What Is An Android TV Box and Should You Buy One?

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    Streaming devices have become essential multimedia devices that everyone should have. After all, just about everyone subscribes to various streaming services. Android TV is Google’s platform that is specially optimized for televisions and set-top boxes.

    It features a very simple interface that is designed to be easy to use and navigate. Android TV features a lot of native applications that have been ported from Android or made specifically for the Android TV experience. There are a lot of things that Android TV offers that you cannot get with some of the competing alternatives. Below, we will be going over what Android TV offers.

     

    Why You Should Get An Android TV Box:

    1. Built-In Google Assistant

    One of the best things that Android TV boxes offer is having the Google Assistant built into the operating system. If you are already heavily invested in the Android ecosystem, you are likely already using Google Assistant within your daily life.

    By having it built into the Android TV ecosystem, it allows you to leverage your Google Home devices, Google Nest, and anything else that you use with Google Assistant. Therefore, you can give voice commands to your set-top box to play certain media, access applications, and more.

    1. Built-In Chromecast

    Every certified Android TV box is going to have Chromecast built into it. Therefore, you will be able to leverage this extremely useful feature with your box. Having Chromecast built into your device makes it very easy to use your phone to cast different media including YouTube, Netflix, and other things directly to your TV. This effectively makes it easy to navigate and browse your favorite streaming services or YouTube to find the content you want to watch rather than having to navigate the TV.

    1. They Offer Versatility

    One of the things that Android TV has going for it that you simply won’t be able to get with Apple TV or other alternatives is the versatility and flexibility that it comes with. Like Android on mobile devices, you are getting a much more functional and versatile operating system.

    Meaning, you can find different applications that might not be available on the Play Store which can add functionality to your set-top box. This includes the ability to add a fully functional and fully featured browser to your set-top box. Whereas, with other set-top boxes, you will be limited to what is available on their respective stores unless you are willing and able to ‘jailbreak’ the device.

    1. More Options

    As with Android on mobile, the platform is available to any manufacturer. Therefore, you will be able to choose from a variety of different manufacturers to find the perfect fit. Whereas, with Apple, Roku, and others; you are limited to a single manufacturer’s range of devices. With Android TV, you can choose from NVIDIA, Google, and more.

    As you can see, there is plenty of reasons to choose Android TV over competing options. You get a lot more flexibility and versatility with Android TV and you have a lot more devices to choose from.

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