Feedback Investigating Fire TV Media Playback Tool from Phone providing Wifi Hotspot

[ginjaninja 537]

Quite a niche use case, but these are my learnings in case they help.

 

 

im looking for the best solution for streaming content synced by Emby on a phone to a Fire TV in the absence of an internet connection.

 

Environment

1. No Internet

2. Fire TV is connected to a Android phone's Hotspot and that phone has the content.

 

Findings

• Not all phones allow hotspot to be enabled without internet (fortunately S8 does)
• There are many receiver and player apps but only (that ive found)  "Localcast" player can see the FireTV receiver when connected to the phones hotspot.
• Localcast can not cast AC3 sound nor seek
• local cast can index the sdcard and search sdcard, but you cant browse the sd card (wtf?)
• Allscreen can seek and do AC3 and browse sd card but cant see the firetv via a local hotspot running on the phone.

 

Conclusion

• screen mirror is the only 100% guaranteed solution, but cant deliver the same bit rates as casting
• localcast is the only solution that can work with a single phone ('s hotspot).
• Allscreen is the best casting app to firetv if you you have a second phone to host the wireless ap.
• Im glad i was advised to buy a direct HDMI connection for phone, but that has the downsde of not being able to charge whilst casting.
• There an opportunity for another product to do this better, who knows one day Emby might be able to beat them all :-)
• rent a holiday house with its own wifi in the mean time :-)