Raspberry Pi streamer Update 4

I've been wanting to build a Raspberry Pi streaming device. Why? Because it can be done, of course. And I actually did build one. I had some issues, but I wondered if it might be that I used a smaller Raspberry Pi than intended. You see, the requirements are a 4 GB device, and I only had a 2 GB device. Still, it worked. Well, mostly worked.

I ordered a 4 GB device and it arrived, but it had issues, and I've sent it back for replacement. Now, it'll probably be a while before it comes in, but I actually ordered a kit (the one with the board that is being replaced) and a standalone board. The standalone board works. Well, it does and it doesn't.

When I put a regular Raspberry Pi OS in the device, it boots and runs just fine. But, if I put the card with the Android TV setup, the card that runs in the 2 GB device, it won't boot.

Some research shows that the build for the Android 11 TV OS is not compatible with newer boards.

You can use LineageOS 19 builds that ships with 5.10 kernel and newer firmware. LineageOS 18 builds will always stick with 5.4 kernel and firmware to match the kernel version (which is apparently too old for your hardware revision).

So, the simple solution is to get the Android 12 version, since that is compatible with the hardware, right? No, not right. You see, while the Android 12 software should run, it doesn't include access to the Google Play store, meaning no apps. That's a problem. But maybe not for long. The GApps page says a version for Android 12 is "coming soon."

This puts my Raspberry Pi 4 streamer project on hold. Sure, the 2 GB board works, but there are issues with some important apps not working as they should. It could be the underpowered board, so I can't yet say it's a waste of time. I'll find out soon enough, when the GApps update arrives. Until then, my Streaming Life does not include a Raspberry Pi streamer.