Android UX/UI Design for Bigger Screens

[godbodian 59]

Essentially, I love Emby. I've been a lifetime user since before the rebrand. Thank everybody for their hard work. 

The android apps are great but they're both off when viewing them on a larger screen, ie. a Google or Android enabled television.

The regular Android app¹&² is fully functional but with it's animations and other elements, obviously designed for smaller screens and the for Android TV³ version is designed for bigger screens but missing certain functionalities like trailers and display augmentation for things like playlists. 

For further detail, instances like viewing the description of a film in the Android app¹&² on a TV turns the entire screen gray, which is jarring, especially when all the other elements are transparent. But on a when viewing on the film description on your phone, it's not only transparent but scrollable. Or when shuffling films in the Android app¹&² on a TV, if you scroll thru the next items, the posters sit atop chapter background artifacts, as opposed to just showing the posters themselves but on a phone it's laid out appropriately.

I haven't finishing going thru all the differences between the three versions (the same Android app¹&² on small and large screens, and Android TV³) but these are some of the ones I've noticed and slightly impact viewing.

 

 

[ebr 16442]

2 hours ago, godbodian said:

functionalities like trailers

The Android TV app supports trailers.

[godbodian 59]

Just now, ebr said:

The Android TV app supports trailers.

Yes (v.2.1.46g) but unfortunately it's still broken where it doesn't work. When you click on a trailer, the YouTube player screen comes up but then the screen greys out and says "Video Unavailable, This video is unavailable." Whereas the regular Android app doesn't and whichever trailer simply plays.

[Adamaen2 3]

24 minutes ago, godbodian said:

Yes (v.2.1.46g) but unfortunately it's still broken where it doesn't work. When you click on a trailer, the YouTube player screen comes up but then the screen greys out and says "Video Unavailable, This video is unavailable." Whereas the regular Android app doesn't and whichever trailer simply plays.

This is an old version, you should sign for beta, trailers works.

[godbodian 59]

Oh. I thought that was the beta. My apologies. I'm already signed up for the beta. I think I have to sideload the app tho.

I have the updated version (2.1.49g). I did have to sideload it although thru Google Play I have the beta activated. Thx.

Edited May 26 by godbodian

[elbello 0]

Hello all, I cant find that version anywhere, 2.1.49g... any llinks on where I can get it? 

 

[seanbuff 1372]

32 minutes ago, elbello said:

Hello all, I cant find that version anywhere, 2.1.49g... any llinks on where I can get it? 

 

I am not aware of such a version .46 is the latest beta release AFAIK.

You can always find the latest links and release notes here:

 

 

[elbello 0]

On 5/26/2026 at 1:58 PM, godbodian said:

Oh. I thought that was the beta. My apologies. I'm already signed up for the beta. I think I have to sideload the app tho.

I have the updated version (2.1.49g). I did have to sideload it although thru Google Play I have the beta activated. Thx.

I thought that's the version this thread was talking about.
sometimes my trailers work, sometimes i get an error, not sure if there was a fix yet. Thought the version mentioned above fixed it.

Edited Wednesday at 02:07 PM by elbello

[seanbuff 1372]

7 hours ago, elbello said:

I thought that's the version this thread was talking about.
sometimes my trailers work, sometimes i get an error, not sure if there was a fix yet. Thought the version mentioned above fixed it.

If you have an issue with trailers not playing, please create a topic for it in the appropriate forum and supply all the necessary information.