@Simoesj, it is not a technical problem. You need Google’s certification and approval to make Android TV firmware for a chipset. Furthermore, there is no official Android TV support from the SoC vendor for this chipset. I know you mean the Pine64, but it does not have official ATV firmware. It is not possible to release a commercial product without vendor support.
To recap:
- Can’t have Android TV because Google won’t respond.
- Can’t have Android 9 with Google Services because without a touch screen you can’t pass GMS test suite (+Google won’t respond to negotiate an exception).
- Can’t have Netflix because they have declined.
- Even if we got Android TV, there is no Netflix patch for Android TV, so you would gain Android TV but lose Full HD Netflix.
Why do you not believe this? If it was a simple matter of costs, we would have paid it and passed it on to consumers. Why go through this endless argument?
3 Likes
Hi @Krjstian_Domovina I am going to silence you for 2 days on account of the unacceptable language.
You are Phillips, not a random company that made 14,000 projectors.
I can go buy a $60 media box from Target with Netflix inbuilt and a control with the Netflix button. Are you telling me this no name company managed to do what Philips couldn’t?
Prashant it’s not about not believing you. It’s about over promising and under delivering. We were promised a projector that can run Android Apps standalone without the needs for anything else.
I use Emby to stream shows locally and TVIMate to stream TV. Neither of them work well. Not sure if it’s poor OS optimization or the chipset itself but this device can not handle 4k and struggles with 1080p.
The Aptoide market is difficult to use and very hacky, again not what I was expecting when the product was advertised. I have bought a 70$ Android TV device that solved all of my issues and the projector as a projector is great. As an all in one solution it is not.
There’s no need to go back and forward but you can not tell me that OS wise you are truly satisfied here. We can not play 4k and there’s TONs of audio codecs not supported.
My believe is that with Android TV built in we can resolve the majority of users complains. Again I do not have Netflix, do not care about Netflix.
1 Like
Yes, they sell >1 M of those per year, and we already work with them for our larger projectors as a package bundle. PicoPix Max doesn’t have the space for it, Netflix doesn’t allow it to be completely embedded, and we cannot customise anything on it (it will come with the 3rd party branded software).
1 Like
@Simoesj I fully understand you but as I have said so many times now, we could not get Google to license us Android TV after repeated attempts for over a year. So we had no choice but to go for a custom Android. I am not claiming that the current experience is great… writing this from my official company account.
2 Likes
Hi everyone just so you are aware Phillips silenced my account, obviously to save face
2 Likes
Your other account was temporarily silenced (until Apr 6, 2020 4:30 am) due to Unacceptable language and personal attacks, which are against the forum rules and guidelines. Creating a new account just to vent about the other one being silenced is uncalled for, especially when the silencing is temporary. This new account has therefore been suspended.
Actually Netflix just certified a copy to be run on Android TV. It was announced this week
But we don’t run Android TV and the PPM never will. So unless they certify a version for projectors running AOSP the current solution will have to stay.
That’s the issue everyone on the forum is mostly complaining about - ATV is on other projectors that have either been out or is out now without any other issues. Outside of Epson that released their laser projector with an ATV-HDMI Stick, Anker and some other no names have been or will be delivering this ATV projectors soon.
Honestly - I have been trying to do my best with this projector out of the box, but it just sucks. While the native resolution is 1080p, a lower quality panel was used to project compared to my 720p LG Pico projector.
The issue where the projector is picky about AC Adapter is also unacceptable. I have several 60 to 100 watt USB-C adapters where the projector blinks because it cannot decide to use battery or external power. I have used the supplied black USB-C power cable that came with the projector and my TB Apple (real TB one that costs a gallion dollars) with out any resolution but to use the supplied power adapter.
I don’t understand why Philips decided to make the unit so heavy as well. My LG is nice a portable which today I decided to order their more powerful one just because the Philips has too many obstacles.
I tried to put my ROKU stick to the Philips and the USB port doesn’t supply enough power to it.?? My LG projector has NO issue about this.
NOW: Action plans for Philips Team:
- Rewrite the ASOP Build
- Add RetroArch (for gaming)
- Add Chromium Browser (not for TV)
- Add Settings and Inputs as a button ICON on the app drawer
- Add Auto Focus as a gesture control on the touch pad
Maybe also investigate using FireTV OS or Roku OS as an alternative OS build.
Hi @AndrewMD thanks for your feedback. Regarding Android TV, it took 18 months to sign the deal with Google, unfortunately development of PicoPix Max was already completed around 8 months ago.
1 Like
Is there a reason why the USB port power is limited?
Yes it’s following the standard.
In fact if the FireTV had a USB-C video + charge port, you could plug it into the USB-C port of PicoPix Max and it would’ve worked fine. That port can charge your phone etc.
I get that. But now that Google reached out to your company - the initiative should be to develop Android TV as an option. I think many here would even pay a reasonable fee to have this Flashed to their units.
The license doesn’t allow running Android TV directly on the product. The only way is to purchase an already-working dongle and install it inside the projector, something that can’t be done anymore for PicoPix Max. Google has only 2 licensees who are allowed to run android tv directly on the main hardware. They don’t want to change this due to the resource commitment required, therefore everyone else works via sublicensing model.
1 Like
@Philips_Support_P & @Philips_Support_2 congratulations for achieving that! Will that affect upcoming new products which were already in developement for a release in 2020 ;-)? Or in clearer words: Will we see Philips Projector with Android TV this year? And if yes again via Crowdfunding?
1 Like
Hi @SchmuFoo the roadmap for 2020 will be released through official PR channels.
1 Like
Looking forward for every new quarter!
for 2020 internally the top priority is image quality. then fan noise, speaker and UI/UX.
Philips is coming out with new projectors like every quarter. Just wait for the 2020 line you’ll find more than enough competition from Philips […]. Last year alone we launched 12 products.
1 Like
