I'm currently using Nvidia Shields for my Channels clients. It works OK, but when I come to update my Lounge TV I wondered if an integrated Android/Google TV might be a good option just to keep things simple.
I did try a budget Android TV as a trial but it crashed whenever I tried to load the Channels recording page.
Has anyone found an Android TV that plays nicely with the Channels app? I'm in the UK.
I have a 65" 2year old TCL TV and the client works fine on it. Not as snappy as the shield when trying to scroll the channels quickly, but otherwise no issue.
I am using Channels / Plex along with multiple streaming apps (Prime, Netflix, Huli, etc) on a Amazon 43" Series 4 FireTV. Not as responsive as my ShieldTV, but for the price, it works great.
https://www.amazon.com/amazon-fire-tv-43-inch-4-series-4k-smart-tv/dp/B0B3HG269B
The shield tv is the best android device available. No tv or other streamer will be as good as the shield.
Sorry but I have to go with the 3rd Gen FireTV Cube or the fireTV Max 2nd Gen. They Both support native AC4. I have the Shield and no longer use it. Plus the Shield is over 3 times the Price of the FireTV Max 2nd Gen,
Completely agree that it's the best, I have several for myself. I also use Google ChromcastTV, an ONN Streaming Box and built in Google TV on a few tvs (I have way too many tvs in my house).
I would say that the only use case that I HAVE to use the Shield is when I am running TVMate to watch multiple games on a single TV. The Chromecast can do 2-3 screens before it starts getting overwhelmed. The Shield has had up to 8 before starting to stutter.
It's cost prohibitive for me to put Shields on all the TVs I have, but for those that I plan to watch multiple games on, I do put the shields on those TVs. All other devices work fine for single channel watching, although navigation through the app is not as smooth as the Shield.
The amount of memory they use in "smart" TVs is usually barely sufficient for streaming from Internet apps. Channels requires quite a bit more because of the nature of OTA broadcasts, as well requiring the use of its own media player (rather than being able to use the media system built into the TV's OS), which in most situations makes the "smart" TV a poor choice.
If you want an adequate experience with Channels, a separate streaming device is your best bet. Something like Walmart's Onn devices, or Google's Chromecast with Google TV would serve you fine and not break the bank. If you want to stick with Android, the Shield is probably the best you can get.
If you want a flagship experience with Channels, then an AppleTV is really the only choice. (This is the primary development target; many features still have not made their way to the Android version.)
While the hardware is more than sufficient (and probably the best bang-for-the-buck in the Android-space), Amazon's recent trends toward omitting parts of the base Android system found in plain Android TV devices, their more restrictive/opaque moves regarding their app store, and their continued move away from Android entirely (towards something more like Samsung's Tizen), I am not sure that an investment in Amazon hardware is a good future-looking decision if Channels is your primary TV viewing platform.
I remember a bit ago there was a bug that Amazon introduced into their hardware decoder firmware that could not handle the combination H.264 video in an MPEG-TS container; it took them months before they would acknowledge it, and even longer before it was addressed. Since this combination is how most OTA streams are delivered in the UK, this might be relevant.
Those are the Rumors about a new FireTV VEGA OS but by the time they stop supporting Android there will be better probably Cheaper Android devices than the Shield which is getting long in the tooth. But at the moment the FireTV devices are enough for channels DVR. The plan is 4 years of security updates after they are discontinued.
I am using two different recent Sony TVs with Google TV. They both work just fine with Channels, but I prefer using the Firestick 4k max on my own TV. The Sony TVs have somewhat limited storage memory just like most low cost devices. But I have added extra external memory to one of them to help Channels run better. Although I am in the U.S. so not sure if you would get the same results.
I did try an Apple TV 4k box and really didn't get on with it. I have no other Apple devices and had to jump through ridiculous hoops to even set up an Apple account, including having to give a landline telephone number! That got me off to a bad start and I didn't like the touch remote either, especially with no numerical input which personally I think is vital on any TV system. There is no ADB equivalent for IP control or the chance to use Flirc for remote control.
I am aware it is the flagship client product, which is why I gave one a try, but I couldn't see anything it did better than the shield, and it went back on Ebay after a couple of days.
Numerical input is supported with BT remotes (the Sofabaton is a popular choice), as well as via CEC (depending upon your TV manufacturer's support for it).
There is a minimal API available to control the client apps:
In any case, I understand that an AppleTV is not a great choice for users without other Apple devices.
Ah, OK, I didnt know that.
Yes, I use the Channels API with the Shield client apps, but with ADB I can also control stuff directly on the Shield like opening/closing Channels, Youtube, iPlayer etc apps sleep/wake, reboot etc. I use it to start up Channels automatically on wake for example.
This is available via Shortcuts. However, since you are not in the Apple ecosystem this option is not readily available to you.
There really are many great additional features/options available that are not readily apparent with Channels. I suggest spending some time going through the published support articles to see what is possible.
Welcome to the community, and happy exploring.
(Edit: Forgot to add the link to the articles.)