Problems using Anycast TV dongle
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Problems using Anycast TV dongle
This is a request for help by a simple user, and not a bug report.
I have a HDMI dongle called "Anycast M9 Plus" (it claims to support Miracast and DLNA) connected to a TV, and by wireless network to my laptop. Running UMS 7.9 on Ubuntu 18.04, without any apparent issues. The dongle is detected and appears on the Status screen of UMS. On my TV screen I see the logo and information from the dongle, and the message "waiting for connection..."
I was hoping to see my laptop screen duplicated on the TV, as happens when I have used a HDMI cable. But this seems impossible, and for a long time I could see no way to play a movie on the laptop and see it on the TV. I had already set up the Media Library, but cannot see how I can play the any of the content. I did try using the Web Interface, but files I open there from the Library play only in the browser; nothing is transmitted to the TV vivavideomaker.
Finally I discovered a well-hidden feature; a click on the renderer icon on the status screen opens a new window with information about the device, and a file browser which allowed me to select a video file, and a click on the play button in this same window does indeed start it showing on the TV screen. However, none of the other controls in this group has any effect. They are all grayed-out - the stop button, pause, fast fwd, rewind etc. and clicking them does nothing. The playback can only be stopped by cutting the power to the dongle. But after a few minutes of playback the movie usually freezes on the screen anyway. This method is not really usable.
I have a feeling I am missing something which should be very obvious, but I just don't see it. Maybe the device just isn't suitable for my intended purpose. Any advice would be gratefully received.
I have a HDMI dongle called "Anycast M9 Plus" (it claims to support Miracast and DLNA) connected to a TV, and by wireless network to my laptop. Running UMS 7.9 on Ubuntu 18.04, without any apparent issues. The dongle is detected and appears on the Status screen of UMS. On my TV screen I see the logo and information from the dongle, and the message "waiting for connection..."
I was hoping to see my laptop screen duplicated on the TV, as happens when I have used a HDMI cable. But this seems impossible, and for a long time I could see no way to play a movie on the laptop and see it on the TV. I had already set up the Media Library, but cannot see how I can play the any of the content. I did try using the Web Interface, but files I open there from the Library play only in the browser; nothing is transmitted to the TV vivavideomaker.
Finally I discovered a well-hidden feature; a click on the renderer icon on the status screen opens a new window with information about the device, and a file browser which allowed me to select a video file, and a click on the play button in this same window does indeed start it showing on the TV screen. However, none of the other controls in this group has any effect. They are all grayed-out - the stop button, pause, fast fwd, rewind etc. and clicking them does nothing. The playback can only be stopped by cutting the power to the dongle. But after a few minutes of playback the movie usually freezes on the screen anyway. This method is not really usable.
I have a feeling I am missing something which should be very obvious, but I just don't see it. Maybe the device just isn't suitable for my intended purpose. Any advice would be gratefully received.
Last edited by Carla263 on Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Problems using Anycast TV dongle
It's partly you that miss something and partly Anycast that mislead you. DLNA is based on the idea that a "control point" will control playback (seeking, start, stop, pause, volume etc) and allow you to "browse" the server's content and select what to play. Because of this, as good as all "DLNA renderer" have a built in control point. Chromecast, Miracast, Anycast etc doesn't implement the "control point" functionality since that would make them more expensive (and they would need a remote control or some other means of control). Chromecast doesn't claim to support DLNA at all though, it's a "Google services only" device.
So, what you need is a control point. What you found in UMS (when clicking the renderer icon) is a very simple, incomplete and buggy control point implementation. I wouldn't recommend anyone that they'd actually use this. In the UMS web interface, there is a related functionality called "bump" which allows you to "order other devices" to play a media instead of playing it locally in the browser. It's slightly more usable than the one in the GUI, since you don't have to browse to the location of every file you want to play, but it's equally bugged. You might have luck and be content with what it offers, although I would look for another solution.
There are many applications that will serve as control points for the mobile platforms. If you have an Android device, I would recommend testing BubbleUPnP, although there certainly are others that will do the job as well. On iOS there are similar options, although I don't know their name.
BubbleUPnP and a similar application, will allow you to control your Anycast and browse UMS.
So, what you need is a control point. What you found in UMS (when clicking the renderer icon) is a very simple, incomplete and buggy control point implementation. I wouldn't recommend anyone that they'd actually use this. In the UMS web interface, there is a related functionality called "bump" which allows you to "order other devices" to play a media instead of playing it locally in the browser. It's slightly more usable than the one in the GUI, since you don't have to browse to the location of every file you want to play, but it's equally bugged. You might have luck and be content with what it offers, although I would look for another solution.
There are many applications that will serve as control points for the mobile platforms. If you have an Android device, I would recommend testing BubbleUPnP, although there certainly are others that will do the job as well. On iOS there are similar options, although I don't know their name.
BubbleUPnP and a similar application, will allow you to control your Anycast and browse UMS.