If you own an Android TV or Smart TV Box, you’ve probably asked yourself: Which video player should I install?
The best solution is to install several media players on your Android TV or Smart TV Box. Different players support different video and audio formats, so having multiple options ensures that you’ll always have a compatible player available.
When playing IPTV streams or video files from a USB flash drive or external hard drive, you may encounter several common issues:
- The media player doesn’t support the video format.
- The video plays, but there is no sound. The player supports the video codec but cannot decode the audio format.
- You can hear the sound, but no video is displayed. In this case, the player supports the audio track but not the video codec.
- The video pauses or stutters during playback. This may be caused by limited player compatibility, demanding video formats, or insufficient hardware performance.
- Temporary software glitches. Although uncommon, even reliable media players can occasionally experience unexpected playback issues.
For these reasons, it’s a good idea to install three or four different media players on your Android TV or Smart TV Box. If one player cannot handle a particular file, another one usually will.
You can install media players directly from the Google Play Store. Alternatively, download the APK installation file to a USB flash drive and install the application manually on your Android TV device.
The Best Video Players for Android TV & Smart TV Box
MX Player
MX Player is one of the oldest and most popular media players available for Android smartphones, tablets, Android TV devices, and Smart TV Boxes.
It supports a wide variety of video and audio formats, including MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, MP3, FLAC, and many others. Thanks to hardware acceleration, MX Player delivers smooth, high-quality playback even for demanding video files.
The player can also stream media from your local home network, making it easy to watch videos stored on another computer or NAS device. One of its standout features is advanced subtitle support, including the ability to download subtitles automatically and display multiple subtitle tracks simultaneously. This is especially useful for language learners who want to watch movies with subtitles in both their native and target languages.
Download MX Player from Google Play:
VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is one of the world’s most popular open-source media players and is fully optimized for Android TV and Smart TV devices.
VLC supports virtually every major video and audio format, including MKV, MP4, AVI, FLAC, MP3, AAC, and many others. Besides playing files stored on USB drives or external hard disks, it can also stream media directly from computers, NAS devices, or network servers over your home network.
Its excellent compatibility, stability, and lightweight design make VLC one of the best all-around media players for everyday use.
Download VLC Media Player from Google Play:
Kodi Media Player
Kodi is much more than just a media player—it’s a complete home entertainment center. It allows you to organize your movies, TV shows, music, photos, IPTV channels, and streaming services within a single, highly customizable interface.
Kodi supports virtually every popular video and audio format. Beyond standard media playback, it offers playlists, photo galleries, slideshows, weather forecasts, and much more. Thanks to its extensive library of add-ons, Kodi can also stream online videos, internet radio, podcasts, IPTV, torrent content, live TV, and many other multimedia services.
Download Kodi from Google Play:
Nova Media Player
Nova Media Player is an excellent choice for users with large collections of movies and TV shows. Your media library can be stored on an external hard drive, a computer, or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. Simply point Nova Player to your media folders, and it will automatically organize everything by genre, release date, actors, and other useful categories.
Nova can also download movie posters, descriptions, and subtitles in multiple languages, creating a polished home theater experience. It supports a wide range of video formats and even allows you to open files with another installed player if necessary. For example, if a particular file isn’t fully compatible with Nova, you can launch it directly in MX Player or Vimu Media Player.
Download Nova Media Player from Google Play:
Emby Media Player
Emby is a powerful media server that lets you organize your movies, TV shows, music, and photos in one place and stream them to virtually any device. Whether you’re using an Android TV, smartphone, tablet, or computer, your entire media collection is always within easy reach.
The software automatically downloads movie posters, descriptions, cast information, ratings, and other metadata, making your library easy to browse. Emby also supports remote streaming, allowing you to access your media even when you’re away from home.
One of its most useful features is multi-user support. Every family member can have a separate profile with personalized recommendations, watch history, and parental controls.
Download Emby from Google Play:
Vimu Media Player
Vimu Media Player is a lightweight but extremely capable media player designed specifically for Android TV and Smart TV Box devices. It supports a broad range of video and audio formats, including MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, FLAC, MP3, and many others.
The player offers automatic screen scaling, advanced playback controls, subtitle customization, multiple audio track support, and full remote-control navigation. If Vimu cannot play a particular file, very few Android media players will.
In addition to local playback, Vimu can stream content from NAS devices, home servers, network shares, and internet sources, making it an excellent choice for advanced users.
Download Vimu Media Player from Google Play:
Plex Media Player
Plex is one of the world’s most popular home media server solutions. Like Kodi, it lets you build your own streaming library, but with a simpler setup process and an elegant user interface.
Getting started is easy:
- Install Plex Media Server on your PC, laptop, NAS device, or Raspberry Pi.
- Install the Plex app on your Android TV, Smart TV, smartphone, or tablet.
- Your entire media library will instantly become available across all connected devices.
Plex automatically organizes your collection, downloads artwork, descriptions, cast information, and ratings, and intelligently adjusts video quality based on your internet speed and the capabilities of your playback device.
Download Plex from Google Play:
Jellyfin Media Player
Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server that allows you to organize, stream, and share your movies, TV shows, music, and photos across all your devices. Unlike Plex and Emby, Jellyfin is completely free and doesn’t require a subscription for premium features.
Simply install Jellyfin Server on your computer or NAS device, and you’ll be able to stream your personal media library to Android TV, Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and web browsers throughout your home.
Jellyfin automatically organizes your media collection by downloading posters, descriptions, ratings, and other metadata, giving your personal library a professional streaming-service appearance.
Download Jellyfin from Google Play:
Just Player
Just Player is a lightweight, free video player for Android that focuses on simplicity and performance. Its clean interface and low resource usage make it an excellent choice for older Android TV devices and budget Smart TV Boxes.
Just Player can play videos not only from local storage, such as a USB flash drive or your device’s internal memory, but also from network and online sources. This makes it easy to stream movies and TV shows from your home computer, NAS device, or supported online services.
The player includes excellent subtitle support, making it a great option for watching foreign-language movies and TV series. It also features Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, allowing you to continue watching a video in a small floating window while using other apps or playing games.
Download Just Player from Google Play:
BSPlayer
BSPlayer is a long-established Android media player known for its simplicity, speed, and reliability. Its straightforward interface makes it an excellent choice for beginners, while its solid format compatibility satisfies more experienced users.
The player supports hardware-accelerated video playback, automatic subtitle downloads, and a wide variety of popular video formats. If you’re looking for a lightweight yet dependable media player, BSPlayer remains an excellent option.
Download BSPlayer from Google Play:
PlayerXtreme Media Player
PlayerXtreme Media Player is a versatile Android application designed for smooth playback of both video and audio files. It supports a wide range of popular media formats while offering a clean, intuitive interface that’s easy for anyone to use.
The player delivers stable, high-quality playback with support for subtitles, network streaming, and hardware acceleration, making it a reliable choice for everyday entertainment.
Download PlayerXtreme from Google Play:
FX Player
FX Player is a modern Android media player that supports virtually all popular video formats. It includes advanced subtitle support, multiple audio track selection, playback speed controls, screen resizing, and gesture-based controls for brightness and volume.
Additional features include screenshot capture, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, screen rotation, screen mirroring, and touch-lock protection to prevent accidental taps during playback. The free version contains occasional advertisements, but they are generally unobtrusive and do not interfere with normal use.
Download FX Player from Google Play:
Final Thoughts.
Whether you’re watching IPTV, movies from a USB drive, videos stored on a NAS, or streaming content from your home network, having several media players installed is always a smart idea. Each player has its own strengths, and no single application supports every file or feature equally well.
Try a few of the players featured in this article to find the combination that best suits your Android TV or Smart TV Box. With the right media players installed, you’ll enjoy smoother playback, broader format compatibility, and a much better overall viewing experience.