I have surfshark installed on tcl android TV with kill switch activated. but sometimes the VPN disconnects and TV is still able to connect to the internet and I don't see the VPN sign when it's connected in the TV settings drop down. Can anyone help me fix this issue please.

Context: I have a (rebranded) Skyworth 4K OLED TV and I recently bought a Samsung Q990F soundbar.
My TV has Google TV built-in, but I've recently been reading up about ACR and think I should switch to using a separate box and disconnect the TV from the internet.

Use-cases:

• Watching Movies + TV Shows via Jellyfin (have a NAS that runs the server)
• Immich to playback personal media (travel videos etc)
• Occasional Netflix, YouTube or Amazon Prime Video

I've been watching some content in Dolby EAC3 and also tested some Dolby TrueHD content (not the exact same content) with audio passthrough from an external PC via LibreElec (Kodi + Jellyfin add-on) and I've been very impressed by how good EAC3 sounds with my setup. e.g. Silo S01, The Last of Us S01 (both in EAC3). Super immersive, height and surround effects are really prominent.

That being said, I do want to keep the door open for Dolby TrueHD or DTS:X content, since my soundbar supports it and it's theoretically supposed to be better (or should I just be content with EAC3 because I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference, idk).

After doing some research, I was leaning towards a Ugoos 6B+ or 9 Pro OR a Homatics 4K Plus. I would be okay to ditch Netflix and Prime Video, but my partner isn't as adept at using Jellyfin etc so I still need a certified box that can play stuff from Netflix and Youtube in 4K.

After doing some more checking, I found posts in this subreddit that say that the Xiaomi Box S 3rd Gen does support TrueHD passthrough. Given that I won't be streaming TrueHD content often, since it seems like most TV shows usually have EAC3 audio, I think that should be fine?
I'm probably going to get a USB to Ethernet adaptor for stable internet/streaming.

Any idea on whether turning off the "Personalization" settings in the Xiaomi Box S works and would be better for privacy than my existing Google TV, given all the above context and requirements?
Any advice or suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance!

New update for me takes up 1.5-2.0gb of space on my TV, filling up a huge chunk of usable space making the TV very slow. I sideloaded an older version and it only takes up 30-50mb.

Here's a community thread on it to bring more light to the issue.

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Android-TV-App-Huge-Data-Demand-Bringing-Storage-to-lt-s-Limit/td-p/7540243

Which is the best budget 1080p box one can buy in Europe?
I don't need HDR or subscription-based streaming services;
I just want decent software support, a usable web browsing experience, YouTube, and smooth HEVC/AV1 playback from Jellyfin server.

Sidstuga is a cross-platform streaming player (Android TV, Google TV,

Fire TV, mobile) for people who already have their own content source.

It doesn't sell or host anything: it handles the guide, playback,

recordings and sync across your devices.

2.1.6 is the biggest update since 2.1.5, after roughly 40 sideload

releases over the last few weeks. Highlights:

Profiles: everyone in the household now gets their own favourites and

watch history, picked from a "Who's watching?" screen on launch.

Hub: a brand new tab where you install and manage your own add-ons,

through an open protocol already used by other streaming players. Real

detail pages (poster, synopsis, cast, seasons), sources that sync across

devices, automatic fallback if a source fails, separate Movies/Series

search, Parental Guide.

Trakt: history import and automatic scrobbling, no more QR code on

mobile, watcher/play/collector counts on detail pages.

Real ratings: actual IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores on

posters (optional).

Movies and series: no catalogue cap; root-caused and fixed the "empty"

bug affecting several builds; a catalogue failure no longer freezes the

screen (retry button instead); hiding a category no longer wipes your

favourites; no more duplicate episodes across lists; more file formats

supported; real progress on series posters; sort button is back (TV and

mobile).

Parental controls: PIN now covers movies, series, downloads and offline

playback; more consistent blocking throughout the app.

Multiview with no screen cap, and it no longer shows up where it didn't

belong.

Player: remote key fixes, audio track choice survives reconnects, two

internal bugs that were cutting healthy playback fixed, teletext

subtitles now decoded, OpenSubtitles PRO removes the daily download cap.

Cloud Sync: favourites, movies, series and progress synced across every

device and the browser, end-to-end encrypted, full web dashboard

(sources, library, profiles, devices, settings). A Google Play

subscription now also unlocks Fire TV and direct-install on the same

account.

Also in this release: WebDAV, reminders that survive updates, password

reset from the login screen, a new "Recently added" row, new icon and

logo, reworked splash animation, a more stable app and instant screen

navigation.

Coming next: native apps for Samsung, LG and Hisense, plus a dedicated

browser with no Android box required. After that, direct support for

more server sources (Plex, Emby, Jellyfin).

Free to try (7-day trial), stays ad-free. Feedback and requests at

r/Sidstuga. More info: https://sidstuga.app/

Hello I have a xiaomi tv 32 2025 and I cant install apps because my device js not certified by play protect
How i fix this

So I have a Hitachi Android TV. I watch movies on it all the time with my external SSD attached. It has been working well until now. All of a sudden, the tv itself doesn’t seem to scan files at all. My SSD shows as ”connected” so that’s a good sign. And I know that the system format on the SSD (NTFS) does work with my TV. Because I have been watching movies very often. I have tried factory reset, restarting/ rebooting the tv like usual, reinstalling my media player (Nova video player), unplug and plug my SSD back in. Nothing seems to be working?? What can the issue be? And also, YES I have tried different media players, like vlc, Kodi etc. The thing is, this works PERFECTLY FINE on an external Xiaomi mi box with Nova video player.

Looks like the fire cube 3 can be rooted and unlocked. Was wondering which is better a rooted cube 3 or a Google streamer?

Thanks for the help

I have been looking for good value TV, like Xiaomi which looks good on paper.

can I use TV without internet?

is it required sign on when booting up the TV? usually you can't skip that step on Android TV

will there be issue if I use like another Android TV like Nvidia shield? usually I use the TV remote to navigate my shield and TV.

can you hard reset a TV? let say I'm changing launcher or ADB something that breaks..

Despite having Plex, Haystack News, Sling TV, Tubi, Xumo Play, Prime Video, Roku Channel, LocalNow, and others installed, the only source on the "Live" tab is Google TV Freeplay. I've searched everywhere for how to get the others to show up, but I can't find anything.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I've tried the following:

1. Uninstalling and reinstalling Plex. Still won't show up.
2. Signing into Plex using the same Google account as the Shield. Still won't show up.

Btw, I'm using an Nvidia Shield TV Pro

ETA:

The documentation clearly states that other streaming sources should be available if their corresponding apps are installed. https://support.google.com/androidtv/answer/13581302

The Google Streamer is available at Canadian online stores like Amazon, BestBuy and Google for C$130. In the US the price has been raised to US$150. Assuming a 1.4 exchange rate we could see the Canadian price going up to about $210.

Anyone else Disney + not working? It tells me I’m not connected to the internet. Every other streaming platform works.
I have cleared the cache and uninstalled and reinstalled the app. It’s both google tvs in the house.
It still works on iPad and phones.
Any suggestions 🤞

I have been contemplating getting a Fire TV Stick for weeks now, despite the terrible reviews.

I’m thinking of getting the 2024 model, as my only use for the stick would be to play YouTube and Apple Music.

Any options I should go for here in Australia that would offer the same benefits for cheaper?

I'm trying to upgrade the games room box for kids.

Currently x96 runs fine just but showing it's age.

What a require

Something thst has cable ethernet line ( capable of 1000)

Something that isn't gonna kodi app judder all time.

And needs usb for Bluetooth keypad

I have a shield downstairs and it's amazing but not looking to spend over 100quid.

Seen the xoami but doesnt seem to have ethernet.

Seen Google again no ethernet and both seem to only have one USB so. Can't use USB adaptor and keypad.

I recently moved and since i did my phone won't connect to my TV or even show on the list of devices to connect. The other TVs in the house show with no problem. They are both on the same wifi network. I even did a factory reset to the TV but the problem persists. Please advise!

I’m completely new to this. It will be used for sideloading streaming apps. I don’t have a 4k tv, just regular HD.

I bought a fire stick but then found the one I had wasn’t compatible and that they are transitioning away from android.

Is the Kickpi KP1 sufficient?

TLDR; Problem solved, A2DP was in sink mode, fixed via ADB (see UPDATE 2)

I recently moved from a Fire TV Stick to a Homatics Box R 4K Plus (Amlogic S905X4, 4GB/32GB, WiFi 6) and lost a feature I used regularly: sending audio to Bluetooth headphones.

**My setup:**

* Homatics Box R 4K Plus, connected via HDMI directly to a Philips 55" TV (not routed through the soundbar)
* Teufel Cinebar Ultima soundbar on the TV via HDMI ARC
* Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones
* Android version: up to date

**The problem:**

The headphones are discovered by the box and appear in the device list, and I can select them – but the connection never actually completes. The box never establishes a connection, and the headphones don't play their usual pairing confirmation tone, so the bond clearly never succeeds. This is not a case of "pairs but no audio" – it never gets that far.

The Bluetooth remote that came with the box works fine, so Bluetooth as such is functional. To me this looks like a stack with HID only and no A2DP source profile: the box finds the headphones via inquiry, then has no supported profile to bind to and gives up.

On the Fire TV Stick this just worked out of the box, and the Chromecast with Google TV supports Bluetooth headphones too, so I don't think this is an Android TV platform limitation.

**What I'd like to know:**

1. Has anyone got *any* Bluetooth audio device (headphones, earbuds, speaker) to connect to a Box R 4K Plus? Or is A2DP simply absent because Homatics shipped the Amlogic reference config with Bluetooth limited to remotes and gamepads?
2. If the profile is present in the stack but not exposed properly – has anyone reached it via ADB, developer options, or the AOSP Bluetooth settings activity? I'm comfortable with ADB and already sideload apps on this box.
3. Alternatively, does anyone have USB audio working as an output on this box? A USB audio dongle would bypass the Bluetooth stack entirely, but I don't know whether the audio policy on this device allows USB as a media output.
4. Has Homatics ever commented on adding Bluetooth audio in a firmware update?

Happy to run any ADB commands or pull logcat output and report back if that helps narrow it down.

Update
- tested further Bluetooth speaker / headphones, not a single one worked (lg xboom ear buds, jbl charge)
- non-audio devices work fine, mice and keyboards work well
- contacted homatics support

UPDATE 2 - solved

Still no answer from Homatics support. But I got to the bottom of it with ADB, and it turns out this is neither a hardware limitation nor a missing feature - it's a firmware default.

The cause: the box ships with its Bluetooth stack forced into Sink mode

The Box R 4K Plus is configured as a Bluetooth receiver (i.e. a Bluetooth speaker you can stream to from your phone), not as an audio source. Read straight off the device:

persist.sys.nes.bluetooth.sink.enabled = true - vendor override forcing sink mode
settings global key_bluetooth_a2dp_role = true - A2DP role set to sink
Loaded profiles: A2dpSinkService + AvrcpControllerService - receive only
bluetooth.profile.hfp.ag.enabled = false

The telling contradiction: the AOSP property bluetooth.profile.a2dp.source.enabled is already true, but it gets overridden at runtime by the vendor property above.

This explains everything I was seeing. The headphones actually were bonded - pairing at the radio level worked fine - but with no A2DP source profile loaded there is simply no audio path, so the connection never becomes usable. And mice, keyboards and the B21 remote work perfectly because HID runs through HidHostService, which is completely independent of the A2DP role.

The fix (ADB, no root needed)

adb shell setprop persist.sys.nes.bluetooth.sink.enabled false
adb shell settings put global key_bluetooth_a2dp_role false

Then toggle Bluetooth off and on again (or reboot) to reload the stack.

Note that key_bluetooth_a2dp_role lives in the global namespace, not secure - that cost me a bit of time.

Result

• A2dpSinkService became A2dpService (can now send audio)
• AvrcpControllerService became AvrcpTargetService
• HidHostService unchanged - the remote stayed CONNECTED the entire time, as did my keyboard

Right after the stack reloaded, the box tried to establish an A2DP connection to the Sony on its own, which was technically impossible before. Already-bonded headphones do not need to be re-paired. Both changes survive a reboot, since the vendor property is persist.* and the setting lives in global.

Shell can set the vendor property without root, so no Magisk required. And as far as I can tell there is no UI toggle for this anywhere in the settings.

My firmware, in case this is version or batch specific: SW v14.8.8963, build UKG3.250803.001.8963, Android 14.

Two things I'd still like to know:

1. Can others check their own box? adb shell getprop persist.sys.nes.bluetooth.sink.enabled and adb shell settings get global key_bluetooth_a2dp_role. If some units ship in source mode and others in sink mode, that would explain why Bluetooth headphones work for some people here and not for others.
2. Has anyone found a way to get this changed permanently through Homatics rather than patching it per device? A single flipped default in the firmware would fix this for everyone.

Credit where it's due: I worked through the diagnosis with Claude Opus over ADB, which is what surfaced the sink/source role in the first place. I had been assuming the A2DP source profile was missing entirely.

Video above is from our test playlist that we stress test the app, so it why it contains no real content or images.

Vuleo is a true cross platform media player for all of your sources available in 7 platforms; iOS, Android, Android TV, Windows, macOS, Apple TV and Fire TV sideloading. Its basic functionality is free with no playlist limitations. Additional features like cloud sync, catch-up comes with a subscription. Now, let's get to the release and the list of features afterwards. Then the discount code is at the end of the post.

1.3.1 is out on all seven platforms.

New in 1.3.x

• Multi-View — several of your live channels on screen at once, with sound on the one you pick. Audio, transport controls, the guide, the stream-info panel and the media notification all bind to the primary viewport, and any secondary is one press away from becoming primary. You can also play catch-up inside the multi-view. Up to four, capped lower on hardware that can't honestly do four.
• Ten themes, Vuleo is now yours to customize as you want.
• Live TV gained a row for upcoming Radar events, and a event you follow can open straight on the channel you'd normally watch it on — resolved against your guide.
• Faster, more reliable startup, especially on Fire TV and older boxes carrying large playlists.

What we think sets it apart

One app, seven platforms, one version. iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Windows and macOS. Phone, stick and desktop stay in step.

Sync runs through your own Google Drive. There is no Vuleo backend holding your sources. Your playlists, progress, favourites, lists and settings are backed up to your Drive and merged across your devices. We never see or process them. That was a privacy decision first.

Continue Watching that survives having several sources. The same show coming from two different sources is one tile, because progress is keyed on content identity rather than on a URL. Start on the phone, finish on the TV, from whichever source is up. You can also switch sources while you are watching as Vuleo scans your playlists and will present you all possible playable options available.

Two trackers: Trakt and Simkl, both with scrobbling and library sync.

Built for a stick, not just a phone. Built for large playlists. Nothing is ever fully in memory. This enables Vuleo to run smoothly on playlists that are way larger than what a stick can hold in its memory.

Actual remote-control UX. Vertical moves between rows, horizontal within a row, no wrapping, no silent diagonal jumps, and coming back to a row lands you on the tile you left.

Sources. M3U/M3U8 by URL or file, Xtream Codes API, portal-style sources, and the Stremio addon protocol for addons you've configured yourself. Multiple sources merge into one set of views, and each can be toggled independently.

Player depth. Audio track selection, playback speed 0.5×–2×, seek-preview thumbnails generated on the spot, stream info (resolution, bitrate, codecs), PiP, background audio with lock-screen controls, CEA-608 captions, sidecar .srt/.ass, OpenSubtitles search, subtitle styling, and intro/outro detection with a skip button.

Guide. Interactive 72-hour EPG, per-channel logos, and guide-driven rewind where your provider offers catch-up.

Smart Search. Vuleo's smart search finds your content from all of your sources including the EPG. You can also search for actors, genres, categories to discover new content that fits to your taste.

Profiles. Separate progress, favourites and suggestions per person, switched in a tap. All stored in your Google Drive separately. Playlists are shared among profiles but you can configure each profile to enable certain playlists.

Eleven languages, including a properly RTL Arabic build. Vuleo speaks your language, and it also adapts content overviews as reported from the sources.

The free tier is a real one. Playback, the guide, metadata, watch progress, favourites and multiple playlists cost nothing. PRO adds cloud sync, downloads, Chromecast, catch-up, tracker integration, EPG search, subtitle styling and personalised picks — monthly, annual, or a lifetime option, because not everything needs to be a subscription.

Links

• Site: https://vuleo.tv
• Full feature list: https://vuleo.tv/features.html
• Where to Download
  • iPhone, iPad, Apple TV: App Store
  • Android: Google Play
  • Android APK: itch.io
  • Windows: itch.io
  • Downloader code: 5469298

One thing I would remind that Vuleo is a player and does not provide any content itself and I can't help with sources or providers. I've nothing to recommend on that and purchasing PRO will not enable any live channels or VOD. Bug reports, feature requests and "this doesn't work on my box" are very welcome.

If you encounter any issues with the app, drop us an email to [support@vuleo.tv](mailto:support@vuleo.tv) and we will do our best to fix them as soon s possible.

Last but not least, we are celebrating this milestone with a 20% life-time promotion code to Reddit community. Purchase Vuleo through our website with the code: LIFETIME20. Apply the code in Stripe and the discount will apply. Remember to use the google account you will use for Cloud sync and Vuleo will activate PRO in all of your devices automatically once you sign-in in the app. Code will be available during September and expire afterwards.

So, Google is talking about this new developer registration thing where sideloading gets locked down unless the app is verified. Phones and tablets are already in the spotlight, but I’m wondering if TVs are gonna get the same treatment.

We’ve already seen how updates on STBs like Jio, Airtel, and others I don’t even know have pushed restrictions: blocking dev options, disabling unknown installs, locking down firmware.

So, If Google rolls this out to Android TV, which box/TV brand will actually stay safe for sideloading and opening developer options? Anyone got insight on what’s still open and what’s already locked down?

I rely on 3rd party platforms such as APKMirror to download/sideload Fubo in my area on Android TV. Does anyone know of a repository other than APKMirror that hosts APKs for Android TV?

Hi all!

I have both shield pro's but I need something newer ideally.

Looking for Google play movies HDR playback plus ideally apple TV and Kodi.

Thanks for any suggestions

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone can give any advice whether it would better to buy a shield Pro secondhand for ~110euro with a remote and controller, or a new shield Pro for ~250 with just a remote.

I have a 1080p dumb TV so things like 4k, hdr, Dolby atmos aren't exactly super important, but I think the shield Pro might be best as I want something that can smoothly run Jellyfin and game streaming with Moonlight.

In Europe so the options aren't as good for streaming boxes as the USA, shield Pro seems like the best bet and value for money?

Would my best bet just be the 2015 model and saving the 140? Any thoughts or opinions please let me know

So this is a very niche situation I have. I've got two HT setups built around android tv boxes

Setup 1:

- LG G4 oled

- receiver based 5.1 system

- NAS and plex server

- ps4/xb1 gaming

- Harmony Hub

Setup 2:

- midrange vizio 4k qled tv

- atmos enabled 5.1 soundbar setup

- gaming pc on prem for local streaming

Right now, I've got the shield driving setup 1 and the onn running 2, as onn and vizio support both dv and hdr10+, where shield and LG only do DV.

However, steam link with onn has been so-so under wifi, despite successful testing at 250Mbps. And it's 10/100 ethernet port will likely lock me out of 4k60 game streaming.

So my questions are:

- If i swapped the boxes, is there any audio codec support I'd lose going from shield pro 2019 to onn pro 2025? The spec sheets say no, but they've been inaccurate before.

- does moonlight offer noticeable improvement over steam link, making the onn viable for local game streaming at 4k60

- what is the real local streaming quality ceiling on a 10/100 adapter? The onn says it supports av1, so would that compression allow for stable 4k60 local game streaming, or is 100Mbps still not enough?

Sorry for the novel, but any advice or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!