For the past few years, Apple TV has been my go-to media player on any TV, and tvOS my go-to system for it. And don’t get me wrong, I still love it and still use it on occasion. However, having tried Android TV made me get many benefits regarding the Apple device.
Even if you push me, I’ll tell you that I even have a much nicer experience than with other TV systems I’ve tried, like those from Samsung and LG. I will tell you more what are the strengths of android tv which, at least in my humble opinion, makes it a great experience.
Shortcuts at the touch of a button on the remote control
Although decried by many, the Siri Remote, which is the official name of the Apple TV remote, was one of the great things about Apple devices. Compact, comfortable and with a trackpad for easy scrolling. At first I was horrified to see the huge knob of my television with Android TV.
However, over the days, I not only got used to my hand, but also to my customs. I saw right away how satisfying it was press the Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ button that was already included in the remote control. Useful, easy and fast, because it works anywhere in the system.
However, he failed. In these, I remembered the Button Mapper application, which is precisely oriented to customize all remote buttons
recommendations, thank you
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There aren’t a few reviews I’ve read about the Android TV and Google TV interface, and more specifically about its recommendation system. It is true that they make the interface a little more complex and less minimalist than tvOS (Apple TV), but He discovered me great jewels and I saved more than one night when I didn’t know what to see.
Series, films, documentaries… The recommendations inherited from Google TV seem appropriate to me. As always, I didn’t like everything he recommended and sometimes left him halfway. However, in most cases, it has served me well. avoid wasting time navigating between different streaming apps. I trust an eye-catching cover and don’t worry.
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Consume my own content
On an Apple TV, it is possible to send content via AirPlay from an iPhone, iPad or Mac. The Photos application also allows you to read photos and videos synchronized by iCloud. However, it is not allowed add content directly via an external USB drive or similar. On my Android TV, yes.
And that’s something I’ve enjoyed a lot for consuming content that I’ve stored on external drives. And yes, I know of the possibility of creating a local network and using a media player to play it on Apple TV. However, the simplicity with which it is done on Android TV This is what finally makes me see this section as another bright spot in my experience of change.
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How to connect the mobile to the TV: so that you can easily share the screen
Although surfing the Internet on a TV is not comfortable, now I can do it
I think, and I think a majority too, that surfing the Internet is much more comfortable on a mobile phone than on a computer. On a TV, it’s uncomfortable not having a trackpad or mouse for scrolling, as well as losing typical features like bookmark bars and the like. However, this does not prevent are sometimes useful to me.
In addition to APK downloading, as I’ll tell you about in the next section, Android TV’s web browsers allowed me to eventually resort to watching some video content that can only be viewed on the web. In tvOS, unless I’m using AirPlay with the iPhone, I couldn’t. And it is that in the Apple system there is no way to install a browser.
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The best web browsers for Android TV
Welcome to Third-Party (and Trusted) APKs
It’s not that I’m a big fan of APKs. Not for security issues or anything, because knowing what is downloaded and from where should be no problem. I’m not because Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play Store give me everything I need. However, Occasionally I find an application that is not available there and being able to download it from a trusted repository is essential for me.
It goes without saying that it is impossible to install applications of this type on the Apple TV. However, on Android TV and thanks to a web browser, it is possible to download APK files which will then be installed on the system. Of course, you need a file manager for this, which I will tell you about at the last point.
File management is wonderful
Related to what was said above, a system file manager allows you to access downloaded APKs and proceed with their installation. Although in my case it is much more than that, since I am one of those who like browse all system folders and, when I delete an application for example, I like to make sure that there is no trace of it left in these folders.
Similarly, I also think the idea of having a file manager for have content in the TV’s internal storage, passing it precisely from the external memory. Although, without the need, an application of this type is also essential for me to access the folders of this external storage device.
And, as you might have guessed, Apple TVs don’t allow you to manage internal files with apps of this type. Even the “Files” app that we have on iOS and iPadOS is not available on your operating system, while on Android TV, there are many applications which serve as file managers.
I still have an Apple TV, but no longer on my main TV
In conclusion to everything I said, I have to say that I always keep an Apple TV on the television I have in the bedroom. This, although “smart”, does not have such an intuitive operating system and the truth is that tvOS still seems like a great system to me for media consumption.
However, on my main TV in the living room, which is the one I use the most, it wouldn’t cross my mind to use anything other than Android TV for all the benefits it has given me. Yes especially when i use android mobilesince Apple TV with iPhone works well (but also with limitations), but with Android it’s not understood at all.
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I switched from Apple TV to Android TV – found a lot of features I didn’t have before
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by Álvaro García M. .
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