Android TV x86 lets you repurpose your old PC into a media streamer

Android is a very flexible platform, and it can be used on a large variety of devices. Android TV, for example, is a unique flavor of Google’s operating system that is specifically modified for TVs and digital media players. The whole Android TV experience differs from regular Android mainly through its interface, which focuses a lot on voice search and content discovery. Imagine having the ability to translate that same experience into desktops and laptops running on Intel (or AMD) processors. That’s where Android TV x86 comes in.

Created by XDA Senior Member AmznUser444 Dev, Android TV x86 aims to be an easy and convenient way of getting apps, games, and media content on your PC that is hooked up to a big screen. LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sound should work out of the box because the ROM has its roots in the Android-x86 project. The initial build is based on Android 9 Pie, and its system requirements mention a 1.2 GHz dual-core 64-bit capable processor with a typical Intel/NVIDIA/AMD GPU having 64MB of video memory. The minimum requirements are reasonably low, so it shouldn’t be too tough to revive an old PC with the goodness of Android TV.

Here is the list of known bugs at this time:

• Stuck on “Detecting Android TV…” on non-EXT4 partition
• Chromecast built-in doesn’t work without having DRM support
• Netflix is only working on the mobile version

In addition, due to lacking Widevine L1 certification, don’t expect HD video streaming from services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. The Google Chromecast with Google TV and other Android TV streaming media devices definitely provide a better media streaming experience, but this is totally free if you already have an unused PC lying around.

You can download the installer ISO from the official website of this project. Take note that the ROM already has Google apps included, so you don’t need to flash a separate ZIP file to get the Google Play Store. The XDA thread is linked below which includes a full list of features, known issues, and all the changelogs. Make sure to check them out before installing the OS on your PC.

Android TV x86: Download || XDA Thread

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