What’s… The least crappiest TV os experience?
A smart TV with android/ android tv/ google TV/ those custom xiaomi/one plus/ moto/ Samsung or tizen or web os?
Or just a dumb TV + streaming stick?
The reason? I don’t want to be encumbered by “you can’t install this app” nonsense.
Something open or accessible at least
Is there a good community for sideloading apps to TVs? And/or something like custom roms on phones?
I have a Samsung that seems to be Samung’s closed garden of apps rather than Android proper. They let me down on some promised features, eg Google Voice Assistant (I know, I know, sacrificing security and privacy, but I already have a Google Home listening in elsewhere) that were released in UK but bizarrely they didn’t bother with Ireland despite nearly every requirement being identical. I mean Christ, if my parent’s ancient TV can play Crossy Road why can’t my relatively recent one?
I also have an idle Raspberry Pi that could act as Android box but the motivation isn’t there when my TV is mostly just my kids going between Disney Plus and the Nintendo Switch.
@TheOctonaut
TL;DR XDA forums?
At some point I’ve searched for such, but you’d have to open them (basing on my MiBox 4k) to get to the debugging pins, and then trip widewine Digital Restrictions Management. Which would make a “smart” box/TV probably useless.
I’ve managed to go as far as installing NewPipe Sponsor Block trough F-Droid, after sideloading, trough FTP. And that only because there was a file manager app available for AndroidTV
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@Faceman2K23
Yea there’s very little public information on hacking anything other than android boxes and most of the more extreme stuff will break apps like Netflix or Disney+ so the best thing to do it leave it effectively stock, load on a hacked youtube client, with a dummy google account if you really want it private and your personal streaming client of choice (Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi etc) and then do some filtering/ad blocking in your network to lock it down.
The only caveat with an SBC is codec support varies greatly between distros you use on them, and you have to work out your own control/remote situation. I moved away from them for media a few years ago because I was sick of having to tinker and reinstall things because some codec was broken or the screen was tearing, or an update broke something requiring terminal access to fix. If you want a proper home theatre setup with full HDR and lossless surround support it’s not worth the trouble.