Television is a thing of the past. Let's be honest, nowadays people have practically stopped watching channels on a satellite dish or antenna. Wait for the broadcast. Monotonous channels, programs. I want something new. If only there was an alternative... The same channels as on the TV, but more convenient to use. And there is such a solution. It's called online TV on Android .
How to watch channels for free on Android?
You can watch TV using an Android set-top box - TV Box. This set-top box, as you can understand, runs on the Android operating system. The main advantages of this viewing method are:
- multifunctionality;
The possibilities are not limited to just watching TV channels. This includes listening to music, spending time on the Internet, watching TV series, and even playing games. And all this without...
- no subscription fee;
You don't need to pay anything. You bought the console - that's it. This is where the expenses ended, except for electricity and the Internet.
- a variety of programs at your disposal. Paid and free.
Only 2 points are enough to forget about traditional television, right? But let’s still figure out what the console is in a more detailed review.
Briefly about the TV set-top box
Android set-top boxes are modern devices for Smart TV that act as a computer system. Receivers use screens and displays of TVs, PCs, and gadgets. If an external storage device is connected to the receiver, the user will be able to watch their favorite movies and listen to music. Consoles allow you to play video games, watch online cinema and smart YouTube TV.
This is what the TV menu looks like on Android
After installing and configuring the set-top box on Android, you can begin installing the desired applications. The top most popular applications include Smart youtube tv, ace stream media, mx player and many others.
Smart youtube tv
The Smart youtube tv application is supported by various devices, including Android set-top boxes, Smart TVs, Google TV and many others. This modern program for Android TV set-top boxes can become a worthy alternative to cable TV. After installing it, the user will be able to watch their favorite movies and TV channels for free. In addition, the application itself determines popular materials that are suitable for each subscriber individually. Smart youtube tv is characterized by ease of use and quick response to commands.
Ace stream media
A multimedia player based on VLC Media Player is called Ace stream media. It plays not only standard media files from a flash drive, but also plays P2P content without downloading. The application is completely translated into Russian. This program can be considered as a desktop audio-video player; it contains online broadcasting.
- supports most modern content formats;
- reproduces online content;
- can be customized according to the user's wishes;
- possible expansion of functionality by installing an external plugin;
Mx player
Key player features:
This is what the main application window looks like, intuitive and informative. Finding the right movie or TV series is very easy.
Mx player exists in paid and free versions. It is capable of supporting hardware acceleration, thanks to which it subsequently plays videos with a high bitrate.
HD videobox
Ottplayer looks simpler than the previous application, but this justifies the presence of unique functions.
HD box plus is a modern program that contains a huge catalog of films. This boxing application allows you to enjoy a real online cinema. The library of this player is constantly updated and constantly updated with new products. Each of the films is played in good quality, at least HD. In addition, for fans, the box has an anime category. Thanks to the presence of “favorites” or “history” items in videobox plus, you can quickly and conveniently search for something interesting for yourself.
Ottplayer
This is what the main application window looks like, intuitive and informative.
Finding the right movie or TV series is very easy. Ottplayer is one of the oldest, but at the same time high-quality players. The program is valued because it can read any link or playlist from the Internet. The convenient player is capable of supporting program archives. For further use, the subscriber will need to register on the site. You can manage playlists in your personal account.
Among the applications for the console, we also recommend Forkplayer for viewing media content.
Iptv pro
People whose operator provides IPTV broadcasting are recommended to download iptv players. This technology allows you to watch TV channels without connecting to cable television. In this case, the user only needs to find the desired playlist. The channels are broadcast in good quality. This application supports programs in JTV or XMLTV format.
File explorer
File explorer is a lightweight, fast and simple file manager. Its capabilities include basic work with media files and many other functions. Compared to other similar programs, this one has low RAM consumption.
This application has some similarities to Windows, but it has a simple interface. The program supports one- and two-panel mode.
Kmplayer
Kmplayer is a modern player for audio and video files. To use the program you do not need to install additional codecs. The app can support zoom, subtitles, streaming content, camera, skins and more.
The player has the following features:
- play files of different formats;
- install files on the system;
- play incomplete files;
- be used without prior installation;
- support subtitles;
- use Winamp plugins;
- translate text files.
Kinotrend
With this application you can view and download new torrent movies that appeared a few days ago. The program is presented with magnet links in FHD and UHD (4K) quality. The content is also professionally dubbed and with voice-over translations. This program is not a video player, but can be used as a convenient tool for watching movies in the best quality. Kinotrend provides auto-update.
Retroarch
A unique project that uses a powerful interface and is open source. Retroarch is able to create a cross-platform application that has rich functionality. The program can be installed with camera support and location detection.
CPU temperature
The application has a simple menu. Even without knowing English, everything is quite clear.
The optimal processor temperature for an Android set-top box is around 70 degrees. Values higher than this can lead to rapid wear of the equipment.
A fairly simple minimalistic program that displays the temperature of the set-top box and computer is Cpu temperature. Thanks to this application, the temperature and load of the processor and all its cores are determined separately.
Main advantages of the application:
- ease of use;
- no installation required.
Disadvantages of the program for the set-top box on Android:
- no schedules;
- the interface does not have Russian language;
- there are no additional features;
- There is no support for operation with new processors.
TV Box
How to choose a console?
There are several simple options for selecting a console. This process is somewhat similar to choosing a smartphone - the characteristics by which the model is determined are similar. If you want to watch TV channels on an Android set-top box, pay attention to the following points:
- The processor is the key part in the console.
It is the number of its cores and their frequencies that will determine the power, and overall ease of use. Popular (and high-quality) representatives are the following companies: Realtek, Rockchip, Alwinner, Amlogic. It’s not enough to decide on the manufacturer; you need to select adequate indicators. Be sure to pay attention to the technical process. A good indicator is 12 nm. There is also 28 nm, but set-top boxes on them are often subject to overheating. Also, pay attention to the support for hardware decoding of modern formats. If you see this parameter, and opposite it it says VP9, H264, H265, feel free to take it. You can't go wrong.
- Graphics accelerator.
The core indicator is also important here. The larger, the better the picture will look on a high-resolution screen.
Applications for watching TV on a smartphone
Lazy IPTV
Important! In the preface for this program, it is impossible not to mention that this Android application for watching TV channels requires the installation of a third-party video player. A standard “VLC” or “MX player” will do. This is because Lazy IPTV itself does not provide a video player function.
The advantages of the application are:
- ease of use;
The application requires little space - only 5 MB. Simple interface without unnecessary functions. What else do you need to watch TV on Android?
- playlist manager;
This is one of those applications that has this feature. What does it mean? You can add so many channel lists that you'll lose count. This is also very useful because if there is a problem with a playlist, you can literally turn on another one in a couple of clicks.
Watch 1000 channels on Android
It feels like it's science fiction, doesn't it? But it's real. Moreover, this is done as simply as possible, without spending a lot of time. Are you intrigued? Meet Kodi - your ticket to 1000 channels.
Installation process:
- Go to the play store, enter “Kodi” in the search bar and download the application.
- Open the application.
Note! The application will be in English by default. It can be fixed. Go to “System”, then “Appearance”, then “International” and “Language” and select “Russia”.
- Go to the settings section “General” - “TV” - “More” - “Modules” and click on PVR Simple Client. You need to activate it, and then click “Save”.
- You will need to download the channel playlist. You can do this using this link
https://www.teleguide.info/download/new3/xmltv.xml.gz
- Next, you need to go to “System” - “Add-ons” - “My Add-ons” - “PVR Clients”, click on “Settings” and specify the file that you downloaded from one of the links.
- Restart the application.
- By logging into it again, you will have access to 1000 channels to watch.
Miracle, isn't it?
What exactly is VKontakte on TV?
First of all, it is a means of communication. Secondly, let's face it and call a spade a spade, VK represents the largest collection of free media content (videos, music and photos). So, the technologies for delivering this media content imply that the end user has the appropriate software installed (java, flash...), but some smart TV models are not able to provide comfortable work with social network applications, precisely due to the lack of support for the listed technologies, or due to lack of resources (RAM for example).
Although we have to admit that the differences from the PC are still significant. Smart TV technology itself today is in a stage of rapid development, and for us this means the absence of uniform standards for these devices. That is, manufacturers do (sorry) whatever they want. Some are betting that people will not want to buy a new “box” while the old one works well. Their approach is to create external, plug-in smart modules. Once connected to your TV and the Internet, this set-top box turns your “old friend” into a device with a ton of modern bells and whistles.
Of course, development of combines is underway, when everything is already in one housing. And, secondly, the approach to the operating technology of these consoles also differs. Some run Android OS. These use full-fledged applications that need to be downloaded (or purchased), installed, and then used. Here you will need internal memory. Other developments are aimed at using cloud technologies. That is, there are no applications on your smart console, but only an operating system that downloads an application each time over the Internet for use. After which it is possible to launch this application (in other words, a program) and use its functionality, watch a movie, listen to music or visit the same VKontakte.
How to launch VKontakte on smart TV?
If your TV model does not have a special application, then you need to take the following steps:
- Launch your TV's browser.
- In the address bar, enter www.vk.com or https://www.vk.com, or even simpler - vk.com.
- The VK main page will open, enter your username and password.
Once you log into your VKontakte account, you will not notice the differences. It’s just that all the events that sometimes you want to hide from prying eyes will now take place on a huge screen that hangs on the wall. The possibilities that this “TV-PC hybrid” offers us dramatically expand the possible areas of its application.
To summarize, it should be said that if you are still going to use social networks on your TV, check with the seller how well this can be done on a specific TV model. Good luck!
