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Think I use FLauncher, gets rid of ads on the home screen, and Smarttube for youtube. Instead of Netflix etc, I host my own plex server on my gaming pc for whenever I wanna watch some linux ISOs
this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2025
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I wish I could get those Linux ISOs through satellite tuner.
Smarttube
It's great and already installed.
I've never used the tuner/TV part of my sony x900f, only HDMI inputs and apps. Is google pushing ads to live tv now?
Not exactly like that but there are 20K+ ad TVs in the same list with the satellite ones which has only 400 channels. It is possible to switch to satellite only list but it always reverts so you have to do this every time. So I need either a separate app or the modified version of this current one. However it's possible that TV producers most likely don't open their SDKs so no one can create an app without reverse engineering.
- Invest in an Nvidia Shield
- Install LineageOS Android TV
I have two of these in the household, one of the best tech investments I made. No more homescreen ads.
I would install LineageOS if it was possible, there are no ROMs. I'm not even sure if the bootloader is unlockable.
With my android tv I put the main menu in "Apps Only" mode to cut down on the ads... There is still the main screen ad you cannot avoid but thats it.
Then i sideloaded SmartTube, which is youtube but it skips the ads for you.
I also have a Plex server i stream from.and update by torrenting shows to the server separately when theyre interesting enough. This takes more time and effort but is definitely worth it to have control over your media.
There are no ads in the UI (thanks to launcher) but the problem is not the ads. There are ad TVs in between the TV channels list, which you can switch to satellite list to lose them but it's not a default behaviour so every time you had to do this, which is not convenient. I also sideloaded SmartTube but was hoping to find an alternative to default TV app as well.
Oh sorry for misunderstanding. Its difficult to fathom watching scheduled programs anymore, but old habits do die hard. Best of luck to you.
Yeah they do. :) Personally I don't watch TV at all when I'm alone but this is my mother's TV. Also no problem! And thanks!
Projectivy launcher.
I'm not aware of an alternative TV App for android tv. On my android TV live tv is also wrapped within the android interface but other sources like HDMI inputs are not.
If you can switch to HDMI sources outside the android apps then maybe the best thing to do is get a separate basic satellite tuner device?
It seems shitty that google are effectively hiding your inbuilt tv tuner behind an app with all their advertising and other crap.
Yeah it sucks. I believe it shouldn't be hard to replace the default TV app but I couldn't find any alternative so maybe it is.
It is technically possible to use a separate tuner but my mother got this TV because she didn't want a separate box laying around in the first place. So I don't think she would want that. Personally I'm a home server guy but I don't want my mother to use her TV with Google's bullshit either.
I don't have traditional TV service so I'm unfamiliar with what "shit" Google is pushing through the TV app. However, if it's what I suspect (ads), a possible option would be using a local DNS server (like pi-hole or Unbound) to block Google domains on your TV.
It's worse. They add "personalized" ad TVs between the normal ones so these clutter the whole list. While it's technically possible to just use the satellite list, it's not a default behaviour and always revert to it when you switch to something else. While adding the domain on Pi-hole would solve the streaming part, it wouldn't solve the cluttering part sadly.
Idk if this helps, but I recently learned Plasma BigScreen is a thing.
Sadly it's unavailable while it is being re-worked, but I am really hoping it turns out to be good. It's not all too hard to find a cheap or free used/refurb PC that's good enough to play video on a TV
Sounds nice but does it work on Android, especially without a backend?
It won't work on Android, but you could probably replace Android or attach a mini PC.
Well, I need an all-in-one solution within this TV. Otherwise it's neat.
Deleted
Damn, my bad for mentioning a thing that may become relevant if they need new hardware.
I guess I’ll just leave them along with the other comments, which… suggest they’ll probably need new hardware.
By "default app" I assume you mean the launcher. Just google for "android tv launcher".
If by "plain satellite TV" mean using one of the input sources on the TV (like HDMI, component, RF etc.)... this is unrelated to the launcher and would still work regardless of which one you used.
No, I'm not looking for a launcher. For example this is FLauncher but it doesn't change the default TV app, it just changes the UI.
This is a built-in TV app along with the other apps where Google pushes things I don't want to see.
What "TV app" is this exactly? I've never seen or heard of that before, and none of my google/android TVs or dongles have anything like that.
Also what make and model TV is this?
They basically hid the satellite tuner behind this with an app and it's plagued with Google stuff. Now I have checked the app details and it says com.tcl.tv. It didn't occur to me before since I don't know any other Android TV, so thanks for this. That's nice to know. So what is the default TV app on standard Android TVs?
The TV is TCL P635 by the way.
By satellite do you mean like a dish physically plugged in with a cable? I wasn't aware of any "app" used for that on any TV... I just switch the input with the remote to like HDMI/component/RF/etc. and the normal android tv interface goes away completely.
Exactly. The DVB-S tuner is included in the TV. There is indeed input switch that includes HDMI 1,2,3 and AV and yet they made the TV input only accessible through an app.
Not sure about that launcher as I use Projectivy launcher, but I have the ability to hide certain apps. On it, my home screen only has the apps I use, nothing else no ads no "suggestions"
Launcher is not the problem here. The built-in TV app is the problem, as you cannot watch satellite without it and I couldn't find alternatives for it. So it's not possible to remove those "suggestions" from the whole TV list.
I think you need a different hardware solution entirely. If your goal is satellite, get a dedicated satellite box and feed it directly to you air gapped TV, and switch HDMI like the olden days.
No android box that supports streaming (with associated DRM and therefore bullshit) will offer true privacy. If you don't care about streaming and want to integrate satellite into your own selfhosted content, try mini PC with an openELEC variant that supports multiple input, or use an AVR to feed multiple sources into it.
Well, technically it's my mother's TV and I'm trying to find a solution for the useless and infuriating parts of it. I installed SmartTubeNext for Youtube for example. But this default TV app is plagued with Google's bullshit. The older TV had a satellite box and at least it didn't have these problems. I suggested a custom Android box previously where I was gonna install a custom ROM but she didn't want it, so I have to improvise.
Satellite TV is transmitted as DVB-S. Normally the TV itself does not decode it, but an external box.
How is the Satellite signal getting to your TV?
Yeah, the older TV had a separate box for it but that's included in this one. Just plugged into the cable that connects to satellite dish.
Maybe I don't know enough of this, but would it be possible to install Kodi and use that and it's plugins for satellite? Plex also had this, and maybe Jellyfin is a good option?
In that way, you can show your satellite channels but in their interface.
Maybe that can do the trick?
Actually I was hoping to use KODI but apprently it needs a backend server to reach Live TV which doesn't work on Android. Needs a self-hosted solution. Same thing with Jellyfin or Plex.
Nintendo switch (w/ dock) with android installed buggy but daily drivable, you can get it with or without gapps. (You need to homebrew the switch first)