5 ms·

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.

by przmk 5y ago

AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y ago
Couldn't you run Plex or similar as the UI?
throwaway3699 5y ago
Does YouTube.com/TV work for you?
- jstanley 5y ago
  That seems to be a (delayed) redirect to the youtube.com home page, at least for me in Firefox on Ubuntu.
  - logix 5y ago
    Use a smart tv user agent and it will work on a desktop.
Taylor_OD 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y ago
Plex to chromecast works great for me
riskable 5y 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 5y 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

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.

by przmk 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y ago

Couldn't you run Plex or similar as the UI?

throwaway3699 5y ago

Does YouTube.com/TV work for you?

jstanley 5y ago
That seems to be a (delayed) redirect to the youtube.com home page, at least for me in Firefox on Ubuntu.
- logix 5y ago
  Use a smart tv user agent and it will work on a desktop.

Taylor_OD 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y 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 5y ago

Plex to chromecast works great for me

riskable 5y 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 5y 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