Most buyers who buy an Android TV box just want to use it to watch videos, browse the web, play games, and so on, so landscape mode seems to be the best choice, and the orientation option in the firmware is often disabled. However, TV boxes can also potentially be used as digital signage players, which may require landscape or portrait modes if the screen is positioned vertically. Since I’ve just been asked that question, I’ve checked for a solution, and luckily there’s an app called Set Orientation that does the job. [Update August 2021: The app has been removed from the Google Play store, it might be worth trying Screen Rotation Control app instead]
When you first start the app, it will show the option “Disabled”, but you can click on the arrow to reveal more options, and select Portrait to rotate the screen.
In case the screen is upside down, simply select Portrait (reverse) option, click OK, and you’re done! Easy.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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Original Android is made for phone and tablet and always support portrait. But many firmware for TV box has patch to force landscape. Some have settings to disable force.
But .. big problem: for portrait video play, 1. VPU must support hardware decode of reverse width*height in 2K or 4K and 2. VPU postprocessor must bufffer and rotate VPU output.
Chips with no PP cannot play natural oriented portrait video. Many manufacturers going away from tablet market and drop postprocessor. Check before buy!
How can we do any suggestion
On my Ugoos UT3s this function implemented in firmware in video settings. And it works just fine
I use Adaptive Rotation Lock on Android x86 to force or avoid screen’s rotation.
I’ve used that app to fix broken sensors orientation in Android x86 on my Acer Switch 10 (90 degrees mis-rotated) before I recompiled the source with some patched lines.
Anyway, nice and simple app with no frills.
I have a MiniM8S and can’t change the screen orientation using the app described above… Is Tieko right, do only some Android boxes now support portrait mode? I used to use Minix Mini Neo X5 and had to flash a different ROM to enable this feature. Is this possible with the MiniM8S?
The i68 does not work. The V88 has a System Settings > Display > Rotate the contents of the screen that gives the options of 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees and works fine.
Thank you for the great information. I was looking for it.
Hi have purchased several HiMedia H8 media players at Samsung Canada’s Suggestion. I need them to run in portrait mode for digital signage. I have downloaded this Set Orientation app and set it to portrait and it is not working. Any idea why? Is there something more I need to do? There is an additional situation the screens I am using do not even have a Portrait Mode so I am stuck.
Thank for any help\
@Teiko
Do you know a set top box that support portrait mode.
My new beelink GT-1 with android 7.1 has all play stor installed apps sideways (landscape) My GT-1 with android 6 was fine.
Side loaded apks are fine. I’ve tried auto rotate in accessability but it doesn’t work.
Any ideas?
bob
@Bob Snelgrove
If the app mentioned in this post does not work, then you could try to change the orientation settings in build.prop. A Google search may help find the exact solution.
Since it’s a firmware issue, you may also want to let Beelink now in their forums. You’re most probably not the only one to have the same problem.
I recently purcased online s912 octva andriod tv box please intimate me how to set vedio in portrait mode
to set
@Krishan kumar arora
Have you tried the app mentioned in the post?
By using the above mentioned application when i rotate my screen to portrait mode in my MXQ pro 6.0.1 i am getting a error that, “Unfortunately, system UI has stopped”
Any suggestion?
that stupid app is not even showing install option while trying to install it.
Hi, this can done, rotation is just a property that is disabled in TV Boxes, so no need to worry, just check if your Device is Rooted,
1) install the RootBrowser App
2) Go to the Systems Folder, in there you will
3) find a file named build.prop,
4) Open the file in any editor and edit the line with the property (any of these three properties will be there depending on the firmware)
– ro.sf.disabledrotation=1 (change the value to zero to enable rotation) ,
– ro.sf.disablerotation=false(change value to true),
– ro.sf.hwrotation=0 to (any of the values 0,90,180,270,360) ,
5) After making the edit go back it will prompt to save the file, once saved you are done.
6) Now just restart the machine once
7) install a Rotation App you are done , now your android TV box can rotate however you want.
I have used and tried it in an Rockchip,Allwinner and Amlogic based boxes here and all of them have a mix of these properties or any one of these properties in the system/build.prop file.
So yes rotation in any TV Box is easily possible.
This is not true. Android v7+ has removed the ability for Android TVs to be set in portrait mode. Boxes must first stay below Android 7 and then have firmware that allows portrait / can be rooted and changed accordingly. This was bad advice that lead me down the wrong path.
it’s not working x96 mini
Mr. Qmatic sany bd, What is solution and text code? Please help me???
hello Jean-Luc/CSN Soft,
I’ve been a reader but now want to ask a question – I tried the methods (sideloading the above apks, or similar ones) and couldn’t get them to work.
Do you know of another method or perhaps Android TV is better at blocking this behavior?
Thanks.
If it does not work. There are products that ship with firmware that integrates built-in rotation selection support, mostly for digital signage. You can check products from Ugoos or Rikomagic for instance.
What do you mean by “blocking this behavior”? Are you doing this on a phone?
Thanks Jean-Luc,
I will keep an eye on those, as a possible way to enable rotation.
When I say blocking, I mean built-in behaviors from Android (Android TV specifically) that disable or block the ability for some of these apps to rotate screen orientation into portrait (or the other 2 directions). I thought I might find this capability in accessibility but I did not. Chrome OS supports rotation very easily.
And no, not on a phone. An Android TV box.
While I’m not seeking to use my Android TV box permanently in portrait, I would like to be able to use it occasionally on a vertical monitor.