Two methods: Sideloading or joining the beta program.
Sideloading lets you load a specific release to your Android / Android TV device. It is somewhat of a pain, but it works, and you have immediate access to the beta version.
Joining the beta program provides you with all the releases. You receive them via the Google Play store, just like the non-beta releases. I am not sure how quickly beta signups are processed. I signed up quite some time ago. At that time signups were not handled immediately.
Sideloading
Google “sideload Nvidia Shield” or “sideload Android TV” for all the details.
- In Shield Security settings, enable installation of apps from unknown places (i.e. places other than the Google store)
- Install Downloader by AFTVnews from the Google store (free).
- In the Downloader app, install the browser plugin (free).
- In the browser of the Downloader app, do one of these two:
- a) Go to forums.plex.tv, navigate to the Android TV beta announcement thread (in the testing area), navigate to the bottom, select the arm64v8a version, and load it.
- b) Enter the URL for the last (most recent) entry in the announcement thread,
https://forums.plex.tv/t/release-announcements-android-tv-beta/154124/441. Select the arm64v8a version, and load it.
Downloader should then install the apk on your Shield.
Once installation is complete, launch the Plex app, sign in if needed, etc.
You can verify the app version by going into the app settings and look at the overlay in the lower right corner of the screen.
There is most likely a way to put the apk on a USB stick instead of all the ugly navigation steps above.
Note that sideloading disables auto updates for the sideloaded app (any app, not just Plex). To load future beta versions, repeat the sideload process using the new version.
If you wish to return to the non-beta release, simply delete the sideloaded version and reinstall from the Google Play store. Auto updates will work again as well.
Join Beta Program
See Join App Betas: Android (mobile), Android TV, Apple TV, iOS . Follow the link to the Google Play store to sign up for the beta program.
If you’ve an Android phone with the Google Play store, you can also sign up in the play store app. I did not see a way to sign up in either the Android TV or web versions of the Google Play store.
Once in the beta program you will receive beta updates for the Plex Android TV app. If your device is configured for auto-updates you will receive them automatically.
Follow the same link to be removed from the beta program.
Note that beta is exactly that. The release includes new features, fixes, etc but is not considered ready for production release. The release schedule is irregular. There may be several releases a week, multiple releases in a single day, or several days between releases. You can see the release dates in the announcement thread. The releases are generally stable, but sometimes new features do not work correctly or existing features may break (hence the name, beta).
