The Sony brand produces TVs with the Android operating system for convenient synchronization of programs with gadgets and expanded functionality of the television system. Applications for Sony electronics are downloaded from Google Play Market in the same way as software for smartphones.
It is advisable to do this directly on the TV screen, since Sony electronics immediately displays programs that the system recognizes. When installing applications on TV from media, there is no guarantee that Android TV will recognize the software. Below we suggest looking at 10 programs that are worth installing on your Sony TV right now.
#1: Megogo
The application is available for all smart TVs and media players, including Android and Apple TV. This is software for comfortable viewing of movies and broadcasts.
The first thing users note after downloading Megogo is the impeccable video format. The videos are automatically adjusted to fit the screen size. You can watch movies in Full HD, UHD, 4K, HDR and even 3D.
The second advantage is convenient monitoring of new products. You no longer need to use a torrent, move movies to a flash drive, or connect the media to your TV. With Sony Android TV Wi-Fi alone is enough to make your evening unforgettable.
Review of true Android TV using the example of Sony 55w807c
I decided to combine a review of the TV and Android TV into one article. It’s hard to separate them (where is Sony’s customization, and where are Google’s native features). The wait for Google or Sony to stop cutting budgets and find money for a review of Android TV can apparently be endless. I bought this device a month ago when moving, so geeky people should listen to what Google is bringing to us without the marketing tinsel. Let's start with the device and move on to the sweets.
Design
Minimalistic. Aluminum frame, status diode (on/off) can be disabled in the menu. At the bottom rear there is a protrusion - the electronics unit. External power supply: 100W 19v. The set includes spacer bolts for wall mounting (align the back wall into a plane). There were no such things in the LG 650 series, it was bolted on with Leroy.
55 inches, 1080p
Many people have a question: what about UHD?
I started my search by turning on the 4k filter on the Yandex market. But plunging into the topic, I unchecked it. 1) There is no 4K content, well, everyone knows that. Why not? It turns out that the movie bosses still can’t settle the standards, they agree on codecs, on HDR (extended color/brightness range). And when they agree, current TV will turn into a pumpkin. And while codecs can be bypassed with an external player, HDR is not possible. 2) at a distance of 2 meters or more, you need to take 4k 65 inches and above. The price tag becomes noticeable, and taking into account point 1, the money will go a little down the drain, which is not good. Dependence of diagonal on distance and resolution (for average human angular resolution of the eye)
3) The processors in many TVs have not yet caught up with the power resolution (melting with scaling). Everything is already debugged at 1080p.
Matrix *VA
The general leitmotif now is:
- IPS - for cartoons and watching TV shows.
- *VA for movie lovers.
This is a general rule, there are exceptions.
Since the *VA matrix is 3D active (shutter glasses). No glasses included. The illumination from below, judging by the thermal imager, two electronics boards also contribute to the heating. Seek thermal
Input lag of just over 30 ms
TVs from Sony have been branded as the “best buy” for game consoles for several years now. This year they got a little worse by the way, last year the 55w828b had a reference time of about 20 ms.
One of the best swimmers on the market.
And this year you can customize it even more, we made even more parameters (insert a black frame, etc.) for editing.
Remote control
In principle, everything is in place, but it is light and the weight distribution is 50:50 - when you take it blindly, in 50% of cases you take it upside down and it “doesn’t plow.”
Wifi
Yes, but I trust the wires more; I can’t tell you how to handle stability.
Bluetooth
Supports 3D glasses and a joystick from PS4, it seems that the keyboard and mouse will work (I haven’t checked).
Price
I took it for 73 rubles, a variable value lately.
This year, Sonya switched to the Mediatek platform in her TV. No, so what? If Android, then why should the chipsets be different from mobile phones? And then the review begins of more AndroidTV than Sony hardware.
Why did Google's previous attempt to enter the TV market fail - there was a separate operating system, its own market, etc. This time everything is different: it’s a regular vanilla Android 5.0 with a customized Google launcher (under 4 arrows, Home, Enter, Back). The same market as on mobile/tablet, only the list of applications is still small - not all applications have been approved for access to this part of the market. But what we have now already covers most of the needs (I will describe the main applications below).
First start
The first turn on is very long - 5-7 minutes exactly. Like a mobile phone out of the box. The initial setup application starts. Subsequent reboots occur faster, about a minute. To force reboot the TV, you need to hold down the on/off button on the remote control for 10 seconds.
I turn off the TV... Do I turn it off?
Now the on/off button works like on a mobile phone, it turns off the screen and puts all processes to sleep. Accordingly, turning on and off does not take even a second. Here are the energy consumption measurements:
The TV is loaded and turned off. from remote control, 16W
The TV is loaded, the tunein application is running, the screen is off, 29W
Regular TV, 72W
View white jpg at max brightness, 92W
And this sleep mode + Google Cust really works magic, compared to other screen mirroring prosthetics (Miracast, WiDI, etc.).
What is their main problem? You need to turn on the TV (look for the remote control, select input) and continue. Android TV in standby is visible in the mobile application, one click - the TV wakes up and continues to play a video from YouTube, or a Google Music album. This is cooler than chromecast - for it to work you need to turn on the TV and select the hdmi input. In the new scenario, the mobile is in charge, and the TV is its appendage. I found a video of “Masha and the Bear” on my mobile phone, one button and the picture went on TV. Video showing how it works with Chrome. Vert orientation, not for the faint of heart
Launcher
Sections of the home screen from top to bottom: - recommendations from all applications (applications from which recommendations are available are configured) - recommendations of the applications themselves (this is slag, apparently Sony has some kind of percentage from these applications or they paid for placement. I haven’t used any of them) - inputs ( customizable, which inputs to show, what names to call) - applications (Google Market right there) - service (settings, help, firmware update)
Screen
Terrestrial TV
An ordinary antenna produces a quite tolerable picture.
TuneIn
First place in total time of use as background music, the option to turn off the screen is very useful here.
Screen
KODI (xbmc)
The best media player. Generations of Smart TV users dream of watching movies from SMB network shares and now it has happened (unexpectedly). A DLNA server is not needed, although it plays from it too. Out of the box there is a problem with right click. You need to install Add-on:Keymap Editor - from the native repository, then in 30 seconds the context menu is mapped to the i+ button on the remote control.
Screen
GoogleMarket
If we have entered our Google credentials, then the Market is available to us. The look is unusual, there are not many applications yet.
Screen
SPB TV
Internet TV, many channels. The picture quality is noticeably better than from an over-the-air antenna.
Screen
ES Explorer
It also sees network shares, we need it for the next point
Screen
Make me not safe
As in regular Android - go to the settings, check the box to install applications from the wrong sources and off we go... Download any application from the market to a flash drive or network share. Find and launch via ES Explorer. Profit. You can also play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.tv.sideloadlauncher&hl=ru
AnTuTu Benchmark
Well, why not?
21,000 parrots
Details
Useful stuff
— Action Menu button on the remote control. At any time, it draws an overlay for the menu for selecting picture settings and turning off the screen.
— Discovery button on the remote control. In any running application, it draws a “quick menu” overlay. The composition is being customized, I left a list
favorite channels
and
applications
— screensaver If you do not touch the TV on the homescreen for a while, a slideshow with very good photos begins.
Screen
— sound Simultaneously outputs sound both through optics and to the speakers (usually on TVs one thing works and you have to switch through the depths of the menu). I have wireless headphones through optics, it’s very convenient - I pressed mute and covered my ears. I've seen complaints on foreign forums about a problem with optical sound (either pass-through or something else - if anyone knows, please clarify in the comments, I haven't encountered it) with Android TV.
PS - Why true
Android TV in the title?
There was a review of Philips TV on Android 4.2.2. geektimes.ru/company/mvideo/blog/246754, but it has nothing to do with Android TV from Google. This is a self-written shell with a regular market; philips doesn’t care how applications for a wheelbarrow with a remote control work (hence, by the way, a lot of negativity on Android “sort of” TV). Update
Whose TV freezes on a TV broadcast without sound when turned on after a long period of inactivity (bent in). Solution: you need to go to settings - network connections and turn off the ability to wake up on the network.
#2: Google Music
The functionality of the program is similar to the previous one - monitoring of new products. With Google Play Music, forget about USB cables and SD drives. Everything you need is already online. Just turn on the application on the screen, find the desired author (you can select from the list or use the search bar) and play. You can create your own playlists and use them at any convenient time.
The only condition for using the application is a paid platform. Google Play provides beginners with a 90-day trial period, after which they need to subscribe. You can listen to each music album (excerpts of songs) before purchasing. The cost of 1 track is about 10 rubles. Prices for albums range from 50-80 rubles. Payment is made only once, after which the user has lifetime access to the tracks.
Solving the problem with Wi-Fi...
There are several ways to solve the Wi-Fi problem. I think the most correct way is to use a wired network. Only a wire will ensure smooth playback of any video over the network. If you do not have the opportunity to use a wired connection, then we can recommend using a pair of PowerLine adapters that support the HomePlug AV standard.
They will cost a little more than 2,000 rubles, and will allow you to organize a network with a transmission speed of up to 200 Mbit/s over regular electrical wiring. This is also a fairly reliable and effective solution that does not require configuration. When choosing this connection method, you need to consider only three points:
- Communication can only be organized if two adapters are connected to the same electrical phase (and in most apartments all sockets are on the same phase);
- Adapters must be connected directly to the outlet, without the use of filters, voltage stabilizers and uninterruptible power supplies;
- If neighbors on the same phase turn on a drill or some other device that causes electrical interference in the network, the connection speed will drop.
If you absolutely want to use Wi-Fi, then I recommend using an external Wi-Fi adapter connected to the Ethernet port of the set-top box. Wi-Fi repeaters can perform this function, but I recommend using a regular home router that supports operation in adapter mode. Why? Inexpensive models of Wi-Fi repeaters will not give the desired effect. The controller they use is not much different from the one in the console. As for the router, everything here also depends on the model. I use the Keenetic Ultra router, which connects via Wi-Fi to the main Keenetic Ultra II router.
Keenetic Ultra is not the cheapest Wi-Fi router, but I don’t have another. It is interesting, first of all, with its support for two Wi-Fi bands in a 2x2 configuration, which, in combination with powerful antennas, allows you to get speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s.
So, to implement this scheme, you need to switch the Keenetic Ultra router to adapter mode. To do this, just select the desired mode in the appropriate section of the menu. After this, the router will reboot and the user will only have to establish a Wi-Fi connection to the main Keenetic Ultra II router. The easiest way to do this is using the WPS button. Pressing this button once on both routers will establish communication in the 2.4 GHz range, double pressing in the 5 GHz range. Please note that when using Keenetic routers in adapter mode, the user can connect up to five wired devices to it simultaneously. For example, this could be an Android TV Box, PlayStation, TV and any other devices.
The effect of using an external Wi-Fi adapter largely depends on the capabilities of the main router. If you are using a simple, cheap router, then most likely you will not notice a noticeable improvement. In my case, the main and additional routers fit together perfectly. This made it possible to increase Wi-Fi speed in the 2.4 GHz range to 80 Mbit/s, while the built-in Wi-Fi showed no more than 35 Mbit/s.
As you can see, the increase in speed made it possible to use any online cinema without any problems, including Rubox Kino (FS Videobox), where you can watch movies in original quality with a bitrate of about 10-15 Mbit/s. In addition, I was able to play heavier rips and remixes over the network with a bitrate of 17-25 Mbps. But for heavier films, for example, Blu-Ray images, 80 Mbit/s was not enough. Here it is necessary to switch to the 5 GHz band.
Above, I noted that the 5 GHz band allows you to increase Wi-Fi speed to 160-200 Mbit/s. However, in the case of Rubox Lite, the speed will be limited to a hundred megabit Ethernet port. I was able to get a stable 93 Mbps. But this is more than enough to play any video, including BD images. At the same time, the buffer in the Vidon XBMC player (paid version of KODI with support for Blu-Ray, BD3D and HD audio) does not fall below 30%, guaranteeing absolutely smooth video playback over the network.
I recommend using a Wi-Fi bridge only for the 5GHz band, but it’s not cheap, especially if you use two Keenetic Ultra routers. To save money, we can recommend the Keenetic Extra router. It also supports the 5 GHz band, but is equipped with hundred megabit LAN ports. At the same time, Extra will cost 3,800 rubles. For Rubox Lite this is what you need.
Finishing the conversation about network features, I would like to touch on the topic of periodic loss of network connection, which some users have discovered. At some point, the player may lose the network and to restore it, you need to reset the device. After a short analysis, we managed to find out that this problem arises mainly due to a crooked DHCP server in cheap routers, which for some reason sometimes loses the Android device. Of course, we can’t write off the Android DHCP client, which is also not ideal. But be that as it may, the easiest and most effective way to solve this problem is to register a static IP address. This can be done both in the settings of the set-top box and in the settings of the router.
#3: GT Racing 2
This is a racing simulator that you can play with a team. The game is free, the graphics are realistic. What makes the game special:
- more than 70 licensed cars and 13 racing tracks;
- a wide selection of realistic cars from famous brands (more than 25 options);
- Real driving skills are required, as the game has strict traffic rules;
- the player can test his skills in more than 1300 races;
- competitions online.
The game physics is impeccable: weather conditions, climate, time of day change. There are 4 racing modes: you can change the external and internal design of the car.
The truth about torrent television...
Torrent TV is the second service that attracts the attention of potential buyers. This is a non-commercial service that provides free access to more than 500 TV channels in original quality. In order to watch Torrent TV, you need to install (Rubox Lite has everything already installed) two applications:
Torrent Stream Controller (TSC) is a convenient, updated list of channels sorted by topic. The application is free, but to expand its capabilities you can pay a little money (299 rubles per year or 799 rubles forever). This won't add more channels, but it will add a few useful features, such as the ability to create a favorites list, use the program guide, and choose the default player to watch SD or HD channels. I'm using the paid version. It's much more convenient.
Please note that you will not find TSC in any app store. It must be installed from the APK package from the developer’s website https://www.vidsoftware.ru/.
ACEStream Engine is a background application that receives parameters for downloading a torrent stream received from TSC, downloads the stream into a buffer and transfers it to the player. This application is completely free. It is installed automatically the first time you try to watch any channel on TSC. I note that ACEStream Engine can not only work in tandem with TSC, but can also play torrent movies without downloading them to a local drive.
In addition to these two applications, a software player is required to watch Torrent TV. You can use any available player, including those we use to watch movies, but the service developers recommend using VLC. It's really not a bad player, but I use MX Player or BS Player more often. In general, choosing a player is a purely individual task. I recommend trying different players and understanding which one works best in your conditions.
At first glance, it may seem that Torrent TV, with its five hundred free channels, once and for all solves the problem of choosing an application for watching television channels. But after trying it, users are faced with an unpleasant problem - slowdown or stopping of broadcasts. Let's figure out why this happens?
Torrent TV uses the same principles as regular torrents. There are those who distribute television channels from their satellite receiver or IPTV receiver. They are called broadcasters. Other users, using the ACEStream Engine, connect to their distribution and become peers distributing the broadcast of this channel. The more distributors, the higher the download speed, and even less, sometimes this does not help to avoid slowdown, and sometimes even a complete shutdown of one or another channel. What's the matter? The fact is that broadcasters are the most ordinary people who use the most ordinary computers connected to their home Internet channel and a regular outlet. It is clear that in such cases it is not possible to guarantee 100% operation of the equipment. There are a variety of possible reasons: from a banal blackout to problems with the speed of the Internet channel. Personally, I just put up with it. Lately, such situations do not arise often, and among more than 500 channels you can always find something interesting. If you are not ready to put up with such features, then you should try alternative options for watching television programs on an Android set-top box.
No.6: 500 PX
This is a social network of photographers. By installing this application on Sony Android TV, you can enjoy the masterpieces of world creators in HD quality and upload your works. This software is suitable not only for those who want to become famous thanks to their photographs, but also for those who simply like to get caught up in beautiful photos on the Internet. Also, with the help of 500 PX, you can regularly select high-quality wallpapers for your desktop, find friends around the world and trade pictures.
Online video slows down...
After watching our favorite channels on YouTube, we move on to exploring the possibilities of online cinemas, and note that not all videos play smoothly. What's the matter? Perhaps it’s a weak processor or crooked firmware, or maybe you should have bought a set-top box with more memory? Definitely not, the speed of the processors used in modern Android TV Boxes is more than enough to play even very heavy videos. For example, the power of the budget Amlogic S805 processor, which is used in Rubox Lite, is even enough to play heavy Blu-Ray images. In this case, only two out of four cores are used. You need to understand that when playing video, the main load falls on the hardware video decoder of the processor, which can easily cope even with the resource-hungry H.265 codec. As for the small amount of memory or possible firmware glitches, having tested a huge number of set-top boxes, I can say with full responsibility that I have never encountered this in any way affecting the video playback capabilities. What then is the reason for the slowdown when watching online videos? There may be several reasons, but the most common is the use of a Wi-Fi connection to the network.
In an effort to reduce the price of the set-top box as much as possible, manufacturers are forced to use inexpensive Wi-Fi controllers with an internal antenna, which negatively affects the speed of the wireless connection and, accordingly, leads to slowdowns when watching videos. In my practice, I have only encountered a couple of Android TV Box models with good Wi-Fi implementation. Most models offer Wi-Fi as a nominal option, using a piece of wire as an antenna. This Wi-Fi is only suitable for Web surfing, downloading torrents and other tasks where connection speed is not particularly important. Of course, you can choose a set-top box with better Wi-Fi, but this will not help. Little depends on the console itself.
Rubox Lite, despite its low price, uses one of the best Wi-Fi implementations with a built-in antenna. The developers did not limit themselves to a piece of wire. They disassembled the external Wi-Fi antenna and installed its contents inside the body of the Android set-top box. Thanks to this, it was possible to achieve a speed of 40 Mbit/s. For the 2.4 GHz range with one antenna, this is a very good result.
However, sometimes Wi-Fi speeds may drop below 10 Mbps. This is due to congestion in the 2.4 GHz band. Thirteen frequency channels are clearly not enough to provide comfortable conditions for all neighbors. As a result, when neighbors start actively downloading something via Wi-Fi, the speed of our wireless connection can drop to 10-15 Mbit/s, which is clearly not enough for normal video viewing in good quality. Here the question may arise: why does a laptop, smartphone or tablet work normally under these conditions? The answer is simple. They use a more expensive Wi-Fi controller with multiple antennas and higher gain.
No. 9: Che!
When there is nothing to watch on TV, “Che!” will always come to the rescue. "What!" is a Russian TV channel that broadcasts content in the Adventure genre. With rare exceptions, you can find family-friendly videos here. Here you will find episodes of fresh series for men, provocative releases from bloggers, cult foreign blockbusters and exciting real-time filming.
Rubox Kino (FS Videobox) slows down...
You solved the problem with the speed of the built-in Wi-Fi using one of the methods described above, and decided to enjoy one of the two applications for which you bought your set-top box. I'm talking about the FS Videobox app. In Rubox consoles, it is called Rubox Kino. Unlike the regular FS Videobox, advertising is disabled by default in Rubox Kino, and you don’t have to pay anything for it.
The Rubox Kino (FS Videobox) application is unique in its own way. It is a combination of a movie search database with a huge film library from cxz.to and other services that provide access to free movies, TV series, TV programs and cartoons. I have never met a more convenient and complete service. Here you can find almost any content with various translation options in different qualities. I am very attracted to the opportunity to watch or download films in original quality with multi-channel sound. However, when watching movies in the original format, stuttering is possible.
This has nothing to do with the set-top box, and even your Internet channel has nothing to do with it. There are two problems. The most common reason for stuttering when watching videos from FS Videobox is the high load on the server itself. The width of its channel is not unlimited, and at times of heavy load there is simply not enough for everyone. The service developers are aware of this problem and recommend watching lighter formats during peak hours. If you really want to watch the film in its original format, then just download it to your local storage device.
The second reason that causes stuttering when playing films in original quality lies in the films themselves. Sometimes, in the huge CXZ database, as well as on torrent trackers, crooked rips appear. Not all software players cope with them with difficulty. If you come across such a movie, then to watch it, it is recommended to try different software players (MX Player, BS Player, VLC, Archos, KODI, or a standard player) or, if none of them cope with unpacking and playing a crooked rip, select The format is easier and we watch it with pleasure.
