VLC for tvOS - Empty Folder over SMB

[Bookworm]

VLC for AppleTV 4. I succeeded in getting the app to work from day 1 on AppleTV, I have VLC 106 on Apple TV and OSX El Capitan v10.11.5. However since the latest OSX software Update ( yesterday), VLC App stopped working on AppleTV, it says empty folder over SMB. I have restarted the App the iMac etc with no joy. Could anybody please help? Many thanks.

[vcfool]

Hi,

The same happened to me yesterday with my Macs and iOS devices. After updating OSX and iOS, SMB file sharing stopped working on the VLC app. No luck accessing the shared files on my computers from my iPhone or iPad. It worked great every time until the last OSX and iOS update, yesterday.

Thanks!

[mexicali]

I can assure you as one of the few people that has had VLC working successfully from the beginning and knows how to set everything up, the most recent update of VLC and TVOS 9.2.1, no longer recognizes my folders within my Local Network device (MBP). I have deleted app and reinstalled, as well as reset my shared folders. Please update VLC compatibility with recent version of TV OS. Thanks.

[CorranQ]

I can assure you as one of the few people that has had VLC working successfully from the beginning and knows how to set everything up, the most recent update of VLC and TVOS 9.2.1, no longer recognizes my folders within my Local Network device (MBP). I have deleted app and reinstalled, as well as reset my shared folders. Please update VLC compatibility with recent version of TV OS. Thanks.

I am absolutely relieved to know someone else has had this problem since the tvOS update and it's not just me! I dunno if it's Apple or VLC that needs to fix it, but I agree: please have this fixed soon!

[mexicali]

I can assure you as one of the few people that has had VLC working successfully from the beginning and knows how to set everything up, the most recent update of VLC and TVOS 9.2.1, no longer recognizes my folders within my Local Network device (MBP). I have deleted app and reinstalled, as well as reset my shared folders. Please update VLC compatibility with recent version of TV OS. Thanks.

I am absolutely relieved to know someone else has had this problem since the tvOS update and it's not just me! I dunno if it's Apple or VLC that needs to fix it, but I agree: please have this fixed soon!

It's a VLC issue. Apple pushes these updates to developers to test so they can make their apps compatible with Apple's latest version. Hopefully VLC can submit something soon.

[NAMIA]

i was able to see my folder with SMB but after last update I have empty folder

[Rory]

Put me down as another person who has never had an issue until this newest update. Empty folder.

[boywithaxe]

So, I have started having this issue ever since I update my pack to 10.11.5 (But I suspect I have had this issue for longer streaming from my Windows 10 PC, just didn't care because the Mac is my main driver). I've done some research and found this. Essentially, there has been a security update to SAMBA in April. This security update affected how SMB shares are connected to. It was included in the latest version of El Capitan, and so far that I can see, this is what is causing the issue. Since Windows 10 uses a faster paced, incremental update cadence, the issue appeared there sooner, I just never cared enough to investigate.

I am not sure if this is any help to any of you, but I downgraded OSX to 10.11.4, with the older version of SMB and have no issues now. Unfortunately I did not find a way to downgrade Windows 10.

[mexicali]

Essentially, there has been a security update to SAMBA in April. This security update affected how SMB shares are connected to. It was included in the latest version of El Capitan, and so far that I can see, this is what is causing the issue.

I am not sure if this is any help to any of you, but I downgraded OSX to 10.11.4, with the older version of SMB and have no issues now.

I created a partition and installed 10.11.4 and you are correct the folder is no longer empty and content is accessible again. However, one shouldn't have to downgrade to a less secure OS X to continue using app. The opposite, VLC needs to account for security updates and push these updates to VLC app.

So for now a small inconvenience of having to switch partitions, but on the plus side, AC3!!! Got so used to using the Beamer app for AC3 files hadn't noticed till now. Thanks!

[boywithaxe]

However, one shouldn't have to downgrade to a less secure OS X to continue using app. The opposite, VLC needs to account for security updates and push these updates to VLC app.

Agreed, however this affects more than just VLC. Network Printers, scanners, NAS drives, Time Capsules, etc all are affected by this. It will take time for these to be updated to conform with the new security requirements, if they ever are going to be updated.

[fkuehne]

Just for the record: we are aware of the 10.11.5 login issue and hope to provide a fix quite soon

[mexicali]

Just for the record: we are aware of the 10.11.5 login issue and hope to provide a fix quite soon

Great to hear! Keep up the good work.

[stufio]

So, I know this is an "old" thread with the last post being almost a month ago, but I'm still experiencing this issue. Version 1.0.7 came out yesterday (I think) and I had high hopes that this issue would be fixed. Alas, it is not. Am I the only one still experiencing the "Empty Folder" error? I was definitely not receiving the error until a few months ago, but now I can't really use the app at all . Any news on a fix?

[mexicali]

So, I know this is an "old" thread with the last post being almost a month ago, but I'm still experiencing this issue. Version 1.0.7 came out yesterday (I think) and I had high hopes that this issue would be fixed. Alas, it is not. Am I the only one still experiencing the "Empty Folder" error? I was definitely not receiving the error until a few months ago, but now I can't really use the app at all . Any news on a fix?

I can confirm the issue is still present. I disabled file sharing and removed the shared folders, then re-configured both partitions on my drive. The only partition that continues to work is 10.11.4.

[vcfool]

The issue is still here also on iOS after updating. Still can not see the shared files on my Mac from my iPhone or iPad.

[mexicali]

If it's not going to work, and if there is no acknowledgment of the continued issue -- no sense in taking up storage space on ATV. What a shame, deleting...

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

If it's not going to work, and if there is no acknowledgment of the continued issue -- no sense in taking up storage space on ATV. What a shame, deleting...

The issue is OS X being updated and changing the SMB server behavior. Not VLC.

[Rory]

Just wanted to note. The newest osx update 10.11.6 fixed my issues and I can now see my folders again.

[thejedi]

I too am having problems with the "Empty Folder over SMB", but unlike most or all of the posts here, I am experiencing this issue after updating a PC from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. Everything seemed to work fine with Windows 8.1!!! Just wondering if anyone can offer a solution or will the planned update for VLC for tvOS resolve the issue for both Mac and PC users.

[vcfool]

I can confirm that after updating OSX to 10.11.6, SMB sharing started working again. I can now see the shared files on my Mac from my iPad and iPhone.

Thanks!

[wiclee]

When I first installed VLC on my ATV4, iPhone, iPad in Feb 2016, I was able to view and play all my media files over smb from my Windows 10 Desktop. Somehow after an update in late march, I could only see "Empty Folder" from all my IOS devices. I have been patiently waiting for an update to fix the issue. Yet, after more than 4 months with many updates, the problem is still not resolved. I have no problem using Infuse to play all my media over smb thus far.
I have the latest TVos 9.2.2, IOS 9.3.3, VLC 1.0.7(ATV 4) & 2.7.8 (iPad & iPhone). Can you please fix them asapo. Thx!!

[Linkeb3]

This is one way to get forum registration numbers up.

I'll say 15% of the time when I open vlc on Apple TV my folders are there, most missing the movies but I can through a movie.

sharing with Windows 7 simple

[l_g]

I use VLC both on an ATV and iPad. On the ATV I can see 7 SMB shares from my computer and browse them as expected but on my iPad nothing is displayed after clicking connect on the server (that is auto discovered). What's is weird is that if I (on the iPad), in the network browser, click my share, and then enter invalid login details exactly the same thing happens as when I enter correct details: a new view opens and the "network activity spinner animation" is running - but then nothing.

Does it not use the login details?

[indiekiduk]

Still hoping for a fix for this. Tried Influx and it wants payment after adding a share and Plex either picks wrong audio language or is doing unwanted transcoding. I don't understand why do SMB shares work fine on iPhone but show "empty folder" on ATV.

[iammenotyou]

Easy to reproduce, and has a non-secure workaround. Accessing files over SMB on a Linux share worked fine until I disabled SMB v1 to prevent wannacry and other vulnerabilities. Reenabling v1 makes the share show up again. Something in the SMB library used by VLC isn't recognizing serving software that isn't configured for SMB v1 (or doesn't support it).