Smart Tv vs Android

[Outbackoz]

Currently thinking of moving from a smart tv to Android and would be interested in the "pro's and cons' of Android from current users. Of particular interest is direct streaming of overseas television programs e.g. four corners Australia BBC doco's UK either directly or routing  via a vpn or app. 

If the question is of interest to others have attached a link which may clarify smart TV/Android differences

 

 

https://www.bgr.in/news/android-tv-vs-smart-tv-google-assistant-netflix-youtube-hotstar-amazon-prime-video-841235/

 

[Crossy]

IMHO a "dumb" TV and a good quality Android box is going to be your best solution.

 

I would advise against getting an Android TV - we bought one - slow - terribly hobbled PlayStore, many apps run erratically (once you've side-loaded them). Went back to my old but reliable Android box.

 

[steve187]

i agree with Crossy, if you don't need an all singing all dancing tv, then a dumb one with a good android box will do most things including apps and apk's for overseas tv..

 

i was following the thread on TCL android 9 55'' tv, was very tempted, but did not want to run the risk of the android not being a 'full' version and having problems down the line, with apps/apk's,  so we went for a larger screen LG  tv, shopped around and got it for a little more than the TCL one, same 3 year warranty.

[scubascuba3]

I've actually moved from an android tv box to now just using my tablet for TV, i rarely watch my big TV, girls don't bother watching TVs either its all facebook etc. 10 years big TVs may be history

[JaiMaai]

The major disadvantage of an Android box, for me, is the lack of official support for Netflix.  Many boxes won't even load the app from the Play Store.  You can (could?) download a version of the app from the Netflix website or get one from a third party site.  Even, then you may be limited to an SD stream.  The only boxes I'm aware of that are generally available in Thailand are the Nvidia Shield and Xioami Mi Box — and then you're limited to the Android TV Play Store, as mentioned by Crossy above.

 

The Smart TV version of YouTube is also woeful, with really limited features compared to the phone version which runs on a standard Android box.  The main one is the lack of a way to change the input language.  Not a big problem for many people but in a bilingual household, it's an annoyance.  You also don't seem to be able to view any comments, let alone make one.

 

For me, I got a Smart TV on sale which only really gets used for Netflix and I've got an Android box for everything else.

[henry15]

I had an  55 inch android TV and an 55 inch OLED LG Web O TV.. After 6 months I gave my android TV to my brother In law. And bought anorher LG 55 inch Web O TV. I hope this, answer your question.

[recom273]

Just to say - I’m really happy with my Samsung tizen OS I bought it to integrate with my Synology NAS which is does well, the wife watches YouTube And it also has Facebook tv app, I never hear her complaining - I could run plex if I wanted. The only thing I can think about changing for is an Apple TV+ app, the app only runs on newer TVs.

 

I’m sure it has the settings for a VPN. 

[Peterw42]

I would recommend a TV and a "separate" Android box. As others have said, the built in Android is often low spec and has restricted apps and playstore, cant side load etc.

Smart TVs running android or linux etc are often the same, limited apps etc.

LGs linux WebOS is probably the worst for apps etc, as you are stuck with what comes pre-loaded.

 

A separate Box can be upgraded, used on any other TV

 

[edwardflory]

Have a friend that has both Android TV and a Android TV Box. Uses the TV box as main and travels international with it

 

Android TV: while some have a lot of memory for download, HOW do you change VERSIONS, some have minimum version's of the software. Are not portible.

 

Spend the money to get a better TV instead of a Smart TV

 

Android TV Box: Usually full versions, MAKE SURE VERSION IS 8.0 and above, are portable, easy to travel with.

 

The Tanix TX-6 and its generic TX-6 models is a great buy ( I have generic. Cost 1,119THB ) good memory 4/32 ( my version - others available ) Picture in Picture, Casting, will take up to a 128GB SD card - do NOT FORMAT SD Card in the box - great for downloading movies and music purchased - buy preformated!!  internal and external antennas = very strong WiFi, RJ-45 input,  Full digital output - not coaxal, USB 3 and USB 2 inputs, Audio out for external speakers, Bluethooth.  Tethering to mobile if you want.

 

I have 3 boxes, TX - 6, a box with Version 6.1 and my old Box version 4.1 is 7 years old and still works - has a built in cam why I still use it.

 

CON TX-6 Personally I do not like the "ALICE" home screen.  There IS a learning curve using it.

[gamesgplayemail]

Do you know if Xiaomi android box is good ? 1800 thb on lazada. Thank you.

[Jeffrey346]

8 hours ago, JaiMaai said:

The major disadvantage of an Android box, for me, is the lack of official support for Netflix.  Many boxes won't even load the app from the Play Store.  You can (could?) download a version of the app from the Netflix website or get one from a third party site.  Even, then you may be limited to an SD stream.  The only boxes I'm aware of that are generally available in Thailand are the Nvidia Shield and Xioami Mi Box — and then you're limited to the Android TV Play Store, as mentioned by Crossy above.

 

The Smart TV version of YouTube is also woeful, with really limited features compared to the phone version which runs on a standard Android box.  The main one is the lack of a way to change the input language.  Not a big problem for many people but in a bilingual household, it's an annoyance.  You also don't seem to be able to view any comments, let alone make one.

 

For me, I got a Smart TV on sale which only really gets used for Netflix and I've got an Android box for everything else.

I have a Shield with quite a few side-loaded apps that run just fine.  

These boxes are Google certified and can run Netflix

 

1. Nvidia Shield TV. The power user's Android TV box of choice, the Nvidia Shield TV is an absolute beast. ...
2. Xiaomi Mi Box S. Xiaomi. ...
3. Skystream Three Plus. Skystream. ...
4. Ematic Jetstream 4K Ultra HD TV Box. Walmart.

[Tayaout]

Android box are very cheap and seem very interesting. I'm using a raspberry pi 4 with OSMC and rii MX3 remote. It fits more my need for modularity and complete OS control but I would probably consider purchasing android box one day. 

[Classic Ray]

19 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Android box are very cheap and seem very interesting. I'm using a raspberry pi 4 with OSMC and rii MX3 remote. It fits more my need for modularity and complete OS control but I would probably consider purchasing android box one day. 

Pi 3 for me with OSMC, good free tech support, occasional issues with Netflix when they try to limit OSMC/Kodi users but usually quickly sorted. I use it for RugbyPass as well, cheap flexible solution to crippled Smart TV apps.

[Max69xl]

On 11/17/2019 at 5:16 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I've actually moved from an android tv box to now just using my tablet for TV, i rarely watch my big TV, girls don't bother watching TVs either its all facebook etc. 10 years big TVs may be history

Go from a big screen TV to a tablet? Use a tablet in bed,ok. But it will never ever replace a big screen TV when watching movies or sports.

[Max69xl]

38 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Android box are very cheap and seem very interesting. I'm using a raspberry pi 4 with OSMC and rii MX3 remote. It fits more my need for modularity and complete OS control but I would probably consider purchasing android box one day. 

You can use your Raspberry pi as an Android box if it has enough RAM. 

[tomazbodner]

SmartTV will generally have NetFlix, YouTube, etc. official apps loaded that have no resolution cap. External boxes will usually have a 720p limit although it's usually possible to get unofficial app that supports all the resolutions, not from PlayStore though.

 

On the other hand, boxes usually have full playstore and can load pretty much anything. TVs have a very limited apps store in which you can find pretty much nothing that's not already loaded in your TV. In this regard Android TV (most brands), WebOS TV (LG) or FireFoxOS TV (Panasonic) aren't that much different.

[Tayaout]

3 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

You can use your Raspberry pi as an Android box if it has enough RAM. 

I tried 2 differents Android version first but none of them are officially supported and the performance is lacking. Android box are also cheaper than pi but less fun. 

[Thainesss]

56 minutes ago, Jeffrey346 said:

I have a Shield with quite a few side-loaded apps that run just fine.  

These boxes are Google certified and can run Netflix

 

1. Nvidia Shield TV. The power user's Android TV box of choice, the Nvidia Shield TV is an absolute beast. ...

 

Hands down the ONLY TV box that is worth the money is the nvidia shield. Every app is available on the shield and you can download express vpn directly to the machine with no side loads or drama. Netflix supports it with 4k. Prime. Hulu. HBO. You name it. Plug and ply and the thing has sufficient processing power and ram to fully utilize a VPN on the box itself. 

 

People don't know what they are missing with the cheap boxes and lack of support. 

[Solinvictus]

Don't those "smart tvs" transmit your private data to databases?

 

[Thainesss]

7 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

SmartTV will generally have NetFlix, YouTube, etc. official apps loaded that have no resolution cap. External boxes will usually have a 720p limit although it's usually possible to get unofficial app that supports all the resolutions, not from PlayStore though.

 

On the other hand, boxes usually have full playstore and can load pretty much anything. TVs have a very limited apps store in which you can find pretty much nothing that's not already loaded in your TV. In this regard Android TV (most brands), WebOS TV (LG) or FireFoxOS TV (Panasonic) aren't that much different.

 

Problem with smart TVs is its impossible to get a VPN on it so you would have to get a VPN router. Routers with enough processing power to utilize a VPN are very expensive. 

 

Nvidia Shield does everything possible with full support for 4k in all the mainstream apps. 

 

It is Android OS and gets full support from the manufacturer. 

 

People considering a box should pay up and save themselves the hassle. Ive currently got multiple TV boxes sitting on a shelf Including an Apple Tv Box and they all have problems except the Shield. Some don't have certain apps, some aren't fully supported, some only have SD streams, some are incompatible with a VPN due to processors. 

[Froggybanrai]

Assuming you are using an Android phone, get yourself a Google CHROMECAST device (about 2,000THB at Lazada) and plug it in the HDMI port of any ordinary TV of your taste.  That way you can cast anything from your phone to your TV. I have one on each of my TVs and it works brilliantly.

[Farangwithaplan]

2 hours ago, edwardflory said:

The Tanix TX-6 and its generic TX-6 models is a great buy ( I have generic. Cost 1,119THB ) good memory 4/32 ( my version - others available ) Picture in Picture, Casting, will take up to a 128GB SD card

Does Kodi resolution and refresh rate changes work with this box?

 

[CH1961]

Tried ... 

1) dumb TV with Android-Box: limited resolution, limited Netflix

2) smart TV: no working VPN for Netflix, limited App's

3) dumb TV with Fire-TV-Stick: just perfect, 5GHz WiFi, Nord-VPN support, Netflix and NAS flawless, just 30 USD ????

[tom in bangkok]

Last year I bought a Samsung smart TV and have had no complaints. It does everything I want it to: Netflix, Youtube, USB HDD playback for any filetype I give it (and with a UI that is fast and easy to use), normal HDMI functions, and (rarely) True cable TV. It also has a great remote and I can easily use it with practically any smartphone.

 

Not sure what the fuss is about VPN from the other posters. My TV might support it but I don't have any need to hide my Netflix viewing habits from True, and anything not available on Netflix I'm able to easily obtain in other ways. What's the point of using a VPN on your TV unless it's to get geo-restricted stuff on a streaming platform?

 

Here's the TV have been very happy with for reference -- https://www.samsung.com/th/support/model/UA55MU6100KXXT/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 hours ago, JaiMaai said:

The only boxes I'm aware of that are generally available in Thailand are the Nvidia Shield and Xioami Mi Box — and then you're limited to the Android TV Play Store, as mentioned by Crossy above.

 

Re being limited to only the ATV Play Store, not quite true.... Officially, yes, the MiBox that I own has its own built-in Android TV Google Play Store served up by Google. And the downside of that is, the ATV store has only a fraction of the apps contained in the broader Google Play Store.... because the phone/tablet apps are touch based, whereas the ATV apps are designed to respond to a remote clicker. Although, a lot of the most popular apps are there in the ATV store.

 

However, with that said, it's entirely possible to sideload regular Android apps on ATV devices like the MiBox. I probably have installed on my MiBox as many sideloaded apps as I do those officially downloaded from the ATV Play Store. And of the sideloaded ones, some actually work OK with a TV remote, whereas others will require either a Bluetooth or software mouse like Mouse Toggle to work on the ATV devices. And then there's a few that won't work at all, regardless.

 

[edwardflory]

6 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

Does Kodi resolution and refresh rate changes work with this box?

 

I don't use Kodi, ALICE ( Home screen ) is a fork of Kodi and Kodi is installed - there is a very big seperate menu, 1 click accessto the menu that has to do with Kodi AND the other entertainment features I don't use.  YouTube has a lot of info on the TX-6,  the "Tanix" as well as the generic ones. I have not seen much difference in any of the models of the TX-6, performance wise, software wise.  I have 160 apks installed on mine, many games, around 50% memory free. NO SD card in use.   Also a MOUSE is suggested for ease of use.

 

If you decide on the TX-6 READ the information carefully about MEMORY and Android VERSION.

[Will27]

13 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Problem with smart TVs is its impossible to get a VPN on it so you would have to get a VPN router. Routers with enough processing power to utilize a VPN are very expensive. 

 

Nvidia Shield does everything possible with full support for 4k in all the mainstream apps. 

 

It is Android OS and gets full support from the manufacturer. 

 

People considering a box should pay up and save themselves the hassle. Ive currently got multiple TV boxes sitting on a shelf Including an Apple Tv Box and they all have problems except the Shield. Some don't have certain apps, some aren't fully supported, some only have SD streams, some are incompatible with a VPN due to processors. 

I've got VPN Express on my Sony TV.

 

Having said that, I usually use my STB.

[bamboozle]

First a lot of misleading info on smart tvs . Most smart tv `s are NOT android . Some are but most come with the makers os with a few apps like youtube , netflix etc already loaded , cannot use playstore . If you buy a smart tv buy one with an android os but they are more expensive .
 I just bought a dumb tv with 4 gb android box as the thai smart tv`s are the dumbest in the world .I checked a lot but most have no info , ie a skyworth smart  tv i looked at had 500mb ram and most thai smart tv`s only have 1gb ram which is rubbish .Never want to buy a smart tv with less than 3 gb ram but while lots of 4gb/6gb in uk most in thailand are 1gb.
 same as all electronics in thailand  they are substandard as most thais do not look at ram / rom etc

[jor]

23 hours ago, edwardflory said:

 

The Tanix TX-6 and its generic TX-6 models is a great buy ( I have generic. Cost 1,119THB ) good memory 4/32 ( my version - others available ) Picture in Picture, Casting, will take up to a 128GB SD card - do NOT FORMAT SD Card in the box - great for downloading movies and music purchased - buy preformated!!  internal and external antennas = very strong WiFi, RJ-45 input,  Full digital output - not coaxal, USB 3 and USB 2 inputs, Audio out for external speakers, Bluethooth.  Tethering to mobile if you want.

 

I have 3 boxes, TX - 6, a box with Version 6.1 and my old Box version 4.1 is 7 years old and still works - has a built in cam why I still use it.

 

CON TX-6 Personally I do not like the "ALICE" home screen.  There IS a learning curve using it.

Hi,

The TX-6 seems like a good buy but can you tell me:

 

1. The current model has Android 9.  Is this a full version or is it a <deleted>, rooted, cut-down 32bit version that Beelink and others are supplying just to claim that their products have 9 installed.

2.  Can you install a third-party Launcher in place of ALICE?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Jor

[Thainesss]

8 hours ago, Will27 said:

I've got VPN Express on my Sony TV.

 

Having said that, I usually use my STB.

 

Yep I've got it on a Samsung TV as well as an Asus router, but the problem is that they don't have enough processing power to run the VPN efficiently. 

The shield can run it no problem with very little buffering even in 4k Prime or Netflix.