Android tablet & Sky Go dilemma!!

muffler

One of my sons has an android tablet something similar to this. He downloaded the Sky Go app and then got an error message saying that Sky Go wasn't compatible with "rooted android devices". He's not that bothered about it and in any event it was downloaded merely as a test (see below). Im not into the technicalities so maybe someone could explain in plain English what a "rooted device" is.

Now here's my dilemma. A couple of the young lads here are buying their mum an android tablet for her birthday. I rang Sky and asked what type of tablet that Sky Go could be watched on as she would be interested in having it and they said any type of android tablet should be compatible but as mentioned above that is obviously not the case. They did initially start to rhyme of things like the google nexus etc but the lads aren't going to be spending that type of money so thats when the said any "half decent tablet"

The lads were thinking of getting something similar to the tablet linked to above with maybe a bigger screen and more storage etc but how will we know in advance if it will be compatible with the Sky Go app? What type of things should they be watching out for or does anyone have any recommendations on a 9 or 10 inch tablet circa €150 - €180 that would be suitable.

Thanks in advance.

T-Bird

Hide rooting lite worked for me when I routed my Asus. He will find out in the app play store. I know it doesn't answer you question but it's a solution to the sky bit.

Dudda

Sky don't want you to be able to output content from the app to another device like a larger TV as this would result in less people paying for the multiroom subscription. As a result SkyGo is very secure and locked down. To root a tablet is alter the main OS so you can do more with it. You can also get some cheaper tablets, usually cheap Chinese imports, which SkyGo registers as rooted.

I think the Nexus 7 (2012 edition) is in a few bargain threads here on Boards.ie starting at £99 for the 32gb version. It's a great tablet, great price and more than capable.

gzoladz

You can still hdmi out of Miracast the content without rooting.

Anyway, with all the content legally available online and over the air i don't see the point in getting any paid tv service.

muffler

Thanks for the replies guys. If Im right in thinking from the replies given then a lot of the tablets are capable of doing things that Sky dont want or wont allow you to do so they block the app or something like that but the big brand name tablets are so configured that Sky are happy enough for them to be used on Sky Go.(apologies, Im not really into the technical stuff) Is that a fair summary?

I seen the £99 nexus on Play.com and Im tempted. Having Sky Go isnt a deal breaker as such but merely a bonus. I was also looking at something like this which seems decent to the untrained eye but as stated it may not be compatible for Sky Go but then again it's not essential.

muffler

gzoladz wrote: »

You can still hdmi out of Miracast the content without rooting.

Sorry, but Im not up to speed on the technical end of things so Im kinda lost on that.

gzoladz wrote: »

Anyway, with all the content legally available online and over the air i don't see the point in getting any paid tv service.

With all due respect that's not really relevant to the topic.

White Heart Loon

Go with the Nexus, you'll not be sorry, the big advantage is it gets the latest updates straight from Google so you'll always have the latest version of Android as soon as it's released and also, it won't be rooted. The version of Android on that TabExpress is 2yrs old, that'll cause issues over time as app updates drop support for older versions. Most cheap tablets get a single bugfix update, but never get updated to newer versions of Android when they get released by Google.

muffler

Panic over now and have taken the advice and ordered the £100 refurbed one from Zavvi outlet so that should sort everything out hopefully.

Thanks again for the replies and advice lads. Much appreciated.

gzoladz

muffler wrote: »

gzoladz wrote: »

You can still hdmi out of Miracast the content without rooting./QUOTE]Sorry, but Im not up to speed on the technical end of things so Im kinda lost on that.


With all due respect that's not really relevant to the topic.

They are 2 workarounds for the op, who described himself as not savy on the matter, to achieve what he wants to do, but let's agree to disagree and leave it there.

muffler

Just another question on this and to save everyone the bother of reading all the posts the following is the relevant bit:

One of my sons has an android tablet something similar to this. He downloaded the Sky Go app and then got an error message saying that Sky Go wasn't compatible with "rooted android devices". He's not that bothered about it

As it turns out he would now like to watch Sky on this Android tablet. From this post on the Sky discussion forum it would seem that there is something or other that can be downloaded that would allow the Sky Go app to work or alternatively the manufacturers (based in Co. Tyrone btw) may help in this regard. From reading it as a non-techie it appears that certain files etc will be removed from the device in order that the Sky Go app would work.

But is there a flip side to this? Are there other apps/processes/programmes etc etc that he would loose or is the whole process worth it?

Thanks in advance

irishpancake

muffler wrote: »

Just another question on this and to save everyone the bother of reading all the posts the following is the relevant bit:

As it turns out he would now like to watch Sky on this Android tablet. From this post on the Sky discussion forum it would seem that there is something or other that can be downloaded that would allow the Sky Go app to work or alternatively the manufacturers (based in Co. Tyrone btw) may help in this regard. From reading it as a non-techie it appears that certain files etc will be removed from the device in order that the Sky Go app would work.

But is there a flip side to this? Are there other apps/processes/programmes etc etc that he would loose or is the whole process worth it?

Thanks in advance

This was suggested earlier to you....hide my root I think:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amphoras.hidemyroot

But Sky keep disabling the methods used by these Apps, Rootcloak/Rootcloakplus also.

Sly keep it very locked down, so these apps might work one day, and not the next!!

On HDMI and Miracast, these may work, depending on the Tablet you are using, not all have the capability to Miracast, and it is unsatisfactory anyway......

But HDMI/MHL cables are very widespread on even the cheapest Chinese Tabs, and work, usually you get a HDMI- mini USB cable too.

The problem is of course getting Sky Go yo work on these.....my bet is No!!

muffler

Thanks very much for the reply irishpancake.

Apologies but Im not into all the technical stuff but I think what you're saying is that another app can be downloaded that will sort of bluff the Sky Go app into thinking the tablet is trusted and thus allow content to be downloaded? Then it may or may not work at times. Is that a fair summary?

Just to explain that this is all legit. I have a Sky sub and Im just looking for someway that the tablet linked to in my first post will be able to use Sky Go.

Im not sure what you mean about HDMI/MHL cables. This process (Sky go) is all done wirelessly so I dont think we would need any cables but perhaps Im missing something.

irishpancake

muffler wrote: »

Thanks very much for the reply irishpancake.

Apologies but Im not into all the technical stuff but I think what you're saying is that another app can be downloaded that will sort of bluff the Sky Go app into thinking the tablet is trusted and thus allow content to be downloaded? Then it may or may not work at times. Is that a fair summary?

Just to explain that this is all legit. I have a Sky sub and Im just looking for someway that the tablet linked to in my first post will be able to use Sky Go.

Im not sure what you mean about HDMI/MHL cables. This process (Sky go) is all done wirelessly so I dont think we would need any cables but perhaps Im missing something.

That's a fair summary OK. The possibility of any of the apps I mentioned and linked, like Hide my Root, Rootcloak or RootCloak Plus successfully on the original Tablet you linked is remote, IMO, as these Tablets are generally pre-rooted, see this review from Amazon: http://goo.gl/Ds0N81

Purchased the 1GB version - not to be confused with 512MB economy version (which is probably why there are so many differing reviews on here as the same product is not being reviewed)
The main reason for buying the tablet was to watch Sky Go. Disappointed to find that the device has been rooted away from stock Android meaning Sky Go WILL NOT WORK ON THIS TABLET! Should have known really, based on the price and the fact that it is a Chinese import. Can't see any Super User to remove so stuck!
Apart from that, nothing special. For 1GB of RAM it is no quicker than a 512mb tablet that my daughter has. Wife wanted a new chopping board for the kitchen - think I have found the perfect product.

Now that seems very harsh, for such a reasonably priced Tablet.....I have one of those Allwinner chip China Tablets, and it is not at all bad, and it is just a single-core processor!!

there is the remote possibility that one of the apps to hide the rooted status may work, so there is nothing to lose by trying......except your rooted status, if things go wrong, so it is dangerous enough.

There is also an Unroot App, which apparently will remove the rooted status of any rooted Android device

So, unless you are prepared to take that risk, or perhaps even brick the tablet, if something goes wrong, Sky Go will not work on that Tablet.

My reference to the HDMI/MHL cable connection and Miracast were referring to posts by Dudda and gzoladz earlier in the thread....about casting or connecting the screen playing Sky Go to a TV or other enabled device.

GarIT

irishpancake wrote: »

Now that seems very harsh, for such a reasonably priced Tablet.....I have one of those Allwinner chip China Tablets, and it is not at all bad, and it is just a single-core processor!!

I wouldn't pay attention to that review at all, the reviewer seems to think RAM is related to performance. Trying to act the techie and makes himself look like a fool. He doesn't know what he is talking about.

irishpancake

GarIT wrote: »

I wouldn't pay attention to that review at all, the reviewer seems to think RAM is related to performance. Trying to act the techie and makes himself look like a fool. He doesn't know what he is talking about.

I would not say its unrelated to performance meself, like RAM I mean....It's very much related.

but other stuff he says, about rooted ROM, etc. totally off de wall!!

GarIT

irishpancake wrote: »

I would not say its unrelated to performance meself, like RAM I mean....It's very much related.

but other stuff he says, about rooted ROM, etc. totally off de wall!!

Ram is always 1 of two things, a bottleneck or not a bottleneck, RAM technology has advanced so much that it is extremely unlikely RAM would be a bottleneck. RAM is about having sufficient ram or not, its not about adding more ram = more speed as the general population seems to think.

irishpancake

GarIT wrote: »

Ram is always 1 of two things, a bottleneck or not a bottleneck, RAM technology has advanced so much that it is extremely unlikely RAM would be a bottleneck. RAM is about having sufficient ram or not, its not about adding more ram = more speed as the general population seems to think.

Agreed, and having sufficient RAM is more likely if you have 1GB rather than 512 MB......

thereby not having apps dumped by Android.....

which will always use as much RAM as is necessary, and will dump apps in memory if it needs to allocate more RAM to foreground or newly launched Apps.

having "spare" or "free" RAM in android is a no-no, as it's not doing anything.

See here, Managing Your App's Memory

5starpool

Another thing to note Muffler is that you can only have 2 devices registered for skygo unless you pay the extra fiver a month for 4 devices. If someone already has a laptop/PC/Phone registered as a device you won't be able to add both tablets unless you remove the previously registered devices. It's a pain but is something to consider. If no one is using skygo on any device, then you have nothing to worry about though.

muffler

5starpool wrote: »

Another thing to note Muffler is that you can only have 2 devices registered for skygo unless you pay the extra fiver a month for 4 devices. If someone already has a laptop/PC/Phone registered as a device you won't be able to add both tablets unless you remove the previously registered devices. It's a pain but is something to consider. If no one is using skygo on any device, then you have nothing to worry about though.

I have multiroom installed here and you get Sky Go plus or extra (whatever its called) with it for free and you can register up to 4 devices. Its not an offer as such but its a wee perk Sky give people to nudge them towards multiroom

On a general note it seems from previous posts that its not worth the risks or hassle to start tampering with the tablet now. If I was a bit more experienced with these matters I might have taken a chance but the young lad has the multiroom in his bedroom so that will do him rightly. I appreciate all the replies guys.

seligehgit

Does root cloak or hide my root work on rooted HTC one for SKY GO as far as anybody is aware?