The Android TV Box has become quite trendy lately. People are using it for all sorts of things beyond the Smart TV capabilities. With this device, the viewer can create a whole new world of pre- and postmodern television experiences.
To start improving your not-so-great viewing experience, go to your Android TV Box and change some settings. Most users don’t even consider this step. But look, your display can be optimized. There is a ‘Settings’ menu for a reason. Inside this menu, you pretty much need to visit three different options: resolution, refresh rate, and color settings. If your TV box supports it, 4K resolution can pack in many more pixels than standard or high definition, making for a much sharper and clearer picture. And when it comes to the appearance of your picture, this is the area where most steps of DIY optimization are concerned—whether your image is sharp or more murky and pixelated.
Your streaming experience can improve markedly when you use a virtual private network (VPN) for the simple reasons of privacy and access. When you connect to the internet through a VPN, you connect first to a secure server before going on to your final destination. Your connection is encrypted, and your IP address is hidden—essentially, your are in your own private section of the internet. This is why you can access all kinds of content that supposedly can only be seen in certain places. Moreover, since a VPN gives you a way to surprise your ISP by going fast when it thinks you’re just in your home office, you can prevent throttling and enjoy smooth streaming.
The typical interface of an Android TV Box can get the job done, but it doesn’t have to be why you settle on that device. For better home screen access to your favorite apps and content, look into “Sideload Launcher” or “Nova Launcher.” They’re customizable to the point you could call them unique, and that makes your home screens more functional and your interfaces more enjoyable to navigate. You’ll see the mentioned launchers’ personalization options in the upcoming sections; however, much of what you’ll learn can also apply to other customizable TV launchers.
The Android TV Box lets you enjoy high-quality video content. But half the equation is audio effects, since you’re consuming entertainment that’s meant to sound immersive and captivating. Enveloping sound is a necessity, not just a luxury, if you want to really get into what you’re watching. That’s why we just as strongly recommend ensuring you’re set up to enjoy Dolby sound as we do for telling you your Android TV Box should support 4K HDR10 video. If you don’t have surround sound, you should at least have a capable sound system that can play loud and clean enough for you to enjoy the dynamic range that makes up the “sound of silence” and the “roars of thunder.”
Choosing the right applications for your Android TV Box from among the thousands available on the Google Play Store can feel a bit intimidating. But it really shouldn’t. If you stick with the pop-culture streaming heavyweights—Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and so on—you’re more likely than not to have chosen wisely. But don’t stop there. Take a little time to check out some of the smaller, weirder, or more specialized apps. There’s a good chance at least one of them will furnish you with a viewing experience you’ve never quite had before.
You can also boost your TV-watching pleasure by using the screen mirroring and casting options built into many Android TV devices. These let you send various kinds of content from your mobile device or computer to the TV. For instance, if you want to show a bunch of your vacation pictures to friends, it’s a lot easier to do it “TV style” instead of passing around your phone. And if you’re working on some sort of presentation, you can use the TV, too, for what amounts to an oversized virtual flip chart.
For optimal performance, your Android TV Box needs to be updated just like any other piece of technology. The manufacturers—usually—do their part and provide updates that’s up to you to get! In most instances, this entails you simply going into the ‘Settings’ menu and finding the relevant sub-menu that lets you know whether you’re behind or not. “Functionality improvements,” the manufacturers say. “Bug fixes.” “Security enhancements.” Whatever the description, do it and do it consistently.
The Android TV Box is a device of many talents, and it can greatly augment your viewing experience if you play to its strengths. When it comes to optimizing the box for your usage, there are in fact many ways to make it more user-friendly and cater to your own kind of entertainment. Unlike optimizing something like an Android phone for your personal usage, which may involve altering the device’s core experiences for you (like how you interact with it and things like accessibility commands), optimizing the TV box experience really just comes down to making the thing work well for you and your eyeballs.