I switched from Apple TV to Android TV – I found many features that I didn’t have before

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During the last years, the <a href="https://www.xataka.com/analisis/apple-tv-4k-2021-analisis-caracteristicas-precio-especificaciones">AppleTV</a> It has been my go-to media player on any TV and tvOS my go-to system for it.  And don't get me wrong, I still like it and actually still use it on occasion.  Nevertheless, <strong>having tried Android TV has made me obtain many advantages</strong> regarding the Apple device.

Even if you push me, I’d tell you that I actually have a much more pleasant experience than with other television systems I’ve tried, such as those from Samsung and LG. I’ll tell you next what are the strengths of android tv which, in my humble opinion, makes using it a great experience.

Shortcuts at the touch of a button on the remote control

Though taunted by many, the Siri Remote, as the Apple TV remote is officially called, was one of the great assets Apple devices had. Compact, comfortable and with a trackpad for easy scrolling. At first I was shocked to see the huge button from my television with Android TV.

But as the days went by, I got used not only to my hand, but also to my habits. I saw immediately how satisfying it was press the Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ button already in the remote. Convenient, easy and fast, because it works everywhere in the system.

However, it failed. In it I remembered Button Mapper’s appwhich is oriented exactly in customize all buttons on the remote. For example, I managed to index in the remote the apps I use most every day that didn’t have a custom button by default as mentioned above. The result: a miracle. I can even take screenshots!

recommendations, thank you

There are not a few critiques I’ve read about the Android TV and Google TV interface, and more specifically about the recommendation system. It’s true that they make the interface a bit more complex and less minimalistic than tvOS (Apple TV), but It has discovered great jewels for me and saved more than one night when I didn’t know what to see.

Series, movies, documentaries… The recommendations taken from Google TV seem appropriate to me. As always I didn’t like everything he recommended to me and sometimes I left it half way through. However, in most cases it has served me well. don’t waste time navigating between different streaming apps. I entrust it all to a striking cover and forward.

Consume my own content

On an Apple TV it is possible to send content via AirPlay from an iPhone, iPad or Mac. The Photos app also lets you play photos and videos synced by iCloud there. However, it is not allowed add content directly via an external USB stick or similar. On my Android TV, yes.

And this is something that I have greatly appreciated consuming content that I have stored on external drives. And yes, I know the option to create a local network and use a media player to play it on Apple TV. Anyway, the simplicity with which it is done on Android TV As a result, I ultimately see this section as another positive point in my experience of change.

Although surfing the internet on a TV is not comfortable, I can do it now

I think, and I think a majority do, that using the internet on a mobile phone is much more comfortable than on a computer. On a TV, it’s uncomfortable because there’s no trackpad or mouse to scroll, and typical features like bookmarks bars and others are lost. However, this does not prevent punctual it is useful for me.

In addition to downloading APKs, as I’ll tell you in the next section, the Android TV web browsers have allowed me to end up with some video content that can only be viewed over the internet. In tvOS I couldn’t do that unless I was using AirPlay with the iPhone. And it is that in the Apple system there is no way to install a browser.

Welcome to third-party (and trusted) APKs

It’s not that I’m a big fan of APKs. Not for security issues or anything, because knowing what’s being downloaded and where from should be no problem. I am not, because both the Apple App Store and the Android Google Play Store provide me with everything I need. Anyway, punctually I find an app that is not available there and it’s essential for me to be able to download it from a trusted repository.

Obviously, it is impossible to install this kind of application on the Apple TV. On Android TV and thanks to a web browser, it is possible to download APKs that will be installed on the system later. Of course, for this you need a file manager which I will tell you about in the last point.

Managing files is great

In accordance with what was said above, a system file manager will give you access to the downloaded APKs and proceed with their installation. Although in my case it is much more than that as I am one of those who loves browse all system folders and if I delete an app, for example, I make sure that no trace of it is left in these folders.

Similarly, I also think the idea of ​​having a file manager for have content in the internal storage of the TV, passing it precisely from external memory. Although, without my needing it, an app of this type is also essential for me to access the folders of that external storage device.

And, as you may have guessed, Apple TVs don’t allow you to manage internal files with these types of apps. Even the “Files” app that we have on iOS and iPadOS is not available on your operating system, while on android tv there are many apps that serve as file managers.

I still have an Apple TV, but not on my main TV

In closing to everything I’ve said, I have to say that I still have an Apple TV on the television that I have in the bedroom. That despite being ‘Smart’ doesn’t have such an intuitive operating system and the truth is tvOS still seems like an excellent system to me for media consumption.

However, on my main living room TV, which I use most, it wouldn’t cross my mind to use anything other than Android TV for all the benefits it has brought me. Y especially if i use an android mobileas the Apple TV works well with the iPhone (although also with limitations), but with Android it is not understood at all.

                     - <br /> The news

   <em> I've switched from Apple TV to Android TV - I found a lot of features that I didn't have before </em>

  was originally published in

   <strong> Xataka Android </strong>

        by Álvaro García M. .