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The TV market with built-in support for the most popular streaming services is currently divided into two main product groups. The first of these – comprising primarily TVs from the lower price range – is based on custom software developed by the manufacturer. Usually such applications support several of the most popular services (including mainly Netflix and Youtube), while the support for less frequently used services – although still very popular – is sometimes underdeveloped or completely absent. In such situations the help comes in using as a signal source either the HDMI output of the computer, or an external network player, whose price may even exceed the price of the TV set itself.
On the other hand, there are TVs with built-in Android TV software that not only allows you to enjoy the most important services, but also enables comfortable configuration of the operating system and installation of additional applications in a way similar to the process carried out on mobile devices.
Raspberry Pi as smart TV – using open source Kodi and OSMC
Due to the commercial success of Raspberry Pi platform, miniature computers have found their applications in various areas of everyday life. Popularity of Raspberry multimedia applications is evidenced by availability of ready operating systems and wide range of software packages, allowing comfortable and stable playback of films, TV series and music from various sources.
First choice system for many users is OSMC – media center system based on Debian and Kodi package, intensively developed by international community of Raspberry fans. A great advantage of the package remains stability and strong software support, which makes OSMC boasts fast installation, regular updates and easy use of both online content and various files stored on removable media or downloaded from other devices in the local network.
As if that wasn’t enough, OSMC system allows streaming multimedia to other devices, which can be useful in more complex installations. However, apart from its many advantages, Kodi also has some limitations – some users accuse it of slightly hindering the use of some streaming services. Besides, many Raspberry fans are used to commercial Android-based TVs and players. Fortunately, thanks to reliable open source communities, today Android TV can also be run on a Raspberry Pi.
How to run Android TV on a Raspberry Pi?
In the case of the Raspberry Pi family of minicomputers, Android TV requires a bit more work to install and configure than the OSMC, but this minor inconvenience is definitely overshadowed by the numerous advantages of choosing Android as the system powering the miniature home entertainment centre.
The installation should start with downloading and uploading LineageOS – simply put, a “raspberry” version of Android – to a microSD card. It is also a good idea to download and save to the memory card the OpenGApps package – it will be useful in further stages of the installation. Once the system image has been “burned” to the card, the Raspberry can be booted – the intuitive LineageOS installer will guide you through the process, allowing you to quickly move on to the next steps.
One of these is to enable Developer Mode and set the Advanced Reboot option. This is because restarting the device in Recovery mode will enable the installation of the Gapps package, which is necessary to ensure compatibility with official Google apps, the driving force behind every Android installation. After going through the whole installation process, you can enjoy full functionality, known from commercial players based on Android TV.
Hardware aspects – what is worth knowing?
When deciding to build your own Android TV player on a Raspberry Pi, it’s worth ensuring you choose the right minicomputer and the necessary hardware equipment. A fourth generation Raspberry Pi minicomputer with as much RAM as possible will work best as the ‘heart’ of the system. You will also need good cooling – in Botland shop there are suitable cases available, which also act as an effective radiator, often equipped with a built-in fan. It is also worth taking care of the appropriate quality power supply (preferably official) and microHDMI – HDMI adapter or cable.
To be able to fully enjoy the capabilities of such a system, a relatively fast internet connection should be provided – from the Raspberry Pi side there is no problem, as the latest versions of the iconic raspberry use not only fast Ethernet connection with real speed up to 300 Mbit/s, but also a dual band 2.4/5 GHz WiFi module – so the only limitation may be… the router itself and your internet connection. And there is a lot to fight for – the latest version of Raspberry Pi supports displaying images in perfect 4K quality.
