Side by side
| Google TV | Android TV | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Google’s interface on top of Android TV OS | Android TV OS with the classic Android TV home screen |
| Home screen | Content-led: recommendations from your services | App-led: rows of your installed apps |
| Apps | Google Play | Google Play |
| Players outside Google Play | Can be installed after allowing unknown apps | Can be installed after allowing unknown apps |
| IPTV logins | Xtream Codes, M3U, portals (depends on the player) | The same |
| Examples | Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV, Sony, TCL and Hisense TVs | Nvidia Shield TV, many TVs and set-top boxes |
What changes in practice
- The home screen. Google TV puts films and series from your services in front; Android TV shows your apps. Pin your IPTV player to the favourites row on either and you open it in one click.
- Some menu names and paths. The settings for developer options, unknown apps and display modes sit in slightly different places. Our sideloading guide covers both.
- Nothing inside the player. TiviMate, Sparkle TV or any other player looks and behaves the same, with the same guide, recording and frame-rate options.
What matters more than the label
| Check | Why it matters for IPTV |
|---|---|
| Memory (2 GB or more) | Keeps big channel lists and TV guides responsive |
| Storage (16 GB or more) | Room for the player, its guide data and other apps |
| Ethernet port | The steadiest connection for live TV |
| Updates | Security fixes and app compatibility over the years |
| Google certification | Google Play and Play Protect; avoids risky uncertified boxes |
As an example, the Google TV Streamer has 4 GB of memory, 32 GB of storage and gigabit Ethernet built in, according to 9to5Google’s report of its specifications. See Google TV Streamer and how to choose an Android TV box.
Which to pick
- Buying new: most new devices and TVs ship with Google TV. That’s fine; judge the hardware.
- Already own an Android TV device: there’s no IPTV reason to replace it while it still gets updates and runs your player smoothly.
- Choosing a player: see the best IPTV apps for Android TV and Google TV.