USB/SD DISABLED NOT A HAPPY BUNNY

[Anonymous User]

Heard about the new box on several internet sites and mentioning new USB features, went to Now TV yesterday and they have spec listing as follows so thought I'd upgrade my white box

USB media formats:	Video: MP4 (H.264), MKV (H.264) Audio: AAC, MP3 Image: JPG, PNG
Remote:	Infra Red Compatible with various universal remotes
Ports:	HDMI (cable included), Ethernet, microSD card slot, USB

NOWHERE does it say that that this hardware is disabled unless you scroll through the help section which given the simplicity of set-up owning one already I saw no reason to do:

Micro SD & USB

You’re currently unable to connect the NOW TV Box to a Micro SD card, or other expandable media storage devices.

It might be subsidised pricewise expected that given it's closed channel list compared to a standard Roku but the lack of openess regarding this is pretty poor!

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User 

1) the latest zip is this one http://sourceforge.net/projects/rokusdkexamples/files/usbplayer.zip/download

2) no need for an SD card, enough space on the box for the one dev app

3) keep the file zipped, and you'll need to upload it via the developer mode webpage (search for sideload plex nowtv for examples if you don't know how)

4) there are reports of someone using a 4TB western digital hard drive in NTFS compressed working on a Roku 3 (which the NOW TV black box is identical in terms of this hardware)

5) both seem to be supported

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys please point me to a site/tutorial on how the movies /files need to be stored on the USB stick and or an HDD for playback through the mediaplayer app?

if the Movie files were 5.1 sound would this be output as I've read onlt 2ch stero output, but also 5.1/7.1 Dolby passthough as well??

I know the Nowtv media isn't 5.1 but would my media still be restricted to Stero as well?

also would the files still be able to be in the same format for playback through PLEX? or does Plex(or Rarflix) use the network connection to a dedicated server only? i.e. my microserver ?

I am potentially after two solutions , hence the double question as I want to use KISS for use by a non techy parent, ideally I would place movie content on an hdd that can be just plugged in and chosen. Is this possible with a NOWTV box solution?

Personally I would like to try a PLEX solution as I would be prepared to play but the parent unt needs to be plug in and forget.

I appologise for the slightly scatterbrain multi-question approach to the questions but I have been unable to find the answers within the forum I've thought best suited? so rather than general google I'd like to get a known solution from people that do actually KNOW.

Many thanks, Nick

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User the usb app is pretty basic, it scans the device for matching files and you just open the different directories. 5.1 will work (it's only NOW TV media which is limited to stereo) but files need to be mp4 or mkv. 

Plex is a better experience as it gets all the artwork and descriptions, but requires a Plex server running in the house to be on at the same time. If a file format is unsupported on the box the Plex server should transcode on the fly.

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User

Hi Artesea

As I'm a Plex user, I just want to clear up a small point.

Plex will transcode , i.e. convert on the fly, non-playable files into playable ones but in order to perform this function the server itself must have a reasonably powerful CPU.  However, the transcoding process will cause the loss of some picture quality.

Consequently, for those like myself who own servers that do not have powerful CPUs, Plex will direct play MP4 files which require no transcoding and do not loose picture quality when playing.

Hope this helps.

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for that @Anonymous User 🙂

Initially I wanted this for my TV to provide a non pc way of getting access
to my media library as well as the obvious box sets etc. then as I
installed it It dawned on me why I had given away the chrome-cast when I
had purchased that last year LOL, I have an OLD Panny PHD8 which is an OLD
but awesome Professional panel rather than TV, and due to the timing of
this set-up back in 2004 I run it through a NON Hdmi amp (Denon 2109) so I
therefore have no way of getting sound from the NOWtv.....DOH, therefore
the PLEx I have added and tested albeit silently, iis likely to be removed
so that I can give this unit to my mum, and therefore need to keep it
simple for movie playback. unless she can port into my Plex server??
initially I had given up on this as even mine seems to want to 'retrieve'
far to long and often for me, so with your info I am assuming this is
because i have them in the wrong format and the Plex /nowtv box is having
to transcode them on the fly???

I'm afraid I take in the files in whatever they come and leave xbmc/kodi to
do the rest at the moment as im a numpty when it comes to this stuff, i
just follow guides to get what I need 🙂

ill try putting some of my movies on a stick and see what the usb does when
I plug it in, also would plex work from a local usb in the same way? or
does it have to come from a server?

Thanks

[Anonymous User]

HI.  I'm struggling to download a valid file to enable the USB slot on my black now tv box.  I have enabled developer mode etc, just need a valid link to a zip file that will let me install roku media player or similar to watch movies via usb stick.  Can anybody help?

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User

Hi Matt

I was wondering, how are you are going to get the media player and usb software on the black box, it's only has one slot/space not two.

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

@ukbobboy the media player app does the USB reading, they are "one app".

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User

Hi Art

Yes, I can see now that the Roku Media Player will enable the USB port and play media files, however some of the tech stuff has me slightly confused.  For example, the article I read said, "

The following media file formats are supported: Video — H.264/AVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV), on Roku 4 only: H.265/HEVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV); VP9 (.MKV)".

1) The NowTV black box is a Roku 3 clone and most of the MP4 files I've seen are H.264s, does this mean that if the RMP is installed on my black box will I be able to play my MP4 files? (I'm guessing probably not)

2) Is the RMP available for sideloading?

However, a much better option would be if NowTV made the RMP app available from the App Store.

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

Oops i've just bought a new black box to upgarde from a white one, with the idear the usb and sd slots would work, as stated on the box.

i have been trying to get them to work and find out on here they are disabled.

Another unhappy bunny!

Very misleading selling.

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@Anonymous User wrote:

Heard about the new box on several internet sites and mentioning new USB features, went to Now TV yesterday and they have spec listing as follows so thought I'd upgrade my white box

USB media formats:	Video: MP4 (H.264), MKV (H.264) Audio: AAC, MP3 Image: JPG, PNG
Remote:	Infra Red Compatible with various universal remotes
Ports:	HDMI (cable included), Ethernet, microSD card slot, USB

NOWHERE does it say that that this hardware is disabled unless you scroll through the help section which given the simplicity of set-up owning one already I saw no reason to do:

Micro SD & USB

You’re currently unable to connect the NOW TV Box to a Micro SD card, or other expandable media storage devices.

It might be subsidised pricewise expected that given it's closed channel list compared to a standard Roku but the lack of openess regarding this is pretty poor!

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