Using Android TV Box to Deliver Wedding Film

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Taky

I was just asking as I tried a few years back to offer a media player with a preloaded USB and brides didn't like it. Pity LCD brochures cannot support a full wedding ...they are brilliant as a fully portable device with no wires and no issues ..just like a photo album ...open the cover and watch ..brides love that sort of non technical stuff as they can take it to Grandma's house and just hand her the book!!

Can you not do something like you are doing using an Android tablet that just plays the wedding from an HTML5 file?? That would eliminate the cable and power issue although they only get to watch a 10" screen ... it would be a lot less hassle for brides and it could be watched anywhere and still use your great menu option. They are pretty cheap nowdays too!!!

Chris

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Taky Cheung

Noa

That's the issue.. I bought my 55" LG TV 3 years ago. But the USB port won't play any video at all. Only do photo slideshow. if a bride in such similar situation, you can't tell them to buy a new TV so they can watch the wedding video. Just not practical.

I already have a solution. The thumbdrive I'm giving away is a WIFI USB thumbdrive. It is a regular USB drive but it has WIFI hotspot built-in. In that case, customer can connect to it with Iphone, ipad, and any android devices. This is already an add on. Can't plug a thumbdrive to iPhone and iPad. For Android, a $1 OTG cable can do.

This wireless thumbdrive works with Chromecast and AppleTV AirPlay to mirror playback on TV. I won't be telling my customer they need to buy a new TV. But it would be okay to ask them to buy a $35 chromecast.

Hmm.... I NEVER SAID THIS IS THE ONLY DELIVERABLE. I am experimenting options, as an add-on, upsell for extra money..

Same here - my Sharp TV was top of the range only 4 years ago (32" and cost over £500) and will only play photos via it's USB, not video. I rarely have issues with DVD delivery but have had several with Blu-ray, one in the last few weeks. Delivering HD is still a bit of a minefield sadly.

[Taky Cheung]

Chris, yes of course. This has been done two months ago. Playing the HTML 5 menus on a tablet, and iphone & ipad too with my wireless thumbdrive.

Demo on Vimeo

[Noa Put]

if a bride in such similar situation, you can't tell them to buy a new TV so they can watch the wedding video. Just not practical.

I agree that it is not 100% foolproof and that we should provide solutions (like still deliver dvd's if the couple still has a crt tv with a dvd player) in the form of paid options that would enable the couple to play their weddingvideo in their place. I currently provide blu-ray included and dvd as paid option and just a plain usb stick with the HD files, I do however expect my clients to get the necessary playback tools, like a simple WD tv mediaplayer to playback the HD files on their tv if it would not support usb sticks or otherwise they can just watch the movie on their laptop or tablet. It's not something I consider myself responsible for, by delivering a dvd, blu-ray and mp4 file on a stick that should cover all playbackissues and if they would contact me that they don't have a dvd or blu-ray player or tv that supports usb sticks, that is their problem, not mine.

But I do like how you manage to find new ways to make it easier for your clients. The problem I would see with delivering these tv boxes is if they would malfunction, because then this will become your problem to solve as well.

[Taky Cheung]

Very true Noa. What I offer before 2015 was, DVD and BluRay as standard. USB Thumbdrive is optional. Since 2015, I'm offering the Wireless Thumbdrive as standard. DVD and BluRay is optional. I charge $300 for authoring. Then each DVD is $10 and BD is $20. So far all the brides still want DVD. But after I show them the thumbdrive with my menu.. espeically the playback on Ipad, they rather save the $300.

the picrure attached is showing the output on iphone, tablet and mirror to TV using chromecast.

[Taky Cheung]

Oh also this one.. a friend of mine has a Smart TV with built-in browser. He tested it for me viewing the HTML menu link to vimeo streaming.

[Taky Cheung]

I talked to a TV manufacturer to find out for each file type that the USB port on TV can play, they have to pay license fee to MPEG-LA group., So some try to cut cost by not including video decoder.

MPEG LA - The Standard for Standards

[James Manford]

It's great you are experimenting like this. So I hope we are not de-motivating you in any way.

Unfortunately "i'm out" so to speak as I can't see my clients wanting this sort of delivery any time soon as they still ask for DVD let alone HD Bluray.

Tech is always changing though so it may be perfect sometime in the future.

[Taky Cheung]

I wasn't pitching it to you James Manford to ask you for $100,000 for 10% of my company (Shark Tank?). . heheheh don't know why anybody need to be "in".

I'm sure the first guy decided to put wedding film on thumbdrive also got response like that too. You know, it's not easy to have change.

Since this looks like it work, it motivated me to talk to a supplier from China last night to import these inexpensive android TV box. If it's $20 a box............... oh too bad, you are out :D

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

LOne question - how did you squeeze a longform wedding film in HD onto an 8GB device? Also could you provide a link to the box?

You can use surprisingly low bit rates with mpeg4 & still have very acceptable quality.. On the BBC iPlayer HD shows are streamed at less than 2.5Mbps. Vimeo 720p has an even lower bit rate. That's about 1GB per hour.

[Alex Pineyro]

I have been doing that same thing for the last year with my commercial and industrial clients. I cannot recommend other app better than "video kiosk" for android boxes, sticks etc. is cheap and you can set it to boot the android device directly into the video you want, etc. If by any reason there is the need to add or replace a video, you can link it with a folder on google drive or dropbox etc. here is the link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...miervideokiosk

And some tutorial videos:

Video Kiosk Tutorial | BurningThumb Studios

I have nothing to do with the author of the app. Just want to add into the topic which is a good one BTW.

You can find really cheap tv boxes and tv sticks everywhere. Quad core is the bare minimum you may want to use.

Cheers!

Alex

[Jeremy Lee]

Is there a new version of Taky Box in the works? I am ready to purchase but I get the feeling you are about to release a new update.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Alex

That sounds interesting! So far I'm using LCD brochures as there is NO technology involved and it's instant ...open the cover and it plays your wedding highlight video ..close the cover and it stops.

My Android tablet is still a pain as it takes time to boot up and even if this app will autorun a video on bootup (from your post I'm assuming it can do this?) and one assumes if you turn the device off and on again it will simply play the video again. The issue is STILL the long bootup time for me! The LCD book modules I use cost me $30 ..I load the video via USB cable and then it's just open the cover (which triggers a hall effect probe) and the video starts instantly ! For me it provides "instant gratification" for a bride and even a completely non technical person has the ability to open a book cover!

A nice big screen would be neat but I don't think I would ever get an instant start from a tablet as it has to boot the OS before it will work

Chris