Why doesn't Android TV have a picture in picture mode?

by werdmouf

title

Kiall

It does - https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/picture-in-picture

Apps need to opt in to support it though, so might be a better question to give the authors of whatever apps you use :)

kaygees

LiveChannels supports too

cybergrimes

9 years ago it was an OS wide feature with Google TV that didn't require apps to individually support it. My old Sony TV has a dedicated button on the remote just for this feature. Anything could be sent to the PIP window, it had two size options and could be moved around to any corner of the screen.

Daell

Apps have to support it, and most importantly if you don't have a Shield or Mibox, it's extremely slow.

You find the menu navigation slow on a Sony Bravia? Now imagine on top of menu navigation the SOC has to overlay and decode the video smoothly. 10fps menu navigation here i come, that's pretty far from 60. Also i find the whole PiP navigation cumbersome. Let's say you watch a youtube video, and you want check the weather.

  • You go back to the home screen, Youtube goes into PiP

  • You navigate to the weather app, open it... check the weather

  • If you want to go back to youtube, you have to navigate to go back to the homescreen

  • then you can maximize Youtube

That's a lot of Up-down-left-right on your remote.

It runs fine on your mobile, because even mid-range phone have better SoC then a top mediatek chip (which are used in Bravias and Philips TVs).

djl_ford313

VLC supports PIP

Tartwhore

Plex supports this on the Shield

richhh01

PIP is not good at all on the Shield. Multi window would be so much best.

m1ndwipe

It's very, very SOC dependent to work well, and there's not much demand.

need_a_parachute

Philo supports it

newtonfb

Totally agree. Ive been saying this for years. It should be at the OS level so any app you want can be put into PiP mode. That way we dont have to wait on developers to do it..which they obviously dont care.

bantamw

It does on the Sony TV’s but it’s a bit flakey - hidden away in the menu and doesn’t work very well.

speakxj7

isn't there some key to hold for those devices that don't have the app-window key?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxAbht2DkyU

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think it was hold home key. my atv is only M, not N, so i haven't fussed with it.

shakuyi

if u use tinycampro opt for floating window in place of PiP, this way the PiP wont get killed when playing another video

carcass15

Because Android TV sucks (for now anyway )