Comment by aix1

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.