My 8K on Android Phones, Tablets, TV Boxes and Android TV
The most forgiving device to set up, because Android lets an app install without much of an argument. Works the same on a phone in your hand and a box under the telly.
Before you start
- Your Android phone, tablet or box on the same Wi-Fi as everything else
- Your My 8K server address, username and password
- Room for a small download
Download the player
Open the browser on the device and go to the apps page on this site. Choose the Android download. On a phone the file lands in your Downloads folder. On a TV box you may find it easier to use the Downloader app and the short code, exactly as a Fire Stick would.
Say yes to the warning
Android will ask whether you trust an app from outside the Play Store. Allow it for the browser or the file manager you used, then tap Install. The warning is standard for any app that does not come from Google’s shop and does not mean anything is wrong.
Sign in with your details
Open the app and choose Xtream login. Type your server address, username and password from your account page. On a phone you can paste all three, which removes the most common source of typing mistakes.
Make it yours
Once the list loads, set your favourites and move the groups you watch most to the top. On a TV box, turn on the option to start playback in the last quality you used. These are two minutes of fiddling that make every evening afterwards easier.
Worth knowing
- On a TV box, a cheap wired connection beats an expensive wireless one every single time. If the router is in the same room, use the cable.
- If the app closes by itself on an older box, lower the buffer size in its settings before assuming the box is finished.
- Android phones can send the picture to a Chromecast, but a stick plugged into the telly is steadier for a whole film.
No subscription yet?
It takes about two minutes from paying to having your details on the screen in front of you, and this guide will be waiting when you come back to it.
Set mine up