Android TV icon

Android TV

Android TV is a version of the Android operating system designed for digital media players, set-top boxes, soundbars, and TVs. It allows users to access apps, games, movies, TV shows, and other content on a big screen.

What is Android TV?

Android TV is a smart TV platform developed by Google based on the Android operating system. It was first announced in June 2014 and allows users to access apps, games, movies, TV shows, and other digital content on a big screen TV.

Some key features of Android TV include:

  • Access to the Google Play Store for Android TV apps and games optimized for the big screen
  • Google Cast support for wirelessly streaming content from phones, tablets and Chrome browsers to the TV
  • Voice search and control with Google Assistant built-in for quickly finding content
  • Recommendations of movies, shows, and other content based on viewing history and subscriptions
  • Support for live TV, IPTV, and TV tuners from third-party apps
  • Integrated Chromecast functionality to stream media from hundreds of supported apps

Android TV set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smart TVs, and devices like the Nvidia Shield TV allow consumers to enjoy a smart TV experience powered by Android. Major brands that offer Android TV include Sony, Philips, Xiaomi, TCL, Hisense, and more. It competes primarily with platforms like Amazon's Fire TV, Apple tvOS, and Roku OS.

The Best Android TV Alternatives

Top Apps like Android TV

Stremio, Kodi, TeaTV, Plex, Android, Google Home, Emby, OSMC, MediaPortal, Fire OS, AllCast, PseudoTV, nextPVR, PS3 Media Server, Elisa, Enjoy Movies Your Way, Plasma Bigscreen, OpenPHT, Veso, Archos Video Player, Squire, Tizen OS, PHPMediaServer, VLC Streamer, VidOn Server, SelectTV, SageTV, Oblecto, tvOS, nessMediaCenter, SimpleX, Vidine, Portitle, nessViewer, simpleVID, GB-PVR, Easy-Data Mediacenter, younity, ArkMS, Semper Media Center, Freevo, Screeninvader, AMD Fusion Media Explorer, Kroozbox are some alternatives to Android TV.

Stremio

Stremio is a media center application that serves as a one-stop hub for video entertainment. It aggregates content from different streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube as well as your personal media libraries and presents everything through an intuitive and visually appealing interface.Some key features of Stremio...

Kodi

Kodi is an open-source media center application developed by the XBMC Foundation. Originally released in 2002 as Xbox Media Center for the original Xbox game console, it was later ported to other platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.Kodi allows users to play and view various digital media files including...

TeaTV

TeaTV is a free Android application that provides users with access to a large catalog of movies and TV shows without any subscription fees. It has gained significant popularity due to its intuitive interface, smooth streaming, and constant updates with new content sources.When you open TeaTV, you are presented...

Plex

Plex is a feature-rich media server application that allows you to bring together your personal media library, organize it beautifully, and stream it to all of your devices. It provides a single interface through which you can easily access and enjoy your personal media, whether you are at home or...

Android

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. It is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software. Android is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.Some key things to know about Android:It was first launched in...

Google Home

Google Home is a line of smart speakers developed by Google. It was first released in November 2016 in the United States.Google Home devices are voice-activated speakers powered by Google Assistant. They can play music, podcasts and audiobooks; provide weather, news, sports updates and other real-time information; control compatible smart...

Emby

Emby is an open-source media server designed to help you organize, play, and stream your media collection across devices. It allows you to bring together your personal videos, music, photos, and live TV into one unified platform that is accessible from any device on your network.Some key features of...

OSMC

OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is a free and open source media center distribution based on Kodi. It provides an easy way to convert a Raspberry Pi, Vero 4K +, Apple TV, or PC into a dedicated media center and Kodi box.Some key features of OSMC include:Based on Debian...

MediaPortal

MediaPortal is an open-source media center software for Windows PCs. It allows you to manage and play various media content including videos, music, photos and live TV on Windows PCs connected to big screens in a home theater setup.Features:Free and open source softwareSupports wide range of video, audio...

Fire OS

Fire OS is an Android-based mobile operating system created by Amazon for its Fire tablet and Fire TV lines of devices. It is designed primarily to promote and integrate Amazon's content and retail ecosystem with end user devices.Some key features and characteristics of Fire OS include:Tight integration with...

AllCast

AllCast is an Android app developed by ClockworkMod that enables users to cast or stream media from their Android device to other devices and speakers. It allows you to beam photos, audio, and video to various receivers such as:ChromecastRokuAmazon Fire TVApple TVDLNA devicesGaming consolesSmart TVsSome of the key features...

PseudoTV

PseudoTV is a free, open source add-on that works with the Kodi media center software. It allows users to set up customized "TV channels" that play content from their local media libraries, giving a channel surfing experience similar to cable TV.Some key features of PseudoTV include:Users can create...

NextPVR

nextPVR is an open source personal video recorder (PVR) software designed for Windows. It enables users to watch, schedule, and record live TV programs from various sources including DVB-T, DVB-S, DVB-C, Analog TV, and IPTV.Some key features of nextPVR include:Ability to pause, rewind and replay live TV programs...

PS3 Media Server

PS3 Media Server is a free open source cross-platform media streaming application developed by the PS3 Media Server team. It was originally called PS3 Media Server since its main function was to stream media files to a Playstation 3. But it now has support for streaming to many other devices such...

Elisa

Elisa is an open-source music player application designed specifically for the Linux operating system. It is developed by the KDE community and aims to provide a fast, smooth, and resource-efficient music playing experience.Some key features of Elisa include:A clean, stylish user interface with support for different themes and...

Enjoy Movies Your Way

Enjoy Movies Your Way is a versatile video streaming application that brings all your favorite movies and TV shows together in one place. It allows you to access content from various online sources and streaming services, so you can watch what you want, when you want.This software makes it...

Plasma Bigscreen

Plasma Bigscreen is an open source smart TV platform built on the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It is designed to provide a user-friendly interface optimized for large screens, living room use, and interaction via remote controls.Some key features of Plasma Bigscreen include:A visually appealing graphical interface using large...

OpenPHT

OpenPHT is an open-source media center application designed to run on low-power computers like the Raspberry Pi. It is a fork of Kodi (formerly XBMC) that has been optimized for smaller hardware profiles.Some key features of OpenPHT include:Playable media includes video, music, podcasts, and imagesSupports a wide range...

Veso

Veso is a virtual assistant software designed to help individuals and teams manage their schedules, tasks, and communications more efficiently. At its core, Veso acts as an intelligent assistant that can understand natural language requests and help automate common administrative work.Some of the key features Veso provides include:Calendar...

Archos Video Player

The Archos Video Player is a highly optimized video player built specifically for Archos devices like tablets and smartphones. It has been developed by Archos to take full advantage of the hardware features of Archos products to provide smooth, high-quality video playback.The player has a simple yet elegant user...

Squire

Squire is a free and open source WYSIWYG web editor designed for efficiently drafting and editing long-form articles and other rich content. Its minimal interface foregrounds the text itself while still providing key tools for formatting, linking, finding & replacing, and more.Squire aims to balance simplicity and utility for web...

Tizen OS

Tizen is an open source operating system developed by the Linux Foundation and supported by companies like Samsung and Intel. It is based on Linux and designed to power a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, wearables, and other Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets.Some key features...

PHPMediaServer

PHPMediaServer is an open source media streaming software written in PHP and MySQL. It allows you to set up your own media server to store, manage, and stream your audio, video, and image files over the web.Some key features of PHPMediaServer include:Stream media files like MP3, MP4, AVI...

VLC Streamer

VLC Streamer is a free, open source, cross-platform multimedia player, framework, and streaming server developed by the VideoLAN project. VLC can play a wide variety of audio, video, and streaming media files and protocols including MP3, AVI, MKV, WebM, H.264, MPEG-DASH among many others.Some key features of VLC Streamer...

VidOn Server

VidOn Server is an open-source, self-hosted video streaming server that gives you full control over your personal media library. It allows you to store, manage, and stream your video content on any device while keeping your data under your control rather than relying on a third-party service.Some key features...

SelectTV

SelectTV is an online live TV streaming platform that offers access to over 150 live TV channels spanning entertainment, news, sports, kids, and more. The service aims to replace traditional cable TV packages at a lower monthly price point.With SelectTV, users can stream their favorite cable channels live or choose...

SageTV

SageTV is a sophisticated digital video recorder (DVR) and media center software for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It allows users to watch, pause, and record live TV from broadcast channels or video capture cards on their computer.Some key features of SageTV include:Integrated support for HDHomeRun network tuners...

Oblecto

Oblecto is an open-source team productivity software built for collaboration. It brings together features like file sharing, task management, calendars, notes, discussions, and custom workflows into one integrated workplace.Some key features of Oblecto include:File Management - Store, share and collaborate on documents with team membersTasks & Projects - Break...

TvOS

tvOS is the operating system developed by Apple Inc. that runs on Apple TV devices. It was first released in September 2015 to power the fourth generation Apple TV.tvOS provides the core interface and functionality for apps that run on Apple TV. This includes features like:A home screen to...

NessMediaCenter

nessMediaCenter is an open source cross-platform media center application that allows you to manage and play your digital media library including videos, music, and photos. It has an intuitive and customizable interface that is easy to navigate with a remote control.Some key features of nessMediaCenter include:Automatic media scraping...

SimpleX

SimpleX is a free, open-source text and code editor for Windows. It is designed to provide a simple, easy-to-use interface for basic text editing and writing needs.Some key features of SimpleX include:Clean and intuitive graphical user interfaceSyntax highlighting for many programming languages and file typesLine numbersMultiple tabs and...

Vidine

Vidine is a easy-to-use video editing software designed for beginners who want to edit and enhance their personal videos. With Vidine, users can:Import videos from computer, smartphones, cameras, Facebook, etc.Trim unwanted parts of the videoSplit video clipsRearrange video clipsAdd text captions and animated text effectsApply filters, overlays and...

Portitle

Portitle is an open-source, free alternative to Microsoft Word. It is a feature-rich word processor that allows you to create, edit, and format documents such as letters, reports, memos, and more.Some of the key features of Portitle include:Text formatting options like fonts, sizes, colors, bold, italics, underline, etc...

NessViewer

nessViewer is an open-source application for visualizing neural network architectures. It provides an intuitive graphical user interface that allows users to easily create, edit, and visualize neural network models.Some key features of nessViewer include:Drag-and-drop interface for building neural network graphsSupport for all common neural network layers including convolutional...

SimpleVID

simpleVID is an open-source, self-hosted video sharing web application. It allows users to upload, share, organize, and stream videos privately within their teams or groups. As it is self-hosted, simpleVID gives you full control and ownership over your video content and data.Some key features of simpleVID include:Upload videos...

GB-PVR

GB-PVR is an open source personal video recorder and media center application for Microsoft Windows. It enables users to watch, pause and record live TV as well as play various media files.Some of the key features of GB-PVR include:Schedule recordings for TV programs based on show title, time...

Easy-Data Mediacenter

Easy-Data Mediacenter is an easy-to-use media server application designed to help you organize, manage, and access your digital media library from any device on your home network. It works by creating a centralized media database on your computer or NAS drive that allows you to easily categorize and add metadata...

Younity

Younity is a unified file sharing and syncing software that consolidates all your files across devices and accounts into one single interface. It provides seamless access to your data regardless of where it is stored - whether on your computer, external drives, mobile devices, or various cloud services.Some key...

ArkMS

ArkMS is an open source MapleStory private server software that allows players to host their own MapleStory servers separate from the official Nexon servers. It provides the framework and backend architecture to emulate a MapleStory game server, including character stats, maps, mobs, quests, drops, and other gameplay mechanics.Some key...

Semper Media Center

Semper Media Center is an open-source, cross-platform media center software application designed primarily for home theater PCs. It allows users to play and view most videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media stored on local hard drives, optical drives, and network locations.Some key features of Semper Media Center include...

Freevo

Freevo is an open-source home theater PC (HTPC) software application that allows users to play back digital media content on their TVs and stereos. It integrates TV viewing, video playback, music listening, image viewing, and more into a unified interface optimized for large screens that can be controlled with remote...

Screeninvader

Screeninvader is a feature-rich yet easy to use screen recording and screenshot capture software for Windows. With Screeninvader, users can easily record all or part of their screen, take screenshots, annotate recordings, trim clips, add effects and transitions, and export the results in common formats to share online or with...

AMD Fusion Media Explorer

AMD Fusion Media Explorer is a free media player and library management software for Windows. Developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), it provides users with an intuitive way to play and organize their video, audio, and photo files on their computer.Some key features of AMD Fusion Media Explorer include...

Kroozbox

Kroozbox is a graphics software focused on digital painting and illustration. Some of its key features include:Intuitive drawing tools like brushes, pencils, eraser, shape tools, and text toolsSupport for vector and raster graphicsLayer management system for organizing your artworkBlend modes for creating composite images and effectsFilter effects like blur...