[chrisrobinfollett]

Splashtop does not work. The sound is terrible.They promised this would be fixed on the last update and it wasnt. I got my money back. And before you say my sound is fine. Many people have complained about the sound in these forums and to Spashgtop.

I couldn't help but download splashtop based on some non streaming related posts saying it was a favorite app. I'm trying to see how it works for streaming from my Mac mini. I'll post my results in case anyone is curious.

[SlcCorrado]

So I picked up my PlayBook in November, 2011 and have not used it at all, basically. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a decent streaming option for video. On my wife's iPad I can use Plex or Air Video to stream movies to the iPad from my Mac mini. Is there anything similar for the PlayBook?

Before anyone asks, I've tried ORB, and the quality is just complete crap. Framerate stutters, lots of blocky noise etc. HD video is simply unplayable with it.

So, are there any options? Otherwise I'm dumping the PlayBook and buying another iPad, which is a bit of a shame since I'd rather not have to since ALL I want is a decent video-streaming option!

Thanks, guys!

Probably already been said a few times, but I'm too lazy to read through

LAN FILE EXPLORER. Get it

[Tules]

Why not use the amazing Wifi-Sharing features of your playbook? You can use your playbook entirely for this process.

Just use Splashtop (As mentioned) to view the screen of your Mac Mini. Then go to 'Finder' and locate the server of your playbook which will be open, because it is fantastic. Then you just drag the movie into it that you want, and vwala.

No cords necessary, everything done on your playbook and you don't even need to be in the wifi range of your house, go to work or on the train or bus... And just watch your movie's each day.

Really believe that your playbook should be a bigger part of your life, for the amazing '$160' purchase.

[chrisrobinfollett]

Probably already been said a few times, but I'm too lazy to read through

LAN FILE EXPLORER. Get it

Yes many times

[JamesDax3]

Just downloaded that Lan File Explore. Works quite well.

[chrisrobinfollett]

Tried to stream a local avi and Hulu by watching through splashtop but didn't work too well. Frame rate was a little slow and would actually stop for a few seconds. Audio would generally keep going and the video would eventually jump to catch up. Then about 10 minutes in it would lose connection and I would have to close the app and relaunch. Splashtop works good for other stuff though great for monitoring stopping and starting downloads. Works with my dual screen setup with easy switching. Control of the desktop environment works great.

Back to iOS I don't see a solution that doesn't transcode most file formats (xvid, divx, mvk) to an iOS friendly version and then streams them. It looks to me like the playbook plays more files natively than iOS.

Maybe ios has some transcoding apps that are easier to setup but I'm not sure they are better than playon tversity twonky solution which get you transcoded mkv files plus Hulu, Netflix, amazon vod

Also thanks Tules for idea to use splashtop to download files to playbook. LAN file explorer can be used for downloading also.

[nik316]

Check out live tv cafe on your playbook. It has tons of channels you can stream. Some even in hd. It has hbo, food network hgtv etc. Needless to say, i have cancelled my cable

[chrisrobinfollett]

Check out live tv cafe on your playbook. It has tons of channels you can stream. Some even in hd. It has hbo, food network hgtv etc. Needless to say, i have cancelled my cable

All I want to do is stream the video from this site to my iPad. Is this possible? If not I will be extremely frustrated that my iPad which I paid $700 for can't do something that the far inferior playbook can do

[kcmagnet]

Wow,

There are a lot of hater responses on here!

It's totally fair of you to say you haven't been able to find a good streaming option for your personal movies on your Playbook. I used to have exactly the same problem. There are solutions, but if you're looking for the same kind of apps you had for iOS, you'll be disappointed.

As far is I understand it there is another solution for streaming through your home network. My preferred option is to just stream through my browser. I'm not very tech savvy, but the way I understand it, if you've got your computer set-up to share with other devices in your home (DLNA server), then it needs to have a media server to make the files accessible through a software "port". If you can figure out the IP address for your computer, and the port that the media server access, then all you need to do is enter them into the address bar in the Playbook's browser, and it will let you stream all of your shared videos, songs and photos, through your media server's web host...

For example, on my computer I use http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:9000 where the X's are the IP address, and 9000 is my streaming port. I'll be honest here, and admit that I know nothing about Apple, so they might not support this kind of system... But if you're able to stream to other non-apple devices, I don't see why it wouldn't work.


I hope that helps.

[conix67]

Wow,

There are a lot of hater responses on here!

It's totally fair of you to say you haven't been able to find a good streaming option for your personal movies on your Playbook. I used to have exactly the same problem. There are solutions, but if you're looking for the same kind of apps you had for iOS, you'll be disappointed.

As far is I understand it there is another solution for streaming through your home network. My preferred option is to just stream through my browser. I'm not very tech savvy, but the way I understand it, if you've got your computer set-up to share with other devices in your home (DLNA server), then it needs to have a media server to make the files accessible through a software "port". If you can figure out the IP address for your computer, and the port that the media server access, then all you need to do is enter them into the address bar in the Playbook's browser, and it will let you stream all of your shared videos, songs and photos, through your media server's web host...

For example, on my computer I use http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:9000 where the X's are the IP address, and 9000 is my streaming port. I'll be honest here, and admit that I know nothing about Apple, so they might not support this kind of system... But if you're able to stream to other non-apple devices, I don't see why it wouldn't work.


I hope that helps.

I believe you're referring to another thread on this forum. You can't just use your browser to connect to your PC. Your PC must be running an HTTP server before you can do this.

Anyway, Lan Explorer is the closest you can get for easy video streaming on PB. If someone wants to use Splashtop, I'd recommend Subsonic instead.

[Angus_CB]

Thanks for the support, O Peoples who supported me, here.



Are you referring SonicAir? Please could you give me more info on that? It seems to use a web interface. Based on my experience with ORB this won't work for me, but I want to be sure - can you set it up to connect LOCALLY?

Thanks!

ORB does stream locally if your Server and Playbook are on the same LAN and both use the same IP (router) to connect to the Internet.

[kcmagnet]

I believe you're referring to another thread on this forum. You can't just use your browser to connect to your PC. Your PC must be running an HTTP server before you can do this.

Anyway, Lan Explorer is the closest you can get for easy video streaming on PB. If someone wants to use Splashtop, I'd recommend Subsonic instead.

I don't understand. To serve media to DLNA clients, don't you need some kind of http server running? I thought this was how they got access to the files. If not, thanks in advance for educating me . It could be that my NAS just happens to have both a DLNA server, and an Http server, and I thought they were the same thing

[Angus_CB]

There are two main ways to get video from a server to another network device.
Streaming from the server to the device and copying from the server to the device.
ORB and PlayOn stream and re-encode so the file can be played using the ORB or PlayOn player.
Methods like LAN File Explorer are copying the file and relying on the Playbooks codec capabilities.

I understand the OP's frustration. I too believed that a quality tablet would have the ability to play media files from a DLNA server. A $99.00 Blu-Ray player can do it.
I use ORB at home but it is a workaround for something that should be built in.

I use my Playbook for much more than watching videos at home so I don't see it as a waste of money at all but I don't think asking for a decent media player is being unreasonable.

[Angus_CB]

I don't understand. To serve media to DLNA clients, don't you need some kind of http server running? I thought this was how they got access to the files. If not, thanks in advance for educating me . It could be that my NAS just happens to have both a DLNA server, and an Http server, and I thought they were the same thing

To serve to DLNA clients you need a DLNA server. Playbook isn't a DLNA client by the way.
Your NAS probably does have both servers and an FTP server.

[conix67]

I don't understand. To serve media to DLNA clients, don't you need some kind of http server running? I thought this was how they got access to the files. If not, thanks in advance for educating me . It could be that my NAS just happens to have both a DLNA server, and an Http server, and I thought they were the same thing

DLNA server does not require HTTP server, they are independent of each other. Many NAS will support both. What kind of NAS do you have?

[torndownunit]

Tried to stream a local avi and Hulu by watching through splashtop but didn't work too well. Frame rate was a little slow and would actually stop for a few seconds. Audio would generally keep going and the video would eventually jump to catch up. Then about 10 minutes in it would lose connection and I would have to close the app and relaunch. Splashtop works good for other stuff though great for monitoring stopping and starting downloads. Works with my dual screen setup with easy switching. Control of the desktop environment works great.

Back to iOS I don't see a solution that doesn't transcode most file formats (xvid, divx, mvk) to an iOS friendly version and then streams them. It looks to me like the playbook plays more files natively than iOS.

Maybe ios has some transcoding apps that are easier to setup but I'm not sure they are better than playon tversity twonky solution which get you transcoded mkv files plus Hulu, Netflix, amazon vod

Also thanks Tules for idea to use splashtop to download files to playbook. LAN file explorer can be used for downloading also.

The thing there are ways to run Plex and XBMC in iOS, and more and more apps are incorporating AirPlay. Those solutions are not only good, but fantastic. As far as I know Plex and XBMC will work on Android devices as well. There are some solutions listed here (thanks to the people listing them), but they don't give you the functionality that that you get with the solutions listed above.

[kcmagnet]

DLNA server does not require HTTP server, they are independent of each other. Many NAS will support both. What kind of NAS do you have?

It's a WD MyBook Live.

[kcmagnet]

The thing there are ways to run Plex and XBMC in iOS, and more and more apps are incorporating AirPlay. Those solutions are not only good, but fantastic. As far as I know Plex and XBMC will work on Android devices as well. There are some solutions listed here (thanks to the people listing them), but they don't give you the functionality that that you get with the solutions listed above.

I haven't tried this, but I have heard that you can sideload Plex to the Playbook. Given some of the other threads in this forum, maybe not for long, though.

[XilinxUnder]

So I picked up my PlayBook in November, 2011 and have not used it at all, basically. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a decent streaming option for video. On my wife's iPad I can use Plex or Air Video to stream movies to the iPad from my Mac mini. Is there anything similar for the PlayBook?

Before anyone asks, I've tried ORB, and the quality is just complete crap. Framerate stutters, lots of blocky noise etc. HD video is simply unplayable with it.

So, are there any options? Otherwise I'm dumping the PlayBook and buying another iPad, which is a bit of a shame since I'd rather not have to since ALL I want is a decent video-streaming option!

Thanks, guys!

I use File Hub and Land File Explorer and works well for videos and music.

[eternalemb]

You use ORB with 720p files, and it works fine? How are you connecting? I followed the youtube tutorial, and the files just run like crap... I suspect it's because it's not a local-network thing and that it uses the actual Internet connection. Just... ridiculous.

User error. Plain. And. Simple.

I stream 720P/1080P episodes and movies and they look great. No lag.

[Rickroller]

Seriously? You bought a tablet 6 months ago and have not used it because you only bought it to watch Netflix? Good Lord...seriously? I can't help you. Nobody can. Here's a tip though....there are thousands of streaming sites.

Why so hostile? Instead of attacking the OP..maybe you could've just made some suggestions (and actually read what he wrote..not once did he mention Netflix). These Playbook forums are just a bunch of snarling, insecure people trying to defend their purchase whenever possible..even when its not necessary. Get a grip people. RIMs red headed step-child is far from perfect. Its great at $200..but laughable at anything more than that.

[swyost]

enjoy your second ipad and the jug of kool aid

Yes, the cult of RIM speaks. I guess you don't get the irony of referring to someone else drinking kool aid when you are using a commercially unsuccessful product for a struggling tech company. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. In this case, the analogy applies much more to RIM cult members than Apple cult members.

[amro]

no cult here. i drink rum, not kool aid.

i had dinner with a high level rim exec last week, just after the earnings call. i asked if i should be pricing galaxy notes. i wasn't kidding.

i have no loyalty to any brand. if it works for me, i keep using it. when it stops working, i move on. i just won't move on to apple.

[amro]

Thanks for helping us reach a majority...

sorry fanboy, i am in the minority. good try tho.

[wgrose]

User error. Plain. And. Simple.

I stream 720P/1080P episodes and movies and they look great. No lag.

Clearly user error. :roll eyes:

I have no idea why people need to attack. I followed the YouTube instructions perfectly, and my media doesn't play correctly.

I don't think you know what Smooth. Playback. Is. It's not there at 720p on the PlayBook via ORB. Period. The sound isn't synched correctly with video, the frame-rate is complete junk, there's no rewind/forward controls, the layout is unreadable in terms of which episode you want watch, no subtitle support... It's useless. How on earth do you put up with that?

I hate to be harsh, but ORB is a giant waste of time in my experience.

And on that note, I'm done. Selling the PlayBook tomorrow. Thanks to those who made an attempt to help me, but from my experience it's quite clear why RIM is doomed. The hardware is there, but with no software support it's no surprise the writing's on the wall.