Help! Very disappointed in my Shield TV.

by sevargmas

(I know less about Android than maybe anyone in this sub so bear with me)

I bought an Nvidia Shield TV not too long ago to replace my aging HTPC. I thought it would be a good, small form unit with remote where I could run Netflix, Kodi, and several popular plugins and whatever else I came across. Maybe it's just my inexperience with Android but I'm super disappointed in this thing.

When I read it had Android I guess I just assumed it would be like what's on Android phones/tablets. But there's no browser. I've watched loads of YouTube vids in an effort to load a browser but nothing has worked. There are also a very limited number of apps in the Play Store. I've been wanting to watch Thursday Night Football but it's streaming on Twitter. There isn't even a twitter app. And since I don't have a browser I can't go there with that method either. And not having a browser means I can't download all the Kodi plugins I typically install as well. Is there a way around all this? Really frustrated... :(

edit: Is asking for help here frowned upon? Why the downvotes?

joebot3000

Here you go: http://cordcuttersuk.co.uk/guides/install-unsupported-apps-android-tv/

bintasaurus

Have to say alot of your issues are indeed down to lack of experience,though the Shield Tv is a 'tinkerers' paradise.Try the official Nvidia Shield Tv forums along with the XDA forums,youll find loads of help there.

CuvisTheConqueror

Install #SIDELOADTAG, and put in the tags TWTFRE to get Twitter and either JCBCQXR to get Chrome or FFXBTA to get the beta version of Firefox. That will do it.

Unfortunately, app availability has been an issue on Android TV, but it's getting better every day. Hopefully we won't have to sideload this stuff soon.

ShadowsDemise

You can sideload apps if they aren't available in the Android TV Play Store.

JimboLodisC

Well expectations are everything. Android TV is not a desktop OS. Coming from an HTPC, which is a full complete computer that can install just about anything, you're going to a trimmed down fork of Android that's optimized for the living room. I know a lot of tech people may have HTPCs hooked up in the living room with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and they love all the functionality that they have with that setup, but that's a huge minority of users. The vast majority of living rooms have a big ass display on one side of the room, and someone on a couch with a simple remote in their hands on the other side of the room. To build an operating system tailored to a TV remote, you need to take away some features. You wouldn't use a TV remote to control your PC, right? And you also wouldn't buy a Roku to do your taxes and check your email, right?

Luckily, it's Android. You can sideload apps. You can plug in a keyboard and mouse. You're not completely shit out of luck.

So I would suggest you stop trying to think of the Shield as a replacement for a computer, but more as like a smarter way to watch TV with a remote.

So some quick examples of workarounds, you can install Chrome on your Shield. Just go to it via the web on a computer to remotely force it to install on your Shield. Then use the voice command "open chrome" to open the browser. Then plug in a KB+M and you're set!

The problem above is that Chrome is not optimized for the Android TV platform, so you won't have a tile to click on in your home rows. There are apps that help you find these apps that are hiding. You can use Sideload Launcher to access them all in a separate interface, or you can use App Cloner to create a version of the app with a leanback tile.

And if you have a PC or smartphone, you can do a lot of things with Google Cast , which is built into every Android TV device.

Delumine

Just login to the play store from your phone and remotely request and install to the Shield. Then download "sideload launched" and there all the non-android TV apps should appear.

You can control the mouse functions with the Game Controller.

ElektronikSupersonik

Unfortunately, it's fairly difficult to put a decent browser on it. Sure, you can sideload it, but the dpi setting is not good, so everything is huge (can't see a lot of content). So you need to root and get Xposed to get that done (last I checked a few months back, maybe that's changed).

Kodi plugins should be easy, don't you just get them from a repository? Or even if you manually install via zip file (just download it on your PC).

Other videos should have Google Cast support hopefully, so you can load them up on your laptop/tablet and cast them (I think Twitter works, haven't tried).

JBMacGill

you can install Google Chrome on the Shield TV by pushing it from the Play Store on a web browser. Go to the Google Chrome play store page here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome&hl=en and click Install/Installed and from the device drop down chose your Shield Android TV and then install the Sideload Launcher from here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.tv.sideloadlauncher&hl=en using the same instructions.

The Sideload Launcher will show up on the Shield Android TV. Use it to launch Google Chrome and then use the right analog stick in chrome as the mouse pointer.

Tapsaffnoo1

https://seo-michael.co.uk

The above site will teach you how to add the most popular Kodi addons from within Kodi. I would start by installing Fusion personally. There are many youtube guides available also

Andrroid

I can't download all the Kodi plugins I typically install as well.

You mean the unofficial ones that distribute content illegally?