Streaming video using Android or other system

[carlmart]

I have had some problems lately using Kodi with Android, and streaming to my PC where I keep mu video folders.

Are the worst kind of problems, because it's happening with smart-TV and external TV Boxes, like Shield Pro or Xiaomi, that work fine with Netflix, for instance, but stop working with Kodi streaming, for no reason, and show Error 2 if you try to set them up again.

I am blaming Kodi as the main suspect for the problem, but I can't find any other Android video streamer. Can you name any?

So I started exploring other options that would let me stream video using Windows or Linux compatible programs. Has anyone have any suggestions?

I know there are very expensive systems, with proprietary boxes, all very expensive ones, and those are not the ones for me.

Windows updates are another suspect, and also Kodi updates after v18. After that version things with Kodi became problematic.

I really miss the old times of smbV1, when media players did everything fine and problem free.

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

I have had some problems lately using Kodi with Android, and streaming to my PC where I keep mu video folders.

Are the worst kind of problems, because it's happening with smart-TV and external TV Boxes, like Shield Pro or Xiaomi, that work fine with Netflix, for instance, but stop working with Kodi streaming, for no reason, and show Error 2 if you try to set them up again.

I am blaming Kodi as the main suspect for the problem, but I can't find any other Android video streamer. Can you name any?

So I started exploring other options that would let me stream video using Windows or Linux compatible programs. Has anyone have any suggestions?

I know there are very expensive systems, with proprietary boxes, all very expensive ones, and those are not the ones for me.

Windows updates are another suspect, and also Kodi updates after v18. After that version things with Kodi became problematic.

I really miss the old times of smbV1, when media players did everything fine and problem free.

Tried Plex?

[ElCap]

another option is serviio which runs a dlna server on your pc
its not as full featured as plex but its a lot simpler and you can just use vlc on android to play from the dlna share

[Karoolus]

You could even setup a file share on your pc (which obviously holds all your media) and then use VLC to play directly from that network share.

Something like Plex is a lot easier though, as next to streaming your media, it also keeps track of progress, downloads artwork and metadata, you have the ability to add extra users, ...

Jellyfin or Emby are similar options

[carlmart]

OK, I watched a video on setting up Plex, and there is one thing that seems to be confusing:

How to separate streaming online internet media, which I don't want to access, from my personal media, which is the only that I want to access.

Is there a way to block exterior streaming completely?

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

OK, I watched a video on setting up Plex, and there is one thing that seems to be confusing:

How to separate streaming online internet media, which I don't want to access, from my personal media, which is the only that I want to access.

Is there a way to block exterior streaming completely?

Plex is quite good when set up to your liking. Plex media is always there, AFAIK, but you do not have to have it centre stage. I somehow managed to make my local media feature first. Don't ask me for the steps but there is probably a Plex forum somewhere if you need Plex help.

ElCap' s comment is worth thinking about. If you do not want the bells and whistles of Plex then VLC can be a simple Plex client; the interface is basic but video playback is good.

[carlmart]

It's dissapointing. Today I got the answer from the Kodi forum, after presenting the log of the Xiaomi unit trying to connect to my PC, and getting an error.

This is what they said:

Looks like there's some DNS issues on your network perhaps. Line 1662 of the log for example says the box is unable to look up the host DESKTOP-1C98BE1, and so SMB access to it is failing.

That might be the network settings on your box, or it might be the DNS server on your network.

Neither is especially my area of knowledge, so others may be able to support more.

Interesting that these "DNS issues" do not happen with my Nvidia Shield Pro or my Mecool video boxes. As the Nvida also had issues and then worked fine, it seems that updates to both Kodi and Windows 10 might be more likely reasons.