The Essentials for Android and Android TV
VLC Media Player
Free · Open SourceVLC has been the absolute benchmark for over 15 years. Compatible with virtually all existing video and audio formats (MKV, MP4, AVI, FLAC, etc.), free, ad-free, and open source. Available on Android, Android TV, iOS, Windows, and macOS. Its software decoder handles even the most demanding files without hardware acceleration.
Kodi
Free · Open SourceKodi is a complete open-source media center. It automatically organizes your movie and TV show library, retrieves posters and metadata, and manages music and photos. Its official extension system (add-ons) makes it infinitely extensible. The interface is optimized for long-distance viewing, perfect for TVs.
Tivimate
Freemium · Android TVTivimate is unanimously praised for the quality of its interface on Android TV. Clean design, advanced favorite management, EPG format support for displaying program guides, and extensive customization. The premium version (around €5/year) unlocks recording and advanced features. A must-have for Android TV.
Nova Video Player
Free · Android TVNova Video Player is the lightweight alternative to VLC optimized for Android TV. Interface designed for remote control, efficient hardware decoding, automatic indexing of your local library. Ideal for entry-level boxes due to its low resource consumption. Direct download from the Play Store.
Plex
Freemium · Cross-platformPlex allows you to centralize your entire media collection (movies, series, music, photos) on a home server accessible from any device, even when you're away. The interface is polished, and remote streaming is fluid. The free version is largely sufficient for most uses.
Comparison Table
To help you choose quickly:
- Local files only → VLC or Nova Video Player
- Organized library with metadata → Kodi or Plex
- Premium interface on large screen → Tivimate
- Remote access from anywhere → Plex
- Low-powered devices → Nova Video Player
For most users, the combination of VLC + Tivimate on Android TV covers 100% of needs: VLC for local files and Tivimate for live streams. Both are available for free on the Play Store.