Android TV?

[Jim99]

Has anyone bought one of the TVs with Android built in?

Is it as good / better than TV + FireTV? I seem to use Android via Chromecast / FireStick far more often than any of the built-in TV features these days, so wondering whether it's a decent move or a bit of a fad.

Seems with a lot of these devices the specs / capabilities become a bit irrelevant as experiences in real life can vary so much from what it ought to be!

 

[Avalon]

For so many reasons a dedicated device is always better. TV OEM's are frankly dire at maintaining products with updates and once they're not current (read this year or last) then you've got even less chance. A dedicated device of the type you describe is easily replaced, 'smart' tv's tend to be anything but and get left behind very quickly in terms of technology.

 

[Nocky24]

I have to say I quite like the Android OS on my Sony W755C and using it for Chromecast via my iPad or Galaxy S4 is a breeze. However, as Avalon rightly says, don't expect too much longevity out of TV operating systems due to the poor support and update schedules (Sony have been shockingly bad at releasing updates). If you're buying a TV, always opt for picture quality above everything - any other nice features are simply a bonus. For me it was between the H6400 or W755C/W805C. I went with the latter as I preferred the PQ (this is of course very subjective).

 

[TheVoice]

I wouldn't go looking for an Android TV specifically; find a TV you like, and if it has Android consider it a (minor) bonus.

The app support is crap, it works great for casting music, YouTube etc from a phone to the TV but there's not much else to do with it on its own and even Google and Sony's own apps aren't particularly good.

 

[Columbo]

Got a Nexus Player myself and its the best single device I've ever had (there's been a lot!). XBMC, Plex, Netflix, youtube, BT Sport etc as well as loads of other stuff just works straigtht from the Play Store without rooting, sideloading or any type off messing.

Its got a Chromecast built in, got Marshmallow 6.0 last week and wakes from sleep in about 1 second. One of the best media purchases I've ever made as long as you don't need loads of local storage.

 

[Jim99]

That's a bit of a shame, but not totally unexpected. I think Nexus Player / FireTV might remain my go to option for now.