ancientgeek
Lurker
I needed an Android box for my home theater as a host/device controller that wouldn't walk off like a phone or tablet. I have several "remote" control apps for lighting, HVAC, A/V source, digital signal processors, projector, media clients, and a half dozen computers. While the MXQ box was quite cheap, acquiring a compatible dedicated display wasn't. DVI-D did not work. The cheapest, dedicated, monitor with both HDMI and VESA was 24" and cost 4 times the Android box. But, it works quite nicely. The Android screen is wall mounted on an articulated arm so that it does not interfere with the main screen. The Android box is controlled by a wireless mouse where left click is "select" and right click is "return".
The major configuration problem is the lack of a "recent apps" switcher - a common Android feature for smart phones and tablets. unloading and reloading the controller apps is very annoying because the app must re-initialize and relocate it's device with operator assistance. Each and every time. The receiver is usually not the A/V source but does control the volume, digital decoding, and sound field. The operator must go back and forth between the various remote controller apps to get a reasonable system setting.
The problem is solved with two free apps from Google Play:
1. "All-in-one Tool" which can load all the controller apps at start-up, and
2. "Recent Bar" which adds the "recent apps" list to the notification list. Drag down from the top of the screen twice. and select the already running app you need to adjust.
3. Additionally, "Simple Black Screen" is a very handy app. It temporarily blacks out the Android screen so that the HT audience is not distracted by it's glare.
I also have the Wikipedia app to accompany PBS's Masterpiece Theater
The Wikipedia is a very handy reference work.
To free up memory I want to remove the streaming apps. At first, I went too far and could no longer access Google Play... factory reset! I am being much more cautious this time around, The removable apps (so far) are Air-Pin and Kodi. I will update this as the list expands.
The major configuration problem is the lack of a "recent apps" switcher - a common Android feature for smart phones and tablets. unloading and reloading the controller apps is very annoying because the app must re-initialize and relocate it's device with operator assistance. Each and every time. The receiver is usually not the A/V source but does control the volume, digital decoding, and sound field. The operator must go back and forth between the various remote controller apps to get a reasonable system setting.
The problem is solved with two free apps from Google Play:
1. "All-in-one Tool" which can load all the controller apps at start-up, and
2. "Recent Bar" which adds the "recent apps" list to the notification list. Drag down from the top of the screen twice. and select the already running app you need to adjust.
3. Additionally, "Simple Black Screen" is a very handy app. It temporarily blacks out the Android screen so that the HT audience is not distracted by it's glare.
I also have the Wikipedia app to accompany PBS's Masterpiece Theater
The Wikipedia is a very handy reference work.To free up memory I want to remove the streaming apps. At first, I went too far and could no longer access Google Play... factory reset! I am being much more cautious this time around, The removable apps (so far) are Air-Pin and Kodi. I will update this as the list expands.