6
Nvidia shield (lemmy.ml)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by anytimesoon@lemmy.ml to c/degoogle@lemmy.ml

Everyone keeps saying it's the best media player, so I'm interested in getting one, but I haven't had a google account for many years now and don't want to create a new one just for this.

Does anyone know if it's possible to run one without a google account?

Edit: I would only want to use it for Plex and maybe youtube

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] robolemmy@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I’m not sure about using it without a Google account, but you can definitely minimize their involvement. I installed flauncher, then disabled the default “leanback” launcher. Plex is installed from the play store but I side loaded an ad-blocking YouTube app. On a normal day I don’t see anything from or about google on my screen. I’m not sophisticated or, to be honest, concerned enough to know if there’s tracking or other telemetry going on. I mostly just want to avoid ads and moronic suggestions from them.

[-] anytimesoon@lemmy.ml 0 points 9 months ago

Tbh, I'd be happy with side loading both Plex and revanced, but from what I've seen, it won't initialize without a google account

[-] thejevans@lemmy.ml 0 points 9 months ago

SmartTubeNext (STN) is the Android TV equivalent of Revanced.

I did end up making a Google account just to get mine set up and for syncing subscriptions between STN and Revanced on my phone. I don't use it for anything else.

As others have said, replacing the launcher with something like Sideload Channel Launcher 4 is a good option.

Other useful apps are Button Mapper (for killing the netflix remote button and for mapping the home button to your new launcher) and Send Files To TV to easily sideload apps without a ton of setup.

[-] Atemu@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

SmartTubeNext (STN) is the Android TV equivalent of Revanced.

Not really. STN is not a hacked-up YT app like Revanced, it's an entirely independent FOSS re-creation like NewPipe. A major difference to NewPipe is that it is focused on android TV and uses the (private) YT API just like the official YT app.

[-] thejevans@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 months ago

That's fair. I was commenting from more of a user experience perspective

[-] anytimesoon@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

I suppose I could use someone else's account for initial set up. I've had a look and it seems nextdns allows different profiles per device, so I'll just block as many google domains as I can that way

[-] jjlinux@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Good thinking. I retired my Shield Pro 2015 about a year ago, precisely because I was ditching Google entirely. I have yo say, even after 8 years, few to no other streaming devices came even close to the performance of that beast.

this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
6 points (100.0% liked)

DeGoogle Yourself

7743 readers
3 users here now

A community for those that would like to get away from Google.

Here you may post anything related to DeGoogling, why we should do it or good software alternatives!

Rules

  1. Be respectful even in disagreement

  2. No advertising unless it is very relevent and justified. Do not do this excessively.

  3. No low value posts / memes. We or you need to learn, or discuss something.

Related communities

!privacyguides@lemmy.one !privacy@lemmy.ml !privatelife@lemmy.ml !linuxphones@lemmy.ml !fossdroid@social.fossware.space !fdroid@lemmy.ml

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS