Despite the spread of smartphones The dominant screen in homes is still the television. It is true that it no longer has the importance that it once had and that it is used completely differently, thanks to the different streaming platforms. But despite this, purchasing a product of this type is usually a critical moment.
As happens in the phone sector, there are many brands that are struggling to gain a foothold, e.g Sony, Samsung or LG are in the high range Among the public, he is looking for a well-known company. And other Chinese companies Who want to create their own niche with good products and a better quality-to-price ratio than well-known brands, Like Xiaomi or TCL.
One of the keys when buying a TV, Beyond technical features related to screen or audio, which are always important, It is the operating system. Brands like Samsung or LG use their own products, but many other brands use Android TV, which has now been renamed Google TV. This is probably the best option, for several reasons.
YouTube without ads free
One of the biggest differences between Android TV and other operating systems is… Be able to install applications from external sources To the official app store easily. Logically, all TVs with this system integrate the Google Play Store, but it also allows you to install applications by sending an APK file.
An example of this is SmartTube, a third-party app It allows you to watch YouTube in a slightly different way Because it has great customization that not only allows you to remove ads from videos but also allows you to configure many interface parameters, remove sections, skip sections from videos, etc.
The app is currently in betaIt’s updated every few days, but it’s still free. To be able to install it you have to do this Download the APK from the official repository Install it using one of the normal methods for this type of TV.
Configurable buttons
Includes the vast majority of TVs on the market Dedicated buttons on the remote control. Companies like Netflix, Amazon or RAKUTEN want their services to be visible, and having a dedicated button helps. The problem is that sometimes these services are not used and the button becomes useless.
Button Mapper interface
On Android, it is possible to reprogram every button on the remote At a distance so it behaves differently. This way, if you have a button for Netflix but don’t use that platform, you can use it for another platform, like Filmin. All you have to do is install the Button Mapper app and assign a function to each button you want.
All important applications
We’ve talked about two very specific and distinct niche applications, however Android TV also has access to the most relevant applications. In fact, being a version of the world’s most widely used operating system, Android TV shares a large chunk of code so developers have many incentives to create their own apps for the system.
All streaming platforms have their own Android TV apps, but so do many music apps, and some Home automation and even some productivity and video callingalthough this is not the most natural use for this type of device.
Many different brands
If you want to buy a Samsung TV, you will have to compromise on its operating system. The same thing happens with LG. but, If you want an Android TV, there are many brands availablewith models ranging in price from 300 euros to some over 2,000 euros.
This number of options allows the buyer to choose between several models, giving priority to design, image quality, price, exclusive functions, the manufacturer itself if we value the brand highly, etc. This cannot be achieved with any other operating system.
Games and controls
The final reason to choose this system is gaming. Although Stadia has already stopped working, Android TV has great compatibility with hundreds of games Available in the Google Play Store, also with accessories.
In this way, we can use different Bluetooth controls Use the TV as a controller. Obviously its hardware will dictate what games will look like, but for casual or family titles, the system is more than capable of moving games along.
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