Issues with (Admittedly Cheap) Android TV

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Issues with (Admittedly Cheap) Android TV - thoughts on next steps?

Gorch

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#323500 9-Dec-2025 12:13

Hi all,

Some family wanted a cheap TV for the bedroom. Ended up buying a Panasonic 43" W70 with built in Android TV at Anzac Day sales (with my reluctant recommendation - best of a bad bunch in their size / budget restraints).

Was never an awesome AndroidTV experience, but usable (as expected from a cheap device I suppose). It has been getting progressively worse over the last couple of months, to the point where now I can't even get to the settings menu without the TV crashing and resetting.

Took it back to Harvey Norman for a warranty review, just heard back today - their service agents say there is nothing wrong with the device, here is the service fee.

Obviously could add a Google Streamer or something to offload processing, but sort of resent doing that for $200, plus as it is AndroidTV baked in, still likely to have to step through the built in frustrating menu to get started using it as a dumb screen.

Anyone have any thoughts / experience in the argument that the device is not "Fit for Purpose" in that one of it's key features is seemingly unusable under CGA?

Alternatively, any suggestions on what troubleshooting steps I may have missed to help resolve?

gzt

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#3441965 9-Dec-2025 12:21

I'd take some video to show the retailer. It sounds horribly broken to me.

Can you run it on ethernet (and to dmz if possible) and see if it's any different?

Maybe there's some odd network related issue causing problems they could not replicate.

lachlanw

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#3441966 9-Dec-2025 12:32

Assume it was Anzac Day 2025 not 2017? Have you done a factory reset? I would record the issue playing out on your phone and go to panasonic direct.

Gorch

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#3441967 9-Dec-2025 12:34

Ha yes, definitely this year's Anzac sales.

Good thoughts re recording and LAN, will get the device back and do some more troubleshooting before going back to HN / Panasonic.

lxsw20

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#3441971 9-Dec-2025 12:51

They are slow - best you can do is uninstall all the apps you wont use. Personally I plugged in an Apple TV and use that for everything now.

gzt

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#3441975 9-Dec-2025 13:09

Obviously could add a Google Streamer or something to offload processing, but sort of resent doing that for $200,

Firestick is best value at $60 most places right now, if you must. It's darn good for the money.

bfginger

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#3442507 10-Dec-2025 20:12

What to do with warranty claims is to compile unambiguous video of the problems beforehand to show them.

If the service agent freshly plugged in the TV it may not have had time to fill up the ram with leaks and background applications and start crashing.

Try unplugging the TV then when you turn it on again turn on apps-only mode as described in this link

https://support.google.com/googletv/answer/10070784?hl=en

The main problems with AndroidTV is bloat, apps left in memory and ram leaks leading to slow downs and lock ups. The TV probably has too little ram and flakey firmware leading it to hit a wall when used normally. Software updates may have increased ram consumption, the same thing that happens on Android phones.

If you look up how to turn on "Developer Options" then change the "Background process limit" setting it can prevent apps from sitting in the background and wasting ram.

Check how much free space is in the storage. If it's near zero from installed apps and app cache that could cause problems.

Samsung

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robjg63

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#3442656 11-Dec-2025 11:56

I agree that the Amazon Fire TV stick ($59) is a great device.

https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/p/amazon-all-new-fire-tv-stick-hd/N233375.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqZxAUDzRoUxfUTgKz4YRNLJvqKl4_CbHHKgf-xegA9PjdKti5Q

Plug it in the HDMI port and just use that for all the 'smart' stuff and streaming. They seem to have very good processors and space management.

If you set it up right, you can use the FTV remote to turn the TV On/Off and adjust the sound.

Though I agree that is a bit of a cop out as has been mentioned above.

Most likely issue is that they install the bare minimum of storage/processor in a smart TV and it fills the storage and overwhelms the device.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

SATTV

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#3442833 11-Dec-2025 18:38

When you pick it up, before paying, ask them to show you it working.

Ask them to connect to wifi so it is same same.

record it on your phone so if it plays up you can reject it and get it sent back.

Personally I dont use built in apps on any tv, they are always slow and often never updates, I use an apple TV, it is faster, updateable and very reliable.

John

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michaelmurfy

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#3442835 11-Dec-2025 18:45

gzt: Can you run it on ethernet (and to dmz if possible) and see if it's any different?

Please never put any device into a DMZ. It's asking for trouble.

This is effectively forwarding the whole internet to it without a firewall and most devices are not designed for this.

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johno1234

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#3442846 11-Dec-2025 19:50

Getting a Firestick or AppleTV is a win. Almost all builtin Android TV are either awful or will become awful as they won't be supported with updates but the apps will update and eventually refuse to work on the old Android version.

I really wish embedded Android TV would just die.

Gorch

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#3443618 13-Dec-2025 12:52

Bit of an update here.

Picked up the device from HN this morning. As expected the test report said "Ran TV for several days, no issues, $90 please" or similar.

Got it back to parent's place, logged into the router all reader to block it from connecting and test via ethernet. While checking for what of the many Android entries in the router interface list it was, started the TV where it auto-connected up to WiFi. Was ready for the worst.

Surprisingly, it was working reasonably normally (if not amazingly responsive).

Made the most, got into the ATV settings menu and disabled all the apps I could, tried an alternative simple launcher (FLauncher) before I found you need another app just to manage which launcher to use which didn't seema plan on the sad processor. Instead found and enabled app only mode to reduce the Google search rubbish loading in the background.

Moved it back to the bedroom and currently running a "stress test" with looped 4K crab rave video.

Maybe it did a classic tech "just needed a holiday" - though will undoubtedly start playing up again when I am not within 20m of it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. If there are further issues will dive deeper into recording performance and going down the CGA route, or maybe just persuede them that a $60 Fire Stick will save some headaches.