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Basalt on a TV

Basalt on Android TV and Google TV, made for the remote. Installing it, pairing, and finding your way with the remote.

Basalt on a TV is the same app as on an Android phone, laid out for the remote: one highlight moves around the screen, and OK opens and plays. It keeps to watching. Uploads, downloads, sharing and managing the host are left to your phone and computer.

Before you start

  • A TV, TV box or stick with Android TV or Google TV, Android 8.0 or later. For Amazon Fire TV, see below.
  • Basalt Host running on a computer on the same network, with its drive chosen. A host with no screen has to be set up from a phone or computer first: a TV can’t set up or manage a host.

Install it

Basalt is coming to Google Play for TVs soon. Until then, install the APK on Android TV and Google TV the same way as on a Fire TV, with the free Downloader app: install Downloader from Google Play, allow it to install unknown apps in the TV’s settings, and follow steps 3 and 4 below.

Once Basalt is on Google Play, the app offers to move there, keeping your drives, profiles and settings.

On a Fire TV

Fire TV has no Google Play, so Basalt is installed as an APK with Amazon’s free Downloader app:

  1. Install Downloader from the Amazon Appstore.
  2. In the Fire TV’s settings, under My Fire TV, Developer options, Install unknown apps, turn it on for Downloader.
  3. In Downloader, type basalt.reforatech.com/download/android and choose Go. It downloads the APK.
  4. Choose Install.

The APK keeps itself up to date: when a new version is out, it shows what is new under More.

Pair with your host

  1. Open Basalt. The first time, it shows how it works and looks for hosts on your network.
  2. Choose your host from the list with the remote and press OK.
  3. The host shows six digits. Type them with the remote or the TV’s on-screen keyboard.

If the host isn’t listed, choose Enter the address or computer name and type the address Basalt Host shows. See Pairing a device.

The remote

Press To
The arrows Move the highlight
OK Open what is highlighted, or play it
OK, held Open a film’s or file’s menu
Back Close a menu or the player, or go back a folder

In the player:

Press To
OK Pause and play
Left and right Skip back and forward 10 seconds
Up or down Show the controls and move among them
Play, pause, rewind, fast forward What they say, on remotes that have them

Leaving a film

Press Home during a film and it pauses. On a TV with picture-in-picture, it carries on in a small window instead.

Uninstall

In the TV’s settings, under Apps, choose Basalt and Uninstall. Nothing on the drive is touched.

Something unclear, or not covered here? Ask in Help and setup, where the community and Refora Technologies answer, or write to us, and we will improve this page.