I’ve been looking for something to replace the google chromecast that is attached to our TV.

I’ve tried Kodi out, but the main use case for the TV set is a 70+ yo person watching netflix and there is just no way they will be better off with Kodi than with the stock netflix app.

Besides supporting netflix, being easy to use, and providing significantly better privacy than the chromecast does, the device would ideally:

  • support other mainstream streaming (amazon, disney, …) for when my people get tired of netflix
  • support a DVB-T2 usb stick (directly, or through IPTV: I can put the stick in a different machine)
  • support youtube without ads (through an adblocker and possibly sponsorblock, or maybe using invidious)
  • possibly, support local public TV streaming (eg. BBC)

I have a PC set aside that should be more than capable enough (intel N100), but I’m open to getting new hardware if needed. Also, it doesn’t matter if the system is not very user friendly to setup (eg. if it needs to be nixos), but once it’s setup it should be easy to use and relatively straightforward to update/maintain.

I guess a FOSS android TV would be ideal, but… is there any? (I see Lineage supports the Google ADT-3, but that is basically unobtanium, at least where I live).

    • Billygoat@catata.fishEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I am looking to use Android tv and Kodi for offline use in an RV and I think this is what I’ll try next. Didn’t want to have to buy another shield pro just to do that.

  • Froyn@kbin.social
    101·
    10 months ago

    Take your PC that you set aside, install the Stremio FlatPak, sign up for a Debrid Service, and use the Torrentio plugin for Stremio.

  • PopOfAfrica@lemmy.world
    5·
    10 months ago

    I had this same problem. I ultimately just put a Linux computer on my TV with standard Ubuntu.

    I gave up

    • Dr_Evil@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      10 months ago

      What additional software did you end up installing? Something like kodi? Anything for live TV/OTA?

      And how easy is your setup to control with a TV remote form factor?

      • Looming mountain
        3·
        10 months ago

        Louis Rossmann made a video on this. It’s called why I dtopped paying for Netflix. Of you have a smart tv, they want you to use the native app or else they limit your definition.

  • Nate@programming.devEnglish
    4·
    10 months ago

    I use my Chromecast with ATV home pro & disabled the home screen entirely. Then I used smart tube next for ad free YouTube and Plex for anything else.

    • gomp@lemmy.mlOP
      22·
      10 months ago

      That’s a great tip! I didn’t know lineage supported Android TV on SBCs

      As for Netflix on Lineage: it does work (at least w/ microg - I just tried on my phone), but you won’t find the app in aurora store so you’ll have to source it on apkmirror or the like.

      • KrapKake@lemmy.world
        2·
        10 months ago

        Not sure why Netflix wouldn’t be on the Aurora store. Anyway, I did use android TV on an OdroidXU4 for a few months. It worked well with an air mouse and made it work like a regular android TV. Only issue I had with it sometimes was getting it to wake up after being asleep for some time, but that issue could have been ROM+odroid (or air mouse) specific.

      • TheSun@slrpnk.net
        2·
        10 months ago

        When I still had Netflix I was only able to get 720p streams on lineageOS because of netflix’s DRM checks (same with on a web browser)… does your method allow 1080p or even 4k streams or is it still the same deal?

        • gomp@lemmy.mlOP
          2·
          10 months ago

          Wow: they also go to great lengths to piss off their paying customers.

          Anyway, I have no idea if it’s 1080p or not: I can say it looks ok on my phone’s screen, but IDK how to check what the video resolution is

  • pbanj@lemmy.ml
    3·
    10 months ago

    The original(2021) walmart streaming box is like $20, it has custom roms for it. It has the same specs as the 4k Chromecast with androidtv. The 2023 version doesnt seem to have any roms(at least on xda), but can still be rooted.

    • gomp@lemmy.mlOP
      3·
      10 months ago

      It’s closed-source AFAIK (also, not sure how it is privacy-wise)

    • gomp@lemmy.mlOP
      41·
      10 months ago

      You are 100% right: netflix not being open is less than ideal, both from a freedom standpoint and for the privacy implications of it.

      However, my 70+yo relative does not care about FOSS or even about their own privacy for that matter… since I, however, do care about their privacy, I’d like to pragmatically find something that may be better than a chromecast privacy-wise, while not being so much worse (or radically different) from it that they’ll ask me to “put the old thingy back - I can’t use this nerdy shit” :)