Is there a good TV box that has an "unrestricted" play store by default?

by LockMangler

I hate the Shield. I didn't want to play games on it, I play like one android game and it runs on my phone just fine. I just didn't do any research, and bought that thing with the best hardware that everyone was recommending and it's the purchase I regret making most in recent memory. I hate the Shield's Play store, and the inability to install basically any app I might ever want to use. Is there any box out there with decent hardware, not very buggy, which has a more default Play store version, more like the one you'd get on, say, a tablet?

DiDgr8

The the play store on the Shield is the full Android TV Google Play Store. The only reason you don't see "all" the apps you're used to seeing is the fact that the developers have to list their app's compatibility with ATV. There's usually a good reason (at least to the developer) for the app not to be listed that way if it's not already showing up.

You can often sideload the app (if it's free) from someplace like APKMirror . If it runs, it runs. If not, oh well....

If you rooted the Shield and and edited the build.prop file to say you were not a Shield TV (running ATV), you could theoretically see the whole GPS for the version of Android you're running, but that's not for the "faint of heart".

just_roc

I hate non Android TV type apps on a TV.

I tossed that crap in the trash 5-6 years ago.

Who the hell wants to run an Android tablet app or Android phone app on a TV?

Is your TV a big Touch Screen or are you going to run it with a mouse or touch pad?

viperphi

What he said. The Play Store is the Play Store.

Tired8281

No. Android TV boxes all come with the Play Store for Android TV. The apps you probably want aren't designed for Android TV, and as such won't work well (or at all) without a touchscreen. If you want to install and use tablet apps, you want to get a tablet.

Dxsty98

This better be a troll...

yourm0m1

What app are you trying to install?

salvatorundie

The Play Store on the Shield isn't "restricted" for the reasons you are thinking... It is designed to only show apps that work on a TV with remotes, which aren't normally set up to run apps on a phone or tablet with a touchscreen, keyboard or mouse.

"Android TV" is a special variant of the Android OS for Smart TVs and certified TV set-top boxes like the Shield or Mi Box, that is designed to work on a TV screen, with a non-touchscreen TV ("leanback") interface. You're probably coming from seeing Android "TV boxes" which are knock-off devices that have the phone/tablet version of Android OS (and consequently the phone/tablet version of the Play Store and apps) on (basically) a small computer that can be hooked up to a TV.

To use apps from a phone or tablet on your Shield, you will have to sideload them. Using apps designed for a phone or tablet on a TV is a less-than-smooth experience (understatement!), and some apps available for both phones/tablets and TVs have special versions of their apps for each device to give the best experience on those devices.

BiggussDikkuss

You are better off installing from USB the Aptoide.apk that will give you an alternate Apps store.

Then also install the Sideload launcher App which will need to be used to find those installed tablet Apps.

Then of course you will need some sort of Air Mouse remote like a MINIX A2 lite.

Plus some Apps will Not display in Portrait mode, so you need a seperate Orientation App to fix that.

Finding decent hardware with a regular Playstore that also gets ongoing Firmware support is nearly impossible.

The latest and fastest would be something like the Beelink GT King, which also includes an Air mouse. The Freaktab website would have details.

mwp051699

BIG fan of this Raspberry Pi-like Android box.... https://www.khadas.com And you're in luck, newest version just got released. For what it's worth though, the 2nd version has the most accessories such as the latest fan and housing. And it is most certainly much more powerful than you'll ever need.