The Android TV industry is gaining more grounds since it came into light in 2014. While big makers like Samsung and LG are competing everyday to push out their best, we can observe that Android TV is something that will be around in the long run. That Google suite of products is supported on Android TV even makes it more desirable to have. There are many apps available that can make TV not for only watching shows and movies but also add functionalities to it.
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Best Apps for Android TV
1. Puffin TV
Smart TVs are known to have a poor experience when doing internet browsing. Even TV remotes and on-screen keypads are not like the way it would be on a computer. Puffin TV has recognized this problem and it is a tile-based browser interface that’s great on TV. You don’t need to struggle with that traditional browser interface that comes with smart TVs, this one is more intuitive. You can perform many functions like syncing with your phone, creating bookmarks, scanning QR codes. The browser is incredibly fast. You’ll be amazed that Puffin TV feels like a media center but it is a web browser that works like a media center.
2. Sideload Launcher
On the Google Play Store, you’ll find fewer apps for Android TV than for smartphones. Why is this? Because some apps are not compatible with Android TV. However, this is not a problem with apps being able to sideload because the operating system can run them. The issue, however, is that you won’t find apps that sideload on the device home screen or app drawer. To solve this, an app like Sideload Launcher must be installed. Upon launching it, you’ll find apps that are sideloaded.
3. Archos Video Player
What you get in this app is a functional player for videos. This app has more than what VLC or MX Player video players which some may download. There are AC3 and DTS passthrough (on supported TVs and boxes), support for 3D TVs, and more. Archos Video Player does the basics of video playing pretty well. Added is a wide range of codecs. The app also supports external SDcard. This may not be the best for smartphones but it’s great for Android TVs.
4. Netflix
Netflix stays top of the game when we talk about video streaming services. It is a popular app for viewing TV shows and movies. It is also an inexpensive option. You can watch from the huge collection of movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Netflix supports 4K video and HDR making one of the few to have this feature. You can find Netflix pre-installed in the latest Android TVs but if it’s not in yours, them head on to the Google Play Store to download.
5. AirScreen
It is possible to mirror content from your Android Smartphones to an Android TV box because Android TV devices natively support Google Cast. Other Google Products like Chrome browser and Chromebooks can also be cast to your TV screen. Since Apple’s AirPlay is not supported, one of the best ways to have your Apple device on your TV is by installing AirScreen. The app makes mirroring of your iPhone or iPad screen on your Android TV box possible and easy. Other things that the app supports are Google Cast, Miracast, and DLNA protocols.