Accessing WD My Cloud using the Fire HD 8 Part 2
Continued from Accessing WD My Cloud using the Fire HD 8 Part 1
Users will be happy know that VLC developers recently updated VLC for Android with the Local Network option. Previously, the ability to access shares on the Local Network was only available on the desktop version of VLC. With the Local Network option now available, users can access shared content using SMB and FTP, two protocols that WD My Cloud supports.
Note: FTP is not enabled by default on My Cloud products, and is configured from the Dashboard separately.
There are comments on the Amazon app store that VLC for Fire crashes and is unreliable. However, more experienced (and knowledgeable) users know that VLC on any device can be resource intensive. On my Fire HD 8, tapping the Local Network option from the Menu pane caused the app to stall. I used the Fire HD 8 as usual, and when I returned to the VLC for Fire, the app accessed my My Cloud shares without issues. It was not only able to list all the media files on the NAS, but playback different file formats as well as its desktop version.
Note that I had set up File Commander to access the network shares on the My Cloud first, prior to attempting playback over the network using VLC. If you aren't using File Commander on your Fire HD 8, you may need to set up My Cloud access by tapping the Add button, selecting SMB, and entering the IP address, user name and password.
Hopefully, Amazon and Western Digital allow the My Cloud app for Fire HD 8 users. Amazon has a history of filtering apps on their store to benefit their native Amazon apps and web services. However, there is really no reason why the My Cloud app shouldn't be available for Fire HD 8 users. Both VLC for Fire and File Commander are great, but the My Cloud app for Android is an important value-add to My Cloud products.
VLC for Fire
Users will be happy know that VLC developers recently updated VLC for Android with the Local Network option. Previously, the ability to access shares on the Local Network was only available on the desktop version of VLC. With the Local Network option now available, users can access shared content using SMB and FTP, two protocols that WD My Cloud supports.
Note: FTP is not enabled by default on My Cloud products, and is configured from the Dashboard separately.
There are comments on the Amazon app store that VLC for Fire crashes and is unreliable. However, more experienced (and knowledgeable) users know that VLC on any device can be resource intensive. On my Fire HD 8, tapping the Local Network option from the Menu pane caused the app to stall. I used the Fire HD 8 as usual, and when I returned to the VLC for Fire, the app accessed my My Cloud shares without issues. It was not only able to list all the media files on the NAS, but playback different file formats as well as its desktop version.
Note that I had set up File Commander to access the network shares on the My Cloud first, prior to attempting playback over the network using VLC. If you aren't using File Commander on your Fire HD 8, you may need to set up My Cloud access by tapping the Add button, selecting SMB, and entering the IP address, user name and password.
Hopefully, Amazon and Western Digital allow the My Cloud app for Fire HD 8 users. Amazon has a history of filtering apps on their store to benefit their native Amazon apps and web services. However, there is really no reason why the My Cloud app shouldn't be available for Fire HD 8 users. Both VLC for Fire and File Commander are great, but the My Cloud app for Android is an important value-add to My Cloud products.
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