Company
About
Lynvo started with a playback problem. I wanted to save a link on my Android phone or tablet and open it in a player on Android TV without typing the URL with a remote.
Finding the right player
About nine months ago, I found Dolby Vision Profile 5 videos available through Direct Media links. My Android TV supported Dolby Vision, but VLC could not play those files correctly. I looked for a player that supported both Dolby Vision and HTTP network streams.
That search led me to Just (Video) Player. It did exactly what I needed, and I still use it today.
The missing step
Just Player could open network streams, but it had no screen for pasting a URL on Android TV. Its documented approach was to receive the URL through Android's share sheet.
I could have forked the player and added a URL input. That would have left me maintaining a media-player fork for one small workflow. Instead, I opened an issue and built a small demonstration website that could invoke the share sheet with a selected URL.
It worked, but typing long URLs with a TV remote was still awkward. I could copy and paste through the Google TV app. The workaround was easy to miss and awkward to use.
The workaround became Lynvo
I wanted to stop repeating those steps. Lynvo lets you save a link in a browser, find it on Android TV after sync, and send it to Just (Video) Player, VLC for Android, MPV, or MX Player without typing a long media URL with an Android TV remote.
Plugins made the workflow useful beyond direct media links. Lynvo Plugins resolve supported Bhadoo Google Drive Index and OneDrive Index pages. The Plugin Server Protocol lets developers connect other compatible Sources.
The first version worked, but it was still a rough personal tool. I used it almost every day, then rebuilt Lynvo around the workflow I actually needed.
A link library, not a media catalogue
Lynvo is sometimes compared with catalogue-driven products such as Stremio, but they solve different problems. Stremio organizes browsing around titles and add-ons. Lynvo does not provide a catalogue or decide what belongs in your library.
A catalogue may not have the exact quality, version, or language you want. Lynvo starts with the link you choose, so your library contains your selections instead of an add-on's catalogue.
Lynvo does not provide media or help users discover unauthorized content. People add their own supported URLs. They are responsible for having permission to access and play what they save.