I really wanted to love Android TV

by progeek07

I was first introducted to Android TV when I purchased an Nvidia Shield and really like Android TV. This was a few years ago. Since then I upgrade my TVs and decided to get TVs with built in Android TV. One of the big reasons I like Android TV was the TV app as it would combine OTA channels with channels from other apps (like Pluto TV). Having a TV guide for all those channels in one place is really nice. Granted it is not perfect as it would often lose the channel guide for Pluto TV, requiring me to open the Pluto TV app to refresh it. However, that in not what has turned me off of Android TV. No, that would be the combination of the software (Android TV) and the hardware. Being based on Android, it suffers the same issues that Android phones do. Google has set the hardware requirement so low for running it, that if you purchase a low end phone, the OS will struggle to run, be slow and even buggy at times. At least with phones, you can tell by the price point or even looking at the specs. This is problematic with TVs. I have a Phillips and RCA tv. Both, at times, struggle to run Android TV. When it first starts up, you need to wait at least a minute after the home screen appears while the OS finishes booting or you will find the response time slow and any app you start will likely to crash. Both TVs also, when I turn on the TV, like to tell me that they cannot connect to my wifi. This requires a reboot of the TV to fix. Too often, both TV struggle to respond to my commands and I am constantly rebooting them.

Before the haters start hating, let me say that my recommendation to others is not "don't by Android TV." Rather my advice is to avoid getting a TV with Android TV built in and to avoid cheep android boxes. Like Android phones, you get what you pay for. If you want to use Android TV, spend the money and get a quality Android TV streaming box (like Nvidia Shield). If you do not want to spend the money for a quality Android TV box, then get a Roku as they are cheep and do a good job of being a TV Streaming box (but without some cool features).

tlogank

I disagree saying cheap boxes can't run it well. I have 4 of the Walmart $20 Onn 4K boxes and they run Android TV like butter. It's very smooth, even cloud gaming (Stadia and GFN), zero issues with the live channels either.

Deadpool-fan-466

You're blaming hardware issues on software (OS). Google can't control everything their OEM partners do. It's up to the manufacturers to launch their TVs with better hardware.

Also, the "you can tell by the price point or even looking at the specs" thing also applies on TVs. Nowadays there's detailed specs on every Smart TVs, not just Android TV. From official websites to YouTube channels, you can find out the info you want.

Android TVs from Sony & TCL are really good btw.

I agree with the "get a non-Android TV & then use a good Android TV streaming device with it" part. It is a killer combination.

Azoth1986

So you dislike devices with low specs, not android tv. The os itself is pretty good when run on a powerfull device like the shield.

Bertitude

I’m with you. Android TV could be great but embedded it needs more optimization work from both Google and the manufacturers. Recent updates have made it more miserable and I don’t understand why

pawdog

Yeah it has long been a recommendation to avoid, well maybe not avoid, but whatever TV you get will eventually need a device so don't buy your TV based on what Smart OS it runs. The devices that run certified Android historically have been more powerful than TV's. But with those devices, it's easy to find the specs so you can know what you are getting with a bit of research. These days you don't need an Nvidia Shield for a satisfying Android TV experience when you know which chipset it's running and mainstream devices are running nearly the same generation of media player chipset.

That's why the ONN UHD has been so successful in the community. For $20 you get a device with the same power as the $50 Chromecast with Google TV or Tivo Stream 4k which launched at $50, but with the lightweight Android TV UI. They cut costs, I assume because they didn't pay for the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos licensing.

Confident-Effort-103

Look... for me this is the best way.. you can buy the tv you want based on tv specs not on the OS.. then buy an Android TV box like onn for example and had the best of two world.. if AndroidTV goes bad .. easy buy other more powerful, it’s more cheap in compare to buy a new tv panel

audaciousnomad

It helps if you disable a bunch of the things you don't particularly use or need in your daily usage patterns.

virmele

So your problem really is with cheap hardware, not android tv itself. Philips TVs are shit, its not even Philips, name rights were bought, its cheap chinese crap. And with the cheap socs they use those things cant run anything decently. Buy decent android tv box, or decent android tv, like mid-high end Sony, and you will have no issues. Im using Sony X90J and the chip inside is more powerful than the one on new google chromecast. It runs Android TV perfectly fine, and has no bugs whatsoever.

Available_Conflict82

Buying a TV with ANY OS preferences is always bad. That being said, if u buy a decent TV the OS is amazing. I have a Sony X950H that has an amazing processor and ram that are more then enough and runs better then my goggle tv with Chromecast. I didn't buy the TV for Android TV it just happened to get it on sale and had an OS I liked. For my budget TV I got a ~$325 58" in Roku TV. If I'm getting a budget TV I always go for "dumb" or Roku. Unless I get an amazing deal on something else. On the budget Roku TV I just put a $20 ONN 4k box and it's amazing. It more then meets my needs. U could solve all ur issues with a $50 GTVWCC or a $20 ONN 4k box. Just go into ur TV settings and set it up to auto start on HDMI 1 (or whichever input) and u will only need to use ur box's remote. Easy peasy.