Set top box detected as tablet, not android TV?

[K12User]

Hi there,

I recently purchased a Bqeel K12 box, but I have a problem. It seems that the hardware is telling Android OS "hey, I am a tablet". Because I own both the Nexus Player and the Nvidia Shield, and on the Bqeel K12:
- The system UI is completely different (there is a classic Android status bar at the top of the screen for example),
- The Plex app is completely different too (not the same UI, controls, ...)
- The same goes for the Play Store (I'm forced to use a trackpad to click on some specific areas, or to scroll down using 2 fingers, etc.)

I think the Play Store is too considering that I have a tablet or something like that, because (for example) I couldn't find "Backdrop" (screensaver) and I had to install it using an APK.

Please, could you explain to me how to make this box identify itself as a *real* Android TV, not a phone/tablet? I'd like the same UI, Play Store, and Plex app as in both the Nexus Player and the Shield.

Thank you all

 

[mikedt]

I suspect it's in the build.prop configuration. Whomever threw the cheapo thing together probably thought that generic tablet would be OK, and it works with Kodi. Good luck on trying to edit and fix whatever is needed. Manufacturers and designers are unknown, and R&D is absolute minimum. If you're unhappy about it, I'd return it to Hong Kong for a refund.

Nexus Player was designed by Google of course.

 

[El Presidente]

That's then common misconception with a lot of these "Android TV" set top boxes. Android TV is an actual fork or modification to the core OS, approved by Google.

The vast majority of these no name set top boxes are just generic hardware using Android because it's open source and aren't actually what Google had in mind when they developed Android TV.

The easiest thing to do would be to root and modify the build.prop as Mike has suggested. However I wouldn't recommend doing that unless you have a working recovery or a way to reinstall the stock firmware if something goes wrong as messing the build.prop could potentially stop the device from booting.

 

[K12User]

Thank you for your replies. It's still 80€, almost the same price as the Nexus Player was. I'm tempted to try and root it but I fear it's gonna mess with the box, and I did not buy it for me :-/

Just in case, is there a tuto somewhere that you would recommend to modify this build.prop file so that it is not recognized as Android TV?

Thanks!

 

[El Presidente]

Root methods generally differ by device, there are some generic 1 click root methods available like kingoroot etc, but I generally don't recommend them.

Honestly, if you're not comfortable messing around with that sort of thing and don't have a way of reflashing the stock software if something goes wrong, I'd leave things alone.

 

[K12User]

Okay, maybe I'll buy one for myself later and try it then.

Thank you for your advice, I'll leave it be then! It's so sad... But it's better than a bricked gift anw.