There are two really spectacular systems for our televisions: Android TV and Google TV. The reason is that they bring Android to our televisions and this means that we have a SMARTV with practically unlimited possibilities. This recently invited me to play something else with the system, by installing applications that are not officially available – such as Chrome – or Kodi configuration.
When you do more to see streaming applications, the remote control is short, I connected a keyboard and a mouse to the TV. It changed my experience with Android TV Because it makes the system more versatile, but it also improves the search for films or music considerably.
The keyboard always fundamental combo + mouse on Android TV
There are few things that give me more lazy than using a virtual television keyboard. They are slow, sometimes they do not answer well and, sometimes, when you pass between the keys, the special characters appear involuntarily and click where it is not.
An excellent solution is to use the Google Home Mobile application as a virtual keyboard, but the truth is that it is something that did not convince me. The reason is that when I am looking for television content, I may not have the mobile nearby and, moreover, if I have the mobile … It will always be easier to open the 'Application that wants in and send what you want to see for Chromecast.
However, A few months ago, I had to recover an old travel keyboard from Microsoft with an extremely compact size. Like Bluetooth, I connected it to Android TV and the experience has radically changed. If you don't have them at home, in Amazon, there are many compact keyboards, many of which are folded up.
You have nothing to do strange to connect a mouse or a keyboard to an Android TV or Google TV, just go to “ adjustments '' and search for the “Accessories” tab (which has The Bluetooth icon to facilitate everything) and, when the TV finds the keyboard and mouse that are in correspondence mode, click on “Link”.
At that time, the two devices work as if they were the remote control, so you can control the entire system with them much more precise than with the command. The mouse is for a more specific use that I will tell you later, but the keyboard is something that uses practically daily.
I am a user who does not consume television. This is something I don't like and, For a few years, I converted YouTube to my TV. I have a very well formed algorithm, but sometimes I am looking for very specific things and with many characters and it is a roll to use the order for this. In addition, it seems to me that the virtual keyboard is not how complete it should be.
Therefore, when I have to look for something on Youtube on my Android TV, I remove the keyboard from the drawer that I have next to the sofa and … tecle. Of course, don't think I only use the keyboard for it.
Recently, I configured the system to have thousands of channels around the world. I already say that I do not consume conventional television, but a few times, there is a program that interests me and, moreover, I now have access to public television from any country in the world.
When you need to configure more complex applications such as KodiWhere you need to use the search bar to write names and addresses, the Virtual Android TV keyboard is very short and the experience can be frustrating. Therefore, using a Bluetooth keyboard is a great idea.
And another case, although it is already much more extreme, is to respond to an occasional letter. Android TV does not have a Gmail application, but curiously it has no chrome. This is something curious because of the accent put that Google has put to make its browser on all devices (paying authentic millions to certain companies), but there is a method to install Chrome on an Android TV.
With him, you can access any website (Here, the mouse is where it becomes essential, as I have already commented on) and, obviously, to Gmail. To send an email if you don't have your mobile or if you want a larger screen, use Gmail on TV can become a very interesting resource.
Bluetooth headphones have become essential on my Android TV
Now, if the keyboard has become essential on my Android TV, another device that I recently configured are wireless headphones. I had an old pair at home that has no sound cancellation, so they allow me not to isolate myself at all when I have them and they are the ones I connected to my TV.
This allows me to see videos or series not only without disturbing anyone (Imagine that I want to watch a game or a video and you have a person next to him with his mobile and his belongings, but not to use television), but for more rooms.
When I do things in the room or in the kitchen, which are the bedrooms closest to the living room where I have the main television connected to headphones, I can go from one place to another without losing audio quality. If I have a videoconde or a video that the audio interests, but not so much the image, it is a spectacular resource.
The Bluetooth headphones connection to Android TV is the same as with the keyboard And the right thing is that there are other devices that you can connect, such as Xbox or PlayStation controls to enjoy video games in the cloud, for example.
If you did not know that you could connect this type of peripheral to an Android TV or Google TV, I hope this article has been useful to you.
This article was initially published in Xataka Android in February 2024. It was revised and updated again.
Cover photo | Jose Antonio Carmona (Home Xataka)
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