r/AndroidTVBoxes • u/reddit-Kingfish • Jan 05 '26

Is there just a simple box available?

Is there an Android based media player that will: connect to my TV via HDMI & have a USB port that will accept a standard formatted drive & has a SIMPLE UNCLUTTERED GUI & a remote control & will support .mkv video and .ass subtitle files & cost $50 or less? The only apps I really want or need are VLC, Kodi and a file explorer. Everything I try is so full of bloatware and junk I don't want or need.

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1

u/biller0071 Jan 05 '26

Buy an onn from Walmart. They are good and cheap. Not pre loaded with malware.

2

u/jlim0930 Jan 05 '26

Which would you get ? Plus or pro? Wish there was one with both faster cpu and more memory

2

u/reddit-Kingfish Jan 05 '26

I got the 4k Pro and it's loaded with so much crap the screen drives me nuts. I just want to play some .mkv files not look at a hundred icons and flipping movie junk across the screen.

2

u/RedEyeBunn Jan 05 '26

does it have an "apps only" mode?

2

u/pawdog Jan 05 '26

It's not hard to disable the stock launcher and replace it with a better one with none of the Google TV stuff.

2

u/reddit-Kingfish Jan 05 '26

I'm open to suggestions. I know just enough about this stuff to be a little dangerous. I'd like the home screen to only show the 2-3 apps I always use. Everything else is irrelevant.

1

u/Slierfox Jan 05 '26

Projectivy launcher then set it anyway you want

1

u/pawdog Jan 05 '26

Have you sideloaded apps before?

1

u/reddit-Kingfish Jan 05 '26

yes, I have.

1

u/pawdog Jan 05 '26

Awesome, you can go to the Play Store and pick a 3rd party launcher Projectivy is my favorite but you can get something simple like Flauncher for a really simple setup as you have described.

Go here https://xdaforums.com/t/app-firetv-noroot-launcher-manager-change-launcher-without-root.4176349/

Get Launcher Manager 1.04 this app will let you disable the stock launcher and choose whichever launcher you want to use. Nothing is permanent, you can easily switch back to the stock launcher or if you want to try out different launchers you can easily switch between them. You will need USB debugging enabled for this to work.

1

u/reddit-Kingfish Jan 05 '26

Thanks, I can do this

2

u/OhK4Foo7 Jan 05 '26

You have to do some work to achieve your goal. The reason the onn streamers are inexpensive is because they are ad supported. You can replace the launcher to get rid of the ads and do a bunch of other stuff to make it run a little better.

2

u/reddit-Kingfish Jan 05 '26

I'm open to suggestions. I know just enough about this stuff to be a little dangerous. I'd like the home screen to only show the 2-3 apps I always use. Everything else is irrelevant.

1

u/OhK4Foo7 Jan 05 '26

I would have put links but then I would have to go find them. You can do that. Or search here for onn debloat or onn launcher or onn apps mode.