VLC for tvOS - Empty Folder over SMB

[edelweiss]

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).

I am pretty sure this is what fixed it for me. I enabled SMBv1 services on my Windows 10 machine.

I have the 4k Apple TV and I host my media on a Windows 10 shared folder. It didn't work until I re-enabled SMBv1 and restarted the computer.

There's a page here on playing with different SMB settings:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hel ... indows-and

But all I did was search windows for "Turn Windows Features on or off", and somewhere in the list is "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support". The above link also has the screenshot for this.

[Morgan 1er]

Hi,
I have an Apple TV 4k and I use VLC for mobile on it with my Macbook Pro running OS X Sierra 10.12.6.
And I encounter the same problem: I log in using SMB but I get the empty folder icon.
Any idea how to solve this?
Thx.

[davecotter]

So, it's not just checking that SMB is enabled in system prefs->sharing, but also making sure that the account has a checkmark next to it in the "Windows File Sharing" list.

now it works

[xodin]

I'm having the same issue using Fedora Linux v22, Samba v4.2.12. It's a fairly standard Linux and Samba install w/ basic Samba config for one share requiring user login. Originally my server wouldn't even show up on the VLC app, which I found out was due to not having nmb started. Once that was fixed it shows up but always shows the empty folder message. I've also quadruple verified the login/password/workgroup (workgroup is default WORKGROUP), and even changed the Samba setup to allow guest/public access with anonymous login, neither result in anything other than empty folder. Max protocol is set by default to NT1 which is the same thing as SMBv1, still no luck (of course just to experiment I tried explicitly setting to NT1, tried SMB2, neither helped). I access the same shares perfectly fine using my Macbook Pro and my Micca set top box, and verified each multiple times along the way after settings changes prior to checking the VLC app. Nothing works. Hope this gets fixed soon, when I heard about this VLC Apple TV app, I almost jumped for joy; we're just not quite there yet.

Samba share entry:

[library]
comment = Video Library
path = /home/library
browseable = yes
guest ok = no
writable = yes
valid users = xodin

[srinilakshmi]

I need help with this. I use sharing on windows 10 which shows empty folders on Apple TV where as it shows fine for the shared drives for Windows 7 machines.

[bubu?]

@srinilakshmi: Did you enable SMB1 on your Windows 10 machine? By default it's disabled.

[sunlit777]

It is amazing how much trouble there is to make smb sharing work. August 2018, New Macbook pro, high sierra, new apple tv 4k - I get “empty folder”, or the app crashes.
When will you finally make your Apple TV app to work with apple latest desktop operating system!? This is ridiculous.

[Numbski]

The fix for this on newer versions of MacOS as the sharing host is to disable SMB packet signing. That's what's got it broken - VLC doesn't support packet signing.

On macOS

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
2. Clear the File Sharing checkbox, then close the Sharing pane.
3. In Terminal, use this command:

`sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.smb.server SigningRequired -bool FALSE`

4. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
5. Select the File Sharing checkbox, then close the Sharing pane.

[Morgan 1er]

Hi,
I tried your solution but it still doesn't work for me. I'm using macOS Sierra 10.12.6 and tvOS 12 beta for information.
Thx anyway.

[jtso]

There was a VLC for TvOS software update a few days ago (late November 2018) that seems to have solved the "Empty Folder" issue under the network connection at least for me. The software version as seen on the AppleTV is 3.0.3 (306). I see all my shared files and the videos play on my Apple TV. Thank you VideoLan!

My setup: AppleTV 4K; MacBookPro (late 2016), running macOS Mojave version 10.14.1
Settings on the Mac: File Sharing is On; Under the "options" button, "Share files and folders using SMB" is checked; Under the Windows File Sharing window my user account is checked.

The video files reside on an external hard drive attached to the Mac. These are TV shows that I transferred from a TiVo in the mpg format. Because TiVo has updated its user interface and has made it challenging to transfer shows from a computer back to the TiVo for viewing on a TV, this gives me another way to view the shows.

There was also an update to the VLC iOS app. My iPhone 8 is working as well. Thanks again.

[Wapa]

I have this issue with a Synology DiskStation and it happens when minimum SMB protocol is set to 2 or higher.

It works with SMB 1, but SMB 1 poses a security risk.

[westway2world]

What file system is the host drive formatted as?
Perhaps the proprietary Microsoft NTFS format is preventing VLC from reading the files on the drive.
XFAT is probably the solution.

[revenant]

this is happening to me as well. the hard drive is Mac formatted and after the update 3.0.4 (307) it now does not access the drive, but I can from any other device.

[moistrobot]

Same issue here w/ HDD connected to airport extreme. Worked fine until latest VLC update. Latest TvOS, VLC version and Airport firmware

[chris_per]

same issue here, worked one night, empty folder the next. Infuse and FE have no problems. No issues with VLC for iPad

[DBSca]

My AppleTV updated to VLC 3.04. After that, when I login to a SMB server I could not see any shares. I uninstalled the app, reinstalled, rebooted the AppleTV and still all I get is "Empty Folder". I tried many times. Then, I rebooted one the servers and while that was happening suddenly I could see the shares on a second SMB server. When the other server rebooted, I could see the shares on that one too. I could play content from both servers just fine. I have no idea why it worked.

Both servers are Windows 10 with SMBv1 Server enabled. Both worked fine with the previous version of VLC.

Today, still with VLC 3.04, I can see the shares for both SMB servers. However, I can not play any content. It just says "Please Wait". On an iPhone, VLC will prompt for login credentials again but the AppleTV doesn't do that. The following failure is logged in the Event Viewer each time I try to play a file, indicating that VLC is attempting to use the GUEST account rather than the credentials originally provided. That would explain why the iOS app is prompting for new credentials. (I have no idea why it worked yesterday.)

An account failed to log on.

Subject:
Security ID: NULL SID
Account Name: -
Account Domain: -
Logon ID: 0x0

Logon Type: 3

Account For Which Logon Failed:
Security ID: NULL SID
Account Name: Guest
Account Domain:

Failure Information:
Failure Reason: Account currently disabled.
Status: 0xC000006E
Sub Status: 0xC0000072

Process Information:
Caller Process ID: 0x0
Caller Process Name: -

Network Information:
Workstation Name: -
Source Network Address: 192.168.0.144
Source Port: 49313

Detailed Authentication Information:
Logon Process: NtLmSsp
Authentication Package: NTLM
Transited Services: -
Package Name (NTLM only): -
Key Length: 0

[shines20]

We are aware of the issue, but we need more information about the SMB servers you are having issues with. Please be as precise as possible. Thanks!

I have same issue here. no problem until I updated to the newest. I can see my external hdd from network drive on apple tv. once I click the hdd, it shows only empty folder. I just hooked up my external hdd to the wifi louter and it has never been issue.
Also same problem happened once I update VLC app on my iPhone. I can see my folder but once I click it, it just keep searching..

[theGeneral]

I noticed this error. And sometimes my laptop shows up with 2 servers. Sometimes one. One works, one doesn't. Shows Empty folder.
Solved this on AppleTV in VLC app, settings, Prefer SMB 1: off.

Now it works, no Empty folder.