Comment by BLKNSLVR

1 month ago

Off-topic-ish: I've got a TCL Smart TV that, by default, runs Google TV (which, to my understanding, is a rebranded newer version of Android TV). The default launcher / interface, which contains ads and has only minimal customisation options, can only be changed by installing an alternative launcher disabling some permissions via adb.

Having followed the instructions to do it, it's much nicer having beautiful background images (rather than ads for crappy TV shows and movies) and a cleaner interface with at least one less click required to get to the apps I want (ie. a better UX).

TCL TVs are not a particularly premium product, so I'm not too annoyed about having to go this little bit of effort to make it nicer. However, a $3,500 fridge seems like a premium-ish price, and so to also have ads on that feels incredibly tacky to the point it cheapens the product and the brand overall.

5 comments

BLKNSLVR

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Random09  1 month ago

Don't enable smart TV mode. Dumb TV mode is still android, so you can install apps, but there are no ads.

yosame  1 month ago

Could you share a guide for how you did this? I've got a TCL TV, and it's constantly frustrating how it shows laggy ads.

  • BLKNSLVR  1 month ago

    I'll have to get back to you. I had to go through the process three or four times to get it to stick across reboots and not leave me with a useless TV just showing a black screen (I had a panic moment when that happened).

    You can ask Perplexity, but this doesn't give the adb commands to disable the default launcher (which you need to do so that it doesn't override what the user has chosen upon reboot): https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-do-i-install-project-iv...

    I should also mention: This may render some of the TV remote shortcut buttons useless. There's an app that's meant to help with this, but I've found it unreliable.

    I'll find my notes tonight...

  • gblargg  1 month ago

    Disable Internet access. An Internet-connected smart TV is one update away from a bricked device.

  • aix1  1 month ago

    Not the GP, but I have a TCL 65C845. I've removed all the crap from it and installed a third-party launcher. I LOVE the result, both in terms of picture quality and usability. The UI is clean, snappy, functional and there's zero crap on the screen that I didn't deliberately put there.

    Here are my notes:

      Enable Android developer options.
  Work through various settings (developer and normal).
  Connect wired Ethernet (I use a USB dongle), enable RDNIS in USB port dev options. Disable WiFi.
  Turn on Google TV.  Log in.
  Disable auto-updates, work through permissions etc.

  Install ADB TV (PRO licence)

  Disable the following apps in ADB TV:
    AirPlayLaunchService
    AirplayAPK (two different APKs)
    BrowseHere
    Electronic card 5.0
    Gallery
    GameBar
    Google (com.google.android.katniss)
    Logkit
    MagiConnect
    Media Player
    Message Box
    Overseaeva
    Prime Video
    Rakuten TV
    Reminder
    T-Solo
    TCL Channel (two different APKs)
    TCL Home
    TCL Home Passive
    TCSCore
    T_IME
    User Center
    Works with Alexa
    com.tcl.iptv.App

  DO NOT DISABLE or you might have to start from scratch:
    TV (com.tcl.tv)
    TvInputService

    Install FLauncher. Configure apps/panels/wallpaper. Using ADB TV (under “install”):

      $ adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx
  $ adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith

    Install a screen saver (Aerial Views), TV streaming apps, Plex, SmartTubeNext, f-droid, Mullvad etc.

    That's pretty much it. A bit fiddly but a one-time thing (I did this two years ago and have been using the TV daily). I keep auto-updates turned off and basically nothing ever breaks and there are no random regressions.

    I previously did the same on an older TCL TV. The panel was not as nice and the CPU was slower but the result was also quite good (it was what convinced me to get the 65C845 with its larger screen, better panel and faster CPU).

    I used to run a similar FLauncher-based setup on a NVidia Shield Pro, but the new setup is so nice that I don't use the Shield for TV anymore.

    Another experiment I did was replicating this exact setup on a Chromecast (I think GA01919). That also worked well, though having a second device was a bit inconvenient in terms of remote controls and such.

    P.S. Where I live I have FTTH; TV is delivered as MPEG transport streams over multicast. I don't have OTA broadcast TV or a cable box and so couldn't vouch for the ergonomics there.