Hi all. I have a TCL ATV that runs a bit slow and laggy, wondering if theres anyway i can improve this whether its by upgrading ram, different launcher or custom rom. upgrading storage or rooting. Any tips or suggestions welcome. Im not with the tv right now but if model needs to be specified i can get back to whoever later. Thanks in advance
You can't upgrade ram and i doubt there's a custom rom for a TV with ATV.
Basically all the things you say won't work because smart TV'S with Android TV use low-end chips and not enough ram. That's why i have been using a Nvidia Shield since 2015.
Go to youtube and type How do I clear the cache on android tv , this should be done few times every month .
Best bet in the future is to never buy converged equipment. Underpowered CPUs, insufficient storage and memory, and no impetus for the manufacturer to provide support coupled with a desire to obsolete the equipment ASAP to potentially generate new sales does not yield good long term support from the manufacturer.
Samsung makes some solid non-smart TVs when you're looking to replace.
Chromecast with Google TV are pretty good little units, but the new launcher is absolutely ad-infested crap and the ability to switch launchers is being locked down (not impossible yet, but harder).
I just got a TCL 646 and the built in ATV is absolutely useless, some apps barely work and others don't work at all. Like can't even get logged in before the app starts giving errors.
I got a Sony Bravia with the X1 processor and I still rock a Roku 4k and Chromecast. Just easier and works all the time.
Maybe a better network connection, but other than that a different device. Perhaps one of the new Firesticks or a Google Chromecast. Both are on sale right now for about $40. (And the base Firestick even less.) Chromecast at Walmart. Also there's the Tivo Stream 4k which is a fine device and has been on sale.
Stop depending on the TV itself and buy yourself a faster box. Buy a TV based on picture quality and then buy the fastest box you can afford and forget the built-in TV OS.
In the meantime, disable services you don't need by going into the apps section and disabling apps. Even some system apps can be disabled if you don't use them. Check the developer's menu task manager to see what is hogging up your resources.