Hey /r/AndroidTV!
I'm trying to get the hang of this stuff, so bear with me.
I was given a Minix Android box. When I search for its model name, this one comes up . They're not the same, but they're close. Mine's more "industrial" is the best way I can put it.
I was also given the software and procedures for flashing this box!
So--as I understand it--Firmware (or "custom firmware") is a lot like operating systems for PCs and they're technically able to be flashed onto any given Android device. You normally want firmware tailored to your device to make sure stuff like calls and bluetooth and whatnot work, but I digress.
Am I able to put Android TV on my box? Should I put it on my box?
Are there individual pieces of Android TV that I can take and install on my device? I have read that it has its own launcher and its own casting features, are either of those packaged as "apps?" Or could I install them as packages while in the startup firmware menu?
What you have is not an official Android TV device. What you have is some hacked together box running Android (that's regular touchscreen Android). There might be a community out there working on custom ROMs that are based on AOSP/Android, but as far as the legit and official Android TV OS, that's a big nope.
Mobile devices are different from PCs in regards to firmware. A desktop OS uses drivers to have wide compatibility. With mobile, the ROM is only compatible with the device it was written for. You can install Windows or Ubuntu on just about any laptop or desktop. If you try and flash a Google Pixel factory image onto a Samsung Galaxy S7, you're going to brick it.