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What are the best Apps to install on new Android TV?

giddyup

By giddyup
in Audio Visual AV

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Rimmer Star Member

Rimmer

Posted
Posted

A flame has been removed:

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.
 

ETatBKK Gold Member

ETatBKK

Posted
Posted

Puffin Browser - https://www.puffin.com/android-tv/

 

another way to reconnect some of your materials in the internet, say your favourite sites, Google Map, Google Phots, OneDrive . . . just in case !

 

testing it, not as fast as those on the computer, but can manage.

 

 

cheers

CGW Platinum Member

CGW

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, Max69xl said:

Ask the same question using Google and you'll get the info you want. There are several lists of nice apps for an Android box. 

Google will only give you links to those that pay the most money to them! not the best apps, Google has spent years promoting "google is your friend" people actually believe that now, there in the business of making money and directing you to the sites that pay the most money or fit in with the politics they are promoting!

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Sujo Ruby Member

Sujo

Posted
Posted

I am in no way a computer whiz. But for my 2 satangs worth...

 

Had netflix, didnt like it.

 

Got a kodi box and added Exodus. Gives me all the movies and series i need.

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

Posted
  • Author
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12 minutes ago, Sujo said:

I am in no way a computer whiz. But for my 2 satangs worth...

 

Had netflix, didnt like it.

 

Got a kodi box and added Exodus. Gives me all the movies and series i need.

My Android TV already has the Kodi app., so I just need to learn how to add Exodus etc.

RocketDog Platinum Member

RocketDog

Posted
Posted

I recently bought a 52 inch LG OLED smart TV; my first smart one. 

 

The OP might be interested in several ways to get content on a smart TV. 

 

I installed Roku and was disappointed in the offering, even using my VPN back to the USA. 

 

Now I just download movies and slam them onto a USB memory stick and plug it into the TV. Works beautifully.  

 

The TV also is wifi to my router so I can watch YouTube and simply surf the net (I know I'm dating myself). 

 

It is also easy to download 3rd party apps and the TV updates it's internal software automatically if you let it. 

 

Native apps on the TV allow you to access popular 3rd party streaming services and other apps from play. stores. 

 

I'm pleasantly impressed with the capabilities I have with the set, but note that basically using it as a video player does not require network connection. The native USB file viewer is easy to use for all common media formats too. 

 

Disconnecting the set from the net serves as a firewall of sorts both against data breaches and excessive indulgence of TV viewing on my part. ????. 

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

Posted
  • Author
Posted
16 hours ago, RocketDog said:

I recently bought a 52 inch LG OLED smart TV; my first smart one. 

 

The OP might be interested in several ways to get content on a smart TV. 

 

I installed Roku and was disappointed in the offering, even using my VPN back to the USA. 

 

Now I just download movies and slam them onto a USB memory stick and plug it into the TV. Works beautifully.  

 

The TV also is wifi to my router so I can watch YouTube and simply surf the net (I know I'm dating myself). 

 

It is also easy to download 3rd party apps and the TV updates it's internal software automatically if you let it. 

 

Native apps on the TV allow you to access popular 3rd party streaming services and other apps from play. stores. 

 

I'm pleasantly impressed with the capabilities I have with the set, but note that basically using it as a video player does not require network connection. The native USB file viewer is easy to use for all common media formats too. 

 

Disconnecting the set from the net serves as a firewall of sorts both against data breaches and excessive indulgence of TV viewing on my part. ????. 

I also bought a Roku Express and found it was basically a waste of time unless you only used it for Youtube and Netflix. I have been downloading movies and TV series from torrent sites for years and transferring them onto an external hard drive, and still find this the best solution. You can generally choose the format of the movies a HD rip, HEVC, 1080 etc, and not have to worry about any buffering. I have quite a few unseen movies and TV on the hard drive so can watch what I want when I want.

RocketDog Platinum Member

RocketDog

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I also bought a Roku Express and found it was basically a waste of time unless you only used it for Youtube and Netflix. I have been downloading movies and TV series from torrent sites for years and transferring them onto an external hard drive, and still find this the best solution. You can generally choose the format of the movies a HD rip, HEVC, 1080 etc, and not have to worry about any buffering. I have quite a few unseen movies and TV on the hard drive so can watch what I want when I want.

Exactly right. I just refrained from using the 'T' word to avoid self-righteous indignation replies. 

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Exactly right. I just refrained from using the 'T' word to avoid self-righteous indignation replies. 

If you use Kodi with add-ons and a VPN aren't you doing the same thing?

TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
On 12/28/2019 at 11:18 AM, giddyup said:

Might seem like a dumb question but never had a Smart TV before so not sure what to install.

 

Are you talking about a smart (actual) TV with its own built-in app store provided by the TV manufacturer.... Or, are you talking about an external Android TV device like a NVidia or MiBox where they have access to the Google Play Store?

 

Your headline says "Android TV." But your opening text refers to having a Smart TV....

 

 

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Are you talking about a smart (actual) TV with its own built-in app store provided by the TV manufacturer.... Or, are you talking about an external Android TV device like a NVidia or MiBox where they have access to the Google Play Store?

 

Your headline says "Android TV." But your opening text refers to having a Smart TV....

 

 

I'm taking about a TCL Android Smart TV with Playstore and several other Apps pre-installed.

TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
On 12/30/2019 at 2:49 PM, giddyup said:

My Android TV already has the Kodi app., so I just need to learn how to add Exodus etc.

 

My impression is, the trend these days for Android TVs and devices is away from relying on Kodi add-ons for gray-market streaming content, and more toward individual APKs that are maintained and supported by individual developers.

 

APKs like Mobdro, CyberFlix, LiveNet TV and Cinema, among others, that are not available in the Google Play Store, but can be downloaded/sideloaded from independent app stores like APKPure.com or from the APKPure Android app. Those kinds of APKs also often can be found on the websites belonging to their developers or enthusiast sites, such as TroyPoint.com

 

https://troypoint.com/best-apks/

 

https://troypoint.com/firestick-apps/

 

For any of the above kind of apps, you definitely want to be using a VPN for security reasons.

 

For the straight legal/paid video stuff in Thailand with no VPN, there's Netflix, Hooq.TV and and Iflix.com. For free stuff there's Youtube and to play your own files, there's the VLC app and other similar players. Plex also supposedly has a new version app with commercial supported TV and movie content that's available internationally (no geofencing for it).

 

For audio content, there's the Spotify, TuneIn and DoublePod apps.

 

A very handy APK to start with is the Downloader app originally created for Fire TV devices, but which also works on Android TV devices. With Downloader, you get a web browser capability that allows you to navigate to any site on the web, download and install any APK file onto your Android TV device. Including independent app stores and specific content APKs.

 

https://troypoint.com/downloader-for-android-tv/

 

With any Android OS TV or Android TV device, it's always going to be a c***shoot of just what apps are going to be available thru the TV's own official app store or thru the Google Android TV Play Store directly. IME, on the Android TV platform, I usually end up finding more of the apps I need and want outside of the official store channels from the TV manufacturer and/or Google, and the regular Android versions usually work fine, despite not being officially supported on the Android TV platform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Downloaded Plex previously, but it requires a subscription otherwise only plays for 1 minute.

I'm talking about a new type of content in the Plex app, which is ad-supported streaming movies and TV (as opposed to using it to play your own networked content)... You do need to be signed in with a free Plex account to access the free streaming content. But you don't have to have a paid Plex subscription to watch that movie-TV content thru the app, AFAIK.

 

BTW, the new version of the Plex app with the free streaming content IS available directly from the Google Play Store for Android TV.

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/plex-launches-free-ad-supported-movie-tv-streaming-service-over-200-countries/

 

 

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

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  • Author
Posted
2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm talking about a new type of content in the Plex app, which is ad-supported streaming movies and TV... You do need to be signed in with a free Plex account to access that. But you don't have to have a paid Plex subscription to watch that movie-TV content thru the app, AFAIK.

 

I installed movies I'd previously dowloaded from my PC into the Plex library  so I could watch them on the new TV instead of transferring to a USB stick, but it will only play 1 minute of the movie unless you pay.

TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I installed movies I'd previously dowloaded from my PC into the Plex library  so I could watch them on the new TV instead of transferring to a USB stick, but it will only play 1 minute of the movie unless you pay.

 

Read what I wrote above...and the article link I provided...

 

The free streaming movies and TV content via the Plex app is a brand new feature and is entirely separate and unrelated to the paid Plex Pass stuff where you do have to pay to use their service to stream your own content. In this case, you're streaming Plex content just like you would from Netflix, except, it's free.

 

I just installed the Plex app on my Android TV, did a quick link function to connect my Android TV to my free Plex log-in credentials, and I'm watching a streaming movie via the Plex app right now... And I have no paid Plex subscription.

 

The new Plex app feature is very similar to what's already available thru other free, ad-supported apps/services like PlutoTV, Xumo, Sony Crackle and others. Except, one difference is, the Plex streaming content is specifically and legally available internationally, and does not have any U.S. geofencing or require the use of any VPN.

 

 

 

 

TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I installed movies I'd previously dowloaded from my PC into the Plex library  so I could watch them on the new TV instead of transferring to a USB stick, but it will only play 1 minute of the movie unless you pay.

 The VLC player app is a free app that's a better choice to use on Android TV for streaming your own audio-video files that you may have saved on a USB stick, attached USB drive or similar.

Silurian Advanced Member

Silurian

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

It's "Aptoide"....

Oops, my bad. Dyslexic spelling strikes again!

 

Aptoide TV

dddave Platinum Member

dddave

Posted
Posted
On 12/29/2019 at 4:02 PM, giddyup said:

I asked for Apps without a subscription, Netflix isn't free.

Try "PLUTO TV"  Free content but not an easy interface and sometimes frequent buffering.  Worth a try.

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MJKT2014 Silver Member

MJKT2014

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, dddave said:

not an easy interface and sometimes frequent buffering.  Worth a try.

Better work on the sales pitch a bit more methinks.

giddyup Star Member

giddyup

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On 12/29/2019 at 8:03 PM, Max69xl said:

The info you get about apps for an Android box on Google is better than here. Another persons personal experience isn't always the best. 

So who gives opinions on Google, robots?

  • 4 months later...

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