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Do you know an open source TV app for Android TV so Google cannot push its shit? (programming.dev)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I basically gave up on finding a custom ROM for this TV so I'm looking for alternative TV apps to at least change the default app. Do you know if there is an app like this exist? It should work with satellite, I'm not looking for IPTV or streaming services, just something that supports plain satellite TV.

Edit: Currently experimenting with KODI, no luck yet though. If you also have suggestions regarding to it, I'm all ears.

Edit 2: KODI (and so Jellyfin, Plex etc.) needs a backend server for Live TV so add-ons alone won't work. According to KODI Wiki, currently there are no backends that work on Android. I also tried Google's older app called Live Channels but Google doesn't let you to run it because it's old ~~more useful~~.

Edit 3: I at least blocked ~~all~~ many of those ad streaming domains on pi-hole. Here is the regex I added to my blacklist. Maybe it will be useful for another poor soul who bought TCL TV.

There are also some cloudfront domains however they use hash, so it's not possible to block the future hashes by now and they will appear again.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm full behind of buying a big monitor and plug a mini pc or raspberry pi kind of thing. But my mother wanted to experience smart TVs, no matter what I told. So here I am, trying to reduce the damage. :)

By the way, that first TCL app is still included and it's way worse than default TV app.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Oof, well you know what you are doing. Good call on the pi-hole. See if the satellite provider has a box, convince them that the device rental is supposed to be already part of customer's bill whether they need it or not. Otherwise it's $5 per month per box where I am.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Thanks! Only Cloudfront domains I couldn't add to blacklist as regex because they use hash and adding a general block to it breaks many websites. That's a bummer. I can only temporarily block them so that means, even if I factory reset the TV, some of those channels will reappear some time later.

Here we don't have additional fee if you have the satellite dish yourself so at least it's not a problem.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Get her a universal remote, seamless experience

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Well, if i go this way, it's definitely a due.