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You can buy a mini desktop computer for $100 and just plug it in to the TV. Control it with a $10 wireless keyboard, and watch anything that you can watch in a

You can buy a mini desktop computer for $100 and just plug it in to the TV. Control it with a $10 wireless keyboard, and watch anything that you can watch in a web browser (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.). https://lee-phillips.org/tcDebian/ https://lee-phillips.org/tcDebian/

przmk 6y ago
But this lacks a nice and clean UI to watch Youtube, Netflix, etc. I wouldn't want to control a browser displayed on a TV with a wireless keyboard.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
  Eh, it isn't great, but you get used to it and it is a hell of a lot better than dealing with all the bullshit of the various bespoke players.
- Fauntleroy 6y ago
  Then you simply get to decide which one of these bothers you more: - A wireless keyboard and web browser - Ads being mercilessly shoved down your throat
  - logix 6y ago
    Or, for Youtube (I guess you could use the same device for Netflix, Plex client, etc.), you could get the best of both worlds: Chromecast-like controls for YouTube and an ad blocker (the info from that link can be adapted for a desktop): https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/04/how-to-cast-youtube-videos-from-your.html https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/04/how-to-cast-youtube-vi...
- cronix 6y ago
  It was a lot better when MS still had Windows Media Center (last in Win 8.1). I could actually watch cable tv with a cablecard system through windows. Full DVR, accurate guides, able to use WMC remotes, could watch on any computer attached to the network, etc. It was one slick system.
- alistairSH 6y ago
  Couldn't you run Plex or similar as the UI?
- throwaway3699 6y ago
  Does YouTube.com/TV work for you?
  - jstanley 6y ago
    That seems to be a (delayed) redirect to the youtube.com home page, at least for me in Firefox on Ubuntu.
    - logix 6y ago
      Use a smart tv user agent and it will work on a desktop.
- Taylor_OD 6y ago
  I've been doing it for close to 10 years. I hate trying to navigate on friends/parents smart tvs. They are slow, the UI doesnt always make a lot of sense, the cable provider guide always seems to be fighting with the smart tv guide/pages. Is that really a nice and clean UI compared to Windows which most people are familiar with?
  - _coveredInBees 6y ago
    Things have evolved a lot in the last 10 years. I've had an HTPC for that long as well, and it has its place but if you spend a bit more than the $20 for the cheapest streaming sticks, any of the modern streaming devices are extremely snappy and responsive and much more enjoyable to navigate via a remote than dealing with a wireless keyboard and mouse. The smoothness of the video stream is also in general better from my experience than streaming via a webbrowser. And that's setting aside all the downsides of HTPC streaming due to losing out on 4K, HDR and 5.1 audio streams. I love my HTPC, but its role has changed over the years in my living room.
  - toxican 6y ago
    It varies wildly my TV manufacturer. My parent's smart TV is god-awful to navigate. You have to go into an app to get to the streaming apps...like what? But my TV has Roku built-in and it's smooth as silk for the most part. Most of the issues I encounter are app-related. Like HBO Max is really clunky, but Netflix is rock-solid.
    - entropicdrifter 6y ago
      Yeah, my Roku Streaming Stick+ plays everything just fine. The only thing I use Kodi on my Pi for these days is anime with SSA/ASS formatted subtitles since the Roku can only handle SRT format, which means you don't get nice formatting for times when there's one subtitle for dialogue at the same time as a subtitle for a piece of text
      - Taylor_OD 6y ago
        Maybe this is a semantics argument but if you have to add something additional to the TV for it to play well then it doesnt really seem like that speaks to the quality of the TV UI.
- voxic11 6y ago
  Have you tried it? In my experience its far nicer then most "Smart TV" or media devices in a similar price range. (certain devices like the apple tv have acceptable UI's but they are a little pricier). I personally use one with an integrated mouse and its very convenient https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Control-Touchpad-dp-B014EUQOGK/dp/B014EUQOGK https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Control-To...
- qudat 6y ago
  Plex to chromecast works great for me
- riskable 6y ago
  I completely disagree. I have a Roku-powered TV, Amazon FireTV, Chromecast Ultra, and have used quite a lot of "smart TV" interfaces. They all suck compared to KDE + VLC + Firefox (with uBlock Origin). Smart TV/device interfaces aren't even in the same league! Example: By the time the Netflix app is open in Roku I will have already found the show and have it playing on my Linux desktop in Firefox. Not only that but the apps are severely limited in functionality compared to what you get on the websites for the same provider. Even just scrolling through shows/movies is a bazillion times faster and good luck trying to find a specific place in the middle of a show using a regular remote control! haha. With a mouse I can just click right in the middle of that progress bar and be done. Then there's things like Funimation: Their apps all suck so bad that the website seems like a dream in comparison even though the website is so awful it makes web developers visibly gag. The benefit the computer has is that it's trivial to load up those same shows on pirate sites when Funmation stops loading/playing videos again (on any given day you could have about a 5% chance of a Funimation video actually playing).
- mitchdoogle 6y ago
  I usually find the ui on desktop browsers to be most friendly to my needs. Couple that with all the customization options I have from it being a normal computer, it's by far my choice device for watching tv
pja 6y ago
You won’t be able to watch HD content on Netflix or Amazon Prime (at the very least) that way though. You can only get HD streaming via a browser on Windows, which appears to have an exception to the usual DRM rules. edit: As pointed out below, Windows is implementing DRM via decoding in hardware, which WideVine (Google’s DRM layer) on desktop Linux doesn’t / can’t do, so there’s no special exemption here.
- kuschku 6y ago
  You can get 1080p with Netflix or Amazon Prime in Firefox on Linux. It just requires some addons to modify their client app js (because the DRM verification level is high enough, it's only their frontend that disables this)
  - pja 6y ago
    Except that the WideVine DRM library under Linux only does software decoding, so HD video tends to stutter according to the issue logs on said extensions on GitHub. Assuming you get it to work at all of course.
    - riskable 6y ago
      I haven't had any lag issues with it and my HTPC is running a 12-year-old processor with a 10-year-old AMD GPU. Maybe it's an Intel or Nvidia driver issue? I'm running KDE and have it configured to disable the compositor when an app goes full screen. Maybe that's your issue? Try turning off desktop effects and screwing around with your compositor settings. Edit: I want to point out that since my GPU can't handle 4k the desktop resolution is limited to ~2k (whatever the highest was that it can handle at 60Hz--I forget now haha).
      - zihotki 6y ago
        I assume that that was a point in regards with $100 mini-pc (think ARM-based one). Your 12-year old device likely has more performance comparing to those modern and cheap pc's.
kwanbix 6y ago
It costs 129 today at amazon. Plus 10 for the keyboard it is 140. For 30~50 I can get a Fire TV that can plays for all the sources that I use (Netflix, Amazon Video, and Diskey+), and save on the electricity bill.
- leephillips 6y ago
  Sure. But my comment was a response to the problems people are having with these streaming devices. Plus, with the mini desktop you have a full-blown Linux computer. You could even record TV on it (though I haven’t tried this).
_coveredInBees 6y ago
I have an HTPC hooked up to my LG C9, but an HTPC really is not a great option for streaming content if you have a reasonably good TV and/or sound system. You lose HDR and in most cases 4K streaming if you try to view content via a web browser for most streaming services. You also lose higher quality audio and 5.1 audio streams with most services when viewing through a web browser. And then there is the issue that browser based streaming is just never quite as smooth and stutter free as streaming on any decently capable modern streaming device due to the native hardware acceleration and the fact that you don't have an entire OS with a bunch of other things running on it competing for CPU/GPU cycles at any given time. The LG C9 processor is quite powerful and extremely snappy. My HTPC is almost always an inferior option on that front. I would rather recommend someone buy something like the nVidia shield instead of an HTPC if they mainly consume content via streaming services. I still like my HTPC for other uses and it is also great for Zoom/Skype calls with friends and family from my living room.
intergalplan 6y ago
Audio, in particular, is much less likely to "just work" on a $100 computer than a Roku. Ditto things like HDR. [edit] by "audio" I mean, in particular, sending the right codecs to get surround sound for a particular source, when you ought to have it.
- leephillips 6y ago
  Absolutely true. Primitive stereo is good enough for me, but not for everyone.

przmk 6y ago

But this lacks a nice and clean UI to watch Youtube, Netflix, etc. I wouldn't want to control a browser displayed on a TV with a wireless keyboard.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
Eh, it isn't great, but you get used to it and it is a hell of a lot better than dealing with all the bullshit of the various bespoke players.
Fauntleroy 6y ago
Then you simply get to decide which one of these bothers you more: - A wireless keyboard and web browser - Ads being mercilessly shoved down your throat
- logix 6y ago
  Or, for Youtube (I guess you could use the same device for Netflix, Plex client, etc.), you could get the best of both worlds: Chromecast-like controls for YouTube and an ad blocker (the info from that link can be adapted for a desktop): https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/04/how-to-cast-youtube-videos-from-your.html https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/04/how-to-cast-youtube-vi...
cronix 6y ago
It was a lot better when MS still had Windows Media Center (last in Win 8.1). I could actually watch cable tv with a cablecard system through windows. Full DVR, accurate guides, able to use WMC remotes, could watch on any computer attached to the network, etc. It was one slick system.
alistairSH 6y ago
Couldn't you run Plex or similar as the UI?
throwaway3699 6y ago
Does YouTube.com/TV work for you?
- jstanley 6y ago
  That seems to be a (delayed) redirect to the youtube.com home page, at least for me in Firefox on Ubuntu.
  - logix 6y ago
    Use a smart tv user agent and it will work on a desktop.
Taylor_OD 6y ago
I've been doing it for close to 10 years. I hate trying to navigate on friends/parents smart tvs. They are slow, the UI doesnt always make a lot of sense, the cable provider guide always seems to be fighting with the smart tv guide/pages. Is that really a nice and clean UI compared to Windows which most people are familiar with?
- _coveredInBees 6y ago
  Things have evolved a lot in the last 10 years. I've had an HTPC for that long as well, and it has its place but if you spend a bit more than the $20 for the cheapest streaming sticks, any of the modern streaming devices are extremely snappy and responsive and much more enjoyable to navigate via a remote than dealing with a wireless keyboard and mouse. The smoothness of the video stream is also in general better from my experience than streaming via a webbrowser. And that's setting aside all the downsides of HTPC streaming due to losing out on 4K, HDR and 5.1 audio streams. I love my HTPC, but its role has changed over the years in my living room.
- toxican 6y ago
  It varies wildly my TV manufacturer. My parent's smart TV is god-awful to navigate. You have to go into an app to get to the streaming apps...like what? But my TV has Roku built-in and it's smooth as silk for the most part. Most of the issues I encounter are app-related. Like HBO Max is really clunky, but Netflix is rock-solid.
  - entropicdrifter 6y ago
    Yeah, my Roku Streaming Stick+ plays everything just fine. The only thing I use Kodi on my Pi for these days is anime with SSA/ASS formatted subtitles since the Roku can only handle SRT format, which means you don't get nice formatting for times when there's one subtitle for dialogue at the same time as a subtitle for a piece of text
    - Taylor_OD 6y ago
      Maybe this is a semantics argument but if you have to add something additional to the TV for it to play well then it doesnt really seem like that speaks to the quality of the TV UI.
voxic11 6y ago
Have you tried it? In my experience its far nicer then most "Smart TV" or media devices in a similar price range. (certain devices like the apple tv have acceptable UI's but they are a little pricier). I personally use one with an integrated mouse and its very convenient https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Control-Touchpad-dp-B014EUQOGK/dp/B014EUQOGK https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Control-To...
qudat 6y ago
Plex to chromecast works great for me
riskable 6y ago
I completely disagree. I have a Roku-powered TV, Amazon FireTV, Chromecast Ultra, and have used quite a lot of "smart TV" interfaces. They all suck compared to KDE + VLC + Firefox (with uBlock Origin). Smart TV/device interfaces aren't even in the same league! Example: By the time the Netflix app is open in Roku I will have already found the show and have it playing on my Linux desktop in Firefox. Not only that but the apps are severely limited in functionality compared to what you get on the websites for the same provider. Even just scrolling through shows/movies is a bazillion times faster and good luck trying to find a specific place in the middle of a show using a regular remote control! haha. With a mouse I can just click right in the middle of that progress bar and be done. Then there's things like Funimation: Their apps all suck so bad that the website seems like a dream in comparison even though the website is so awful it makes web developers visibly gag. The benefit the computer has is that it's trivial to load up those same shows on pirate sites when Funmation stops loading/playing videos again (on any given day you could have about a 5% chance of a Funimation video actually playing).
mitchdoogle 6y ago
I usually find the ui on desktop browsers to be most friendly to my needs. Couple that with all the customization options I have from it being a normal computer, it's by far my choice device for watching tv

pja 6y ago

You won’t be able to watch HD content on Netflix or Amazon Prime (at the very least) that way though. You can only get HD streaming via a browser on Windows, which appears to have an exception to the usual DRM rules. edit: As pointed out below, Windows is implementing DRM via decoding in hardware, which WideVine (Google’s DRM layer) on desktop Linux doesn’t / can’t do, so there’s no special exemption here.

kuschku 6y ago
You can get 1080p with Netflix or Amazon Prime in Firefox on Linux. It just requires some addons to modify their client app js (because the DRM verification level is high enough, it's only their frontend that disables this)
- pja 6y ago
  Except that the WideVine DRM library under Linux only does software decoding, so HD video tends to stutter according to the issue logs on said extensions on GitHub. Assuming you get it to work at all of course.
  - riskable 6y ago
    I haven't had any lag issues with it and my HTPC is running a 12-year-old processor with a 10-year-old AMD GPU. Maybe it's an Intel or Nvidia driver issue? I'm running KDE and have it configured to disable the compositor when an app goes full screen. Maybe that's your issue? Try turning off desktop effects and screwing around with your compositor settings. Edit: I want to point out that since my GPU can't handle 4k the desktop resolution is limited to ~2k (whatever the highest was that it can handle at 60Hz--I forget now haha).
    - zihotki 6y ago
      I assume that that was a point in regards with $100 mini-pc (think ARM-based one). Your 12-year old device likely has more performance comparing to those modern and cheap pc's.

kwanbix 6y ago

It costs 129 today at amazon. Plus 10 for the keyboard it is 140. For 30~50 I can get a Fire TV that can plays for all the sources that I use (Netflix, Amazon Video, and Diskey+), and save on the electricity bill.

leephillips 6y ago
Sure. But my comment was a response to the problems people are having with these streaming devices. Plus, with the mini desktop you have a full-blown Linux computer. You could even record TV on it (though I haven’t tried this).

_coveredInBees 6y ago

I have an HTPC hooked up to my LG C9, but an HTPC really is not a great option for streaming content if you have a reasonably good TV and/or sound system. You lose HDR and in most cases 4K streaming if you try to view content via a web browser for most streaming services. You also lose higher quality audio and 5.1 audio streams with most services when viewing through a web browser. And then there is the issue that browser based streaming is just never quite as smooth and stutter free as streaming on any decently capable modern streaming device due to the native hardware acceleration and the fact that you don't have an entire OS with a bunch of other things running on it competing for CPU/GPU cycles at any given time. The LG C9 processor is quite powerful and extremely snappy. My HTPC is almost always an inferior option on that front. I would rather recommend someone buy something like the nVidia shield instead of an HTPC if they mainly consume content via streaming services. I still like my HTPC for other uses and it is also great for Zoom/Skype calls with friends and family from my living room.

intergalplan 6y ago

Audio, in particular, is much less likely to "just work" on a $100 computer than a Roku. Ditto things like HDR. [edit] by "audio" I mean, in particular, sending the right codecs to get surround sound for a particular source, when you ought to have it.

leephillips 6y ago
Absolutely true. Primitive stereo is good enough for me, but not for everyone.