With no internet, what an android tv box is capable of doing? Know here/
Android box tv or android streaming box is a device that most people are adopting to. To turn their normal Tvs into smart TVs.
Surely, the device can offer many benefits.
To use it to its full potential, usually you will need a stable internet connection. On the other hand, if you don’t have access to the internet constantly. The device is still worth looking into.
Use of android box without internet
You can play offline games-
The Android box can run games available on the Google play store. As long as it’s an offline game, you do not need an internet connection. Online games, however, require a stable connection.
To experience maximum comfort of playing games on a big-screen. You can connect your gaming controllers to your box and play, or you can use your phone or tablet as a controller by using the Android TV Remote Control app.
To download offline games
There is a built-in store to download thousands of games. Simply sign-in with your existing google account or create a new one to get access to.
Mind that, the number of games that can be played on an android box is fewer.
As developers have to code their games to make them compatible running on android TV OS. Therefore, you will see fewer games in the store than you do on your mobile phone.
Alternatively, you can use a USB in which the apk files are available for offline games. Insert it in the USB port on your android box. Install them and play. But make sure to allow “Install apps from unknown resources.”
Control your Android TV box with Your Smartphone
Android boxes have the advantage of enabling a TV to be controlled by a mobile device. So you don’t need to take care of the remote control everytime. From turning volume up and down,
Download a suitable android controller and it will do anything or more as a remote control.
Such that you can even use your mobile device as a gaming pad to play games, jump between channels, and use google voice assistant.
Using as a storage device
You can use android boxes as a storage device to store media files and play them offline on your TV.
These devices come up with built-in storage options, 16GB to 64GB depending on the price factor. But all of them allow you to insert a USB drive to increase the storage capacity as per your needs.
Use google assistant
Google Assistant is usually included in recent Android TV boxes. It’s an offline feature that can play music, show weather reports, provide news updates, search for movies, music and games, turn on and off your television, and do so many other things simply by pressing buttons or speaking.
Google Assistant can be accessed through the box remote or on your phone. You can trigger it via a button on your remote with a “mic” design on it. You can also trigger it via your remote’s Google logo button.
Use an android box with the internet.
Use Your Android TV Box as a Chromecast
Many android boxes have a built-in feature “chromecast” that works using an internet connection. It’s used to send the content from your Android phone, chromebrowser, to the TV with chromecast support to watch the content on a large screen.
You can stream movies online.
You can stream online movies using an android box on your TV. Popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hotstar, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Twitch, that are available as apps or as websites on the internet.
Simply download the apps from the google play store and start streaming movies online. But make sure your data is not limited because streaming movies will consume a good amount of data.
You can play online games.
An android box can let you play online games. Big titles games on steam can also be played on good quality android boxes. Learn how to play steam online games on android TV.
Don’t worry about gaming controllers. You can connect your xbox controllers to your android box via bluetooth.
Meanwhile, the small set up can greatly enhance the comfort of your gaming.
You can watch LIVE TV channels.
You can watch liveTV channels, but for this a super fast internet connection is required. Android boxes cannot run cable channels like android TVs can do.
You can read more about it here: can you watch cable tv on an android box?
Download an app from the google play store that can give you access to the TV channels.
On a different note:
You can decide to choose a free or premium app. But I wil recommend you go with a premium app if you really want to have a buffering-free experience.
You can download apps from a playstore.
Like on your mobile phones, you can download any sort of app and run it on your TV. Android boxes support google play store so the apps out there too. However, make sure you are on the internet connection.
You can watch youtube online.
Another benefit of why you need an internet on your android box is to play youtube videos. And I don’t think any entertainment device is perfect without this platform.
Anyways, youtube has a feature to download videos to watch later when you’re out of the internet. And as it turns out, Android boxes support the feature. Means, you can play the downloaded videos on youtube account wihtout an internet connection as well.
You can use a browser.
An android box can also have a web browser, and that’s another reason you should have an internet connection. Obviously, using browsers by a pop up keyboard or by a D-pad control does not really make sense. You will need something better.
Here’s when it comes to using a keyboard and mouse. Android boxes can support wireless and wired keyboards and mice. So with these simple accessories, browsing feels somewhat like you’re using a PC or laptop.
Make Video Calls with Google Duo
When you use the internet on your android box. You can use it for video calling purposes, if it’s something you want to. But for this, you will need a separe webcam and a microphone. To be honest, the idea is not so great but still it’s possible.
Download Google Duo on your android box, or whatsapp can also work.
Does an Android TV box use a lot of data?
Yes, in fact the data an android box will consume is going to be more. Because, you will be watching content on a bigger screen, and for sure you need at least 720p quality to really enjoy the content. Unlike on mobile phones on which 420p is enough.
- TV shows can range in size from 150MB to 1.5GB depending on their quality and length.
- The average 720p movie uses 0.7GB to 2GB of data.
- Depending on the encoding, a 1080p could use as much as 10-12GB.
How many Mbps do I need for an Android box?
Like other devices, the more MBPS the better browsing experience you will get. Whether it’s streaming HD movies, or playing online games.
Minimum 4Mbps internet connection is good for android boxes for a smooth streaming experience. If you are planning to connect to the internet via the Hotspot feature on your mobile device. Then, make sure your smartphone is 4g supported.
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