An Android TV box is an external device that plugs in over HDMI; a Smart TV is a television with the system built in; Android TV and Google TV are Google platforms that can come in boxes or in televisions. For anyone managing a fleet, the difference that weighs the most is whether the device is Google-certified or a generic box running the manufacturer's firmware.
These three terms get mixed up all the time, even among people in the industry. And the confusion is expensive: what works to manage one type of device often does not work for another. Here is each one on its own, and then what changes when you have dozens or thousands.
Android TV box: the external device
It is a small box that connects to the television over HDMI and adds an Android system to it. The advantage is that it works with any screen and can be replaced without changing the television. Two very different families coexist on the market:
- Generic (white-label) boxes. Made and sold by a manufacturer without a recognizable brand, normally on a third-party chipset (for example Rockchip or HiSilicon) and with their own Android firmware or one based on AOSP, the open-source Android. They usually have no Google certification.
- Certified boxes. Sold by a recognized brand (for example onn or ZTE) with Android TV or Google TV and Google certification.
Android TV and Google TV: the platform, not the device
Android TV is the version of Android that Google designed for televisions and boxes. Google TV is the newer interface Google offers on top of that platform. Neither is a type of appliance: they are software, and they can come in an external box or in a television, as long as the manufacturer has passed certification.
Smart TV: the system comes inside the television
It is a television with an integrated operating system. That system may be the television maker's own or, in some models, Android TV or Google TV. Because the system lives inside the panel, it cannot be changed without changing the television, and the management options depend on what the manufacturer allows.
Which boxes does AdminSTB work with?
We tested it on generic and certified boxes, from Android 7. The compatibility page has the list and what changes depending on how the agent is installed.
Why the difference matters when you manage a fleet
For a single device at home, it hardly matters. For an operator with hundreds of boxes, the difference shows up in three places:
- Preinstalled software. On generic boxes, the firmware passes through several hands before reaching you, and adware or processes that eat your bandwidth can be added along the way. We cover it in detail in why your Android TV box ships with malware.
- System updates. Android updates depend on the manufacturer. A certified box tends to get more predictable support than a generic one, and on a Smart TV it depends on the television.
- Management tools. Many general-purpose device management platforms depend on Google Play, Android Enterprise or a specific enrollment method. On a generic box those conditions are often not met, so before choosing a tool it is worth confirming which devices it works with.
If your fleet is mixed
It is the most common case: some certified boxes and many generic ones, sometimes from several manufacturers. It pays to treat each model as a group with its own rules instead of applying the same thing to all of them. In AdminSTB you can define which apps are installed, uninstalled or eradicated for the whole fleet or only for one model, and the model's rule takes priority over the general one.
What to do now
- Take an inventory by model and brand: how many generic boxes and how many certified ones you have.
- Confirm the Android version in each group, because AdminSTB requires Android 7 or higher.
- Try the agent on one box from each group on the free plan before deploying across the fleet.