This Windows tool makes it super easy to debloat and cut down ads on your Android TV

Lads didn't bother with a link to the actual project.

https://xdaforums.com/t/tool-all-in-one-tool-for-windows-android-tv-tools-v2.4654784/

The tool is virus-free.
If someone points out valid concerns being raised about your software, and this is the only thing you have to say in response, that's not reassuring.

The Virustotal results are concerning though.

There is no reason why this shouldn't be on GitHub since it's likely just a bunch of ADB commands anyway. In the Reddit thread the author repeatedly refused to acknowledge or address the calls to make the tool open source. No thanks, seems too shady to me.
- Someone still on Reddit should go add a comment about the virus total, preferably as a reply to that top comment for visibility.
On mobile so I haven't dug into them, but Kaspersky and CheckPoint are both vendors whose flagging does justify further looking into.
Someone should probably run some sandboxed scans and post the links.
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/4e0ef891f11dab698326078c07d3903131835d60f3dd838c9763d78650069bd4/detection
- Side note. What you posted is just the RAR archive. The actual file is much worse.
  https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/b9e2c17d7a1ea83948fc3aa317f7f9246d28e10ef98dda096ea34e439a2ce05a/detection
You are totally right those results should be check. I used this tool instead if anyone is interested :
https://adbappcontrol.com/en/
Ha! I feel like I live online and I've never heard of this site.
So you just upload a file and it scans it before you install it? Fairly legit service?
- Yeah, very legit.
- FYI: Google is the owner :)

Don't own an android TV or box but can you really not change the default launcher natively?

I have a chromecast with Google tv and could natively install a launcher from the playstore and non playstore apps from file managers. I have no ads. Autoboot to my streaming app. Remapped remote buttons. All without using adb
- Running the streaming app on the Chromecast itself? Which app? Any links or references? I'd love to do something like this.
Android TV is very limited compared to regular Android. It's hot garbage. Connecting a Bluetooth headset requires navigating through 4 levels of menus, it is missing several accessibility features such as audio balance settings, and has ads on the launcher. On top of that, it runs like shit even on a 4 core CPU.
Not that regular Android is much better.
- The entire android tv UI is garbage. Lose internet while Disney plus or Netflix are loading? There's a good chance you need to force close them to make them work again. That's like 5 menus deep and doesn't make a lot of sense how to get there. Long press to bring up app info? Yeah right!
Of course you can. Even on the cheap pucks from Walmart. I run projectivy on those and my shield.
- How long do you think we have before Projectivy is taken down?
They don't make it easy, but it's not hard either. Flauncher + adb to change the default launcher ftw!
You can with some tinkering. You can uninstall the default launcher with ADB shell and some Android TV show select launcher options when more than 1 is installed.
Usually you have to either disable the default launcher with adb or you need to remap the home button to open a dofferent launcher.
I always go the adb route for everything. I also have UART access on my TV, so I can disable the setup wizard and avoid logging into anything or accepting any EULAs.
It takes literally no effort with ProjectIvy. It's just a menu selection in the new launcher to set it as default.
When I tried FLauncher it didn't have that convenient selection, and I'd have to adb in to set it as default. So I didn't end up using it.

(On the shield 2019) If you block this domain with your dns ad blocker, the default launcher will only show ads for the YouTube, Google TV, and Google Play Store apps (not individual shows). I find these to be far less annoying as they use muted tones.

androidtvwatsonfe-pa.googleapis.com

If you have already setup your device and currently see ads, you need to reset the android tv home application data to get rid of them. This will temporarily show you the old dashboard, but the new one will load eventually (without ads).

I have this blocked with Blokada locally on my Shield and can confirm it works great. I also prefer the stock launcher just without all the ad junk.
I recently bought a TCL TV with Android TV and I was hoping this trick would work with it but it didn't. So if anyone knows how to make the TCL Android TV launcher interface "stock" and stay that way feel free to point it out.
I don't get why someone would be willing to put in the effort to block that domain rather than just install a different launcher. Much simpler, less likely to inadvertently break something else.
- For me it was much simpler to just add it as a line in the field in my router settings than trying to find a launcher that was better while looking decent.
  I also like the look of the launcher minus the ads as well, so that might play into it.
  I'm not worried about it breaking any features tied to the ads, and I haven't had any problems in like 2 years I've used it.

Anyone use this or something similar for the shield? Looking to eliminate the ads.

Projectivy + pihole or use adguard dns.
- This is the way
I use Shield Pro 2019 since Nov 2019, have been keeping up on software updates -- haven't ever noticed ads. I use Pi-hole though, maybe that has been 'shielding' me (ha!) all this time and I didn't realize it?
(To clarify I mean no ads in the Shield UI itself, I'd still see ads in individual streaming apps like Hulu)
- For me the default launcher would always first list "recommendations" to install Disney plus or other platforms, before showing content that I'm actually interested in.
  I have since switched to a different launcher, one that automatically starts up plex as well, since that's all I use it for anyway.
I can't remember how I set it up, but I use Wolf Launcher and it's great.
I just got Projectivy Launcher. You need to get premium (one-time 7.25 cost) to set it as the default but it has some nice customizations. Works great on my Shield and a Google TV.
- I just recently got projectivity but didn't need to buy it to set as default.
- Premium is only needed for some more niche settings, not setting as default launcher.

Definitely going to try this.

I have DNS adblocking / tracker blocking set up on an Android TV (spoiler: Amazon is very noisy, even if you don't watch anything on Prime Video), but it doesn't help against native launcher ads.

When the launcher first started showing ads, you could disable certain services, but it would break playback on other apps.

Try blocking this domain manually and see if it works (it wasn't part of my native lists in my router's adblock)
androidtvwatsonfe-pa.googleapis.com
If you have already set up your device and currently see ads, you need to reset the android tv home application data to get rid of them. This will temporarily show you the old dashboard, but the new one will load eventually (without ads, in its place it shows a dark "Google play, Youtube", and something else that isnt very intrusive).
- Somebody should send in a pr for the adblocking lists on github

Just build a htpc powerful enough to display media and play games with good performance

Put a tv tuner card in the htpc

Here, I drew the word "Just" in this post
[Caption for the visually impaired: "Atlas holding up the celestial globe" by Guercino]
Been there done that. I prefer the Nvidia Shield, easier interface to navigate with a remote, I don’t have to login first, it rarely needs an update, no noisy fans, I don’t need to keep a physical keyboard connected to it, it’s way cheaper, I don’t need to mess around with codecs, and there aren’t a lot of unnecessary services and background applications hogging memory and cpu resources.
I get that most of this can be fixed or worked around on a htpc, but that’s effort I don’t have to spend on a Shield.
- It also smoothly supports all dolby/dts stuff with no fuss. To my knowledge, there's no way to get dolby vision working on an HTPC.
- This about avoiding android tv and ads though
- I have never heard of anyone talk about nvidia shield since 2013 until I joined lemmy. This is the weirdest marketing psyop I have ever seen.
A $40 htpc with 4k HDR output, wifi, a remote, and uses like 10W maxed and <1W idle? Please share parts list.
What software does it run which is able to access non-local media like Hulu, Netflix, peacock, etc?
Kodi forever, with retropie
- You mean jellyfin! The kodi library management design is silly. Tightly coupled with the player itself.

I just tried it and it worked flawlessly, my TV is a lot less sluggish now. Just make sure you turn off Windows Defender before using.

You know what’s even better for cutting down ads on a fucking android TV? Never owning one

I’m terribly sorry for wanting functionality from my television other than playing a DVD or watching terrestrial TV.
I swear some people on lemmy need to chill. Not everyone lives in an off grid cabin in the woods, with no passport, not connected to the internet BUT running a local network, with a server containing all their DVDrips.
Nah, a Chromecast with Google TV is a super cheap and reliable way to sail the high seas. Stremio, VPN, some kind of debrid service. Works better than any legal streaming service my friend told me. Not that I would ever try to hurt the poor studios.
- Do you set up the VPN on the router or on the Chromecast?
- Personally I had to stop using my Chromecast because the 4k playback was so choppy at certain points it became unwatchable. Ironically the native software on my TV does better, but still not perfect..