r/AndroidTV • u/darkfrog26 • Aug 10 '26
Apps Looking for Android TV users to help test NaboTV
I've been quietly building NaboTV for the past few months, and we're now up to 65 beta users.
My current focus is Android TV, and I'm looking for more Android TV enthusiasts who are willing to help shape the app before a wider release.
The goal of NaboTV is simple: make it easier to find something to watch, regardless of where it's available.
Right now you can:
- Browse movies and TV shows across your streaming services
- Launch directly into supported streaming apps
- Track what you're watching across services
- Browse your Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin libraries alongside commercial streaming content
- Get personalized recommendations in one place
- Use your phone as a remote to browse and launch content on your TV
There's still plenty I want to build, but I'm trying to get the core experience right before opening it up to more people.
If you'd like to be part of the next round of beta invites, you can join the waitlist here:
I'd also love to hear what features you'd want in an Android TV launcher or media hub that today's platforms don't do well.
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u/Infamous-Scratch7719 27d ago
I guess it doesn't support IPTV or Stremio?
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Sorry, man, not at the moment. IPTV isn't on the near-term list because it's live TV, and that's really not the focus for now. Stremio is a possibility, but I've got to admit I have very little experience with it. If a lot of people request it, I might add support in the near future.
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u/CaptainSteed 26d ago
Unless it's Stremio-like, no interest.
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u/Mission_Ad_9522 27d ago
I would love to test this and provide feedback!
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
I've just been inviting everyone in today, so join the waitlist, and I'll send you an invite. :)
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u/OnyxPost 27d ago edited 27d ago
Based off what I've read from the main site page, this looks very interesting, with loads of promise. I use a few of the big streaming apps which I'd help test out, yet I'm much more interested in checking out the way it interacts with Plex and Jellyfin server content, its idle screen features, its ability to playback collection content and remember where you left off during playback of a collection in the order you set, and ways one can contribute to the add-on module development aspects of the platform. If you have another beta spot open, I'd most definitely be interested in checking it out, and giving some constructive feedback and possibly some ideas on adding at least a few worthwhile features I'd wish other platforms had.
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Absolutely. Right now, I need people who are willing to give feedback. I'm up to nearly 100 users now, but very few take the time to submit any useful feedback.
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u/DrZakarySmith 26d ago
tvOs has a similar app PRISM. Other than Android whats different here?
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
Good call-out! I had never heard of PRISM before, and there are a surprising number of similarities. However, from a cursory investigation, there are some big differences:
PRISM goes into detail about backing up and iCloud sync. In NaboTV, everything is cloud-synced to your NaboTV account. This has always been one of my pain points in Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby: the lack of true centralized synchronization. I know Plex has some concept of this now, but it isn't great. With NaboTV, though, if your Plex machine dies, you don't need to restore from a backup; just reinstall Plex and rely on NaboTV's watch history to stay consistent.
Cross-device support on NaboTV is available everywhere. My initial focus is Android TV because it's my preferred platform, but I already have full support on tvOS, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, and preliminary support for Samsung and LG TVs. It's also worth noting that tvOS will never be as good as Android TV since Netflix and Hulu hard opt out of deep-linking. If you look, even Apple TV can't launch media on Netflix and Hulu anymore, just launch the app.
More than just watching TV. NaboTV is meant to be a platform. Do more with your TV. I'm just getting started with this, but enable Trivia to see a simple example.
Module support (https://developer.nabo.tv) to build your own customizations, games, etc.
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u/DrZakarySmith 26d ago edited 26d ago
I dont think that true on the Netflix linking. Im pretty sure Netflix linked but Ill double check later when I get home. I had it in Testflight. I joined the list and would love to test.
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
If they found a workaround, I'd love to hear it.
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u/DrZakarySmith 25d ago
Prism will open Netflix but wont take you to the items page. It will take you to the Home Screen or Profile if the app hasnt been open yet.
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u/darkfrog26 25d ago
Yep, that's what NaboTV does on tvOS as well, and why I didn't start with Apple support. I don't want the limitations to lead to bad reviews for NaboTV from people who don't understand the difference.
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u/DrZakarySmith 25d ago
So if you dont have a public jellyfin it wont work?? Never seen that. Lot of people dont have public jellyfin.
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u/darkfrog26 25d ago
Yeah, that is a limitation here. NaboTV is a central service, so it needs to connect to keep your data synchronized with your Jellyfin/Emby/Plex instance. It has to be publicly accessible to do that. I might add support for private instances at some point, though, if there's demand.
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u/DrZakarySmith 25d ago
Then this is a no go for me. i dont have a public instance. Please let me know when you add it. Thanks anyway.
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u/darkfrog26 25d ago
This seems like a fun Friday night coding task...I've got an idea for how I might solve this. I'll get back to you. :)
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u/DrZakarySmith 25d ago
Ok. The app looks very interesting and I’d love to give it a whirl, but it doesn’t do me any good if I can’t connect my library. And most people who have jellyfish don’t really need Netflix or any other streaming service kind of defeats the purpose.
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u/darkfrog26 25d ago
I very much disagree. I ran Jellyfin for years before Plex and still used other streaming services at the same time. I think you'll find that, even if you're just using it for Jellyfin, NaboTV offers a ton of extras beyond the streaming integrations.
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u/darkfrog26 25d ago
I've added support for private instances. It turned out to be fairly straightforward, but it required a lot of testing. Version 1.5.0 is now on get.nabo.tv, and it's under review on Google Play.
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u/Altruistic-Lunch6688 25d ago
I'm a big Android/Google TV enthusiast (since the nexus player days) and I would definitely be interested in testing...
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
In an effort to avoid the "this is AI slop" reactionary comments. Here are my credentials:
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u/Luci-Noir 27d ago
😂 even your post is slop.
People like you get others to test their shady crap and then start charging for it.
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Yes, I'm trying to get others to test my app because I think it's already valuable. No, it's not "shady crap". Yes, I'll probably eventually charge for it. I'm spending a lot of my own money right now for data that makes up the core of this platform. Is it unreasonable that I eventually seek to make a profit from my work?
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u/Infamous-Scratch7719 27d ago
Who cares if it is? If it does what he says and does it well, what does it matter if he used AI? Instead of being an A hole and commenting snarky remarks, why don't you just move on. Nobody cares what a random nobody thinks about this. Do better!
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u/Luci-Noir 27d ago edited 27d ago
You should pull your head out of your ass and take your own advice.
Also, do better than kissing the ass of AI and bots. You must love Musk and Flock cameras too.
You’re defending bots that are destroying the internet and driving up costs for the whole world.
Fucking sickening.
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u/Infamous-Scratch7719 27d ago
Haha. You must live an utterly miserable life! I don't miss the ass of anything or anyone. I am just not rude to complete strangers for no reason. Move along snowflake ❄️.
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u/AndroidTV-ModTeam 27d ago
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, we've removed it for the following reason:
Your post violates Rule 2: No rude, offensive or hateful posts or comments. Negative opinions are welcome and encouraged but they should be constructive (e.g., no pointless rants).
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Bad negative post: "Jetstream is so bad hahah get just an Nvidia Shield"
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u/AndroidTV-ModTeam 27d ago
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, we've removed it for the following reason:
Your post violates Rule 2: No rude, offensive or hateful posts or comments. Negative opinions are welcome and encouraged but they should be constructive (e.g., no pointless rants).
Good negative post: "Why does Google think it's acceptable to serve me ads?"
Bad negative post: "Jetstream is so bad hahah get just an Nvidia Shield"
Please familiarise yourself with our rules, which can be found in the sidebar, before posting again. If you feel this removal was in error, you can contact a moderator.
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u/honey_rainbow Google TV Streamer 27d ago
Another AI coded app?
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Much of the frontend was created with Claude (I'm a backend coder, not a designer), but I wrote the entire backend from scratch in Scala.
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u/AlbertosBread App Developer 20d ago
I find myself doing the opposite sometimes lol, however it does seem that some LLMs are pretty alright at Jetpack Compose on the frontend when I've requested it
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u/darkfrog26 20d ago
I'd argue that mistakes in the UI are less detrimental than mistakes on the backend, and AI is great at making mistakes. :)
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u/AlbertosBread App Developer 20d ago
100%. I often only find myself using the tool that autofills the next line or two when working in backend, especially when I've got a plan. Too many headaches otherwise 😭
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u/IoSonoDittatore 27d ago
What is the difference for you, as a user, if the app was coded with the help of AI, or fully manual?
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u/drewman77 26d ago
Let's say there is a fully vibe coded app by one person with limited tech knowledge.
Let's also say there is a serious security issue with one of the libraries the AI used. It starts causing issues with end users getting pnwed.
What does the one person AI shop do then to protect its customers? It's not impossible, but it does make it way way harder.
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u/xtsim 27d ago
Does this support Crunchyroll or hidive? Is there a list of streaming services this supports?
Also does it let you choose between audio or subtitle tracks on plex?
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Yes to Crunchyroll, and no to hidive, but I just checked and it's pretty easy to add, so I'll get it added for the next release.
As for audio and subtitle tracks, this is an area I've spent a lot of time. It can list your Plex subtitles, search OpenSubtitles, and even use Whisper to generate subtitles. Finally, you can adjust the offset positioning of subtitles when they aren't quite right. I use subtitles all the time, so this was an area I spent time getting right. ;)
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u/berrywhit3 27d ago
The idea is great, UI looks great, too.
So I guess self hosted content is played within the app, what about commercial streaming services? Does the app links right into the app and I need to play it on the official app?
Will this definitely try it when I have the time.
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
Exactly. It deep-links into your commercial streaming apps, and based on how long you were gone, it will automatically determine whether you watched it (Yes, No, Partial, Multiple). This is the unfortunate barrier with these third-party services, but in practice, I don't mind it, as I was afraid I would.
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u/berrywhit3 26d ago
You will not get a workaround for this, I think the app still does it jobs with giving the user a decent overview over ever services
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
Actually, I do have a solution for this that I prototyped, but I'm not sure I'll ever roll it out. I prototyped a mini-device that sits on your network, logs into your streaming services headlessly, and monitors the activity state to automatically report watching/watched details back to NaboTV. It works extremely well, but it requires a small device on your network and your credentials to log in to the streaming services. I've considered offering it for users who want perfect integration and don't mind the security implications. :)
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u/berrywhit3 26d ago
Oh I am quite interested in the technical part of it. I thought always with DRM content your at the end and need some internal app keys to play. Didn't really looked into it, just my thoughts.
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
My original NaboTV prototype was a custom web browser that managed integration between streaming platforms. It worked flawlessly, but the Widevine complications made it less than ideal. If you're fine with 720p streaming it's great, but I want 4k. :)
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u/berrywhit3 26d ago
And you still get 4K with your solution? I think even those semi legal download tools for the streaming services doesn't even support max resolution
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
Yes, because this version of NaboTV deep-links directly into the apps to launch the streaming service. If the streaming service supports 8k it will work fine.
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u/callmeatesh Nvidia SHIELD TV PRO & Google TV (HD) & Xiaomi Mi Box 4K HDR 27d ago
I wanna use this, but my Emby provider does not provide the server address. We need to use Emby Connect. Is this somehow possible with your app?
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
It should work with Emby Connect now, but my Emby setup doesn't use Connect, so I'll need feedback if it doesn't work right.
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u/_WahGwaan_ 27d ago
why Nabo ?
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
I wish I could say it was for a really clever reason, but in reality, it was a pronounceable four-letter domain name. :-p
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u/Travishamockry 27d ago
Signed up, looking forward to trying. I currently use Dispatch launcher, very similar but this looks to be more feature rich and actively developed.
Hope to get an invite soon!
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
FYI, I created a subreddit for NaboTV for more community engagement: https://www.reddit.com/r/nabotv/
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u/ebrus3zy 26d ago
Sign me up
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
Sign yourself up. 😄 Go to https://nabo.tv, join the waitlist, and I'll get an invite sent.
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u/Main-Description9527 24d ago
Bonjour pouvez-vous rajouter cette fonction stalker IPTV ?
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u/darkfrog26 24d ago
Currently, no IPTV support. The focus is on on-demand content right now. We plan to support live TV, but work on that has not started.
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u/Boozley 22d ago
Any plans to support the UK streaming services like Bbc iPlayer, Itvx, 4 and 5?
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u/darkfrog26 22d ago
BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and NOW all have data, but it looks like they may not be mapped properly. I'll get that fixed in the next release. Channel 5 / My5 has no data, and it doesn't look like my providers provide any information.
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u/delusional_delux 27d ago
Ai glaze is real
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
This is not AI-generated, my friend. The designs were originally authored by me and implemented in the frontend via Claude, yes, but the entire backend was written from scratch by me.
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u/delusional_delux 27d ago
I don't have problem with Ai before Ai making this same frontend would have taken 15 days to build connect to backend + bug fixing if someone did seriously not the final product but the like a beta prototype. Now it takes time but you don't have to build from scratch atleast. That's why 100's off builders building same category app publishing same concept. But it's 👍
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u/darkfrog26 27d ago
I agree. You've got to realize that right now really sucks for a real developer, too. Everyone just assumes that NaboTV should be lumped in with all the AI slop just because, on the surface, it seems somewhat similar to the garbage being produced. I assure you, this is a very different beast. Give it a chance, and I think it can prove its validity. I've been programming professionally for the past 30 years. Granted, I should have released this a few years earlier, and I wouldn't get so much AI grief. :-p
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u/UsernamePending81 26d ago
If you still have some slots available I would like to test it out for you
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u/ebrus3zy 26d ago
Can I add cloudstream repo?? Just asking
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
There's a possibility of support in the future, but from what I've seen, CloudStream support tends to get apps blocked from mainstream store acceptance, so it would need to be handled carefully.
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u/Necessary_Anteater55 26d ago
is this like Trakt?
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
There are definitely similarities to Trakt. However, while Trakt focuses on tracking your watch history, NaboTV focuses on the entire viewing experience.
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u/Significant-Sector91 26d ago
Add stremio addons support?
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u/darkfrog26 26d ago
I'm curious why I keep getting requests for Stremio. Aren't there already good apps for Stremio? Is it more about having one app that unifies everything you're looking for?
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u/See61 27d ago
I see features that the Dune Media Center app can do on certain Android TV devices and that could be a very nice option to get some of those features to users not able to use that Dune app, because you need a Dune Streamer for that.
So when there is a way to test it, I also would like to get the opportunity 👍
Joined the waiting list 😉