Author: Paul Marriott

Sideload Apps from Phone or Tablet to Nvidia Shield TV

Posted on by Paul Marriott

Tutorial: From Android Phone or Tablet to Android TV box – Sideload it!

Sideload Apps from Phone or Tablet to Shield Tv
Step 1 - Enable Developer options on your Shield TV

If you already have Developer Options enabled on your Shield, skip to Step 2 below

1: On your Nvidia Shield TV go to Settings->Device Preferences->About and scroll all the way down to Build

Settings-Build
Click “Build” 8 times

2: Click on Build 7 times. (after about 4 times, you’ll start to see a countdown message) Then you’ll see a “You are now a developer” message.

Developer
“You are now a developer”

3: Click the Back button on your remote to go back to Device Preferences and scroll all the way down to { } Developer options and click into there

Select Developer Options
Go into Developer Options

4: Scroll down to the Debugging section and click enable Network debugging

Enable Network Debugging

Enabled! Note your Shield’s LAN IP address you may need it in the next step. Yours will be different to what you see here.

Shield’s LAN address – Yours WILL be different!

Step 1 done!

Now, go to your Android phone or tablet

Step 2 - Install & Setup Easy Fire Tools

5: On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Play Store and search for “Easy Fire Tools”

Search for “Easy Fire Tools”

6: Click Install

Install

7: Once installed, open the app and click the icon (second from right at the top

Click “scan for devices” icon

8: Your device should be listed with the LAN IP address you noted down earlier. Click on that to select.

9: Next, click on the icon top right to connect to the device and you’ll see a “connected to ….(xxx.xxx.xx.xxx)” message

NOTE: You might have to allow a connection on your target device – click “always” and “OK”

On your Shield click “Always allow” and OK

10: Select the app you want to install (in this example case I selected “ATV Launcher”) and clcik “Yes”

11: Once installed, you see a “Operation successful” message

Operation successful

NOTE: You can also install apks that you have downloaded (to your phone) on to your Shield too.

12: Click on “Downloads” and “Allow” access when asked…

Click “Downloads” and “Allow”

13: As before, select the apk you want to install on your Shield and install as before – here I select the Weather apk

14: As before, you will see an “Operation successful” message.

Click the green icon, top right to disconnect.

Done

Associated YouTube video

Update/Install Android TV OS 10 on MeCool KM3 (and KM9)

Posted on by Paul Marriott
Android TV 10.0 Update Instructions

The MeCool KM3 4k streaming device shipped with Android TV OS Pie (9.0). In fact, we got this terrific streaming device in May last year (2019) and it was, at the time, one of the first Android boxes to boast Android TV 9.0. This was THREE months before the Nvidia Shield TV got its first taste of Pie…

Android TV 10

Where to Buy*
MeCool KM3:

MeCool Direct (10% discount on MSRP):
Gearbest: 64gb 128gb:
Banggood: 64gb 128gb

MeCool KM9 32Gb:
Amazon.com – GearBest – Banggood

MeCool KM1: Amazon.com
Gearbest: 4/32GB – 4/64Gb

Banggood: 4/32Gb – 4/64Gb

We were impressed by many aspects of this box and, at the same time, let down by 2 flaws: 1) no Netflix compatibility due to MeCool’s spat with Netflix over the dodgy use of Netflix certification keys in the past and 2) its 100Mb ethernet port, whilst not a deal breaker for most users, does seem at odds with most other streaming boxes out there.

One feature the KM3 came with was an OTA update option (kinda similar to the Shield’s update function which keeps that top dog up to date and contemporary even after 5 years!). On the MeCool it didn’t ever do anything! However there was also local update option…..

After more than a year on the market, MeCool have released and updated firmware which makes it one of the first, if not THE FIRST (?), Android TV OS box to boast Android 10. Yehaw! Oh and BTW, also available for the KM9 boxes too.

BUT, not for the newest KM1, as of today’s date though I’m sure that’ll be along very soon.

Right then, I hear you asking… “How can I update my box then?” …read on… Either follow the steps below or the video at the bottom of this page….

WARNING – back up any data, files, etc you can’t afford to lose, this is a complete firmware replacement – all previous settings will be lost – you have been warned!

Step 1: Visit this >> link << and download the newest firmware (zip file) for your device:

Step 2: Once downloaded, copy that zip file to the root directory of a USB thumb drive (preferably with FAT 32 format)

Step 3: Plug into your MeCool device

Step 4: Go to Settings→About→Update and select “Local Update”

Step 5: Select the zip file from your USB drive (KM3-ota-amlogic-V1.20200515.zip)

Step 6: Next, click on “Confirm”

Step 7: As mentioned earlier, you’ll get a warning to back up any data you want to save. If you’ve done that already, click “Update”.

On clicking “Update”, you’ll see this:

Allow the device to install the new firmware – DO NOT power off during this process – there will be several automatic reboots.

One of the screens you’ll see is this (probably twice!):

and this (2 or 3 times!):

Step 8: When you see this screen, pair your remote by holding the “-” and “OK” buttons together, “while holding near the KM3 box”

Step 9: You’ll get to the setup screen where you’ll have the option to setup an account or from your phone.

Step 10: Confirm you’ve got Android TV 10 installed by going to→Settings→Device Preferences→About and look at version number.

Done! You’ve now got Android TV version 10!

Where to Buy*
MeCool KM3:

MeCool Direct (10% discount on MSRP):
Gearbest: 64gb 128gb:
Banggood: 64gb 128gb

MeCool KM9 32Gb:
Amazon.com – GearBest – Banggood

MeCool KM1: Amazon.com
Gearbest: 4/32GB – 4/64Gb

Banggood: 4/32Gb – 4/64Gb

MeCool Video - YouTube

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4k

Posted on by Paul Marriott
Android TV Dongle - Imminent Launch

After a couple of months of slowly leaking info on the imminent release of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4k, it appears that the new streaming device has received EEC certification.

Credit: Reddit – Android TV

And is already being listed for pre-order within Europe at least.

It’s release to the European market with SKU: PFJ4098EU (it’s listed as SKU PFJ4100US in the USA) and reference number MDZ-24-AA seems closer as the CE seal of conformity to European rules has been issued. There’s no further specs info about the device as this simply confirms that the device conforms to emissions, radio frequencies, electrical consumption, magnetic fields and toxic substances regulations. A necessary step for its release to market!

Credit: Twitter – Android TV Rumor

Curiously, the Indian version of EEC certification, has a listing for the device with the same MDZ-24-AA reference, BUT it lists the device as “Mi TV Stick 2k”. Strange really as any new device these days easily handles 4k, no prob.

Credit: Twitter Sudanshu 1414

What do we know about the specs?

Short Answer: There’s not a lot of concrete confirmed info.

Longer answer: Looks like it’ll include the SoC Amlogic S905Y2 quad core 12nm Arm Ortex-A53 processor and an ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. RAM has been reported as either 1GB or 2GB (depending on who you read) and storage is being quoted as 8GB eMMc.

Note: The S905SY2 (used on the A95X?) is recognised as more powerful than the S905X-L that the current Mi Box S sports.

Prices starting from around €39.99 (approx $43.50) before shipping- you can pre-order from:

GearBest* $79.99???

BangGood* $49.99

And from Spain – PowerPlanet. €39.99!

Everything points to this device running Android TV OS – 9.0. The Android TV box/dongle market is certainly growing with the Tivo Stream 4k joining the Xiaomi Mi Box S, the newer MeCool KM9, KM3 and KM1 as well as the top dog Nvidia Shield TV..

Connectivity:

Wirelessly via Dual Band aC WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0

Ports: one HDMI 2.0, un USB Type-C and a micro-Usb for power

Audio certification for Dolby and DTS

Also included is Bluetooth remote complete with Google Assistant and has dedicated Netflix AND Amazon Prime Video buttons.

Price and availability:

Big question is WHEN? And HOW MUCH?

Already listed on several sites (links on this page), it looks like the first units might start shipping towards the end of July 2020. Prices seem to be variable, to say the least! One thing is for sure, if it’s to sell well, it’ll have to compete with similarly specced devices like the Tivo Stream 4k and the soon-to-come Chromecast Dongle (Sabrina?)

Sources: Sudhanshu1414, AndroidPC.es

Browser Plugin for Downloader APK

Posted on by Paul Marriott
Android TV OS, Nvidia Shield TV, TiVo Stream 4k, Xiaomi MiBox, MeCool KM1, KM3 & KM9</p> <p>

Sideload with the Downloader Browser plugin

Check out other Sideload articles and videos:

Ever since Google banned browsers from the Play Store and effectively stopping downloads of 3rd party apps (APKs), many users have come up with methods for getting round this restriction.

Here we look at the popular “Downloader” browser plugin method.

As usual we’ll be doing this on the Nvidia Shield TV, though the same method can be used in any other Android TV device (like the Tivo Stream 4k, Xiaomi Mi Box, MeCool KM3, KM1 and KM9 as well as the Amazon Fire Sticks). Throughout this tutorial you’ll see “On your Nvidia Shield” or “on your Shield”, substitute “Nvidia Shield” for your device…

Let’s Get Stuck In!

On your Nvidia Shield go to the Google Play Store and search for “Downloader”.

You’ll probably see it listed as soon as you put in the first two letters! Select “Downloader by Troypoint”

Click “Install”

Once downloaded and installed, click “Open”

Click on “Allow” (Allows Downloader access to photos, media etc on your Shield)

The next message you see, will say (among other things) “Browser: Load and browse webpages”. Well, actually you can’t, not just yet…. we need to something else… Click “OK” to that.

If you click on the “Browser” section, you’ll see that you CAN’T browse webpages ….. just yet

So, click back to the “Home” section of the app, and click into the URL address area

GO TO DEVICE SETTINGS AND GIVE DOWNLOADER PERMISSION TO DOWNLOAD FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES

type in “https://tinyurl.co/browserok” (no commas” “) and click “Go”

The plugin will be downloaded and you may see this screen. If so, click “Install”

You’ll be asked if you wish to install the Downloader Browser Plugin. Click “Install”

Once installed, click “Done”

You can now test to confirm that the browser now works. Click on the browser section on the left and you will now see a browser start page, qhich is set to Google by default

Click into the address bar at the top and test a url like, for example, WOTtime.net (hint you don’t neccesarily need to put in “https://”)

To use the browser in full screen mode, click over to the hamburger menu (top right) and select “Fullscreen Mode (Hold select 🔘 button to exit)”

Bang! Full screen browsing. Use the D-Pad of your remote, a controller, or mouse and keyboard to navigate. (You’ll see the “cursor” in this browser is a red circle)

Bingo! Done!

3 Ways to transfer files to or from the Nvidia Shield (nearly ALL Android TV boxes)

Posted on by Paul Marriott

Transferring files to and from your Nvidia Shield TV couldn’t be easier than a few clicks – once you know how. We’ll show 3 ways to do exactly that. As always in the “3 Ways to” series, we’ll start off with the way most of us have done it, particularly when we were new to our devices, moving up to simpler and more effective ways. With the final method, you can even install apk.s onto your Shield without even downloading, or transferring, the apk file to your Shield. There are plenty more ways to do all this (in fact we already have a second video planned on this with 3 more alternative methods).

Tell us how you do it? What do you do differently? Comments down below! SendAnywhere Desktop edition (and others) available from here

Download & Install Chrome browser and Filelinked to Nvidia Shield TV

Posted on by Paul Marriott

How to set up, download and install the Chrome browser and Filelinked on Nvidia Shield TV – an alternative (new) method using Sideload Channel Launcher 2 – Set up and configure your Nvidia Shield TV using probably the best launcher for Android TV.

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