[Q] Media Streaming and Remote Access Help

[rebelx13]

I'm thinking of getting the Nexus 7 for my mom as a media consumption device. She will not use it for productivity.

She'll be using the following [and next to it, I have posted my solution for each]:

1. Netflix [use Netflix app]
2. Web browsing [use Chrome]
3. Web browsing while streaming foreign films [would require a flash-playing browser; maybe firefox or dolphin?]
Note: some of the sites she uses to watch foreign films require various plugins (they all work fine on the PC, obviously) but are browser plugins allowed on the Nexus?
4. Media Streaming [Help. I want to be able to have her stream video files from my external hard drive, which I will eventually probably have to connect via a PogoPlug device as my router does not have USB and I don't want to have to leave my computer on all the time for her to be able to do so (since my desktop would serve as a network host, I guess)]
5. Remote access from my desktop to her Nexus on the same network so I can drag and drop files wirelessly [Help. This is the big one. I want to be able to remotely access the folder wherever movies/songs are stored and be able to update and delete on the fly. I have sufficient bandwidth at home to do so. I don't mind physically connecting the devices, but that is more cumbersome and it prevents her from using the Nexus when I'm making changes]
6. Need good ereader support. [She'll be reading books, so I'll need an app that can 1. be very simple to use (Kindle app?) and 2. allow for nighttime reading (white text on a black background). I use Calibre and I should be able to send ebooks to the device that I convert in whatever format the Nexus can accept. If I cannot send books wirelessly, that's fine, since updates would be infrequent. Maybe I can send wirelessly to the Kindle app? Not sure.)]

Since I won't be primarily using the device, I have no need to root it. I think stock Android will be fine for her.

Can this be done (especially #5)?

 

[repligation]

Number 5 is a big yes and very easy. I use AirDroid to view the tablet content on my pc and ES File Explorer to exchange files from my external hard drive when on the N7. File Xplorer is also a nice option for tablets because of its dual pane feature.
EDIT: forgot to mention that this is done over my home wifi network (LAN) and that my external HD is connected to my router via usb port.


The sticking point is number 3. Technically there is no flash support for Jelly Bean. Dolphin won't even attempt to install a plugin in JB. However, there are workarounds involving Firefox. Check the sticky post at the top of the forum about loading flash on the N7.

 

[repligation]

For number 6, I also use calibre on my PC and I have used Cool Reader for nearly two years on our phones and now the N7 and it will do exactly what you are looking for (night mode, etc.,)

 

[rebelx13]

For number 6, I also use calibre on my PC and I have used Cool Reader for nearly two years on our phones and now the N7 and it will do exactly what you are looking for (night mode, etc.,)

Awesome!

I found an app called "Remote Web Desktop" that seems to also let me do a lot of the things that I require (moving files around on our home wifi network). I think since they're both free, I'll give them a spin and see which one works better. From what I understand AirDroid is the more established app so it might be a bit more polished.

I read about the firefox plugin where you have to enable flash through its settings to get videos to work. This is going to be huge for me. My mom streams more movies online than she does watch netflix (and I am assuming Hulu is out of the question as the nexus is a mobile device and they want to charge for that) so her not being able to do a big part of what she does is potentially a deal killer. I know some videos are hosted on DailyMotion, but then there are a bunch of other random streaming sites (including DiVX, IIRC, but that's rare nowadays) that she gets linked to that I hope would work. I guess trial and error. Is there Skyfire browser equivalent on Android that might have that capability?

I've never heard of that ereader app. Do you recommend it over some of the more established ones (eg. Kindle)? Does it have a feature where I can either upload a book via an online browser and it'll sync wirelessly to the device or if I can email to a particular account and it'll open on the app? It having nighttime mode is definitely clutch though.