Items tagged with Android TV
Smart TVs are hot ticket items this year for Black Friday, and it’s easy to see why. Prices have dropped dramatically on large screen panels, with 4K TVs measuring as big as 65 inches falling well below the $300 mark. This is good news for folks out there that don’t have a lot of money to burn, and just want the most bang for the buck when it comes to screen size and decent image quality. While we could spend all day laying out deals on high-end QLED or OLED panels that retail for $1,000, $2,000 or even $3,000+, we’re going to focus on budget Smart TVs offering under $500 that should still be pleasing to all but the most upper-crust pixel snobs. Insignia 32-inch Fire TV...
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TCL Android TVs have been crowding retail stores since their initial launch earlier this year. The Chinese-manufactured TVs have been a “budget-option” that works well enough for most and is a steal compared to the competition. When you get a TCL 65” TV for $229, though, is cybersecurity at the top of your mind? If not, you are in for a surprise. Security researcher and hacker SickCodes seems to be a jack-of-all-trades, continually poking at devices to see what exploits he can find. At the end of September, he looked at “low-end Android boxes,” things such as TV sticks, boxes, Smart TVs, and Android TVs. As he explains, they are all basically “like a little...
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Google is supposedly giving their Chromecast an upgrade with an announcement coming at Google Launch Night In. The Google dongle is getting a full Android TV interface and some new buttons on the controller making it more versatile for users. In June, we reported on a leak of the new Chromecast codenamed Sabrina. Previously, the Google Chromecast was mainly a device for casting videos from device to a TV, but now it will come with a controller. The dongle itself is not all that interesting, as the hardware has not changed much. The controller, on the other hand, has gotten some new features since June that are worth a look. Leaked Image From June Looking at the leaked renders from WinFuture,...
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In the Smart TV space, Roku has established itself as the global leader with a wide range of supported apps, affordable dongles that can be attached to any TV, and deep penetration with top-selling TV brands like TCL. However, Google’s Android TV platform has been around for a few years and is looking to take some of the sting out of Roku and to a certain extent, Amazon’s Fire TV platform. Google announced today that the number of monthly active users for Android TV have skyrocketed by 80 percent during the last year. The company says that it’s currently working with 7 out of the top 10 Smart TV OEMs to ensure that consumers are able to experience Android...
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Back in early May, we heard rumors that Google was looking to perform a complete redesign of the Android TV user interface (UI), and lower hardware requirements for OEMs to better compete with Roku. According to the previous reporting, Google was looking to make the UI more conducive to discoverability for movies and TV shows. One of the first new devices to debut with the new Android TV UI has now leaked thanks to the fine folks over at XDA-Developers. Developed under the codename Sabrina, Google's new Android TV device takes on the form of a dongle that plugs into the back of your television. And unlike previous Chromecast devices that rely solely on a smartphone to control,...
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When people want to watch a movie or TV show, most don't care where the show comes from as long as they can easily find the content they want. A rumor is going around that claims a big update is coming for Android TV that will focus on making the actual "discovery" process for movies and shows easier for users, while deemphasizing the current app-based experience. Currently, Android TV has rows of content that are sourced from apps that are marked on the left side of the screen. To browse content in-depth requires the user to interact with those third-party apps. After the redesign, Android TV will be similar to what Amazon offers on its Fire TV platform. Google is reportedly in talks with major...
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Google and Amazon haven’t exactly been on good terms in recent years. The two have been duking it out in the streaming world, and the rivalry got so bad that Amazon refused to sell Google streaming hardware, while Google wouldn’t allow the YouTube app to be installed on Amazon Fire TV devices. Those specific tensions have been settled over the past year, but there is still bad blood between the two companies lurking under the surface. A new report from Protocol indicates that Google is currently holding back the growth potential of Fire TV Edition smart TVs due to contractual agreements that it has entered into with its Android TV partners. According to the report,...
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The NVIDIA SHIELD TV is widely regarded as the best media streaming device on the market. In addition to offering high-performance, access to a massive repository of 4K streaming services and apps, and leading-edge features that some competitors have only just recently caught up with, the SHIELD TV gives users access to GeForce NOW and game streaming capabilities from a GeForce-enabled PC. There is a growing library of native AAA Android games too, along with a myriad of casual games as well. And that's not to mention the huge community of enthusiasts that use the SHIELD TV to emulate a multitude of consoles and retro arcade machines from yesteryear. Whether using it right out of the box or side-loading...
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Most people have probably never heard of the International Broadcasting Convention that is held in Amsterdam each year. This convention is along the lines of CES or MWC, but the International Broadcasting Convention focuses on the TV industry. Google has attended the conference for years and was there again this year to talk about its Android TV ecosystem for 2019 and beyond. Some of the items that the roadmap lists are good things and others sound like annoyances that Android TV device users won't appreciate. For Android 10 this year, the roadmap lists things like an Assistant for operators EAP, or early access program, that is a place that allows companies to customize the Assistant with new...
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The Android TV market has been growing lately, and Google Senior Director of Product Management for Android TV, Shalini Govil-Pai, has announced that new devices are coming soon. She stopped short of naming any products that are on the way, but did take the time to brag about the app ecosystem for Android TV devices. Govil-Pai said that Android TV now has 5,000 apps available for the platform. The 5,000 app number is a significant gain from last year when the platform had only 3,000 apps available. The huge growth in app availability is thanks to the substantial increase in users for Android TV over the last few years says Govil-Pai. Google has been mum on user numbers for Android TV for a while,...
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Cord cutters out there who also want to play the occasional video game have a great option for both with the NVIDIA SHIELD TV. During the holiday shopping season, the 4K TV streamer was on sale with discounts that gave about $30 off the device. If you missed those deals, Amazon is offering discounts on several SHIELD TV bundles matching those holiday discounts. Amazon is offering the SHIELD TV Gaming Edition that includes the remote and a gaming controller for $168; that is a discount of $31.99 off the regular $199.99 retail price. If you don't want to play any games on the device, you can get the SHIELD TV with the remote for $149, a $30 discount off the regular $179 price. A SHIELD...
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We all know the NVIDIA SHIELD TV to be one of the best 4K media streamers on the market. With the power of the Android TV platform, the SHIELD TV gives you access to Android apps, popular streaming services (like Netflix and Amazon Video), and even allows you to play games with a dedicated wireless controller. However, the SHIELD TV's gaming prowess is about to get a lot better thanks to the addition of GeForce NOW support. NVIDIA announced today that GeForce NOW will be coming to the SHIELD TV "in the very near future". GeForce NOW is already available in beta for PC and Mac platform, and allows you to stream AAA game titles to your system (even if it isn't spec'd out with...
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Harman has announced that JBL and Google are working together to develop the JBL Link Bar. At a glance, the Link Bar looks just like any other soundbar you might sit on the entertainment center near the TV, but this sound bar has some other cool features that are firsts for the market. Google talked the device up ahead of the Google I/O developer conference in California this week. This is the first soundbar in the industry that is powered by Android TV and has Google Assistant integration. The big deal with this device is that it allows folks with a perfectly good TV or a home theater projector setup to add both features without having to replace the TV or projector. All the JBL Link needs is...
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The FCC is often a good place to get a glimpse of a new gadget before it gets official. This is exactly what has happened with an alleged new Google-branded device that looks like a beefed-up Chromecast that has landed on the FCC for testing. What we know of the device thanks to the FCC is that it runs Android TV and comes with a remote control. The manufacturer of the device is listed as Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. Ltd. and the model number printed on the materials is SN5B6AD. We know the device will support 4K resolution thanks to the identifier the FCC uses "4K ATV Stick." The helpful Google Assistant is built into the device. The manual for the device calls out a quad-core Amlogic S905X SoC...
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NVIDIA has announced that it has pre-orders kicking off today for a 16GB SHIELD TV (you can read our review here) bundled with the just SHIELD remote for $179, which represents a $20 price break. NVIDIA does still offer the version with the remote and a game controller for $199. For people needing more than 16GB of internal storage space, you can also get the SHIELD Pro with 500GB of storage for $299. SHIELD TV does offer a USB port for expanding storage if 16GB isn't enough, but you don't want to drop the cash for the 500GB Pro version. At the new $179 price point, the SHIELD TV does still support console quality game streaming and you can add the controller later if you want to play games....
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NVIDIA announced an updated SHIELD TV bundle back at the Consumer Electronics Show, which offers a host of new features thanks to some fresh hardware and an Android Nougat based OS upgrade. The updated SHIELD TV, however, isn’t totally new. Internally, the device was still packing NVIDIA’s Tegra X1 SoC like the original, which, even after a couple of years on the market, is still an exceptionally strong performer. The new SHIELD TV also has the same memory and base storage configurations, and the SHIELD Remote is similar too. However, NVIDIA significantly shrunk down the chassis by eliminating accommodations for an internal hard drive, and lopped the micro-SD expansion slot off the machine as...
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If you have been looking for a new media streamer, now may be the time to take the plunge. The Android-based SHIELD TV is now available for pre-order and NVIDIA claims that it “delivers unmatched experiences in streaming, gaming and AI”.NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang remarked, “SHIELD TV is the world’s most advanced streamer. Its brilliant 4K HDR quality, hallmark NVIDIA gaming performance and broad access to media content will bring families hours of joy. And with SHIELD’s new AI home capability, we can control and interact with content through the magic of artificial intelligence from anywhere in the house”. SHIELD TV offers the widest array of 4K options and claims to provide three...
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It’s been nearly a year since NVIDIA first launched its Tegra X1-powered SHIELD console. Since that time, SHIELD has been upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow and received nearly a dozen software updates and features enhancement to keep it up to date. But as its first birthday rolls around, NVIDIA is ready to drop some new software goodness on SHIELD owners. NVIDIA will soon be releasing SHIELD Experience Upgrade 3.2, which will bring with it (among other things) support for the VUDU app. In fact, SHIELD will be the only Android TV device to support the VUDU app and the 4K content library that it will bring. A number of additional apps will be available for the platform including Spotify, WatchESPN,...
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Razer today confirmed reports that it has acquired OUYA's software assets, including its content catalog and online retail platform. As part of the deal, OUYA's technical team and developer relations staff will join the software team at Razer and begin working on a long-term plan for its Android TV efforts, including Android-based consoles. The acquisition is a play for software and personnel only -- Razer did not buy OUYA's hardware or other related assets. However, the company does plan to publish Android TV content and Android-based TV console games under the OUYA brand as a separate interest. "Razer has a long-term vision for Android TV and Android-based TV consoles, such as the Xiaomi Mi...
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Over the past few months, we’ve covered a number of details related to today’s launch of the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV device. It was back in March during GDC that we were first able to show you the Tegra X1 powered SHIELD Android TV (then refered to as the SHIELD Console). And it was earlier in the year at CES when NVIDIA unveiled the Tegra X1 SoC itself, along with a number of X1-based automotive products. To recap a bit, the Tegra X1 features a Maxwell-derived GPU and eight CPU cores; four ARM A57 cores and four A53s. The A57 cores are 64-bit, out-of-order designs with multi-issue pipelines, while the A53 cores are simpler, in-order, highly-efficient designs. Which cores are used will depend...
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Google's Chromecast took a big step deeper into the mainstream with its recent 27946 firmware update, adding the ability to pause and resume video playback via your television remote. No longer will users need to yank out their phone (or worse — gasp! — put fingers to computer keyboard) to affect simple Start/Stop control. The new functionality reportedly works with YouTube, and with such apps as WatchESPN, HBO Go, Allcast, iPlayer, TuneIn, and Plex, among others (though Netflix users are out of luck, as of this writing). It is Chromecast's integration of HDMI protocol extension HDMI-CEC that is responsible for the device's increasing couch-friendliness. This protocol extension is able...
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NVIDIA just wrapped up an event in San Francisco, where the Game Developers Conference (GDC) is currently underway. The company unveiled a new Android TV streamer, game console, and supercomputer as NVIDIA’s Jen Hsun Huang calls it, all wrapped up in a single, ultra-slim device—the new NVIDIA SHIELD. The NVIDIA SHIELD Console And Wireless SHIELD Controller In the lead-up to tonight’s event, an invitation from NVIDIA’s CEO was sent out with the title “Made To Game”, claiming that the product that would be shown was “more than 5 years in the making” and that it would “redefine the future of gaming”. That five year development cycle surely harkens to more than just the SHIELD device itself....
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