooobb — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 13:28:13 GMT

@royabrown just tried out Kodi only for you, I do not know very well the new interface but it seems indeed that it is not able to navigate the picture on a uPnp server. It just show one picture for any folder in it...

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

willowozzy1 — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:45:31 GMT

I can finally see my photos on my TV from my PC! Not sure how it happened but I'm not using serviio or Kodi or anything else! Just changed the share on the folders to Everyone as previously suggested, checked I could see my PC in Network Settings, Home Network and then went to Albums on main screen and hey presto - There they all are! Only problem now is how to work out a way to do a slideshow as it is very slow scrolling through one at a time!!! Thanks everyone for looking into this and sorry I kicked off a can or worms!

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 15:18:52 GMT

@rooobb wrote:
@royabrown just tried out Kodi only for you, I do not know very well the new interface but it seems indeed that it is not able to navigate the picture on a uPnp server. It just show one picture for any folder in it...

Thanks, rooob. Just my luck that my first use of Kodi ran straight into a bug 😞

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

Jonnie1266 — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 15:39:18 GMT

Hi,

I have just read this thread and I have to say that I was bewildered to say the least

Just create a Home Network on your PC and, as you say, allow to share with all devices on the network - hey presto photographs are viewable on the telly ! Also on any Blu-ray player, Play Station and in my house a Panasonic Blu-ray recorder just because it can.

Smart Home Networking (DLNA) allows you to watch the contents on Server equipment connected on the same network from Client equipment. You can share videos, photos and music stored in the DLNA Certified media server (such as a PC with Windows 7 installed etc.) Equipment can be either assigned as client or server depending on what you want to see on what device. It is this same functionality that enables watching recorded programmes from a downstairs recorder on an upstairs television for instance through the network regardless of HDMI connections.

I think people are too quick to download apps and unrequired software these days LOL

Pleased you have cracked it any way

Edit: P.S. I am sure my television has slide show and time interval between slides in the options menu when you are on the relevant screen. Can you check this ?

Regards

Re: Connect KD-49XD8305 to PC

royabrown — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 18:21:55 GMT

@willowozzy1 wrote:
I can finally see my photos on my TV from my PC! Not sure how it happened but I'm not using serviio or Kodi or anything else! Just changed the share on the folders to Everyone as previously suggested, checked I could see my PC in Network Settings, Home Network and then went to Albums on main screen and hey presto - There they all are! Only problem now is how to work out a way to do a slideshow as it is very slow scrolling through one at a time!!! Thanks everyone for looking into this and sorry I kicked off a can or worms!

Yes, making the share Everyone seems to be what does the trick - makes the user/password check go away, and lets you at your photos by smb (Samba), with no servers needed.

And as above, it looks like the server/Kodi option is actually buggy 😞

i now know how you get a slideshow option in Album - in the Action Menu - but if you try Kodi again, to the point where you hit the user/password test before, you should now find that's not in the way any more, and you can get into the folder with the pictures, after a brief load up of the metadata.

. And here, in Kodi, you can run a slideshow, with the option on the left hand side, I get to this by going down to the second row of pictures, and going left - if you do this on the top row, you hit the icon that takes you out, instead.