COMPARISON · UPDATED [MONTH YEAR]
Four ways to put your own photos on an Android TV, compared
If your photos live on a NAS or a home server, the right choice depends on one question: do you want to run extra software, or upload to the cloud, just to see them on the TV?
THE SHORT ANSWER
For photos already on a NAS, Dreamr is the simplest option: it's a system screensaver that reads SMB and NFS shares directly, with no media server and no cloud. Google TV's Ambient mode suits people who already keep everything in Google Photos. Plex or Jellyfin make sense if you already run one for video.
Side by side
| Dreamr | Google TV Ambient mode | Plex / Jellyfin | DLNA photo apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where photos come from | SMB share, NFSv4 export or TV storage | Google Photos albums | A Plex or Jellyfin library | A DLNA / UPnP server |
| Software to run on the NAS | None, just a file share | None, but photos must be uploaded | A media server, always on | A media server, always on |
| NFS support | Yes, NFSv4 built in | No | Server-side only | No |
| Photos leave your home | Never | Yes, stored in Google's cloud | No, on a local setup | No |
| Starts when the TV is idle | Yes, it's the system screensaver | Yes | [VERIFY per app] | [VERIFY per app] |
Which one suits you
Homelab with TrueNAS, Unraid or OMV
Dreamr. Point it at an NFS export you already have. There's no container to run and no library to scan.
NFS guideFamily photos on a Synology or QNAP
Dreamr over SMB. Use a read-only user, pick the album folder and it's done.
SMB guideWanted a Samsung Frame instead
Keep your TV. Set a slow interval (5 to 30 minutes), turn the overlays off, and your own photos hang on the wall whenever the TV is idle.
Everything is already in Google Photos
Use the built-in Ambient mode. It's free and already on your TV.