Archive:Android FAQ: Difference between revisions

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{{{{name}} FAQ}}
{{XBMC FAQ}}
{{mininav|[[Android]] }}
{{mininav|[[Android]] }}
<section begin="intro" />'''F'''requently '''A'''sked '''Q'''uestions for Android.<section end="intro" />
<section begin="intro" />'''F'''requently '''A'''sked '''Q'''uestions for Android.<section end="intro" />
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== General FAQ ==
== General FAQ ==
:{{big|''See also: '''[[{{name}} all platforms FAQ]]''' for FAQs that apply to all versions of {{name}}.''}}
:{{big|''See also: '''[[XBMC all platforms FAQ]]''' for FAQs that apply to all versions of XBMC.''}}
{| width="100%"
{| width="100%"


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| Question= Will this really do 1080 and all that stuff the desktop can do?
| Question= Will this really do 1080 and all that stuff the desktop can do?
| Answer=
| Answer=
* Yes! This is a full port of {{name}}! It is not a thin client or lite version!
* Yes! This is a full port of XBMC! It is not a thin client or lite version!
* The initial aim for the Android port is to get {{name}} working on inexpensive Android set-top-boxes. Phones and tablets will be supported as well for those who want {{name}} on-the-go.
* The initial aim for the Android port is to get XBMC working on inexpensive Android set-top-boxes. Phones and tablets will be supported as well for those who want XBMC on-the-go.
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Installing
{{FAQ|1=Installing
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Installing/getting {{name}} for Android
| Question= Installing/getting XBMC for Android
| Answer=
| Answer=
{{Main|HOW-TO:Install {{name}} for Android}}
{{Main|HOW-TO:Install XBMC for Android}}
{{note|{{name}} v13 "Gotham" now has hardware video decoding! Right now we recommend v13 stable for most users.}}
{{note|XBMC v13 "Gotham" now has hardware video decoding! Right now we recommend v13 stable for most users.}}
* {{current version}} can be found here: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/
* {{current version}} can be found here: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/
* [[Nightly builds]] can be found here: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/android/
* [[Nightly builds]] can be found here: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/android/
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{{FAQ|1=CPU
{{FAQ|1=CPU
| BGcolor =  
| BGcolor =  
| Question = There are two versions of {{name}} for Android. Which one do I use?
| Question = There are two versions of XBMC for Android. Which one do I use?
| Answer = The vast majority of users will want to use the [http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/arm/ "ARM" version]. Users who have an Android device with an Intel or AMD CPU will want to use the [http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/x86/ "x86" version].
| Answer = The vast majority of users will want to use the [http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/arm/ "ARM" version]. Users who have an Android device with an Intel or AMD CPU will want to use the [http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/android/x86/ "x86" version].
}}
}}
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{{FAQ|1=stores
{{FAQ|1=stores
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question = Why is {{name}} not in Google Play, OUYA store, Amazon store, etc?
| Question = Why is XBMC not in Google Play, OUYA store, Amazon store, etc?
| Answer =  
| Answer =  
{{#lst:{{name}} v13 (Gotham) FAQ|app stores}}
{{#lst:XBMC v13 (Gotham) FAQ|app stores}}
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Version
{{FAQ|1=Version
| BGcolor=
| BGcolor=
| Question= Is {{name}} for Android different from normal {{name}}?
| Question= Is XBMC for Android different from normal XBMC?
| Answer=
| Answer=
* The current version of {{name}} for Android is based on {{current version}}, and is based on the same code as {{name}} for all the other supported platforms.
* The current version of XBMC for Android is based on {{current version}}, and is based on the same code as XBMC for all the other supported platforms.
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Current_build
{{FAQ|1=Current_build
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= How do I find out what version of {{name}} am I running?
| Question= How do I find out what version of XBMC am I running?
| Answer=
| Answer=
* {{name}} main menu > System > Lower submenu > System info. '''Note the version and/or build date.'''
* XBMC main menu > System > Lower submenu > System info. '''Note the version and/or build date.'''
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Formats
{{FAQ|1=Formats
| BGcolor=
| BGcolor=
| Question= Video and audio formats {{name}} for Android can playback
| Question= Video and audio formats XBMC for Android can playback
| Answer=
| Answer=
* {{name}} for Android supports all the same formats that other platforms do (such as desktop OS).
* XBMC for Android supports all the same formats that other platforms do (such as desktop OS).
* Due to the weak processing power of most ARM processors, for smooth playback most Android hardware will require proper hardware decoding. (See [[#Requirements]] below)
* Due to the weak processing power of most ARM processors, for smooth playback most Android hardware will require proper hardware decoding. (See [[#Requirements]] below)
}}
}}
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| Question= Add-ons and skins
| Question= Add-ons and skins
| Answer=
| Answer=
* {{name}} for Android is a full version of {{name}} and will be able to use all non-platform specific [[add-ons]] and [[skins]]. More feature rich (CPU demanding) skins like AEON Nox might not run smoothly on lower powered systems, so keep to "lighter" skins for those boxes.
* XBMC for Android is a full version of XBMC and will be able to use all non-platform specific [[add-ons]] and [[skins]]. More feature rich (CPU demanding) skins like AEON Nox might not run smoothly on lower powered systems, so keep to "lighter" skins for those boxes.
* If you are using a touch screen device and the build you are using did not include it, you can manually instal [[Add-on:Touched]] for better touch screen support.
* If you are using a touch screen device and the build you are using did not include it, you can manually instal [[Add-on:Touched]] for better touch screen support.
}}
}}
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| Question= Remote controls
| Question= Remote controls
| Answer=
| Answer=
* Some Android set-top-boxes come with a remote and an IR port which {{name}} can use.
* Some Android set-top-boxes come with a remote and an IR port which XBMC can use.
* Any '''[[Keyboard]]''' such as wired, wireless, bluetooth (if supported in your Android ROM). This includes "keymotes" such as a Rii, [[Boxee remote]], most "air mouse" keyboard remotes, and others that appear as a normal USB keyboard to the system.
* Any '''[[Keyboard]]''' such as wired, wireless, bluetooth (if supported in your Android ROM). This includes "keymotes" such as a Rii, [[Boxee remote]], most "air mouse" keyboard remotes, and others that appear as a normal USB keyboard to the system.
* '''[[Web interface]]s''', including add-on interfaces.
* '''[[Web interface]]s''', including add-on interfaces.
* {{name}} '''[[:Category:Smartphone and tablet remotes|smartphone and tablet remote apps]]'''.
* XBMC '''[[:Category:Smartphone and tablet remotes|smartphone and tablet remote apps]]'''.
* Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the '''[[Flirc]]'''.
* Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the '''[[Flirc]]'''.
* Some Android devices support '''[[CEC]]'''
* Some Android devices support '''[[CEC]]'''
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| Question= Google TV
| Question= Google TV
| Answer=
| Answer=
* You can install {{name}} on Google TV devices that have the Android 4.2 update.
* You can install XBMC on Google TV devices that have the Android 4.2 update.
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Apps
{{FAQ|1=Apps
| BGcolor=
| BGcolor=
| Question= Launching Android apps from within {{name}}
| Question= Launching Android apps from within XBMC
| Answer=
| Answer=
* {{name}} can launch other Android apps by going to "Programs" (on the home screen) and selecting the app you want to run.
* XBMC can launch other Android apps by going to "Programs" (on the home screen) and selecting the app you want to run.
}}
}}


{{FAQ|1=Startup
{{FAQ|1=Startup
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Automatically start {{name}}
| Question= Automatically start XBMC
| Answer=
| Answer=
* You can automatically start {{name}} when your Android device boots up using an application such as [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=imoblife.startupmanager Startup Manager (free)]
* You can automatically start XBMC when your Android device boots up using an application such as [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=imoblife.startupmanager Startup Manager (free)]
}}
}}


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{{FAQ|1=Forum|2=IRC
{{FAQ|1=Forum|2=IRC
| BGcolor=
| BGcolor=
| Question= Getting more help with {{name}} for Android
| Question= Getting more help with XBMC for Android
| Answer=
| Answer=
* '''[http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=164 {{name}} for Android specific help forum]'''
* '''[http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=164 XBMC for Android specific help forum]'''
* '''[irc://irc.freenode.org/xbmc-osx #xbmc]''' [[w:IRC|IRC]] chat channel on irc.freenode.org.
* '''[irc://irc.freenode.org/xbmc-osx #xbmc]''' [[w:IRC|IRC]] chat channel on irc.freenode.org.
}}
}}
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| Question= How to hide the Android navigation bar
| Question= How to hide the Android navigation bar
| Answer=
| Answer=
* {{name}} v13 now supports Android 4.4 (Kitkat)'s immersive mode, allowing for fullscreen automatically.
* XBMC v13 now supports Android 4.4 (Kitkat)'s immersive mode, allowing for fullscreen automatically.
* '''To remove the navbar:'''
* '''To remove the navbar:'''
** You can use "[http://ppareit.github.com/HideBar/ HideBar]" (Has a free version, and is open source if you wish to compile yourself)
** You can use "[http://ppareit.github.com/HideBar/ HideBar]" (Has a free version, and is open source if you wish to compile yourself)
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|}
|}


[[Category:{{name}} Manual]]
[[Category:XBMC Manual]]
[[Category:FAQ|Android]]
[[Category:FAQ|Android]]
[[Category:Android|*]]
[[Category:Android|*]]
[[Category:Troubleshooting]]
[[Category:Troubleshooting]]
{{frodo updated}}
{{frodo updated}}

Revision as of 20:29, 5 June 2014

Template:XBMC FAQ

Home icon grey.png   ▶ Android ▶ Android FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for Android.


General FAQ

See also: XBMC all platforms FAQ for FAQs that apply to all versions of XBMC.

Will this really do 1080 and all that stuff the desktop can do?
Link
  • Yes! This is a full port of XBMC! It is not a thin client or lite version!
  • The initial aim for the Android port is to get XBMC working on inexpensive Android set-top-boxes. Phones and tablets will be supported as well for those who want XBMC on-the-go.

Installing/getting XBMC for Android
Link
Main page: HOW-TO:Install XBMC for Android

Note: XBMC v13 "Gotham" now has hardware video decoding! Right now we recommend v13 stable for most users.

There are two versions of XBMC for Android. Which one do I use?
Link

The vast majority of users will want to use the "ARM" version. Users who have an Android device with an Intel or AMD CPU will want to use the "x86" version.

Why is XBMC not in Google Play, OUYA store, Amazon store, etc?
Link

XBMC v13 (Gotham) FAQ

Is XBMC for Android different from normal XBMC?
Link
  • The current version of XBMC for Android is based on Kodi v21 Omega, and is based on the same code as XBMC for all the other supported platforms.

How do I find out what version of XBMC am I running?
Link
  • XBMC main menu > System > Lower submenu > System info. Note the version and/or build date.

Video and audio formats XBMC for Android can playback
Link
  • XBMC for Android supports all the same formats that other platforms do (such as desktop OS).
  • Due to the weak processing power of most ARM processors, for smooth playback most Android hardware will require proper hardware decoding. (See #Requirements below)

Accessing media
Link
See also: Adding videos to the library and File sharing
  • You can connect to media that's being shared from a computer, HTPC, or NAS device on your local network.
  • You can access media on the internal memory, SD cards or from USB ports (hard drives, USB stick drives, directly or via hubs, etc).

Add-ons and skins
Link
  • XBMC for Android is a full version of XBMC and will be able to use all non-platform specific add-ons and skins. More feature rich (CPU demanding) skins like AEON Nox might not run smoothly on lower powered systems, so keep to "lighter" skins for those boxes.
  • If you are using a touch screen device and the build you are using did not include it, you can manually instal Add-on:Touched for better touch screen support.

Remote controls
Link
  • Some Android set-top-boxes come with a remote and an IR port which XBMC can use.
  • Any Keyboard such as wired, wireless, bluetooth (if supported in your Android ROM). This includes "keymotes" such as a Rii, Boxee remote, most "air mouse" keyboard remotes, and others that appear as a normal USB keyboard to the system.
  • Web interfaces, including add-on interfaces.
  • XBMC smartphone and tablet remote apps.
  • Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the Flirc.
  • Some Android devices support CEC

Requirements
Link
See also: Android hardware
Stop hand.png It is highly recommended for users to not make any hardware purchases in anticipation of running Kodi on Android without first researching the device you want to buy. Before you do buy, make sure multiple people have verified that it works! If in doubt, do not buy any hardware!
  • Kodi v17 and later requires Android 5.0 or higher.
  • x86 (Intel) or a NEON-compatible ARM-processor, (for example: Nvidia Tegra 3 and newer are fully supported by Kodi, while Tegra 2 and older are not).
  • The main aim for the Android port of Kodi is to foremost target media-players/set-top-boxes/sticks that connect to a large screen television and uses a standard remote control as its main interface device, (that is the same market as for HTPC).

Google TV
Link
  • You can install XBMC on Google TV devices that have the Android 4.2 update.

Launching Android apps from within XBMC
Link
  • XBMC can launch other Android apps by going to "Programs" (on the home screen) and selecting the app you want to run.

Automatically start XBMC
Link
  • You can automatically start XBMC when your Android device boots up using an application such as Startup Manager (free)

Performance tips

Main page: Android#Tips and tricks

Performance: video buffering, stuttering, choppiness
Link
  • On Android TV 11 or higher to allow Kodi access to local files you need to manually set files permissions. On Android TV go to "Settings -> Apps - Kodi -> Permissions -> Files and Media" and select "Allow all the time".
  • Avoid using wireless. A lot of Android boxes and "sticks" have weak wifi, even those that advertise as being wireless-n. It may be possible to use a USB-to-ethernet dongle on some devices, or even a USB wifi adapter that has a better wifi radio than what is built-in.
  • Switch to a different network protocol to see if that has any effect, i.e. SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP, WebDAV, etc.
  • Try sharing the media on another device to rule out a device-specific (or network) issue.
  • Turn off thumbnails, Kodi -> Settings -> Video -> File and deselect 'generate thumbnails'.
  • H.264 videos encoded with Hi10P profile will not work on some Android hardware as some ARM processors are not powerful enough to software decode it, and no hardware decoders exist for it. However, some newer/faster processors are able to playback Hi10P video using software decoding.
  • If RSS feed is enabled, disable it in settings. This can make the main menu a bit faster.
  • Running out of disk space storage, or want to try tweaking caching and other performance settings to achieve faster response times?

Troubleshooting

See also: Troubleshooting

Getting more help with XBMC for Android
Link

Userdata folder and logs
Link

The userdata folder and debug log is located on external storage/sdcard at one of the following locations (depending on your device):

userdata folder
  • /Android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/files/.xbmc/userdata/
  • /sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/files/.xbmc/
  • /data/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/files/.xbmc/
debug log
  • /Android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/cache/temp/xbmc.log
  • /sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/cache/temp/xbmc.log
  • /data/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/cache/temp/xbmc.log
Crash log
  • Download the SendLog app from the Google Play store. It allows you to send your system log to an email address. Email it to yourself and show us where the error happened. (requires root)
  • Alternatively, you can use your computer. Plug your device, download and unzip the Android SDK and run ddms.bat in the tools folder. There you have it under LogCat.
  • The logfile is kept on a phone for a while, so you don't need to reproduce a crash in order to get the log.
  • Be sure to have hidden folders set to be shown in your file explorer.

How to hide the Android navigation bar
Link
  • XBMC v13 now supports Android 4.4 (Kitkat)'s immersive mode, allowing for fullscreen automatically.
  • To remove the navbar:
    • You can use "HideBar" (Has a free version, and is open source if you wish to compile yourself)
    • The app "Full!Screen" is free and should also work.
    • A custom Android distribution can be installed to correctly handle the navbar. Replicant, CyanogenMod and some others offer an “extended desktop” mode which hides the navigation bar and, optionally, the status bar too. Also check for firmware on sites such as http://freaktab.com for more firmware options.

Audio sync/delay issues
Link
  • Is some or all of your audio out of sync with the video? Try these tips:
    • Some AMLogic Android devices will have issues sync issues if the device is not rooted.
    • Check for firmware updates for your specific Android device.
    • If you have a delay that is consistent regardless of the file, you can manually adjust the delay:
      1. Open any video that has audio playing.
      2. Bring up the on-screen-display and select the audio options.
      3. Select Audio offset and then adjust the audio until the delay is corrected.
      4. Back in the OSD audio settings, scroll down and select Set as default for all videos.
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