HomeIPTV

Getting TV Dash from your computer onto the TV

For the RCA 55” 4K Google TV (RTGU5570), or any Google TV / Android TV. You build the app on your computer once, then send it to the TV over Wi-Fi (option A), a USB stick (option B), or straight from Android Studio (option C).

1. Build the app on your computer

  1. Install Android Studio.
  2. Download this repo: Code ▸ Download ZIP on GitHub and unzip it, or git clone https://github.com/matthope001-hub/HomeIPTV.
  3. In Android Studio choose Open and pick the HomeIPTV folder. Wait for “Gradle sync” to finish.
  4. Menu Build ▸ Build App Bundle(s) / APK(s) ▸ Build APK(s).
  5. When it finishes, click locate in the pop-up. The file is: app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Goal horn

The Avalanche goal horn is included at app/src/main/res/raw/goal_horn.mp3 and is built into the app. To use a different sound, replace that file (keep the name lowercase, .mp3, .ogg or .wav) and build again. Only the first 10 seconds play, fading out at the end. Delete the file to go back to the horn generated in code.

To hear it, open TV Dash on the TV, then on the phone setup page press 🚨 Test horn.

2. Get the TV ready (once)

  1. Turn on Developer options: on the TV go to Settings ▸ System ▸ About, scroll to Android TV OS build and press OK on it 7 times until it says you’re a developer.
  2. Turn on debugging: Settings ▸ System ▸ Developer options ▸ USB debugging → On. (Needed for options A and C.)
  3. Find the TV’s address: Settings ▸ Network & Internet ▸ your Wi-Fi network. Note the IP address, e.g. 192.168.1.20. TV Dash also shows it in its header once it’s running.
  1. On your computer install Android SDK Platform-Tools (Android Studio: Tools ▸ SDK Manager ▸ SDK Tools ▸ Android SDK Platform-Tools), or download them from developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools.
  2. Open a terminal in the platform-tools folder (or anywhere, if adb is on your PATH) and connect: 
    adb connect 192.168.1.20:5555

    The TV shows Allow USB debugging? Tick Always allow from this computer and choose Allow. Run the command again if it said “failed to authenticate”.

  3. Install (from the HomeIPTV folder): 
    adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

    It prints Success.

If adb connect is refused (some newer Google TV updates): on the TV open Developer options ▸ Wireless debugging → On ▸ Pair device with pairing code. It shows an address, port and code:

adb pair 192.168.1.20:37000

Type the code, then adb connect to the address and port shown on the Wireless debugging screen (not the pairing one), and install as above.

Option B: USB stick, no computer tools

  1. Copy app-debug.apk onto a USB stick and plug it into the TV’s USB port.
  2. On the TV, install a file manager from the Play Store (for example File Commander or X-plore File Manager).
  3. Allow it to install apps: Settings ▸ Apps ▸ Security & restrictions ▸ Unknown sources → turn on for that file manager.
  4. Open the file manager, find the APK on the USB stick and choose Install.

Option C: Run straight from Android Studio

  1. Connect with adb connect 192.168.1.20:5555 (or pair as in option A).
  2. The TV appears in the device list at the top of Android Studio. Pick it and press the green Run ▶. It installs and opens TV Dash.

Allow the goal glow over other apps (once, optional)

When the Avs score while you’re in another app (Netflix, YouTube…), TV Dash flashes a silent red glow around the edges of the screen. Google TV hides the setting for this, so turn it on from your computer after installing (connect with adb connect as in option A first):

adb shell appops set com.matt.tvdash SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW allow

Then open TV Dash once. The phone setup page shows Red edge glow over other apps: On ✓ when it worked. To turn it off again, run the same command with deny instead of allow.

TV Dash keeps a small background watcher running for this. Some streaming apps block other apps from drawing over them, and then the glow won’t show there.

Open it on the TV

Apps ▸ See all (or Your apps) ▸ TV Dash. To keep it handy, long-press it and choose Add to favourites so it shows on the Google TV home screen.

Updating to a new version

Pull or download the latest code, build again (step 1), then repeat your install option. adb install -r keeps your favourites, tile order and phone-setup settings.

Troubleshooting