Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Android TV box with an Amlogic S905X processor into a dedicated smart home hub is one of the most cost-effective ways to get started with Home Assistant. By using Armbian Trixie (the Debian 13-based release).
S905X-based TV boxes (like the Nexbox A95X, ZTE B860H, Huawei HG680P or Sunvell T95X) are often found in drawers or bought cheaply second-hand.
Minimal Footprint: Armbian Trixie "Minimal" removes the overhead of a desktop environment, saving RAM and CPU for Home-Assistant.
Modern Kernel: Trixie provides access to newer Linux kernels, offering better security and hardware support.
Built-in Storage: Unlike the Pi, many of these boxes have eMMC storage, which is much faster and more reliable than a standard SD card.
00:14 Download Armbian OS (ophub GitHub).
github.com/ophub
01:05 Flash OS to microSD card.
01:47 Remote Login (SSH/Putty) using root / 1234.
Enter the Android TV IP and log in with root / password 1234.
02:14 Launch Armbian software tool: armbian-software.
Install via Armbian. armbian-software.
02:31 Install Docker 101
Type armbian-software
03:08 Install Home-Assistant
Enter armbian-software, and select 108.
Wait until - Home Assistant installed successfully. It is finished.
Access: Navigate to http://your-ip:8123 in a web browser.
Open with a browser to log in to Home Assistant.
04:26 Set up Home Assistant Server.
00:05: Check Home Assistant Container
05:25 Install HACS
You need to install HACS if you want to connect smart devices to Home Assistant
Go to Putty Terminal
Put command
docker exec -it homeassistant bash -c "cd /config && wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -"
05:39 Reboot Home-Assistant
05:59 Authorization HACS
Note - Authorization Hacs for GitHub. Must register.
06:02 Setup HACS Home-Assistant
Go to Setting - Device - Add integration. Search HACS
Copy the 8-digit HACS authorization code. Open the GitHub page.
HACS appears on the Dashboard
07:05 With HACS, can integrate smart devices to HA
Example - Tuya, Xiaomi, Matter, and others. Can be accessed via Home Assistant.
Command
docker exec -it homeassistant bash -c "cd /config && wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -"
07:41 Make a new HA Server
Or restore Home Assistant from another device.
08:07 Compare HA Only Container
The difference in using the Amlogic S905X source.
A minimal Home Assistant setup with just Docker results in lower CPU usage.
Android TV box with an Amlogic S905X processor into a dedicated smart home hub is one of the most cost-effective ways to get started with Home Assistant. By using Armbian Trixie (the Debian 13-based release).
S905X-based TV boxes (like the Nexbox A95X, ZTE B860H, Huawei HG680P or Sunvell T95X) are often found in drawers or bought cheaply second-hand.
Minimal Footprint: Armbian Trixie "Minimal" removes the overhead of a desktop environment, saving RAM and CPU for Home-Assistant.
Modern Kernel: Trixie provides access to newer Linux kernels, offering better security and hardware support.
Built-in Storage: Unlike the Pi, many of these boxes have eMMC storage, which is much faster and more reliable than a standard SD card.
00:14 Download Armbian OS (ophub GitHub).
github.com/ophub
01:05 Flash OS to microSD card.
01:47 Remote Login (SSH/Putty) using root / 1234.
Enter the Android TV IP and log in with root / password 1234.
02:14 Launch Armbian software tool: armbian-software.
Install via Armbian. armbian-software.
02:31 Install Docker 101
Type armbian-software
03:08 Install Home-Assistant
Enter armbian-software, and select 108.
Wait until - Home Assistant installed successfully. It is finished.
Access: Navigate to http://your-ip:8123 in a web browser.
Open with a browser to log in to Home Assistant.
04:26 Set up Home Assistant Server.
00:05: Check Home Assistant Container
05:25 Install HACS
You need to install HACS if you want to connect smart devices to Home Assistant
Go to Putty Terminal
Put command
docker exec -it homeassistant bash -c "cd /config && wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -"
05:39 Reboot Home-Assistant
05:59 Authorization HACS
Note - Authorization Hacs for GitHub. Must register.
06:02 Setup HACS Home-Assistant
Go to Setting - Device - Add integration. Search HACS
Copy the 8-digit HACS authorization code. Open the GitHub page.
HACS appears on the Dashboard
07:05 With HACS, can integrate smart devices to HA
Example - Tuya, Xiaomi, Matter, and others. Can be accessed via Home Assistant.
Command
docker exec -it homeassistant bash -c "cd /config && wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -"
07:41 Make a new HA Server
Or restore Home Assistant from another device.
08:07 Compare HA Only Container
The difference in using the Amlogic S905X source.
A minimal Home Assistant setup with just Docker results in lower CPU usage.
