Normally, not a lot happens in the Nexus Player/Android TV world in any given week. Sometimes, a new app is released which will work when sideloaded or sometimes a new device that will support Android TV is announced. However, in spite of the young age of the platform, this is Android and this week, we got to see how being ‘android’ has benefits and how these benefits are likely to play out in the future.
Anyone who owns a Nexus Player will know first-hand how un-Amazon the device is. While the Nexus Player does come with Netflix built in, trying to get Amazon Instant Video to work on the device is very problematic. You can sideload the APK, but doing so does not mean it plays nicely. It doesn’t. However, this week the world found out that Sony Android TV units come with an inbuilt Amazon Instant Video app which is fully compatible with Android TV. As this is android, it took an XDA member no time at all to capture the APK from the Sony TV and make it publicly available. In fact, it was not just Amazon Instant Video the user captured, but also a Netflix update which includes playback in Dolby Digital. For those who don’t know, the standard Nexus Player Netflix app only currently plays Stereo. With the new update, the Netflix app offer Dolby Digital audio playback under the Audio Settings. If you are interested in the Dolby Digital experience then you can download the APK and sideload it to your device. Once the app is sideloaded to your Nexus Player, you can install as normal and it will overwrite the version currently installed.
That said, the Amazon Instant Video app is probably the bigger news of the week, due to the Nexus Player’s prior general lack of compatibility. Well, now that the app has been captured, as well as the Netflix update, you can als download Amazon Instant Video and install it on your Nexus Player. To do so is very simple. Grab the APK from the link below and sideload to your Nexus Player. If you are unsure of how to sideload then you can sideload using ES File Explorer or via Google Drive. To go the ES File Explorer route then follow these instructions. To go the Google Drive route, follow these instructions.
Once installed on your device, the first thing you’ll notice is that this is a true Android TV compatible device. Which essentially means that unlike other sideloaded less-compatible devices, the Instant Video icon will display on the leanback launcher homescreen.
Next, when you open the app you just have to sign in as normal with your Prime account details.
Following which, all your programs will be immediately available.
Not to mention, additional features like fast forward and rewind – which are not typically available on the sideloaded less-compatible version.
If you are interested in knowing more or seeing what other apps are likely to be made available (looks like VUDU and Crackle are other apps which are now available) then you can follow the XDA thread by brar.arsh (the initial APK uploader) by clicking the source link below.
