Playing video from netgear readyshare storage

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smrsxn

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2011
449
152
Background:
I have a netgear WNDR3400v2 router that has a readyshare USB port (no DLNA server though). I have loaded a few chromecast compatible video's on a usb drive and plugged it into my router. I have also copied the exact same files on my android device.
I am using avia for casting.

Scenario 1: (when video is stored locally on my android device) - WORKS
I open avia, lookup the video to play and cast it to chromecast. all works well.

Scenario 2 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is NOT casting to chromecast) - WORKS
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and video is played flawlessly.

Scenario 3 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is casting to chromecast) - DOES NOT WORK
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and only casts audio to chromecast. No video is displayed on my TV, only audio is casted.

Has someone faced this issue and solved it? please share how did you make it work.
Ideally, I would like to store all my local media on a USB device and attach it to my router, and then be able to cast it to chromecast.

Appreciate any help.
Thanks and a very happy new year to you all!
 
A

Asphyx

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2007
2,158
378
Android Wear
Google Pixel Watch
smrsxn said:
Background:
I have a netgear WNDR3400v2 router that has a readyshare USB port (no DLNA server though). I have loaded a few chromecast compatible video's on a usb drive and plugged it into my router. I have also copied the exact same files on my android device.
I am using avia for casting.

Scenario 1: (when video is stored locally on my android device) - WORKS
I open avia, lookup the video to play and cast it to chromecast. all works well.

Scenario 2 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is NOT casting to chromecast) - WORKS
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and video is played flawlessly.

Scenario 3 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is casting to chromecast) - DOES NOT WORK
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and only casts audio to chromecast. No video is displayed on my TV, only audio is casted.

Has someone faced this issue and solved it? please share how did you make it work.
Ideally, I would like to store all my local media on a USB device and attach it to my router, and then be able to cast it to chromecast.

Appreciate any help.
Thanks and a very happy new year to you all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Only a few Options for you right now...

1 - Re-Encode (Transcode) All of your video Library to MP4/H264/AAC 4-8Mbps VBitrate. All files in that format should play without issues on the CCast (exception bad Network congestion or Reception. aVia should work for you in this example as will anything that has CCast support. (See #3 as an add on to this Option as it might give you a better Interface)

2 (and obviously the BEST Option) - Run a DLNA server that does Transcoding on the fly. Map the drives on your Router to the machine running the DLNA server and add that drive to the DLNA Server Library, Plex and Twonky are both considered the best DLNA servers out there and Plex gets a plus for having an Android App that is far superior as far as Display and it supports CCast directly. Twonky doesn't have an App that supports CCast but you can use aVia with both of those DLNA Servers. But Ples Server with Plex app is probably the best most complete solution right now (Transcoding and a few bugs not withstanding)

All Options that follow will require you doing Option 1 because they do not Transcode, and having aVia Player installed

3 - Get Movie Browser UPnP (another Paid App), Set up sources via UPnP (Your router seems to support this and if not) or Samba. When you try and play a Video for the first time it should ask you what Player to use, Select aVia.

(sorry forgot to add #4)

4 - Install Playon Server on your Desktop, It will aggregate all media the Desktop can see and if you use aVia as a Player for now that will work. PlayOn is promising CCast support in their App soon so when they do aVia will no longer be needed. PlayOn I hear DOES do some transcoding but aVia doesn't and until they support CCast natively I can't say for certain if you could skip Option 1 using this method.

So you pretty much have two choices. Re-Encode all of your Library or Set up a DLNA server that will transcode the source files for you on the fly and as needed.
Thats the best method for supporting media streaming to ALL of your devices.

If you have an old computer laying around that has more than a Pentium 4 Proc then Throw Linux on it, get Plex for Linux and it should be powerful enough to transcode for you. Windows would take up too many resources but Linux is lean enough to get away with an older proc.
 
Last edited:
bhiga

bhiga

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Oct 13, 2010
2,501
1,018
smrsxn said:
Background:
I have a netgear WNDR3400v2 router that has a readyshare USB port (no DLNA server though). I have loaded a few chromecast compatible video's on a usb drive and plugged it into my router. I have also copied the exact same files on my android device.
I am using avia for casting.

Scenario 1: (when video is stored locally on my android device) - WORKS
I open avia, lookup the video to play and cast it to chromecast. all works well.

Scenario 2 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is NOT casting to chromecast) - WORKS
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and video is played flawlessly.

Scenario 3 (Same video is stored in my router storage. Avia is casting to chromecast) - DOES NOT WORK
I open ES file explorer, and lookup the network storage. Locate the video and play it to avia player from ES file explorer.
AVIA window opens and only casts audio to chromecast. No video is displayed on my TV, only audio is casted.

Has someone faced this issue and solved it? please share how did you make it work.
Ideally, I would like to store all my local media on a USB device and attach it to my router, and then be able to cast it to chromecast.

Appreciate any help.
Thanks and a very happy new year to you all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read your scenario 2 and scenario 3 a number of times and I can't figure out what's different in the setup between the two.
The result is different, but both lead up with opening in ES File Explorer and playing it via Avia?
I must be missing something...?
 
E

ETFoneHome

Senior Member
Jun 11, 2012
132
31
I find that DNLA feature on many routers is often buggy. My USB drive connected to one of my routers will show mp4 files as music on any Android DNLA media player. However, mkv files will show up as a video file.

My solution was to rename mp4 extention to mkv. Now Avia sees it as video and cast away. :eek:
 
Last edited:
S

smrsxn

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2011
449
152
bhiga said:
I read your scenario 2 and scenario 3 a number of times and I can't figure out what's different in the setup between the two.
The result is different, but both lead up with opening in ES File Explorer and playing it via Avia?
I must be missing something...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Differnce is that avia is not casting in scenario 2, but casting in scenario 3.
When avia is not casting, then video plays fine on my device.
When avia is casting same video, then only audio plays on chromecast.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk
 
S

smrsxn

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2011
449
152
Asphyx said:
Only a few Options for you right now...

1 - Re-Encode (Transcode) All of your video Library to MP4/H264/AAC 4-8Mbps VBitrate. All files in that format should play without issues on the CCast (exception bad Network congestion or Reception. aVia should work for you in this example as will anything that has CCast support. (See #3 as an add on to this Option as it might give you a better Interface)

2 (and obviously the BEST Option) - Run a DLNA server that does Transcoding on the fly. Map the drives on your Router to the machine running the DLNA server and add that drive to the DLNA Server Library, Plex and Twonky are both considered the best DLNA servers out there and Plex gets a plus for having an Android App that is far superior as far as Display and it supports CCast directly. Twonky doesn't have an App that supports CCast but you can use aVia with both of those DLNA Servers. But Ples Server with Plex app is probably the best most complete solution right now (Transcoding and a few bugs not withstanding)

All Options that follow will require you doing Option 1 because they do not Transcode, and having aVia Player installed

3 - Get Movie Browser UPnP (another Paid App), Set up sources via UPnP (Your router seems to support this and if not) or Samba. When you try and play a Video for the first time it should ask you what Player to use, Select aVia.

(sorry forgot to add #4)

4 - Install Playon Server on your Desktop, It will aggregate all media the Desktop can see and if you use aVia as a Player for now that will work. PlayOn is promising CCast support in their App soon so when they do aVia will no longer be needed. PlayOn I hear DOES do some transcoding but aVia doesn't and until they support CCast natively I can't say for certain if you could skip Option 1 using this method.

So you pretty much have two choices. Re-Encode all of your Library or Set up a DLNA server that will transcode the source files for you on the fly and as needed.
Thats the best method for supporting media streaming to ALL of your devices.

If you have an old computer laying around that has more than a Pentium 4 Proc then Throw Linux on it, get Plex for Linux and it should be powerful enough to transcode for you. Windows would take up too many resources but Linux is lean enough to get away with an older proc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Actually, I have ensured that video is chromecast compatible already.
When I copy the video to my sdcard on my tablet, and cast via avia, then I get both video and audio on my tv. (1st scenario in my list.)

When I delete the video from my tablet's sdcard, and instead lookit up from my routerstorage via es file explorer, then only audio plays..no video.

So it's not a transcoding issue.

Steps to reproduce
- copy any video file that works with chromecast from your device to another network location.
- use es file explorer to lookup the file on network and play it to avia
- this time avia will not cast the video. Only audio will come on the tv.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
bhiga

bhiga

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Oct 13, 2010
2,501
1,018
smrsxn said:
Differnce is that avia is not casting in scenario 2, but casting in scenario 3.
When avia is not casting, then video plays fine on my device.
When avia is casting same video, then only audio plays on chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooooh I think I understand now.

In Scenario 2, Avia is not connected to Chromecast, but in Scenario 3, Avia is already connected to Chromecast?

I'm not sure whether ES File Explorer's Send to/Open makes a copy of the remote file locally before opening - I think it might.

If that's the case, it might be a difference of available bandwidth between scenarios 2 and 3.
In scenario 2, ES File Explorer copies the remote file to local.

In scenario 3, ES File Explorer is copying the remote file to local while Avia is trying to send the incoming data back out to Chromecast.

The copy action is probably bursting/clogging the wireless connection so the Avia-to-Chromecast transfer isn't able to send the video data fast enough to Chromecast. The video data is getting to Chromecast too late and Chromecast is throwing them away instead of showing them.

That is, of course, if I'm correct that ES File Explorer's network browse makes a temporary local copy or cached chunk.
 
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smrsxn

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2011
449
152
Possible diagnosis... atleast its adding up.
Let me try with low bitrate mp4 and see if that changes anything.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 
S

smrsxn

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2011
449
152
SOLVED!!!

Happy to report that this issue is solved by using vget to stream network media.
It works excellent... i will start a new thread as vget does much more than just network storage casting...

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk
 
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    bhiga
    bhiga
    smrsxn said:
    Differnce is that avia is not casting in scenario 2, but casting in scenario 3.
    When avia is not casting, then video plays fine on my device.
    When avia is casting same video, then only audio plays on chromecast.
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse
    Ooooh I think I understand now.

    In Scenario 2, Avia is not connected to Chromecast, but in Scenario 3, Avia is already connected to Chromecast?

    I'm not sure whether ES File Explorer's Send to/Open makes a copy of the remote file locally before opening - I think it might.

    If that's the case, it might be a difference of available bandwidth between scenarios 2 and 3.
    In scenario 2, ES File Explorer copies the remote file to local.

    In scenario 3, ES File Explorer is copying the remote file to local while Avia is trying to send the incoming data back out to Chromecast.

    The copy action is probably bursting/clogging the wireless connection so the Avia-to-Chromecast transfer isn't able to send the video data fast enough to Chromecast. The video data is getting to Chromecast too late and Chromecast is throwing them away instead of showing them.

    That is, of course, if I'm correct that ES File Explorer's network browse makes a temporary local copy or cached chunk.
    View
    1
    S
    smrsxn
    SOLVED!!!

    Happy to report that this issue is solved by using vget to stream network media.
    It works excellent... i will start a new thread as vget does much more than just network storage casting...

    Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk
    View

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