Android client upgrade

[cgrey000 23]

Hi,

 

I posed a comment on the blog post about this as well.

 

I purchased the Android client through the Amazon App store. I do NOT have an Amazon device (Kindle, etc) - rather a standard Android phone. 

 

The updated client (with Chromecast support) doesn't seem to have been made available on the App store. I would like to get this upgrade, just like anyone else who paid or this version (via the Play store). 

 

The response I received was that the "amazon version" doesn't get a chromecast upgrade because it doesn't have access to Play services.

 

I'm confused by this, but regardless, I'm not trying to cheat anyone, or get something for nothing. I would simply like to get an upgrade to the app I purchased just like everyone else that purchased the same app just from a different store. I'm a big fan of the Mediabrowser experience, and have been doing a lot of work customizing XBMC skins to work seamlessly with the XBMB3C addon. I'd very much like to continue to contribute to this app, but won't continue to support it if I'm being ignored as a customer.

[Latchmor 584]

Hi, I can see from the blog that perhaps the dev did indeed think you were talking about an Amazon device. I've no idea what the solution is but give him a chance to respond on here since you have now asked in the support forum and he'll see it. It is possible he never went back to the blog comments.

 

You will not be ignored.

 

Cheers

[AxeMan 22]

You will not be ignored.

 

 

This is the truth. MB3 devs are super responsive.

[Redshirt 1487]

Hi,

 

I posed a comment on the blog post about this as well.

 

I purchased the Android client through the Amazon App store. I do NOT have an Amazon device (Kindle, etc) - rather a standard Android phone. 

 

The updated client (with Chromecast support) doesn't seem to have been made available on the App store. I would like to get this upgrade, just like anyone else who paid or this version (via the Play store). 

 

The response I received was that the "amazon version" doesn't get a chromecast upgrade because it doesn't have access to Play services.

 

I'm confused by this, but regardless, I'm not trying to cheat anyone, or get something for nothing. I would simply like to get an upgrade to the app I purchased just like everyone else that purchased the same app just from a different store. I'm a big fan of the Mediabrowser experience, and have been doing a lot of work customizing XBMC skins to work seamlessly with the XBMB3C addon. I'd very much like to continue to contribute to this app, but won't continue to support it if I'm being ignored as a customer.

 

Well I will try and explain better.

 

The Kindle OS is based on Android, but has been modified heavily and as such Amazon does not have access to Google Play Services. It's Google's way of trying to reign in the amount of fragmentation in the Android ecosystem. Because of this. Every binary that is uploaded to the Amazon store is checked to see if it contains a reference to Google Play Services and is rejected if it does. 

 

The fact that it's possible to purchase the MB client through the Amazon app store with a non-kindle device is actually disappointing. I don't think Amazon should be capable of selling to non-Amazon devices. 

 

I plan on releasing an update in the next 48 hours that will have both the Amazon and Google Play Store versions in sync. With the exception of no CC support on the Amazon version.

[cgrey000 23]

Fair enough. Thanks to everyone who responded.

 

For what it's worth, I still don't see that there was a difference in the "version". The .apk file that was downloaded when I purchased the client is bit-for-bit EXACTLY the same as the one that was available in the play store - nothing made it "amazon specific". Any app that a publisher makes available through amazon is available to anyone with any android device - it's just another marketplace.

 

If I may suggest - a possible way to avoid a situation like this in the future might be an option in the app itself to 'upgrade" - thus eliminating the 3rd-parties altogether, and pushing an update by request to a confirmed registered user. Or, go the route many other devs do, and simply don't make the app available through Amazon. I understand they take a much higher % of the sale for the "exposure" Amazon gives.

 

In any case, I appreciate the response and will await a working chromecast update.

 

Thanks!

[Redshirt 1487]

All that being said. I do want to help. So we can proceed in several ways. One of which is for you to purchase the app through the Play Store and I'll re-reimburse you the cost of the sale. Just PM me the order number once the transaction is complete. I'm not sure if I can reimburse through Google Wallet and keep your license active, so I may need to reimburse through paypal.