Backdrop - Android TV vs Chromecast (default screen)

by justaguy81

In case your not sure what backdrop is, its the home screen that that shows random pictures or pictures from Google Photos with the time and temperature.

What's annoying is that on Chromecast screens have been updated over the last few months. The font is wider and easier to read from a distance, tells you room name, wifi connection, other details. Where as Android TV backdrop screen has only the time and weather. Which is totally fine but could you at least make it the wider new style so it easier to read.

I had thought it was because Nexus Player was not updated, but its now gotten the new 8.0 and its still the old side, plus a few months back the pulled backdrop coding and put it into the Play Store. Before anyone says the Nexus Player is old, I have 2 more brand new TV's with Android TV embedded.

Below is a link to pictures of what i'm talking about. https://imgur.com/a/uWfNS

LearndAstronomer28

What bothers me is that you can't customize it on Android TV like you can with Chromecast, and it just displays a gray rectangle in the Google Home app instead of whatever is actually on the backdrop.

Timbets

Philips Android TVs don't have backdrop at all.

JimboLodisC

Yeah they're both different. Been that way for a while. I remember when I first got my Nexus Player three years ago and it didn't have the ability to pull from my own photos to display in Backdrop. That's one thing the Chromecast does better.

Buh_Snarf

The main issue I have is that I can't display photos from my own albums on Android TV and the app you can get from the play store doesn't allow me to show photos from my shared folder which is where all my pics for the TV go!

juiceyuh

Not really related to what you're asking for, but you should try out Aerial Dream for your Android TV device. I love it