Although there is already a built-in media player on Android TV or Google TV to be able to watch videos, the reality is that it is quite basic and also if you usually have a very diverse archive of series and films you can sometimes you find yourself with the unpleasant surprise that it is not compatible and therefore, that you cannot open it. There are a few media players for Android TV among the list of essential apps, but there is an alternative to the legendary Kodi and VLC which It won me over for its simplicity and because it resists everything..
A simple, functional, ad-free and easy-to-use player
The application in question is Just (Video) Player and the truth is that its name does it justice: solo It’s a video player, but what a player. For starters, it’s available for free on the Google Play Store and contains no ads, which is no small feat. Additionally, according to the app’s information document, lack of monitoring and surveillance methods and authorizationsbasically only requires access to media content and files on the device (logically).
The second great advantage it has is that It’s simple but functional. In fact, the overall view is so simple that it catches the eye: a completely black screen with a few icons in the lower area. The truth is that its interface requires little explanation, which is appreciated for those of us who do not want to complicate things and are looking for something for which there is no need to read a tutorial.
But be careful, just because it’s visually so simple doesn’t mean it’s not. hide many interesting functions. So, the first folder icon allows you to navigate between files (also on USB sticks or connected hard drives) until we find the video we want to play, embed the subtitles of the corresponding icon and from there let’s change the color of the text, which is opaque or the background and in the general settings, the audio options or the reading speed.
The virtues don’t stop there: it is compatible with high dynamic range formats like HDR10+ or Dolby Vision, it synchronizes audio between the headset and the file being played and does not require an internet connection to work. In terms of experience, the ride is completely smooth and agile.
The best: he plays (almost) everything
Just (Video) Player app is developed in open source and based on ExoPlayer, therefore, it does not have annoying elements as we saw above and shines with its wide compatibility. Yes, also some less common ones, here is the full list of formats it can read:
- Compatible with Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, ALAC, PCM/WAVE (μ-law, A-law), MP1, MP2, MP3, AMR (NB, WB), AAC (LC, ELD, HE; xHE on Android + ), AC-3, E-AC-3, DTS, DTS-HD and TrueHD.
- Compatible with video in H.263, H.264 AVC (Baseline Profile; Main Profile in Android 6+), H.265 HEVC, MPEG-4 SP, VP8, VP9 and AV1.
- Supported file types: MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, Ogg, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS and FLV.
- Supports subtitles in SRT, SSA, ASS, TTML and VTT.
Just a player (video)
A simple and functional video player that can handle everything
More information | GitHub
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