FireStream App Reviews
At home (Germany) I had the problem to watch cutted 4k family vid on a HDTV without converting into HD. This was due to my RPi 2/3 with KODI couldn’t rescale the 4k into HD. The decoder from the TV was not fast enough for the job. With Firestream (FS) it works nearly perfect. The i7 iMac works hard with approx. 83% load & the vid from a NAS will be streamed via the iMac with FS running to the RP and the TV. Now I will also try a setup to decode H265 4k mat.
Whilst the product itself contains some „cool features“, it doesn’t support my streamer (TechniSat Receiver). Therefore, I will uninstall it and purchase Twonky, the de-facto standard for streaming.
Just downloaded and installed. Does exactly what I wanted it to do - connected my xbox one directly to my mac and obtained access to my network drive to see pictures, video and even one drive direct files that were not normally accessible without converting files from document status to picture. Well worth the $16.99….keep up the good work.
Installed flawlessly and was easy to configure. Simple interface and single purpose. I connected PS3 & PS4. Plays a number of different formats. So far no issues. Runs quietly in the background of my 2012 MacMini. It turns your MacMini into a media server. I tried several methods and prefer doing that over using a router with a USB hard drive or even a NAS. If you have a MacMini or similar I would highly recommend it.
This app is awesome works with PlayStation4’s media player if you would like to listen youre iTunes library without converting Music to MP3 format or the need to plug-in a USB flash drive to enjoying your photos Home videos and Music this app it Is perfect no trouble at all recognize the PlayStation4 right away
I have a very high end streamer at home. This does everything I need - simply and elegantly. It will stream ALL of my content to my streamer - pure and simple without all the overhead that the others have. Very well done! Tech support is quick and responsive.
Starts up and does what it shows in the screenshot: shares your iTunes media without needing to muck about adding folders or processing files. However, a couple of caveats. First of all, album covers don’t seem to be coming through. Not sure if it’s completely unsupported or only by my client. Second, it only seems to support Photos and not iPhoto/Aperture. Of course Photos is the future, but it’s not ready to replace iPhoto yet. Other media servers supporting iTunes DO still support iPhoto.
This app is clearly aimed towards iTunes content, with "other folders" more as an afterthought. The developer is not yet up-to-speed regarding the rapidly expanding world of high resolution audio downloads. There is no provision for transcoding or downsampling audio files to suit the capability of individual media receivers.
This is a simple, straightforward UPnP/DLNA media server for OS X that works great right out of the “box.” I don’t have an Xbox and my PS3 died. But I stream a considerable amount of high-resolution FLAC music to my Oppo BDP-95 multiplayer and FireStream works well with that, in ways I have found no other media server does.
I am amazed by this app. I have been scratching my head in frustration because nothing I was doing was working to get my iTunes Media to stream wirelessly to my PS3. I do not have an HDMI tv, which prevents me from getting Apple TV UNLESS I buy a new TV (can’t afford it). I have bought transfer cables and USB drives galore but to no avail. This app was recommended highly. So, I took a risk and purchased it. It immediately worked with NO FUSS WHATSOEVER. My iTunes content was up and running on my PS3 in less than 1 minute. EASY! Best $14.99 I have ever spent. Thank you!
I have a Bang & Olufsen setup (Avant, Beolab 18, Sub Beolab 19). I downloaded Hi Res FLAC Audio Files (192KHz/24Bit) from HDTracks and was able to play them using the HomeMedia (DLNA) feature on the TV. Sounds perfectly, no issues, no skipping...
thanks
works great streaming 1080p w/ 5.1 surround to my ps4… can select any folder & only run when i want it… perfect!
It took me maybe 15 mins to figure everything out, it was pretty simple really. It was pretty easy and now I can access all my music and movies through my XBOXone straight from my itunes account. It works beautifully! Thanks for the great app!
Sorting
The platform doesn’t allow sorting. That really inhibits functionality when using it to stream. Simple fix, they have been notified but nothing has been done.
FireStream DLNA Server Failure
I have been using FireStream DLNA Server for over two years without incident after purchasing a Lifetime License. Initial installation was easy as was server configuration, and the software worked flawlessly—until a few days ago. Earlier this past week, I needed to stop and restart FireStream, which is a procedure I had performed in the past many times without incident. However on this recent attempt to restart the server, I was presented with a message that prompted me to Activate FireStream by pressing Restore Purchases and then requiring me to log into my Apple Account. I did so, but nothing happened. The Activate FireStream message remained on my computer screen indefinitely with a spinning “arc” adjacent to the now grayed out Restore Purchases button. After multiple restarts and software removals (including preferences and caches) and subsequent complete reinstallations of FireStream, I still was confronted with the same stubborn Activate FireStream prompt. At this point, I reached out to Cyaneous Support. I was instructed to log out of the App Store and then log in again. This “solution” did not seem plausible, but I did it anyway. Again, my action had no effect. I wrote Cyaneous again detailing what I attempted and the same failed result. That was nearly four days ago as of this review, and I have heard nothing further from them. I contacted Apple Support before reaching out to Cyaneous and was informed there was no problem on Apple’s end. In contacting Cyaneous I sent them a copy of my purchase receipt from over two years ago to prove my license possession. I do not understand what is causing the software to fail to recognize my purchase. I also do not understand Cyaneous’ failure to reply to my second email. Their reply to my initial inquiry appeared in just a few hours so to receive silence for several days more than concerns me. The abruptness of the software’s failure and the company’s subsequent apparent lack of support have soured me on FireStream. Perhaps the company eventually will respond with a solution but perhaps not. In any event, my current situation prompted this review. If Cyaneous should present a solution over the next few days, I will revise—or in some other manner adjust or amend—this review. If their response takes longer than a few days, I no longer will care because I will have stripped their software permanently from my system.
Stream FLACs from Mac to WiiM
As the title says, I’m using FireStream to Stream FLACs from my Mac to a WiiM Amp. It’s easy to setup and works in the background without any problems.
Best In Class
I use it to stream my home video library to other devices on my network. It does the job rock solid, and the one time I had an issue their support team responded via email in less than a minute. Impressive all around.
Firestream is terrific...
I use it to connect to many devices. My other Macs, NVidia Shield Pro, Grace Digital Internet device, Samsung TV, etc. It works so well that I consider it indispensible. I also like it because it works with iTunes libraries very well. It's very simple to set up by assigning folders or drives to access. I run it off of a 2018 i7 Mac mini and I never have any connection problems. Drives and folders never disconnect 24/7/365. It's a great application for me.
Big bug
App have a big bug need to restart the laptop to use it every time
Does not work on some dlna clients - Expensive
Downloaded it and gave it a try from high ratings, and does not work on some dlna clients as some says no files or folders found, configured it correctly, pricey used to be $20 in the past raised it to $30, would not recommend.
Works Great!
I was looking for a simple UPnP / DNLA server to stream videos from a dedicated Mac Mini to my collection of devices (Macs, iPhone, iPad, Roku, Samsung Smart TV) I tried Plex which has a nice interface but I deemed was too tedious to set up with my existing video files.. I downloaded FireStream (Version 2.60) on their 7-day free trial and had it set up and working in about 2 minutes. No special folder/file structure needed. Just select your media folder or volume and hit the start button. No issues whatsoever in the trial period and I purchased. I use the VLC player on the MacOS / iOS clients which works perfectly with FireStream. The server showed up instantly on my network-connected Roku.
Great support
Works well, once you configure properly. Make sure no other steamer is up on your device. Great and prompt customer support from Maksim. And to tell the truth, there are really no competing Mac UPnP streamers for your DNLA devices.
Great DLNA Server!
Far simpler to set up than others I've tried. Does everything I need. Works great w/ my MusicCast system. The one issue I've had was a startup problem w/ a trivial workaround. The new release just fixed it.
5 star
5
Almost perfect UPnP server software
I needed an easy way to access videos stored on my Mac so that I could play them on VLC on my iPhone. Firestream does this well. Easy to setup - install and point to the videos folder. The one feature that it is lacking is password protection. I don't want guests to have access to my videos. Right now I have to turn off Firestream every time. If it gets password protection ability, then this becomes a 5* program. Another nice thing is its Apple Silicon native.
Great app
Does what it is supposed to do. 5 stars!
Really wanted this to work.
Bottom line up front: Never was able to get this working. I really liked the authorization features and the general simplicity of this application's UX Design... especially in comparsion to the needlessly obsene complexity found in alternatives like Plex... but while Plex just works out of the box... I was unable to get any media to show up in my DNLA clients despite trying many of the suggestions discussed in other reviews.
Totally works!
Wasn't sure it would work, especially with my new MacBook Air M2 running Ventura. It runs great, is faster than my Windows share and doesn't bog down my Mac. It works!
Does not work at all.
Tried connecting it to an old Xbox 360. Does not work at all.
works well
simple straightforward app allows me to stream movies to my LG TV and old Samsung Blu Ray player!
does not pick up music files stored on SSD external hard drives
Much of my music is on SSD portable hard drives I have plugged into my computer; the app does not pick them up. So not that useful to me and I feel I've wasted my money. Really wanted this to work. Sorry.
Inconsistent performance
Like many other reviews mention, the app performance is inconsistent. It frequently has performance quirks, cannot find album art, locate subtitles or even the server. It's lightweight and basic. I think $20 is expensive. The developer runs promotions but those also have issues and the upgrade is alwayts full price. The 7 day trial is very short to evaluate all the potential issues. Rated 2* because of these factors. I hope tha pp can improve in the future and have a more realistic price point than is currently listed at.
Max bit rate only 320kbps
No HiFi or High Resolution Audio streaming bit rate available. Only a max streaming bit rate of 320kbps available. This is disapointing since CD quality requires at least 1411kbps for uncompressed audio files.
Firestream
When Firestream works, it's great. However, for unknown reasons it doesn't always seem available. Firestream shows the presence of the Samsung TV, but the TV does not always register the WiFi connection. The TV is close enough, but some unknown factor causes interference. Restarting the Mac solves the problem, but only temporaily and never consistently. There are weeks when there is no problem, and days in which restarts are the only work-a-round.
Missing one thing
(I only use this for audio, turning my mac into an iTunes DLNA server) Works beautifully with all DLNA/UPNP apps I could find on iOS, but when it comes to Windows it sees the device but can't play certain audio files on Windows when it should be able to handle any file formats. I think the automatic transcoding is getting in the way; I would love a "No transcoding" option. It could also be this app doesn't like AIFF 24bit/44.1khz audio, which is the format of music I made.
Exactly what I wanted!
I downloaded it and got the 7 day free trial (brilliant) and within five minutes I bought it... I wanted to stream artwork to my PS4 and it just gets the JOB DONE! Love when an application is simple and does what you need it to from the get go! Well worth the price!
Firestream just works
Firesream has been my go-to streamer for Mac for years now. Very reliable. Just works!
Works Great
All the media I have can be shown and streamed easily. I 'rip' my DVDs so I can easily choose what I want to watch without having to wade through cases, open them, and insert in my player. With FireStream, my BluRay/DVD player lists all the photos, songs, and movies I have. You just identify in FireStream where they are stored and it makes them available to chose what you want to see or play. All you need is Smart TV or disk player on the same network or wifi that recognizes a media server like FireStream. It is one of my favorite apps.
Constanly needs to be updated.
Every time Apple does an update this app stops working.
SOME TIMES IT DOESN'T WORK
I have to quit the app and start it again fot it to work I'm on a Mac mini (2018) Mac OS 11.4
It claims in the app store to be free; LIES!!!!
As soon as I get unloaded this app it asked me to pay in order to use it. That means it's not a free app.
Great app
Fantastic customer service/support and looks to be just the app that I need to stream to my devices throughout the home.
Great for making my music available
Great simple one-click install and trivial to configure for my purposes. I wanted to allow my iTunes collection (many hundreds of albums) to play over several internet/DLNA radios scattered around the house. Developer was also very responsive (within an hour!) when I had a question.
Works Well When Configured Correctly
I'm giving this app 5 stars because the email support has been so good. When configured correctly it works really well. The app still needs a little more work though. I was only able to get Photos working when I selected 'Use as System Photo Library' in Photos preferences. This was not obvious until Maksim in customer support told me to select it in preferences. Also, three other device were listed as authorized which I never authorized. I had to de-authorize them to get things working. They still show up in the app however. Finally, I have a new LG smart TV but could only get it to work with the VLC device. Works great but needs just a little more work...
Good product - Excellent Customer Service
I have tried several different media players over the last few years but none of them really did what I wanted. My primary purpose for purchasing this product was to be able to use my TV to display a slideshow. I have an extensive (19,000) photo library that is managed on my Mac using Photos. This product has allowed me to simply make my photo library work on my TV. The reason I mention great customer service is that when I first installed it there was no content available for photos, the entire reason I purchased it. I sent an email asking about the issue and had a response within an hour. There was a resolution and an update to the App within hours. That is Amazing Customer Service
Rip Off!!!
320kbps max output! Trash! DO NOT BUY for Hi-Res audio!!! The description is so misleading!
up and running in 30 seconds
I’m developing an audio player, and needed a UPnP/DLNA server for testing. Dowloaded Firestream and had it working in under a minute! So far so good!
works well but
I stream kid’s DVDs to AppleTV with this, and it works well. There are somethings I would like to be able to do. 1) Password lock certain folders. I have shows like the game of throne on the same HDD, so I have to authorize & deauthorize depending on who’s trying to watch. 2) Rename/Name devices under Devices, I have 3 Basic Drives. I know what they are, but it’s because I went through and marked down which IP goes to which device. UI is simple & setup is very easy. For $15, there are many conveniences I would expect from a paid app to have is not there. If there’s any update to the app, I'll edit my review.
The app will not start
I get a error message that”firestream failed to start. please ensure ump port is not in use and try again . the port is open
PS4
This application is not working for my ps4…
Good video experience once it’s running
The main advantage to digital video is the ability to skip around in the video, or at least to do fast forward/reverse. The Roku 3 box only supports these basic functions if your video is already in particular coding formats. Firestream seems to do the conversion for me, giving me control over the playback. Originally, I used Serviio for my DLNA server. It did not do the appropriate conversions. My only gripe so far with FireStream is that you must run it as a logged-in user. If you aren’t logged in, your computer isn’t running FireStream. The advantage of Serviio is that it can run as a true server, making your media available whenever your Mac is running.
Pretty good so far
Starts up and does what it shows in the screenshot: shares your iTunes media without needing to muck about adding folders or processing files. However, a couple of caveats. First of all, album covers don’t seem to be coming through. Not sure if it’s completely unsupported or only by my client. Second, it only seems to support Photos and not iPhoto/Aperture. Of course Photos is the future, but it’s not ready to replace iPhoto yet. Other media servers supporting iTunes DO still support iPhoto.
Works great with PlayStation 4
This app is awesome works with PlayStation4’s media player if you would like to listen you're iTunes library without converting Music to MP3 format or the need to plug-in a USB flash drive to enjoying your photos Home videos and Music this app it Is perfect no trouble at all recognize the PlayStation4 right away
thanks
works great streaming 1080p w/ 5.1 surround to my ps4… can select any folder & only run when i want it… perfect!
Streams HD Audio from HDTracs PERFECTLY
I have a Bang & Olufsen setup (Avant, Beolab 18, Sub Beolab 19). I downloaded Hi Res FLAC Audio Files (192KHz/24Bit) from HDTracks and was able to play them using the HomeMedia (DLNA) feature on the TV. Sounds perfectly, no issues, no skipping...
Best version so far
Great DLNA server.
iMac to PS3 on a non-HDMI television
I am amazed by this app. I have been scratching my head in frustration because nothing I was doing was working to get my iTunes Media to stream wirelessly to my PS3. I do not have an HDMI tv, which prevents me from getting Apple TV UNLESS I buy a new TV (can’t afford it). I have bought transfer cables and USB drives galore but to no avail. This app was recommended highly. So, I took a risk and purchased it. It immediately worked with NO FUSS WHATSOEVER. My iTunes content was up and running on my PS3 in less than 1 minute. EASY! Best $14.99 I have ever spent. Thank you!
Works great!
This is a simple, straightforward UPnP/DLNA media server for OS X that works great right out of the “box.” I don’t have an Xbox and my PS3 died. But I stream a considerable amount of high-resolution FLAC music to my Oppo BDP-95 multiplayer and FireStream works well with that, in ways I have found no other media server does.
Not a good choice for audio streaming
This app is clearly aimed towards iTunes content, with "other folders" more as an afterthought. The developer is not yet up-to-speed regarding the rapidly expanding world of high resolution audio downloads. There is no provision for transcoding or downsampling audio files to suit the capability of individual media receivers.