Android on Echo

[M3wThr33]

If it comes down to Windows 8 vs Android, I want Windows 8 first.

[foxwood]

If it comes down to Windows 8 vs Android, I want Windows 8 first.

You might get a Android app that will replicate the WMC interface, and switch to MCExtender mode to dispplay the video streams!

(I have no idea if it's even technically possible, but it might be the only way to act as an extender for Windows 8!)

[M3wThr33]

That'd be a double win. Because right now it can link up and stream video, just no GUI.
I can't verify that myself. I only have a 360 and DMA2100.
I want to buy an Echo, because I hate using the 360.

[Cryofax]

Any ETA on android? I think I recall the original plan was by Christmas, but I understand how these things go as a software dev myself Also curious if it's going to be a separate boot, or an "extra" from the echo menu, or something else. Can't wait!

[jeonunh]

An update would be nice.... Even to say it's not going to be for awhile. As far as I'm concerned you need to provide an update whenever you effectively pass the date that you said you would do something. In December you said there would be another "State of the Echo" in a few weeks. Therefore, you should have provided an update a few weeks later, even to say a few more weeks. Whenever someone says they'll do something and don't follow through I lose a little respect and trust. It's sad since I have otherwise had a great deal of respect for Ceton. Had they not created a bunch of goodwill with their fan base with the InfiniTV, and the Echo was their only product, I think Ceton would already be out of business. I'll call a spade a spade and just say that the communication right now sucks.

[mcewinter]

It's tax time! I have some money I can sneak past. Put Android on it today and I'll buy one tomorrow.

[lithium630]

It's tax time! I have some money I can sneak past. Put Android on it today and I'll buy one tomorrow.

I almost had tax refund money.. Then half the singles on my roof blew away.

[mcewinter]

It's tax time! I have some money I can sneak past. Put Android on it today and I'll buy one tomorrow.

I almost had tax refund money.. Then half the singles on my roof blew away.

That sounds about right. I'm waiting for my wife to exhaust mine.

[xnappo]

Really hope to see something on this front soon. My wife is getting sick of switching the the XBOX to put on certain movies for our kids. She has 'affectionately' renamed the Ceton Echo 'Satan'.

xnappo

[staknhalo]

She has 'affectionately' renamed the Ceton Echo 'Satan'.

That's it, it's official: THE CETON ECHO IS LITERALLY THE WORST THING SINCE HITLER. LITERALLY.

[TeddyR]

New "State of the Echo" just posted... http://cetoncorp.com/blog/state_of_echo_3/
Mainly about Android....

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 750#p44750 [Added by Moderator]

[dejavux2]

I've seen the preview pics, and I have to say that If this is the route they are going, I'm not impressed. Firstly, why are they changing the menus? Why are they trying to rebuild what WMC is already doing? I see many issues with this, and the first will be the WAF.... My WAF is at 100% now, and I'm not willing to drop that because of the menu/icon/look/feel/functionality changes.... The initial Extender Functionality was not on the list of the issues at hand. It just seems like a lot of time and energy is going into the wrong direction. Please don't change everything there is about the extender. Just make it better. There is no need to rebuild the entire functionality of an extender, just make it more stable, with smoother menu scrolls, the ability to play more video formats/containers, add Netflix, Hulu, HBOGo, ect., and make it so that we can use our favorite 3rd Party addons (for me, that would be Media Browser). I'm not hating, just concerned

[JohnW248]

I've seen the preview pics, and I have to say that If this is the route they are going, I'm not impressed. Firstly, why are they changing the menus? Why are they trying to rebuild what WMC is already doing? \

The reason is very simple, this is being done so that you can use the Echo with a Win8 Box. Currently and apparently by design, Win8 does not support extenders with the exception of the xbox. So with the Echo you get no UI but can stream video, etc. The solution is to provide a UI overlay so that you can see the recordings, guide, etc. You don't have to use this, just stay with Win7 and you'll be fine.

[Dean L. Surkin]

Google has implemented Netflix on its Chromebooks, using HTML5.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/sams ... streaming/
I'm guessing this is a good sign for eventual Netflix implementation on the forthcoming Echo/Android firmware.

[Sammy2]

I've seen the preview pics, and I have to say that If this is the route they are going, I'm not impressed. Firstly, why are they changing the menus? Why are they trying to rebuild what WMC is already doing? \

The reason is very simple, this is being done so that you can use the Echo with a Win8 Box. Currently and apparently by design, Win8 does not support extenders with the exception of the xbox. So with the Echo you get no UI but can stream video, etc. The solution is to provide a UI overlay so that you can see the recordings, guide, etc. You don't have to use this, just stay with Win7 and you'll be fine.

It is also to get around the issues with ALL extenders, Xbox included, of the ability to playback mkv's with VBR/HBR files while also allowing a web browser and streaming services such as netflix which are not currently supported due to things out of ceton's control. If you don't care about these things or are not using a Win8/WMC host for the echo you can use the classic WMC extender on the echo. Android on the echo adds more functionality to the echo but doesn't take away what it already is.

[foxwood]

Currently and apparently by design, Win8 does not support extenders with the exception of the xbox.

It would be more correct to say that V2 Extenders don't support the use of Windows 8.

Windows 8 was not "designed" to exclude V2 Extenders. V2 Extenders rely on a technology that was replaced in Windows 8, but that replacement was made to improve the core performance of the component/technology in question. That V2 Extenders aren't capable of taking advantage of this improved component is unfortunate, but there were no supported V2 Extenders on the market when the change was made, so it wasn't unreasonable to ignore them when the design decisions were made.

If an Android based GUI allows Ceton to work around this issue, great - but it shouldn't have any impact on the use of the "Traditional" Interface with Windows 7 on the HTPC. To force Win7 users to change would just limit Ceton's market, whereas allowing both GUIs would increase the market potential.

[slowbiscuit]

so it wasn't unreasonable to ignore them when the design decisions were made.

Sure, because they disbanded the eHome dev team and there was no one else left to complain.

[foxwood]

Sure, because they disbanded the eHome dev team and there was no one else left to complain.

Complain about what? Cisco/Linksysy, HP and D-Link had already discontinued their V2 Extenders, and wouldn't issue a patch to make them work with Win8, even if there was a way that could be done, and the only other Extender out there was able to cope with the changes, so there was no point in building in "backwards compatability". Anyone with a V2 Extender at the time already had a supported system - the release of Win8 wouldn't change that.

Giving Ceton a V2 Extender license under those circumstances was a screw-up. We'll never know the actual details of that screw-up, but we are where we are, and it sounds like Ceton might have a decent workaround for those who decide they want to go with Windows 8. We'll know soon enough.

(Or maybe the screw-up was giving Media Center away for free during the Promo period for Win8. If Media Center had cost $100, as it does now for most people buying a Windows 8 PC, the issue would probably be moot!)

[dejavux2]

The solution is to provide a UI overlay so that you can see the recordings, guide, etc. You don't have to use this, just stay with Win7 and you'll be fine.

Does this mean that those of us that stay with Win7 won't get the Android update? Or would we have to choose between the WMC look and the Android look? If we choose the WMC look, will we be left out of the improvements, such as smoother menus, Netflix or more video formats/containers, etc., etc...? I'm asking because there are still many fixes and improvements that need to be made to Echo the way it is now.... So, if I stay with Win7, does that mean I won't get those improvements?

[staknhalo]

The solution is to provide a UI overlay so that you can see the recordings, guide, etc. You don't have to use this, just stay with Win7 and you'll be fine.

Does this mean that those of us that stay with Win7 won't get the Android update? Or would we have to choose between the WMC look and the Android look? If we choose the WMC look, will we be left out of the improvements, such as smoother menus, Netflix or more video formats/containers, etc., etc...? I'm asking because there are still many fixes and improvements that need to be made to Echo the way it is now.... So, if I stay with Win7, does that mean I won't get those improvements?

I'm speaking solely from conjecture - I think it would be a "WMC/Win7" -"Android/Win7&Win8" option. So Win7 users would have 2 options while Win8 users are limited to Android. Don't assume improvements won't come or be backported to the Win7 only experience. I'm not telling you to have blind faith in them - but getting Win8 users to buy the product = more money for them = more time to put devs to work to make sure that one pixel you notice is out of place is corrected (I'm not talking to you specifically, mind you). For Netflix though - if you know anything about extenders, you know you're gonna have to boot into the Android interface. Depending on how they do it though, we might prefer Android no matter what OS. And I could be totally wrong...we just gotta wait. I'm sure they're still figuring this all out themselves and that's why mum's the word.

But also a bit off topic but not really - why would anyone have jumped on Win8 for their HTPC so quickly? From the beta on anyone could have told you it was a bad choice (unless you use m&kb); other Echo issues aside.