Would a google home be helpful here? She can just say "Okay Google play <name of show> on Netflix" and it will turn on the tv and start playing the show without touching the remote.

You can give her a printout with phrases to remind her how to use the Google home too (for pausing etc).

Some ideas:

• Have a device that can play audio remotely so that you can use voice commands to the Android TV device.
• If she has a PC, remotely access that, run Chrome, go to the Netflix site, and cast to her Android TV device.

Not to dissuade you from doing a project...

But the problem here is that you're creating a system that nobody else will be able to help her with. As things are currently, she is struggling to deal with the Netflix interface - but that is a problem that any number of people would be able to help with over the phone, on a video call, or in person. Once you add something custom that starts and stops and turns things off, that's going to make things a lot more difficult.

I don't know if there's an easy way to do screenshare / remote assistance on AndroidTV, but that would be a good option. Or even just set her up with an easy way to video call you from another device, and you can walk her through what to do to get her shows.

pls post here if you are successfully able to code it, it will be useful for many

Semi-legal option - install kodi and add to favorites?

Why don't you install a remote assistance software like anydesk on the mi box, maybe that would work ?

Just want to say it's really nice of you to try and do this for your Mom.

I can empathize, I have to set up tech for my parents too from half way across the world. Sometimes plugging in the hdmi is few days long process!

I would suggest setting up a camera/vnc so that you can see what's on her screen. Then maybe you can start/ stop things for her.

Since you are a dev, you can try to set up scrcpy to an external network ( https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/apeqjv/access_android_tv_box_remotely/ . )

Other idea I liked from above link is to set up a vpn to her internal network, and then you can cast to there remotely.

Also, since you are dev, apparently Netflix can be started via a urlscheme in an intent like so - nflx://www.netflix.com/title/ There's lots of possibilities with this.. a minimal launcher you could create. Using a customizable launcher like Nova (i dunno the androidTV equivilant). Or you can have a background app with push notifications that launches a show via a broadcast - then you can set up a big button ..hardware button even somewhere that starts her show.

The ultimate option is somehow obtain the tv shows and put them on a local server (or plex), and then use a DLNA (or plex) app that you can customize.. or write your own to do exactly what you described.

Probably best to teach her how to use it.. I mean Netflix UI is pretty simple . Old people are just afraid to click around usually until you show them several times .

Another idea (that I might end up using):

1. Live camera (e.g. Wyze or Eufy) pointed at the TV.
2. Internet-controllable IR transmitter (e.g. HarmonyHub, BroadLink RM). (Probably not unnecessary if you just need to control an Android TV box, since you can do that directly with an Android remote app.)

Just a suggestion you could make a very simple app that depends on other apps by using intents so an intent to open Netflix then use other commands to do other tasks and also there are other apps that utilises boots or starts up just ideas :)

Tasker, lama, and many more

Could you maybe use IFTT to make button widgets on her phone to do that?