One of the advantages of Android TV (Nexus Player and ADT-1) over Chromcast is that you can have a slideshow screensaver that will automatically turn on not only when the device is idle, but it will also come on when playing music. Chromecast only offers Backdrop, which will not display when you’re playing music. Backdrop is also limited in that you can only display photos from your Google+ account or other images that Google chooses, not to mention the transition speed is horrible. Android TV also offers Backdrop, but at this moment in time, it can’t be customized. However, you can still setup a highly customizable slideshow screensaver that can include your own photos from cloud services like Google+, Dropbox, and more. You can even set it to display other cool images from around the world. This screensaver will come on whenever your Android TV is idle, which means that it will also display when you’re streaming music from any service. Hit the break to find out how to do it.
Note: This slideshow will not run during any Google Cast streams, only for apps using the Android TV interface.
Android TV includes a feature that has been available on Android phones and tablets ever since Jelly Bean. It’s called Daydream, and it allows particular apps to run when your phone or tablet is docked or charging. Android TV’s implementation is to kick in at a specified amount of time that the device is inactive. By default, you can choose between Backdrop, Colors, or nothing at all. The good news is that you can add other apps that are Daydream compatible. The only catch is that at the time of this post, you won’t find any that are Android TV compatible, so it takes a little bit of extra work to install them and setup. The good news is that apps such as the ones discussed in this guide will eventually become Android TV compatible, which will make things easier. Until then, here’s how to get your photos streaming on your Nexus Player or ADT-1.
The first thing you want to do is decide on an app to install. Since they will not be available on the Google Play app that is on your Nexus Player or ADT-1, you will need to download the respective APK and sideload it. I have tested Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net and DayFrame, and I will be using the former for this guide. DayFrame is probably the more sophisticated of the two because it connects to more services such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, Dropbox, Flickr, Twitter, 500px, and more. However, Cloud PhotoFrame is a little simpler to setup. There are other Daydream compatible apps in the Play Store too, so make sure you check them all out.
Now one thing you need to know is that in order to set up these apps, you will need a USB Mouse or some sort of third party remote control that includes an air mouse or trackpad. Since the ADT-1 has a full size USB 2.0 port, it’s a lot easier to connect one. However, the Nexus Player only offers a microUSB port, so you will need a cheap OTG (male microUSB to female USB 2.0) cable. One example would be this one on Amazon. Just make sure the microUSB end isn’t “L” shaped since it won’t fit properly between the power and HDMI cables on the Nexus Player.
Okay, let’s get started…..
1) Choose the app that you want to install on your ADT-1 or Nexus Player. I will be using Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net for this guide, but you can choose any other Daydream compatible app. You will need to grab the APK file, so click here for instructions on how to do that. Note: If you plan on utilizing Dropbox, than you should download the APK for that app as well. When you’re done, come back here and proceed to Step 2.
2) Now that you have your APK, you need to sideload it onto your Android TV device. Click here for instructions on how to do that. I promise this is the last link you will need to click in order to complete this guide. When you have completed installing the APK (Dropbox too if you downloaded it), come back here and proceed to step 3.
3) If you’re planning on using Dropbox, then open the Sideload Launcher (from the last guide) and open Dropbox.
Since this app isn’t Android TV compatible, it will not display correctly. You will notice that it displays sideways. That’s okay. You only need to login to your account. You will need a mouse to navigate through the startup pages as well as between your account name and password. If the keyboard doesn’t appear, you can use the keyboard on the official Android TV Remote Control app. Once you’re logged in and can see your folders/files, you can proceed to Step 4.
4) Open the Sideload Launcher (from the last guide) and open Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net (or whatever other Daydream compatible app you installed). Note: Some apps can only be configured from the Daydream area (Settings > Daydream). It’s important to understand that since this app isn’t Android TV compatible, it might not display correctly at certain times. At least it won’t be sideways like Dropbox was (Step 3). You can use your remote control for certain things, but since you will need a mouse for various parts, you’re better off just using the mouse for most of your interaction unless I specify the remote.
5) Using the mouse, left click on Image Folder, then left click the top left corner to reveal the source options. You will notice many differenct services that include your own Network, Dropbox, Google+/Picasa, OneDrive, and more. Note: You can use the wheel on your mouse to scroll.
6) Once you select your source, you will see all available folders. For Dropbox, you will have to approve access from Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net, so it will open briefly (sideways again). Just left click on Allow with your mouse.
7) Now you need to select which folders (or individual photos) you want to be included in the slideshow. As you can see in my screenshots above, there are check boxes at the right edge for each of the folders. However, they will mostly likely not appear on your TV. They will actually be just off the right edge of the screen. So you will need to move the mouse cursor just off the right edge of your TV screen and left click to check or uncheck. You will hear the tone that it checked or unchecled, but you won’t physically see that it was checked or unchecked. If you mess up, you can always come back and re-check it. Incidentally, you can also select the menu at the top right for options to Check All, Unselect All, or Uncheck Selected.
8) Once you have selected the folders and/or individual images, you can hit the Back key on your remote control or gaming controller to go back to main screen. You should see all your selected folders. If something is missing, just go back.
9) I won’t go into too much detail, but you should check out the options for “Setting the picture effect” and “Slidehow settings.” You will be able to set how long each individual image will display, if they should be scaled, shuffling or in order, and more.
10) Now it’s time to set Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net (or whatever other Daydream compatible app you are using) to come on automatically. Using your remote control or gaming controller, Go to Settings > Daydream.
11) You should see “Daydream” with the name of the app that it’s utilizing just below it. It should say either None, Backdrop, or Colors. Using your remote or gaming controller, just select Daydream and choose the app that you want to use. In this case, we are choosing Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net. You can also choose how long you want your device inactive before Daydream kicks in. Note: inactivity also means when music is playing.
12) One important thing to note is that the first time that Cloud PhotoFrame EX.Net runs, you will get a popup showing you gestures that are geared towards smartphones and tablets. Just click on “Don’t Show Me Again.” Also after a minute or two, you will see another popup asking you to rate the app. Select Rate It, and it will attempt to take you to the Play Store, but it won’t be able to since it’s not an actual Android TV app. That’s okay because it will think you rated it and the popup will not appear anymore.
That’s all there is too it. I know it seems like a lot of steps, but it’s actually quite simple. One other thing I will add to make your life a little easier down the road is that if you’re using a cloud service such as Dropbox or OneDrive, you can always make a master folder for Android TV specifically and copy the folders/images you want to utilize. Just select that one folder in your app of choice. This way, you don’t have to constantly go into the app on your Android TV device and connec a mouse. You can just manage the images from your desktop.
I hope this guide helped you. Having a slideshow while playing music is something that I have been desiring ever since the Chromecast was launched, but I knew it wasn’t capable of handling multiple streams as the same time.
If I have missed anything or if you find any other Daydream compatible apps that are cool, please share them with me in the comments below.
Come comment on this article: How to set up a slideshow screensaver on Android TV that utilizes your own photos from Google+, Dropbox, and more
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