topic Re: APPS in Android TV

APPS

-JASON- — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 19:03:03 GMT

WAS TOLD MY APPS WOULD WORK AS MY PHONE BUT SWANN CCTV APP IS A NO NO,

WILL IT BE ABLE TO SOON ?

Re: APPS

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 20:03:14 GMT

Hi there

Apps available on an Android based phone are different to ones that are available via the Google Play TV Store. Apps must be specifically developed and approved via Googles approval process (HERE) for them to be available on the TV.

Sometimes an app can be 'sideloaded' by directly installing them from the Google Play Store on a computer and installed to the TV - other times you will need to obtain the APK file and install it via that process (but it is certainly not user friendly). If sideloading apps, you will need the 'Sideload Launcher - Android TV' available HERE

It is not Sony's responsiblity to develop 3rd party apps for the Android TV - it is up to the individual app creators to make an app for the TV.

If you was mis-sold your TV based on the availablity of a certain app, you will need to take this up with the retailer who sold you on this.

Cheers

Re: APPS

Kuschelmonschter — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 06:32:38 GMT

If you look at what Sony promises:

Find all the entertainment you can dream of, faster than ever. From movies and TV shows to thousands of apps, Sony’s Android TV brings you everything in an instant.

The number of apps for the TV platform is very limited. Most sideloaded apps are not usable at all. Android and Android TV are just not comparable with respect to apps.

We are far from the open app believe that we got so much used to in the mobile space. Or why else can you still not find Amazon Video on the Google Play Store but only on select devices? Money and contracts dominate the TV space.

Also, after the Google TV disaster, not many seem to trust in Google's TV ambitions anymore. Android TV is mainly found on cheap Chinese boxes...

Made for gaming
Be prepared to step up your experience. Get the most out of your games with Sony TVs made for gaming.

The MediaTek processors inside Sony Android TV are not fast enough to do any serious gaming. And this is still true for the 2017 line-up.

Re: APPS

Jecht_Sin — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:37:16 GMT

Well... I know where you're coming from, but you're a bit negative now. The Nvidia Shield isn't exactly a cheap Chinese tv box. Also here in Italy TIMvision has its own Android TV box (its app has more features than the one on televisions, though. Like the subtitles!).

Still, it isn't really Sony's fault, it all depends on the developers. I mean, there are small developers happily porting their apps to Android TV (which shouldn't really be a great deal. Most of the times it is just a matter of making it working with the remote controls). Others don't, probably for the lack of a tv to test their SW on. I have side loaded CPU-Z for example and it works just fine. They would just need to ask for the Android TV approval (and well.. support the tv HW as well. The core usage doesn't show up).

Then Kodi is there, Plex is there, plus all the paid streaming services (at least in my Country). Also some good file managers (I like Xplore) and even a Shell Terminal! Sure, I would love more stuff as well myself, but I see that little by little some (very few, though) apps are coming.

Oh, I totally agree with you about Sony claiming we can play games with this abysmal GPU, though!!

Re: APPS

Kuschelmonschter — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 09:44:21 GMT

The Nvidia Shield isn't exactly a cheap Chinese tv box.

SHIELD is one of the few exceptions, that's why I wrote "mainly".

I have side loaded CPU-Z for example and it works just fine.

Good example. An app that shows a single frame with some values on... I tried to sideload apps that are actually worthwhile to have on a TV (from local content providers in Austria and Germany), some of which where somewhat usable (with very bad usability though), some not at all.

Then Kodi is there, Plex is there, plus all the paid streaming service

Plex and the streaming services are on all major platforms, so nothing to write home about. Kodi is a pro, however on the Sony, it is also not without lots of pain due to MediaTek crap.

Also some good file managers (I like Xplore) and even a Shell Terminal!

Average Joe usually does not need that, just like nobody needs CPU-Z on the TV .

Re: APPS

Jecht_Sin — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:42:07 GMT

@Kuschelmonschter wrote:

Average Joe usually does not need that, just like nobody needs CPU-Z on the TV .

I know!

But that's true for many apps. What can be great in a tabet may become useless on a tv screen with the remote as the only input device.

I mean, apart from yet another video streaming service (being a paid TV, IPTV or else), which kind of apps would you like to see in a tv commanded only by the remote? It isn't a rhetorical question, personally I am really short of ideas.

PS: Kodi with my XD80 (MT5891) isn't exactly fluid, but it does the job even with 4K videos via DLNA (apart from the LG Chess demo. That's is too heavy for all video players, Sony's Video excluded). Although I have got the feeling it downscales them to 1080p. Not sure why. The same videos with Plex play at 4K.

Re: APPS

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:04:59 GMT

@Jecht_Sin wrote:

I mean, apart from yet another video streaming service (being a paid TV, IPTV or else), which kind of apps would you like to see in a tv commanded only by the remote? It isn't a rhetorical question, personally I am really short of ideas.

Games such as Candy Crush, Dancing Lines and Risk or Monopoly
Social media streaming apps auch as Periscope, Instagram Live etc
Shopping apps such as Amazon and Ebay
Semi transparent onscreen widgets for things like - live sports scores, stock market, the time, etc

Re: APPS

Jecht_Sin — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:05:57 GMT

@Quinnicus wrote:

Games such as Candy Crush, Dancing Lines and Risk or Monopoly
Social media streaming apps auch as Periscope, Instagram Live etc
Shopping apps such as Amazon and Ebay
Semi transparent onscreen widgets for things like - live sports scores, stock market, the time, etc

Oh yeah, I forgot about stuff like that. Still, about games (which can actually run in that poor GPU), there are plenty of RPGs. They obviously need a gamepad, though.

Then when I posted I forgot that I wanted indeed to see a Wikipedia app, IMDB, Google Chrome (!!! What the hell? Why is that missing?) and other things like that, fully integrated with the specific Android TV OS.

One thing, though.. For the widgets we have to take it to Google. Widgets are part of the launcher, and apparently Google has much more interest on using an entire long section to advertise bloatware than to give useful features. Then, if I understood correctly, there might even be a chance that Google does not allow the tv manufacturers to make their own launcher (like the Xperia Home on Xperia phones).