VLC media player on Android TV

An XDA piece this month walked through the reasons to retire a Roku stick for an Android TV box, and the comments filled up with the same question: which apps actually make the swap worth the extra setup. The stock Android TV home screen ships with the streaming apps everyone already knows, so the interesting question is what to install for local files, self-hosted libraries, and codecs that Netflix does not have to think about. We tested eight Android TV media player apps on a Chromecast with Google TV and an Nvidia Shield, focusing on remote-friendly navigation, HDR handling, and how they behave on a spinning-drive NAS.

What to look for in an Android TV media player app

Codec coverage is the first filter. A player that stalls on HEVC or drops audio on Dolby Digital Plus is a player that ends up unused. The best picks either bundle their own decoders or hand off to hardware decoders cleanly. HDR passthrough matters just as much on a modern TV, and both HDR10 and Dolby Vision should reach the panel without a tonemapping detour.

Remote-first navigation separates a TV app from a phone app awkwardly stretched to 55 inches. D-pad focus indicators, large touch targets, and menus that survive a five-second wait between button presses are the difference between watching a movie and fighting the app for one. Subtitle handling has to include external SRT and PGS files, position controls, and font sizing that reads across the room.

Library sources are the last major axis. A good pick reads from a SMB or NFS share without a wrapper, indexes the folder into shows and movies, and remembers where each episode was paused across devices. A few also pull from cloud storage or a self-hosted server. Where the source can be a home lab, resume-across-devices and per-user profiles start to matter.

Quick comparison

App Best for Platforms Free plan Starting price Rating
VLC Universal codec support Android TV, Android, iOS, desktop Yes Free 4.5
Kodi Home theater with add-ons Android TV, Android, desktop Yes Free 4.3
Jellyfin Self-hosted library with clients Android TV, Android, iOS, web Yes Free 4.6
Plex Polished library with cloud sync Android TV, Android, iOS, desktop Yes Modest monthly fee 4.4
Emby Middle ground between Jellyfin and Plex Android TV, Android, iOS, web Yes Modest one-time or monthly 4.4
Stremio Add-on-driven catalog aggregator Android TV, Android, iOS, desktop Yes Free 4.3
Nova Video Player Modern indie NAS player Android TV, Android Yes Free 4.4
MX Player Fast local playback with subs Android TV, Android Yes Freemium 4.5

1. VLC, the universal player that just works

VLC is still the answer for the widest range of file formats, and the Android TV build gets the same codec matrix as the desktop version. Point it at a folder or a SMB share and it plays everything from an old MKV rip to a fresh HEVC recording without a plugin, and it handles subtitles, multiple audio tracks, and playlists cleanly.

The interface is not as polished as Plex or Kodi and there is no built-in library metadata. That is on purpose. VLC is for people who want a player that opens a file and plays it, which turns out to be the missing tool on a lot of Android TV boxes that ship with only streaming clients.

2. Kodi, best full home theater with a big add-on ecosystem

Kodi turns a cheap Android TV box into a proper home theater PC. It builds a library from a local folder or a network share, pulls metadata and artwork, and organizes everything into movies, shows, music, and photos. The remote-friendly Estuary skin is the default and it holds up better than most TV UIs.

The add-on ecosystem is where Kodi earns the reputation. Official add-ons cover subtitles, weather, and legitimate streaming sources, and the settings live inside the app instead of behind a web dashboard. It takes an afternoon to set up the way most people want it, and after that it stays out of the way for years.

3. Jellyfin, the self-hosted library that is not Plex

Jellyfin is the free and open-source answer to Plex. Install the server on a NAS, a Raspberry Pi, or a repurposed desktop, and the Android TV app connects to it over the local network. Libraries include movies, shows, music, and books, and the metadata plugins cover most sources without a paid tier.

The Android TV client has come a long way. Playback is fast, direct play works with most codecs on modern boxes, and the UI is legible from a couch. The one honest weakness is remote access, which requires either a VPN, a reverse proxy, or the built-in remote access module to work reliably outside the home network.

4. Plex, the polished library server most people install first

Plex remains the easiest self-hosted media library to set up. The server installer covers Windows, macOS, Linux, most NAS units, and Docker, and the Android TV client is one of the most polished on the platform. Metadata, artwork, and cross-device resume all work without configuration once a library is pointed at a folder.

The reason to keep an eye on it is the drift toward subscription features. Trailers, downloads, and some skip-intro behavior are behind Plex Pass. A one-time lifetime option exists at a higher price, and it still works well for someone who already has a NAS and does not want to tune anything.

5. Emby, the middle ground between Jellyfin and Plex

Emby is what Plex forked from years ago and it kept a hybrid model: a free core with an optional Emby Premiere subscription for extras like offline sync and DVR. The Android TV client is close in polish to Plex, direct play covers most codecs, and the server runs on the same range of hardware as Plex or Jellyfin.

For someone deciding between Plex and Jellyfin, Emby is the compromise. Some features that live behind Plex Pass are free in Emby, and the server has a lighter footprint than Plex on a small NAS. The downside is a smaller community and fewer third-party clients than either alternative.

6. Stremio, add-on-driven catalog for people who mix sources

Stremio treats a media library as a set of catalogs that come from add-ons rather than a folder scanned on disk. The official add-ons cover public catalogs, subtitles, and a few streaming services, and third-party add-ons extend the list. On Android TV the UI is remote-friendly and the resume list carries across devices when signed in.

The reason to reach for Stremio is a workflow that does not fit a single library server. It is a router for many sources at once. Playback quality depends on the add-on, and the Android TV build occasionally lags a release behind the desktop app, but for a couch-side aggregator it fills a spot that Plex and Kodi do not.

7. Nova Video Player, best modern indie NAS player

Nova Video Player is the maintained fork of the old Archos Video Player, rebuilt around modern Android TV APIs. It scans SMB, NFS, or UPnP shares, pulls metadata for movies and shows, and provides a Leanback-native browser that behaves like a first-party app. Direct play covers the codecs that matter, subtitle handling is thorough, and the app is free with no ads.

The reason to try it is a home library on a NAS where installing a full Kodi setup feels like overkill. It offers most of the library polish of Kodi without the add-on maze. The UI is not as flashy as Plex or Emby, and the metadata scraper occasionally misses a lesser-known title, but for a set-and-forget file browser it is one of the cleanest on Android TV.

8. MX Player, best fast local player with strong subtitles

MX Player has been the default local file player on Android phones for a decade, and the Android TV build carries the same reputation. Hardware acceleration is aggressive, subtitle rendering is one of the best on the platform, and the app opens a file and plays it inside a second on most boxes.

The freemium tier ships with ads, and the paid version removes them for a modest annual fee. It is not a library app: there is no folder scanning into shows and movies. What it is, is the fastest way to double-tap a subtitle track and get on with a movie, which is more useful on a TV than most feature sheets admit.

How to pick the right one

Anyone who just wants a file to play should install VLC first. It handles the widest range of formats without asking for anything, and it stays out of the way. If the setup includes a NAS or a homelab, the choice narrows to Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby. Jellyfin wins on principle, no account, no paywalls, and it is the pick we run at home. Plex wins on polish and easy remote access. Emby sits between the two.

Kodi remains the answer for a full home-theater build with a proper skinned UI and add-ons. Nova Video Player covers the case of a NAS full of files without wanting to run a server. Stremio is for viewers who pull from many small catalogs. MX Player earns a spot on any Android TV box as the fast opener for one-off files. The one setup we would avoid is stacking Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin on the same server, they fight over ports and metadata paths, and one is enough.

FAQ

What is the best free media player for Android TV? VLC covers the widest range of formats without a paywall or ads, and Kodi covers the fuller home theater experience. Between the two, most households only need VLC installed plus one of the library servers.

Can I play files from a NAS on Android TV? Yes. VLC, Kodi, Jellyfin, Plex, Emby, and Nova Video Player all read from SMB or NFS shares. Jellyfin, Plex, and Emby also let a dedicated server manage the library and hand transcoded streams to the Android TV client, which helps on older or lower-power boxes.

Is Jellyfin better than Plex on Android TV? Jellyfin is free and does not lock features behind a subscription, which is enough of a reason for most self-hosters. Plex has a more polished Android TV client and easier remote access. The right pick depends on how much configuration you want to do.

Does MX Player support Dolby Vision on Android TV? Dolby Vision requires the hardware and the app both to sign the appropriate license. MX Player supports HDR10 and passthrough on most boxes, and Dolby Vision support varies by device and build. Kodi and VLC also pass HDR10 through cleanly on modern Android TV hardware.

How do I install these apps on a Google TV device? Search for the app by name in the Play Store on the device, or install remotely from a phone with the same Google account. Amazon Fire TV runs a different app store, so most picks here require sideloading through Downloader or a similar tool on that platform.

Can I stream from a Windows PC to Android TV without a server? Yes. Enable file sharing on the Windows PC, then point VLC, Kodi, or Nova Video Player at the SMB share. That works for direct play. For remote streaming across networks or transcoding to lower bitrates, a Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby server on the PC is the cleaner route.