GwigglesNZ: A post on the Dishtv Facebook page.

Just switched my TV on to catch the end of The Chase and watch the news but am finding most TV channels aren't loading. Even the red spinning circle of death is nothing more than a few vibrating pixels most of the time. 

EDIT: Actually this seems to be a much wider problem as none of my Kodi devices are getting TVNZ 1 or TVNZ 2, Three, Bravo, ThreeLife or Duke. All other channels (using the mjh files) are working just fine.

sdavisnz: Where did you see that?

google play store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.tvnz.ondemand.tv

I happened to see the SmartVUs in Noel Leeming today and when I learned it streams Freeview regardless of hook ups (can't get it in one of the rooms) I grabbed one.  I've set it up and got the remote going, added a couple of apps (Redbull, TVNZ).  I've been trying to find the Lightbox App.  It has it listed on the box and I expected it to at least be in the available apps but it is not there at all!  Has anyone else experienced this?  Tried searching to no avail.

I have google wifi with a 2nd guest network.  On the main google network: Netflix works fine - logged in, plays ok.  Redbull TV comes up with an error that says it's 'their bad' (it's not), TVNZ OD says 'something went wrong', and nothing at all happens when I press the Freeview button, and there's no app for that either.  

On the guest network Netflix and Redbull work ok but TVNZ doesn't, and still no response from the Freeview button.

I've checked for the latest update and it says it is up to date.  I've powered off and back on a couple of times.

Should I just take this back?

Yeah, it says it's up to date.  I wonder if it didn't get the Lightbox and Freeview parts when it was made, and the same thing is causing other problems.  Seems so unlikely but it's one thing for an app to not be there, and quite significant for Freeview to just not be there at all.  I'll be near the store again today so I'll see if they'll swap it.  

Thanks for the suggestion.  I get how it might have been the only solution with different countries involved, but this should work out of the box.  It wouldn't explain why there is no Lightbox app, or why some apps work but others don't.  I'm taking it back shortly. 

sdavisnz: Quite a nice app. Would be nice to get a mediaworks variant.

Good work tvnz. About 2 years late to the party though.

Can anyone grab the APK file? I'm trying the usual APK sources but I can't fine the APK to try it out on my FireTV.

LisaM77:

Thanks for the suggestion.  I get how it might have been the only solution with different countries involved, but this should work out of the box.  It wouldn't explain why there is no Lightbox app, or why some apps work but others don't.  I'm taking it back shortly. 

 

Elmoz:  This happened to me. I did take them back and got two more. Same issue. Turns out the account being used (a relative recently returned from overseas) was setup in Australia. I factory reset the devices and logged in with my own NZ created account and it worked fine and all apps were available.

I've just picked up a replacement, yet to try it out.  I haven't been able to find a lot of information on them so if you could let me know how to perform the factory reset, just in case I need to try that, that would be great!

Everything has been set up in NZ and the device purchased in NZ.  There simply should not be any issue with that (and isn't).

Anyway, I've just finished setting up the new one.  For some reason during set up it said it can't connect to googles servers, but that doesn't seem to be affecting it.  There was still no Lightbox and the Freeview button did nothing, but this time the apps were available to be installed, and they're working fine now.

Little bit disappointed in the missing channels (HGTV) and no +1's, but nice to have all the streaming apps I use in one place with chromecast built in.

Thinking about the Freeview recorder for my dad but will wait until it has Netflix as he watches that a lot.