I have been using kodi but it just so limited and clunky. Android TV is better but that is a major challenge since Android TV is very tied to Google with not much existing outside of Google.

What I am looking for is a device that can work with mostly Jellyfin. I don’t use any streaming services. It would need to work flawlessly with a remote and I am looking for something that maintains itself mostly.

  • Mountain_Mike_420@lemmy.ml
    21·
    2 months ago

    I really dig my tcl roku tv. Ultra cheap and has plex/jellyfin. Has 1 ad on the main screen that can be easily blocked but can also be setup to insta launch an app on boot. These tvs also have decent latency in game mode too (my most important requirement).

    • DynamoSunshirtSandals@possumpat.io
      2·
      2 months ago

      The ad on the right side of the home screen always shows up for me, even with a pi-hole setup at home. I actually ended up factory resetting my roku tv and disconnected it from the inyernet entirely a couple years back for that exaxt reason. Except roku OS 10+ actually gas built-in ads on the right side that show up even if you’re offline.

      …so how did you get rid of the ads entirely? Because I’d love to do that myself.

    • ReversalHatchery@beehaw.orgEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I remember that roku TVs refuse working until you connect it to the internet. their values/intentions are clear, I wouldn’t give money to them

      edit: they also require registering a roku account

      • Mountain_Mike_420@lemmy.ml
        11·
        2 months ago

        Not true at all. Yes you do have to do an initial setup connected to the internet (and making a roku account), but after that you can disconnect it from the internet completely. It even looses its initial ad after a certain time.

        • ReversalHatchery@beehaw.orgEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          oh that was it, the account requirement was what I wanted to remember but couldn’t! was sure it was something even worse, thanks for the help.

          yeah if I would buy such a TV by accident, I would bring it back within the return period and tell that it was faulty, because it is.

  • kalkhas@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 months ago

    I use a steamdeck with jellyfin installed. It’s not its main purpose but works well enough

  • agile_squirrel@lemmy.ml
    5·
    2 months ago

    How “big” are your movies and tv shows? If they are 4k UHD remuxes then Nvidia Shield Pro or Apple TV 4k behind a firewall to block external internet is your best option for performance, usability, and privacy. You will want to ocassionally allow it internet for software updates. Kodi, a mini pc, raspberry pi, etc. would be more private but you trade off a seamless remote, easy interface, and streaming codecs (e.g., dolby vision).

  • akilou@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    2 months ago

    I’ve been using a Chromecast with Google tv, and have deprived my tv my WiFi credentials. 90% of what I watch is from my Plex server, 9% other streaming services, 1% digital antenna.

    It’s not an ideal situation but as you know because you asked the question, the privacy situation in TVs is dire. Otherwise you’re doing ridiculous shit like plugging computers into it or whatever.

  • GravitySpoiled@lemmy.mlEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    I use an amazon fire tv 4k, I only use it to start jellyfin. It’s perfect.

    If you don’t want it to phone home, put it behind a firewall, and block all but your domains

  • utopiah@lemmy.ml
    3·
    2 months ago

    RPi with minidlnad, all devices at home from computers, phones, tablets, video projector, even VR HMD, can play content with e.g VLC.

    Very quick to install (basically have a media directory with your videos inside) and still very flexible, e.g new content is added simply by copying from any other device with access, e.g scp which itself can be a script after downloading something.

  • bizarroland@fedia.io
    1·
    2 months ago

    Cheapest TV you can find that has the specs that you are interested in combined with a $50 pawn shop laptop and an inexpensive wireless keyboard and mouse.

    Linux is optional but highly encouraged.

    Connect that to a USB dac which is then piped into an amplifier for 2.0 sound.

    I could probably rig up a subwoofer for a little extra oomph but none of the amplifiers I found at the thrift store have a way to turn off a powered amp or power an unpowered one.

    • bizarroland@fedia.io
      1·
      2 months ago

      Another option would be one of the t95 Android boxes. There are some really great tutorials on how to replace their stock firmware with a Linux and get all of the activity and availability that you would typically need as a media box out of them for just you know $25 and 3 to 8 hours of your time depending on how tech savvy you are and what your luck of the draw is.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      I have a TV. I just need a good TV box which probably will be a old RPI

      Also I would rather continue to use Kodi over a keyboard. At least with kodi I can use my phone to control it

      • kalpol@lemm.ee
        1·
        2 months ago

        A 4B is kind of the minimum for newer Librelec versions. Still cheap and fanless with a good heat sink case. I’ve learned recently about CEC and it works on my old Panasonic with Viera but I keep a little Bluetooth keyboard around too.

    • Matth78@lemm.ee
      7·
      2 months ago

      +1 that’s what I do at home with my desktop and what is IMHO the best solution.
      Yet on vacation I use an old android box with Android Tv (SlimTv) and I have to say it’s nice to have a dedicated interface allowing use of a remote.

      • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
        21·
        2 months ago

        Okay, but then the TV is still running all the same spyware.

        Update: just disabling wifi doesn’t guarantee 100% privacy anymore on a densely populated area. Nowadays you’ve stuff like Amazon Sidewalk and who knows who’s partner and what devices are in it.

          • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
            21·
            2 months ago

            That doesn’t guarantee 100% privacy on a densely populated area anymore. Nowadays you’ve stuff like Amazon Sidewalk and who knows who’s partner and what devices are in it.

          • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
            21·
            2 months ago

            That doesn’t guarantee 100% privacy on a densely populated area anymore. Nowadays you’ve stuff like Amazon Sidewalk and who knows who’s partner and what devices are in it.

              • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                2 months ago

                Not specifically for amazon devices, they’ve opened up the network to “selected partners”, I believe Samsung isn’t on the list but that may happen at any point and to be fair did you read the ToS to know if they don’t have something similar already? What are their plans?

                • recklessengagement@lemmy.world
                  4·
                  2 months ago

                  All I know is that I’ve never connected my TV to the internet and never gotten ads on it

                  Not saying more sinister things aren’t possible, but for my TV to connect to some kind of mesh net, it would probably need a firmware update, which its not going to get, because again, its not connected to the internet.

    • Taleya@aussie.zone
      1·
      2 months ago

      Dedicated mini pc running vlc and retroarch with a network link to my 18tb file server schwing schwing

  • superglue@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    ive been through this process recently and sadly, what you are looking for doesnt exist at the moment. thr closest thing is Kodi and as you already know, has a lot of flaws.

    • akwd169@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      2 months ago

      Thank you for sharing this, it looks really promising

      I’m tired of only hearing of Kodi suggested in threads like this. I don’t get why it’s so popular, it’s confusing for non-tech oriented people, you can’t stream, YouTube functionality is questionable, the interface is dated looking and IMO an eyesore…

      Some people like Kodi and that’s great but it sucks balls for other people and there’s barely ever any mention of any sort of alternative (like your comment)

      These threads are usually just:

      “I need a device or software for watching tv that works with a remote”

      Kodi Kodi Kodi jUsT uSe A lApToP Kodi Kodi Laptop + HDMI cable

      • FeelzGoodMan420@eviltoast.orgEnglish
        01·
        2 months ago

        Kodi isn’t for streaming from services like netflix and YouTube. It’s used to stream offline video files over the local network.

        • akwd169@sh.itjust.works
          2·
          2 months ago

          Well a) yeah I know I said that in my comment

          And b) you can get a YouTube plugin for Kodi IIRC

          So what’s your point?

  • KomfortablesKissen@discuss.tchncs.de
    9·
    2 months ago

    I use a raspberry pi with LibreElec/Kodi. It works with the HDMI-CEC, meaning I control it with the TV remote.

    Jellyfin can be used as a source for movies and stuff with a plugin.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      Awful UI and my TV remote only has on off with CEC. I have a Bluetooth remote but the select key code is higher than 255

      • KomfortablesKissen@discuss.tchncs.de
        1·
        2 months ago

        Yeah, fair enough. Did you try kodi with a different hardware? Might be a bit easier on the clunkiness. But besides AndroidTV, which I hate because it doesn’t do what I want, I have no alternative.

        I haven’t dabbed in it, what does the select keycode being higher than 255 do?

        • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          Select

          Kodi just have a awful menu system everything is buried under menus.

          As far as Android TV goes it is pretty sure friendly and works out of the box

          • KomfortablesKissen@discuss.tchncs.de
            1·
            2 months ago

            Yeah, it does need a lot of getting used to, especially if you want to change some settings.

            With AndroidTV I have the same problem as with Windows: More and more of the “features” seem to be against my interests. That might be a view tainted by the SmartTVs, but it’s the only experience I have with it.

  • robolemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 months ago

    You can debloat an NVIDIA shield android tv box, replace the default launcher, then install whatever else you want. It’s probably not perfect but it’s pretty darn good. That’s what I use and it can be updated without losing any of my customization.

    • GravitySpoiled@lemmy.mlEnglish
      41·
      2 months ago

      I don’t own one but I agree, it ist very good. But it’s too expensive for what it is nowadays. A second hand one or maybe the next generation might be worth it again

      • akwd169@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        2 months ago

        Yeah we looked into a shield recently because we know someone who has one and we really liked it, plus I’ve heard it can be locked down and side loaded decently

        But then we saw the price of one and are not willing to spend more than half the cost of a brand new 4k tv on a little box to stream from our media server and Netflix…