Android is not only in the smartphone. Many smart TVs are also equipped with the Google operating system. And if it’s not there, you can always add it via a separate media player. We show what Google is planning with Android TV and what you can already do with it.
Tip 01: How do you get it?
Android TV is the standard operating system in smart TVs from brands such as Sony, Philips and Sharp. The operating system is a popular counterpart in smart televisions to WebOS, which is used by LG, and Tizen, which can be found in Samsung smart TVs.
All these platforms work with apps and usually the most popular apps are available. Android TV has the widest range of apps, because it takes advantage of the very wide range of the Play Store. Many apps work on a smart TV in addition to the smartphone and tablet. That number is also growing rapidly.
Is Android not in your television? Then you can add it by buying a separate media player with Android TV. The offer is not very large, however. One of the best and most popular options is the pricey Nvidia Shield TV. Google may also come up with its own Android TV solution.
Tip 02: Editions
Android TV has been around since 2014 and can now be called a mature platform. In terms of releases, Android TV is slightly out of step with the implementation for smartphones and tablets. For example, version 10 was not announced until December 2019. The first smartphones with the same basis had already been on the market for several months.
Not much has changed in appearance and functionality. Most of the changes we see under the hood, a bit in line with previous editions. In practice, smart TVs are unfortunately a lot behind, partly due to the meager update policy of the manufacturers. You then end up with outdated software, while the hardware can still last for a while. This must improve in the future.
Fortunately, a somewhat older version of Android is not such a problem for most apps: they often work fine on it. But you do miss innovations in, among other things, the user interface and security of the operating system. One of the most useful recent additions, for example, is Google Assistant. Searching for material on Netflix or YouTube by voice is much faster than entering titles with the remote control.
Future of Android TV
Android TV gets the full attention of Google. For example, the company is committed to a wider range of high-quality apps, such as fitness and educational apps and games. We can already see the effect of this in absolute numbers: about 5,000 apps have recently started working on the TV platform. A year ago there were about 3,000. The company is aiming for 8,000 apps by the end of 2020 and 10,000 by 2021.
Google also wants smart TVs with Android TV to get updates faster and longer. Of these, it offers new features in Android 10 called Project Treble that simplifies the update process for television manufacturers.
Google has special plans for version 11. For example, it seems that Google Stadia will be available for Android TV, Google is also working on a more accessible Play Store and the company may also be working on new hardware.
Tip 03: In practice
In Android TV you will probably recognize something from the operating system on your smartphone or tablet, although there are more differences than similarities. With the remote control you can easily navigate through the menu, with the most important apps one below the other on the left and a row of recommendations for each app. For Netflix, for example, these are the series that you have recently watched and which you can immediately dive into again.
All apps that are important for televisions work on the platform. You can easily add the apps that are not already pre-installed via the Play Store. Is a well-known app not listed there? Then it is not adapted for the TV platform. You can still try to install the app manually, so-called sideloading. There is a chance that the app will not work optimally, because it is designed for screen control. Also handy: Chromecast is already built into Android TV, so you can always stream from a device.
Android TV has more differences than similarities than the version of your smartphone or tablet
Tip 04: Nvidia Shield TV
The Shield TV from Nvidia is a popular media player with Android TV. At the end of 2019, a renewed version came on the market in two versions: the regular Shield TV (from 160 euros) with cylinder-shaped housing and the slightly more powerful Pro version (from 219 euros), which looks more like its predecessor.
There have been some availability problems in recent months, especially the Pro is difficult to find. It is also more aimed at gamers, for most the regular version is more than sufficient. In addition to a power connection, it has an HDMI connection, an Ethernet port and a micro SD memory slot. The more expensive Pro model does not have a micro-SD slot, but does have two USB 3.0 ports, more storage space (16 GB versus 8 GB) and more memory (3 GB versus 2 GB). Incidentally, with limited storage space you can always give the media player access to a network folder, for example from a nas.
The processor in both models is the Tegra X1 +. A variant of this is used in the Nintendo Switch. It is therefore a very fast processor that also ensures that the media player is easy to operate and can also handle all conceivable audio and video codings. An alternative is the Xiaomi Mi Box S. A lot cheaper (about 79 euros), but in terms of hardware a big step compared to the Shield TV. The software is also outdated: it contains Android 8.1, or Oreo, by default, although Android 9 (Pie) is now available with some delay.
New Chromecast
Google will probably also release an independently operating media player with Android TV this year. Now it already has the Chromecast, a dongle that allows you – from a smartphone or tablet – to stream multimedia such as videos to the TV. The necessary support for this is built into many apps.
The new box is most likely an update of the Chromecast Ultra (about 79 euros) from 2016, the company’s most extensive streaming dongle. It will then have Android TV and a separate remote control for navigation.
Tip 05: Streaming and gaming
The main application of your smart TV is of course the streaming of films, series and programs, among other things. Android TV gives you all the options for that. The best known is Netflix. Some remote controls, such as the Shield TV’s, even have a special button for this. Newcomer Disney + is also available for Android TV.
With Netflix (depending on the subscription) and Disney +, you also benefit from 4K and Dolby Atmos for better picture and sound. For the enthusiast, Videoland is also available, with many exclusive titles from Dutch soil. Furthermore, NPO Start for Android TV is available for live viewing and replaying of programs from the public broadcaster. You can also listen to Spotify or classic television via NLZiet.
Do you want to relax in a more active way? The Play Store offers plenty of games that also work on Android TV. You can install them and play from the couch. You can connect a game controller via USB or connect via Bluetooth, just like a mouse and keyboard. Although not all your accessories may be supported. This is very dependent on your smart TV or media player.
Tip 06: NLSee
A TV subscription is often bundled with an internet subscription and is sometimes even compulsory. Nevertheless, the number of TV connections in the Netherlands is declining. Classic linear television is less and less attractive. There is an alternative with NLZiet. This allows you to watch the programs from NPO, RTL and SBS up to one year ago and also just watch them live. The subscription is free for the first month, after that you pay 7.95 euros per month.
The image quality of the streams is slightly less high than with a regular TV subscription from, for example, KPN or Ziggo, but that difference has become smaller since a recent expansion. Incidentally, new regulations make NLZiet even more attractive. You can not only use the subscription in the Netherlands, but also throughout the EU. There is of course also an app for Android TV available for NLZiet.
With a subscription to NLZiet you can watch programs from NPO, RTL and SBS up to one year ago
Tip 07: Own media library
If you have your own collection with, for example, videos or music, you can use apps such as Plex and Kodi under Android and on Android TV to browse these collections. Kodi can be installed locally and can possibly access the files on a nas, which is of course the most convenient place for such collections.
Plex requires you to have a Plex Media Server running somewhere in the house. That could of course be the same NAS: both Synology and Qnap support running this server application. You can also use the Pro version of the Shield TV as a Plex Media Server.
With the Nvidia Shield TV you also have an advantage when playing. The device effortlessly plays all important audio and video encodings. As a result, transcoding (converting formats) is rarely necessary and the server has much less to do (and may be less powerful).
Tip 08: Stream games
In addition to videos, you can also simply stream games. In effect, the games are then run on a different system and the image is returned. Your actions with, for example, your gamepad are sent back to that system. The delay is so small that you usually don’t even notice it.
In the first place, streaming can be done via the local network from your own PC with, for example, the Steam Link app, which is useful if you already have a powerful gaming PC. Do you not have one or do you not feel like starting it all the time? You can also stream over the internet, also known as cloud gaming.
Nvidia has GeForce Now that uses the company’s servers. Aside from a few free titles, you must already own or purchase games to play them with GeForce Now. Downside are the long queues that can be due to the strong enthusiasm. Google also has its own game streaming service called Stadia. Everything indicates that this service will be available for Android TV users. The big advantage of streaming games is that you don’t need powerful hardware. So you can also play on a simple smart TV, smartphone or tablet.
Apple TV and Arcade
Apple also has its television platform called Apple TV, the biggest competitor to Android TV. It has media players (the Apple TV in HD or 4K version), the streaming service Apple TV + with self-produced films and series and also a subscription for games under the name Arcade (4.99 euros per month).
In fact, the latter subscription gives you access to over a hundred games that you can play in full and without ads or additional purchases. It is therefore a kind of Netflix for games. An important difference with, for example, GeForce Now and Google Stadia is that games are not streamed. They are simply downloaded and played from the device itself. That can be an Apple TV box or your iPhone or iPad.
