[dismantler]

https://developer.amazon.com/sdk/asb/app-install.html - Official instructions for side-loading apks.

[wranglerdriver]

Seems this thread has taken off. If anybody can point me to important post numbers listing directions for getting XBMC setup on the Fire TV, I will update the first post of the thread to make it more informational than it currently is.

post 110 has some good steps:

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1671791

then post 220 has a newer test build of XBMC

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1672493

[elmerohueso]

After more watching, I've observed that, even though no frames are reported as being dropped, using MediaCodec still results in slightly choppy playback. Software decoding looks great, but it can't do 1080p.
I'll try Koying's build, and a few others, tonight.

[nobnupe]

I received my box yesterday. I side loaded XBMC following the instruction. I did have green screen and playback issues with Gotham. However, I reinstalled XBMC with Frodo 12.3 and no playback issues yet. I tried 1channel movies and files from my compute via smb. I have not tried any 1080p but the 720's are working with no playback issues.

[ilovemymac]

I don't think the processor in this is as powerful as some if the other android boxes. Is guess anyway

[kalikid021]

I am happy with this setup so far. I bought this because I am looking for a more of a multi-choice solution. Hulu, Netflix, etc seem to run great on this (as it should by design). Gotham Beta3 had issues for me yesterday (greenscreen). I switched to Frodo, and it seems to run great for me. Here are a few things I have noticed:

- If you have XBMC set to scan on startup it seems to look like its scanning but goes nowhere. I have 2400 Feature length videos, and several thousand more 30-60min videos. It seemed to get up to 1844 Feature length in the scan but couldn't go further. Turned off scan at start up, initiated scan through UI and it finished adding the rest of the collection.

- The remote seems to be unable to focus the portion of the on-screen keyboard in order to type things in (as far as I tried). Luckily you can enable remote control from other apps. I have Yatse and was able to use it for all functions including keyboard input.

- If you have a large library like I do, you may end up filling up the storage space on the device. At 1844 of 2400 videos added I had consumed close to 2GB of the on-board storage.

- Until XBMC is added and approved as an app in amazon, you will have to launch it from the Settings > Applications menu. However sideloading the app was straight forward and easy.

- I will have to do some more observational testing to confirm this but I may have had 2 events happen lastnight. First may have been a crash, after leaving it for a few hours to scan my collection I came back and the app was closed and needed to be restarted. I don't know yet if this was due to scan/memory/unknown issue, I will have to look deeper. The second anomaly happened while watching a second movie in XBMC after watching one previous. Sometime towards the end of the second movie, the FireTV screensaver came on (picture slideshow similar to chromecast). I will need to Start some long vids and see how long till this happens again.

All in all I am pleased, and will buy a second one for my bedroom. I want a device that my wife can use reliably to watch a wide array of streaming sources without complication or fuss, as well as myself. I work in the tech industry so it's not such a big deal for me to fiddle a bit to get different sources, but having the ability to do it easily is awesome.

Ask any questions, and I will try to answer them.

[RKMFlorida]

I don't think the processor in this is as powerful as some if the other android boxes. Is guess anyway

That's a silly thing to say. There can be all sorts of things giving you that impression that have nothing to do with the CPU/chipset.

The Fire TV is no "black box", we know all of the specs. It runs a Qualcomm Krait 300 at Quad-Core, 1.7Ghz. The SoC is the Snapdragon 8064 with an Adreno 320. There's already a wiki if you're interested in more.

For $100, not to mention including a RF-based remote, it smokes anything else out there. And not just by a small margin.

The new Intel Minnow box for $100 may be the only thing close, but I could be wrong. The new NVIDIA K1 will have much better specs, but that's $180-$200.

I don't know why everyone is being so impatient with a box that has only existed for 2 days. As others have said, give it some time, I bet it will get there.

On the other hand, if you're one of those people that loves native XBMC over the Android variants that have their own Android-related issues, then of course it goes without saying -- stay native! I personally run all native boxes myself, but I'm going to give the Amazon Fire TV a try to compliment an ODROID, which is also a great box for the money (as long as you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get it).

[afrosheen]

Just checking in to watch this thread. I have a FireTV that should arrive today. I'm being realistic and don't expect it to be perfect day zero.

[RKMFlorida]

- If you have XBMC set to scan on startup it seems to look like its scanning but goes nowhere. I have 2400 Feature length videos, and several thousand more 30-60min videos. It seemed to get up to 1844 Feature length in the scan but couldn't go further. Turned off scan at start up, initiated scan through UI and it finished adding the rest of the collection.

Have you tried reducing the elements used in the skin, to see if it requires less RAM usage to catalog your 2,400 videos?

For example, if you were to disable FanArt, Media Flags (the icons showing 720p, AC3, etc). I suppose the data being stored in memory may be the same none-the-less, I just wondered if it would make any difference.

Also, for outright performance, but not memory, you could also disable Visualizations. But I don't think this is an issue, just throwing it out there.

[daweeze02]

I don't think the processor in this is as powerful as some if the other android boxes. Is guess anyway

That's a silly thing to say. There can be all sorts of things giving you that impression that have nothing to do with the CPU/chipset.

The Fire TV is no "black box", we know all of the specs. It runs a Qualcomm Krait 300 at Quad-Core, 1.7Ghz. The SoC is the Snapdragon 8064 with an Adreno 320. There's already a wiki if you're interested in more.

For $100, not to mention including a RF-based remote, it smokes anything else out there. And not just by a small margin.

The new Intel Minnow box for $100 may be the only thing close, but I could be wrong. The new NVIDIA K1 will have much better specs, but that's $180-$200.

I don't know why everyone is being so impatient with a box that has only existed for 2 days. As others have said, give it some time, I bet it will get there.

On the other hand, if you're one of those people that loves native XBMC over the Android variants that have their own Android-related issues, then of course it goes without saying -- stay native! I personally run all native boxes myself, but I'm going to give the Amazon Fire TV a try to compliment an ODROID, which is also a great box for the money (as long as you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get it).

I couldn't agree more

[ilovemymac]

I don't think the processor in this is as powerful as some if the other android boxes. Is guess anyway

That's a silly thing to say. There can be all sorts of things giving you that impression that have nothing to do with the CPU/chipset.

The Fire TV is no "black box", we know all of the specs. It runs a Qualcomm Krait 300 at Quad-Core, 1.7Ghz. The SoC is the Snapdragon 8064 with an Adreno 320. There's already a wiki if you're interested in more.

For $100, not to mention including a RF-based remote, it smokes anything else out there. And not just by a small margin.

The new Intel Minnow box for $100 may be the only thing close, but I could be wrong. The new NVIDIA K1 will have much better specs, but that's $180-$200.

I don't know why everyone is being so impatient with a box that has only existed for 2 days. As others have said, give it some time, I bet it will get there.

On the other hand, if you're one of those people that loves native XBMC over the Android variants that have their own Android-related issues, then of course it goes without saying -- stay native! I personally run all native boxes myself, but I'm going to give the Amazon Fire TV a try to compliment an ODROID, which is also a great box for the money (as long as you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get it).

Well I have a minix x7 mini and so far it's been great box fast and great antutu score. Xbmc runs great. But it's also running a custom rom and the rockchip has been around longer then the Qualcomm in a box.

[jus2sho]

What keyboards is everyone using?

[joeyf]

Can the library database be transferred from an existing install?

[daweeze02]

What keyboards is everyone using?

From xda

Plugged in a Logitech K400 wireless keyboard/touchpad. alpha keys work for text entry, and arrow keys navigate. Oddly, double tap on the touch pad zooms out in netflix app... dunno the purpose of that function.

Another guy said this one he has works

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B999...UTF8&psc=1

Just got my Fire TV about an hour ago and can confirm that my Moga controller actually works with it.



Another guy said this


I have sideloaded the following APKs so far and they work

Firefox
Remote. Media Center TV
ES File Explorer
MX Player
AirReceiver
HBO GO

What I tried but did not work
Chrome (force closes)
Dolphins (error during install)
UC Browser (orientation issues)
Avia (force closes)
Stock GS4 Browser (error during install "NO SHARED FOLDER")
XBMC Gothem beta 3(loads but when video comes on I get a green screen with sound only)

I got the APKs from backups using Titanium Back Up on my GS4.
I used the adb method on Amazon website to install.

[Subwire]

Just got mine. Set up and all the "official" features work great.

Going to try some of the XBMC builds mentioned here (and a few of my own) and will report back with results