XBMC4Xbox Remote - Android app

[Dan Dar3]

BlackBerry Playbook? very nice thanks.

[Dan Dar3]

Notice: I'm aware of a problem with context menu (long press) in Music > Library and Music > Playlist (the issue is a bit odd would only manifest itself if you navigated to both Library and Playlist and then long press in either for a context menu, then it will crash - relates to the introduction of ViewPager and Google Support Library, not that it matters too much). I'll make a fix available this weekend with other small changes, thanks.

Notice:: If the feeds scroller in the main screen stays blank or "Loading" and getting a "SAXParseException: Unexpected token (position: TEXT..." error when going into Feeds screen, I'm aware of the issue and will be fixed in the next version (HTTP cache issue). As a workaround, you can try Main > Settings > Clear cache.

[Dan Dar3]

version 2.9.6 is out!

[AwesomeNurd]

What's new?

[Dan Dar3]

Changelog is updated in the first post:
http://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/forum/viewt ... ?f=6&t=203

[badtaamiz_2000]

hi Dan,

i just installed the app on my nexus 7 2013 which is running kit kat. When i click on Network Scan option, it states No XBMC4XBOX found.

I have confirmed that web server status is ON.

Can you please help, i am sure i am doing something wrong.

Thank you

[Dan Dar3]

@badtaamiz_2000
Try the test URL from a web browser on your tablet, see how it responds - if it's password protected with a non-standard user/password (xbox/xbox) it can't communicate with it.
https://sites.google.com/site/xbmc4xbox ... web-server

If still doesn't work, please contact me by email (dan.dar33 at gmail.com) to try a few other things.

[badtaamiz_2000]

hi Dan,

i tried to test the web server connection and it was not able to connect. Any suggestion?

thank you

[Dan Dar3]

@badtaamiz_2000
Is your Xbox connected directly to the network or is it connected to your laptop or PC (ICS = Internet Connection Sharing)?
The second one is a bit more complicated, depending on which OS or method you chose to do it with - contact me by email to discuss it.

[AwesomeNurd]

A few suggestions for future releases if they are doable of course:

- Search function in Music/Video libraries.
- Add access to the favorites from the main screen.
- Add access to Programs (Games, Apps, Emulators...) from the main screen.

With the latest update, the thumbnail doesn't show up anymore in the widget for me. I just have the XBMC logo with the remote.

[Dan Dar3]

Thanks for your suggestions, AwesomeNurd.

* I believe we have this one...
* Noted.
* This is going be coming soon in the next couple of weeks.
* I'll look at this.

[Guillaume]

Love your app, but so far I've been going back and forth between this and an older version of the official XBMC remote, because the latter DOES allow me to share media links via the remote directly to the Xbox. I can TRY to share via XBMC4XBOX remote, but then XBMC4XBOX remote simply assumes it's a YouTube video, instead of parsing the URL and sending it to the XBOX for direct playback.

You'll find an example in attached screenshot. Would be absolutely great if this feature could be added.

[Dan Dar3]

Thanks Guillaume, as long as the http URL was identified to contain audio or video, it should work as either share or even play "with" the XBMC4Xbox Remote and send it to your XBMC4Xbox to be played directly - sounds odd to send it as a YouTube video... Can you send me an email to dan.dar33 at gmail.com with some steps on how to get to the screenshot you have so I can try it and maybe send me your xbmc.log after pushing the "Send" button in the screen.

[samspin]

Is there any way to allow this remote app to be used literally remotely? What I mean is, from outside my home network? You see, I have a static IP address on my home broadband connection, with XBMC's port forwarded. However I have found that the remote functions timeout unless I connect to my wifi network and use it that way. This is undesirable for me as it means I have to leave my phone constantly connected to wifi, where I would prefer to be able to use the 3G internet to save my battery life. It seems to me that the app or XBMC is hardcoded to not allow connections from outside the local network, perhaps for security reasons.

[Dan Dar3]

@samspin
Technically it could be possible provided that you have forwarded ports correctly in your router towards the Xbox - that can be done through port by port rules or adding the Xbox IP address to the DMZ zone. The app uses HTTP API for data inquiry (usually port TCP/80, but it can be changed through configuration) and uses UDP/9777 port for DVD Remote and the widget (EventClient). I would expect though timeouts or failure of communication - most of the HTTP API calls timeout at 5 seconds, although some are shorter (like looking for whether XBMC4Xbox is on in the main screen). As you could expect, communicating to a cell tower 1 km or more away and then coming back in after a round-trip on the internet should be quite a bit slower compare to communicating to your router which is a just a few meters away.

To test your port forwarding as well as performance, try opening http://yourxboxip/ in a browser on your smarphone and see if you can control it that way through the default web interface. If that works reasonably well, the remote might work as well. I could look at allowing to configure the timeouts within the application and that could make it work, although i doubt it will be a reasonably smooth experience.

You could configure your phone to turn off wi-fi when screen is off ("wi-fi sleep policy") and it has been already requested for a DVD Remote screen lock / widget, I'll be looking at that next - this way you could use your wifi and conserve battery as well, as in turn on, wi-fi comes back on, do the navigation you need, turn screen off, wi-fi goes off.

[Xphazer]

This is undesirable for me as it means I have to leave my phone constantly connected to wifi..

WiFi should use much less battery than 3G.

[samspin]

This is undesirable for me as it means I have to leave my phone constantly connected to wifi..

WiFi should use much less battery than 3G.

Normally I'd agree with that. But my phone literally gets boiling when left on wifi. I'd buy a new one but I'm strapped for cash atm after buying a trusty xbox board! Reminds me, if anyone wants a tester for beta code on a 128MB 1.4ghz xbox, you can add me to your list. I keep a copy of Windows XP virtualised specifically for compiling XBMC4XBOX from source and would like to contribute to keeping things alive, even though programming isn't my strong point.

[Dan Dar3]

@samspin
I see, that makes sense then. You have my email in the first post in the thread and if you want to contact me to arrange for a remote session to try it out, review firewall rules and all that, let me know.

Second thing, since you mentioned the compile environment and your programming skills - best teacher I found was "need". HTTP server in XBMC4Xbox doesn't compression as far as I rememember, meaning that HTTP replies will take longer to arrive over slow networks and large ones would probably timeout. So, if you want and have the time, we could get together and have a remote session to show you what I mean and I could guide and teach you what I know and maybe that'll get you started to this feature - it will benefit you first hand as well as others.

@all
I know it's been too long (3 months) since last update, a few things happend and other didn't, but I'm still commited to this, I haven't dropped or anything, it's just a slow time, hope to have a release soon to allow taking screenshots and then more stuff after that.

[giqcass]

The latest version of XBMC4XBOX remote does not completely work on any of my Android devices. In particular if I go into Movies>>>FILES and then select a file it will not play on my XBOX. That works on version V2.9.4 of XBMC4XBOX remote. The DVD remote, Commands, System info, and touchPad all work on both versions. I have XBMC4XBOX 3.5-BETA2-r32674 running on my XBOX. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance. I plan to stay on the fully functional older version until I can find a solution.

[Dan Dar3]

@giqcass
Can you capture the Movies > Files > Play action in xbmc.log (debug if possible) and upload to pastebin.com to have a look at it, thanks.
http://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/forum/viewt ... p?f=6&t=65

Does it even get to XBMC4Xbox or you get an error on the Android side?