# Can AI Make Your Smart TV Faster? 144 Launch Tests > Source: > Published: 2026-10-21 07:57:50+00:00 **I used AI to disable unused apps and shorten the animations on my TCL 98C7K. I tested four tune-up configurations and tried Projectivy separately, with 144 app launches in total. I wanted to see how much faster these changes could make a modern television.** ## Watch the Full Investigation **I Let AI “Hack” My TV. Then I Ran 144 Launch Tests.** ## AI Debloating on My TV AI agents that clean up a sluggish smart TV have been all over the tech news lately. In September, [Tom’s Hardware covered Mert Cobanov’s experience](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/developer-uses-claude-code-to-debloat-android-smart-tv-for-unbelievable-performance-upgrade-tv-now-smoother-than-it-was-new-as-autonomous-agent-deactivates-apps-shortens-animations-all-without-root-access) using Claude Code on an older Android TV. His changes included disabling apps, installing FLauncher, and shortening animations. On 19 October, [It’s FOSS reported a broader wave of similar experiments](https://itsfoss.com/news/debloat-smart-tv/), including the community project now called [CleanYourTV](https://github.com/Gathin23/cleanyourtv). Those reports got me curious enough to try it myself. Shorter transitions can make a TV feel quicker even when an application takes just as long to start. A simpler launcher can also clear the screen of clutter while YouTube and Plex perform as before. So I measured each change on its own. I used my 98-inch TCL 98C7K and tested the reversible tune-up already applied to it. I had disabled six unused applications, reduced three animation scales to 0.5x and restarted the TV. I used Codex over Android Debug Bridge (ADB) for the changes and measurements. The Tom’s Hardware story used Claude Code. The Android commands work with either assistant, and I could also type them myself at a terminal. The main test covered 96 launches across four configurations. I then ran a separate, balanced 48-launch comparison of Google TV Home and Projectivy, with Projectivy running as an ordinary app and the tune-up unchanged. Those results are on page 5. **The six-app tune-up changed median launch times by only 0.6% for YouTube, 0.5% for Plex and 1.5% for VLC. Available memory barely changed, and my Home-screen trace showed no improvement in smoothness. Idle CPU load was lower during the sampled periods.** I would keep my expectations modest. ## Test TV Specifications Android identifies my TV as *Smart TV Pro*. The retail model is **98C7K**, as the Product Information menu confirms. Before using a debloat list from another TCL, I would check each package against this model and its firmware. Sharing a manufacturer does not guarantee that the packages do the same job. | **Verified Item** | **Result** | | Retail model | TCL 98C7K; generic Android label: Smart TV Pro | | Operating system | Android TV 14 / API 34 | | SoC property | MediaTek MT9689 (device-reported) | | TCL firmware | `V8-0012T01-LF1V643.003175` | | TV+ OS | `TVM7.1.0_71644eaa1_260320` | | Security patch | 5 December 2025 | | Kernel | 5.15.180-android14-11 | | Android build | `tcl9618-user 14 UTT2.250416.001 AU02 release-keys` | | Product-menu capacities | 3.0 GB RAM; 64.0 GB storage | | Android-visible memory | 2393.8 MiB total in the initial audit | | Physical / UI size | 3840×2160 physical; 1920×1080 UI override; density 320 | | Initial free app storage | 45.23 GiB; 92.69% of the app-data partition | | Package inventory | 168 packages, including Android components; six optional packages disabled | The feature menu also lists 144 Hz, DLG 288 Hz, 120 Hz MEMC, a 48–288 Hz VRR range, Dolby Atmos, DTS, Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Vision Game and IMAX Enhanced. I did not verify these capabilities in this software test. The highest refresh-rate mode depends on resolution: [TCL’s 98C7K specification sheet](https://www.tcl.com/content/dam/brandsite/region/australia/products/tv/c-series/c7k/downloads/98C7K_Specs.pdf) qualifies 288 Hz gaming at reduced resolution. I did not test panel refresh, HDR accuracy, audio performance or HDMI input lag. My initial audit found approximately 45.23 GiB free on the app-data partition, so storage was hardly a problem. The six optional apps were already stopped and absent from the resident-process snapshot. I would not expect much RAM back from disabling them. The TV had been up for about 51 days, including standby, so I restarted it before the controlled comparison. Otherwise, a fresh boot could have received credit for the tune-up. I tested a software change on the 98C7K, with the original screen, firmware, launcher and display settings retained. A complete picture-quality review would require separate testing.