Android Box Friendly Guide & FAQ

Transcription

1 Android Box Friendly Guide & FAQ *Please Note: Sarnia Computer Centre is providing this guide free of charge to anyone who wishes to use it. We are in no way responsible for any issues you may encounter in following any of the procedures outlined in this guide. Please do not call with questions regarding the guide or for further assistance in performing the procedures provided. However, if you need further assistance with your Android box, feel free to bring it in to Sarnia Computer Centre and one of our technicians would be more than happy to fix any issues you are having. If you purchased your Android box through us, please remember your purchase was for the hardware only. If you purchased the extra customized upgrade, your purchase was simply for the installation of the customized apps and not for continued support. Any repairs or upgrades not covered under the 60-day hardware warranty through Sarnia Computer Centre will be subject to additional fees. Further explanation is described in this guide. Thank you for your support and understanding. We hope you enjoy your new purchase! What is an Android box? An android box is similar to a computer but runs the Android operating system instead of Windows, Mac or Linux. It is a very simple and fast interface to allow for optimal speeds with less hardware and keeps the system user friendly as well. You can use the Android box connected to your television or a computer monitor. It has a browser similar to Internet Explorer that allows you to search on the internet. The Android box also often comes with many other applications such as facebook, skype, music and TV apps for you to explore. It also commonly comes with the Kodi app. See What is Kodi below for more information.

2 What is Kodi? Kodi is a free app which is used to watch TV shows, movies, music, live TV, sports and many other entertainment media sources. It was created as a common platform to gather all the most popular streaming sites on the internet that provide the media, such a TV shows and movies, into one program making it easy for end-users such as yourself, to find and watch your favorite shows and movies. It provides an easy to navigate and customize interface with categories and menus. Please note, Kodi was developed at no charge by generous programmers and continues to be supported by a community of programmers out of their own good will to bring this handy app to you at no charge. How do I connect the box to my TV? There are only a few steps in connecting the Android box to your television. We highly recommend purchasing a wireless keyboard and mouse for your Android box for ease of use; however, this is not required for the box to function. 1. Unpack and identify the parts that come with your Android box. You will need 2x AAA batteries for the remote. If you are connecting the Android box wirelessly you should not need any other extra accessories. However, if you are connecting the Android box directly to your router, be sure you have a spare network cable as this is not included. There should be: a. 1 black box b. 1 power cable c. 1 HDMI cable (optional)

3 d. 1 remote control (optional) e. 1 A/V cable (white/red/yellow) f. 1 OTG Cable (short black cable with USB ends) g. 1 User manual 2. Connect the power cable to the Android box. The connection is a small round hole with a silver pin inside it. It will be located at the far left side on the back of the box. It will have a picture with three symbols underneath it. A diamond with a - sign inside connected to a circle with a C inside which is connected to a diamond with a + inside. 3. Next to the power connection is your AV connection. It is marked with the letters AV underneath it. You will only use this with older televisions requiring the white, red and yellow AV cable supplied in the box. If you have a newer television you will use the HD connection and can skip this step. Otherwise, connect the black end of the AV cable into the AV hole and the white, red and yellow ends will connect to the white, red and yellow holes on the back of your television. 4. Next to the AV connection you ll find the Ethernet port. It is a large, square-shaped box with a picture of 3 small squares underneath it. If you are using the box wirelessly then you can skip this step. If you are connecting the box to your router, plug one end of the Ethernet cable into this hole and the other end into a free port on your router. 5. Next to the Ethernet port is your HD port. It is marked with the letters HD underneath it and looks like a thin horizontal rectangle with rounded bottom edges. If you connected your television with the AV cables in step 3, you can skip this step. Otherwise, connect

4 one end of your HD cable to this port and the other end into the back of your television. The location of this port on your television will vary greatly depending on the brand and model. We will not know to tell you over the phone but the port will look the exact same as the one on the back of the Android box. If your television does not have one you will have to use the AV cable setup in step 3 instead. 6. Next to the HD port is the SPDIF port. This is used for optical audio. It is often used with stereo equipment, surround sound systems etc. and transmits high-quality audio over coaxial cable. This connection is unlikely to be used if you are using HDMI to connect your box to your television since HDMI carries your audio for you. If you are using HDMI or do not have SPDIF on your television or audio system then you can skip this step. Otherwise, plug one end of your optical cable into this port and the other end into your audio system or television. Similar to the HDMI port, the location of your SPDIF port will vary greatly depending on the device and model. We will not know to tell you over the phone but the connection will look the same as on the back of the Android box. That s it! Now that you have everything connected, you can turn the television on (if it was off), and turn the Android box on by pressing and holding down the power button located on the top of the Android box. See the next step for further instructions.

5 How do I turn it on/off? Turning on the Android box is as simple as holding down the power button located on the top of the box. As soon as it begins to flash red and blue you can release the button. It will continue to flash until it boots the Android operating system and then it will turn a solid blue. To turn off the Android box, repeat the same procedure. The box will power down and the power light will turn a solid red colour. The first time the box turns on it may ask you if you want to use the Launcher or Media Box Launcher. The Launcher option gives you a desktop that looks similar to a Mac or PC.

6 Media Box Launcher gives you an interface with large boxes depicting the different apps or options on the box. You can try one option and restart the box to try the other if you like. Once you know your preference, you can select the remember checkbox and it will not come up again. This guide is based on the Media Box Launcher view. If you are currently using the Launcher view and want to switch, click on the gear icon at the bottom left of the screen to enter your settings. Then look for the Home option. The home menu will bring up an option to select the Media Box Launcher view. Select it then restart the box (either by powering off at the remote or press and hold the button on the top of the box). The box should now start up in Media Box Launcher view. If you want to switch back, look for the gear icon again, then go to Other and click on the More Settings button. Then follow the previous steps to select Launcher mode.

7 **Tip, to exit out of any menu in the Android box or Kodi, just rightclick the mouse if you have a wireless keyboard & mouse, or select return on the provided remote. Troubleshooting: If you do not see an image come up on the screen make sure you use the input or source button on your television remote to change the input to either Component if you connected the box using an AV cable, or HDMI if you connected the box using the HDMI cable. You may have more than one Component or HDMI option depending on your personal set-up so you may need to try more than one. If you still do not see an image, make sure the Android box is turned on. It will be flashing red/blue while it s booting up or a solid blue once it s running. If you still do not see an image on the screen double check your connections and try again. Last resort, you may need to come back in with your Android box and accessories for us to check, or call for an on-site service company to help you with the one-time set-up.

8 How do I connect it to the internet? If are using your box connected directly to your router, make sure you follow step 5 in How do I connect my Android box to my TV?. If you find you do not have internet access after connecting the cable OR if you are connecting wirelessly, follow the steps below. Launcher Method (the interface looks like a PC or Mac): 1. Click on the grey gear symbol at the bottom left of the screen. 2. Click on Wireless & Networks 3. Select either Ethernet or Wi-fi. For Ethernet, you should not need to adjust anything if you are going through Ethernet directly to your router but there are some minor settings if required.

9 4. For Wi-Fi, click on your router name. 5. A new box will appear with information on Signal Strength, Security and Password. Type your password into the Password field. 6. Click Connect

10 Media Box Launcher Method (the interface has large coloured blocks): 1. Click on the Settings box 2. A new screen will appear. Click the check box next to Ethernet to link directly to your router through the cable; or, click the check box next to Wi-fi to connect wirelessly to your router.

11 3. Find your router name in the list of routers on the left of the window and click on it. 4. On the right side you will find a (generally) green Input Password box. Type your password in here. 5. Click Connect Now Troubleshooting: If you are connecting with a cable directly to the router but it is still not connected to the internet, double check the cable is snugly clicked into the router and the back of the Android box. Or, try a different cable. If you are using the Media Box Launcher view, double-check that Ethernet is checked in the settings. Lastly, double-check your password and be aware of capital letters and caps locks if you re using a keyboard. If you are connecting wirelessly to your router but you still have no internet. Double-check Wifi is checked off in the settings and you are connecting to the correct router. Also, double-check your password being aware of capital letters and caps locks.

12 If you are going wirelessly and you do not see your router in the list: You may not be close enough to the router to pick up the signal from the Android box. Try connecting a booster or ask one of our representatives for the best option to boost your signal. Make sure there is power to the router and if applicable, your modem. If possible, check with other devices if your router is accessible currently. Last resort, bring the Android box in with your router and we can troubleshoot the issue for you. If the issue is not related to the hardware of the Android box malfunctioning there will be a small fee required.

13 Where can I find Kodi on my Android box? The location of the Kodi app will vary greatly depending on how your box was setup, the brand and model of the box, and whether or not there s been updates or changes to the software since purchase. However, the best way is to explore and look for the blue/white diamond shaped symbol with the shape of a K Kodi App Symbol Below are a couple of examples of where you might look for Kodi in the Media Box Launcher interface. Often, the programmer will have put a link to Kodi directly on your main screen so look there first.

14 If it is not found on the main screen, click on the + symbol at the bottom of the screen and look through the list of installed apps for Kodi. If you still cannot locate the Kodi app, you may need to go online using the browser (can also be found in the apps list), and download/install Kodi. This should not be necessary with any boxes sold through Sarnia Computer Centre as all our boxes come pre-loaded with Kodi.

15 How do I play a movie or TV show? There are several apps on your Android box that can play movies and TV shows or even Live TV. The most common one is Kodi. Click on Kodi to launch it. Our boxes will come pre-loaded with all the most popular apps for Kodi such as 1 Channel and Genesis. The best thing to do is to try different apps and you will quickly determine which ones you prefer as each has their own advantages and disadvantages. An example of the videos tab in our standard Kodi package is pictured below. You can click on Add-ons under each category to view a full list of apps that are currently installed.

16 To watch a movie or TV show follow the steps below. Some of the steps may be slightly different depending on the app you are using so this should be used just as a general guide. 1. Click on the app of your choosing. For this demo we will be looking at 1 Channel. 2. A screen similar to the one below should appear giving you a list of categories to choose from. This will vary greatly depending on the app. 3. Click on the category of choice. Here we are selecting Movies

17 4. In this case, another screen comes up giving you several more categories to choose from. Click on the category of your choice. Here we are selecting Most Popular

18 5. A list of available movies through this app appears. If you don t find the movie you re looking for, wander through the other categories, or, often you are presented with a search option within the app. If you still don t find what you like, try a different app. They all source from different sites on the internet so they will have a different selection consequently.

19 6. Once you have selected a movie or show to watch, the app (generally) comes up with a list of links it has gathered to supply you with the movie. The best thing to do is try one. It may be a broken link and you may need to try several before finding one that works. The app developers work hard (for free) to keep these links up to date but sites block and take down links all the time so it is impossible for it to work 100% of the time. Be patient! You will also get to know which site names are better than others for having working links over time.

20 7. Once you have selected the link you want to try, you should see an Opening stream dialogue box and a Working message at the bottom right with a progress circle. This means it is trying to connect to and stream the link for you. If this stops and the movie has not come on, or if an error occurs, just try a different link. The movie should start streaming after you get a working link. Enjoy!

21 Can I get Live TV on my Android box? Yes! There are many apps today, and many more in development from different programmers around the world. Some are being provided for free such as LiveMix, some have a free version with an expanded version for a small fee such as USTVNow, and some are fully paid subscription based services. Each has advantages and disadvantages so you will again, have to explore and find what works best for you. *Keep in mind, Kodi apps are dependent on people uploading streams to the internet. Movies and TV shows are much easier to find working links of high-quality for since they stay the same and can be uploaded and saved for a length of time. With Live TV, the show or sport is only available on regular TV as the game or show is being aired. Uploaders have to capture and upload that video in real-time. This means Kodi apps must find those links and get them to you in real-time making it very difficult to get high-quality and consistent Live TV stations. This is also a fairly new concept to the technology world, particularly to end-users. Apps and streaming sites are still in development and being perfected for FREE. We understand it is important to catch games and shows as they happen but we are truly at the mercy of uploaders and sites to get, and keep the streams up, and fast.

22 How does Kodi Work? Kodi is a general platform that provides an interface for apps to be stored and run from. The Kodi apps pull sources from different internet sites that are hosting the content you want to watch. When you select a movie, TV show, sport, etc. to view, the Kodi app you selected will go out to all the sites it is linked to and look for available streams for that content. Depending on the app, it will then display a list of possible links for you to select from. Once you ve selected a link, it will try to connect to that site and stream that content to your TV or monitor. Sometimes these links don t work. See the next section for more information on why this happens. Why is it that sometimes I click on a link and it does not work? When app developers create and update apps, such as 1 Channel for Kodi, they will search for websites online that have a copy of the movie or TV show available. Then the developers will link their app to this site and then provide the link to you. Often, the websites that are providing the content can run into difficulties. Whether it be a hardware or software failure, a legal issue, or countless other problems that can cause the content or the entire site to go down. The developers of the app may not know right away and don t get a chance to update the apps which will then cause the link you choose to fail until either the website repairs the issue or the developer updates the app to remove the link.

23 Something to keep in mind also, is often the websites that are streaming the content are doing so with pad advertisements on their website to help support their costs in bringing the content to the public. This is crucial for programs like Kodi. If an app or link becomes very popular, thousands of people can be connecting to the same website through Kodi apps to access content. Because Kodi apps connect directly to the content itself, this cuts out any advertisement revenue for the website but continues to flood their site with requests. Sometimes, websites will be forced to block Kodi apps from connecting to their content in order to allow users coming to their site to access content seamlessly and continue to collect revenue from their advertisements. If this happens, every link to every movie or show coming from that site on every app will fail until developers of the app get a chance to update their links. Please remember, these developers are folks just like you and I, many with full time jobs and families that are programming and updating these apps free to you on their own time. They frequently get hit with angry messages and comments from uninformed users. Be patient and courteous. There will most likely be another app or link to the same movie or show that will still be functional so just try another and enjoy!

24 Why is it that sometimes I click on an app and it does not open or links do not work? Sometimes, an app will not work for similar reasons to the links breaking down. App development and upkeep is a time consuming project often done in the spare time of hard working folk. Developers may fall behind on updating their app and it begins to have problems. Until the developer has an opportunity to fix and create and update, the app may become unresponsive or you may find many broken links within the app. Also, because app development and upkeep is very time consuming, developers may decide to simply stop updating the app and move on to other things in life. Unless another developer is interested in taking over the project, the app will continue to fall behind and become out of date. There are many other reasons why an app may stop working such as updating your Kodi version or your Android box firmware. An app is commonly developed specifically for a version of Kodi and updating Kodi may require the app to be re-downloaded or installed. Often Android boxes are set up using packages of apps. These packages are usually linked to a specific app hosting website. If this website does an update to the apps or has technical problems, this can affect how an app works.

25 What can I do if I tried to click on an app and it does not open? If an app stops working completely (will not show links or load), you will need to uninstall and reinstall the app. The procedure for doing this is completely dependent on the type of Android box and particularly the version of Kodi you have. The generalized procedure below should be taken as a guide only. Sarnia Computer Centre is not responsible if following this procedure causes any damage to your Android box or software. If you are in any way uncomfortable exploring this feature on your own, feel free to come in and we can repair the app for you. Remember, apps are developed by developers across the world as is Kodi. We are not responsible for apps or links breaking or failing. Your purchase through us is simply for the hardware. If you purchased the custom package, you are paying for the initial installation and setup of the apps but not the upkeep. Therefore, we will be required to charge a small fee for repairs to Kodi or apps. *Note, procedure based on Media Launcher interface. If you use the Launcher interface the steps may vary.

26 Reinstalling a broken app 1. Open Kodi 2. Click on System 3. Click on Add-Ons

27 4. Click on My add-ons 5. Select the category the app belongs to. For this guide we will be using Video Add-Ons

28 6. Find and click on the affected add-on in the list 7. Click Uninstall 8. Exit out of the screens back to the main menu by right-clicking your mouse/touchpad or using the return button on the remote. 9. Go to the category of the affected Add-On. (Video for this guide)

29 10. Go to (Video) Add-Ons 11. Scroll down to and click on Get More. This may be in a list view but Get More should still be at the bottom of the list.

30 12. Scroll down to and click on the add on you uninstalled 13. Click Install *If the installation fails, the repair is beyond the scope of this guide. You may need to seek help from external sources or bring your Android box in to Sarnia Computer Centre for assistance.

31 Can I add more apps to my Android box? Yes! There are a few ways to add new apps to your Android box. You can use the procedure above starting at step 9 to add any add-ons that are already loaded and available to you from the Android box s initial setup. You can also get more apps by adding another repository or downloading apps from a app hosting website and installing them through Kodi. These final two options are beyond the scope of this guide. You may need to consult an external source or bring your Android box in to Sarnia Computer Centre for service at an additional fee. What kind of support do I get from Sarnia Computer Centre when I purchase an Android box? Please remember, when you purchase an android box from us and most other stores, you are paying for the hardware. We did not develop any of the apps including Kodi that come free and pre-loaded on your Android box and therefore we do not support the software under warranty. If an app is not working properly or you have trouble setting up your Android box, feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to help you find your way around your new purchase at a small extra charge. We can also customize your Android box with apps that will suit your needs for an additional fee. If you run into any hardware problems with your Android box within 60 days, bring it back in to Sarnia Computer Centre and we will fix it or replace it under warranty.