An old Pixel worked better as a temporary security camera than a TV box
Android Authority found the camera setup quick and portable, while the media-player experiment needed a laptop, monitor and several peripherals.
TLDR
Android Authority repurposed an eight-year-old Pixel 3 XL as both a security camera and a TV box. AlfredCamera made temporary monitoring easy, with low latency, motion detection and two-way audio, though constant charging raises heat and battery-swelling concerns. The media setup delivered smooth playback but required a laptop, external display, mouse, keyboard and scrcpy because the phone lacks native USB-C video output. The writer considered portable, on-demand monitoring the more practical use for most people.
An old Pixel worked better as a temporary security camera than a TV box
Android Authority found the camera setup quick and portable, while the media-player experiment needed a laptop, monitor and several peripherals.
TLDR
Android Authority repurposed an eight-year-old Pixel 3 XL as both a security camera and a TV box. AlfredCamera made temporary monitoring easy, with low latency, motion detection and two-way audio, though constant charging raises heat and battery-swelling concerns. The media setup delivered smooth playback but required a laptop, external display, mouse, keyboard and scrcpy because the phone lacks native USB-C video output. The writer considered portable, on-demand monitoring the more practical use for most people.
