You must log in or # to comment.
$22 billion to get the maga propaganda machine front-and-center on more screens than cable tv ever did, and timing is just right to get it all going in time for 2028.
One of the things on my FOSS wishlist is an open source alternative to Roku/GoogleOS/Apple TVos, etc. there are lots of FOSS apps on these various platforms, but those apps almost always have varying levels of quality and availability across them.
Right now the closest you can really get is media center PC, but what I really need is something relatively plug and play I can send to family members, preconfigured.
yes I totally don’t know why this isn’t more of a thing. here’s hoping that “plasma bigscreen” will change that. https://plasma-bigscreen.org/
Yeah, a jailbroken Roku OS would actually be fantastic. The actual TVs aren’t bad. Roku has actually figured out how to do streaming decently. It just sucks that the entire company seems to be going down the shitter, and they’re determined to drag all of their screens down with them.
I blocked by Roku TV’s telemetry BS with my pi-hole, at least. But that won’t stop them from trying. Having a way to flash a new FOSS/jailbroken OS onto it would be ideal.
Same. I’m currently doing the mini PC media center. It’s nice but I don’t see my family doing something like that. It’s a bit too expensive and less plug and play than a $40 Roku/Chromecast unfortunately.
Those things are so cheap because they serve you ads and sell your data. They’re sold at a loss. Most brain dead idiots are fine with that trade it would seem. If you could get Linux running on one of those that would be great.
Google TV is the least worst option in terms of open source optionality, Apple TV is best for privacy as is
What would be amazing is if there was some way to have a fully declarative system that was integrated with a system update UI.
You would upload the config somewhere, your family’s streaming box would see a new update is available and either prompt them to install it or install it for them overnight.
I’ve never used it before but it sounds like you’re sorta describing NixOS? That might be an option to sorta Jerry-rig this idea together.
A FOSS alternative would likely be missing or have meh performance from many of the streamers. All the big ones use proprietary codecs that are expensive annual licenses. And even then the streamer controls what various access methods are allowed to see and at what quality. I think netflix still limits web browsers to 720p, for example. And straight web access isn’t great, you want an interface that can ideally be controlled with about 6 - 8 buttons (4 directions, OK, and Back are the minimum) which might require API access to these services, which introduces more access control. Netflix (and maybe others) even have hardware installed at the ISP level that give them a lot of control over individual access as well.
Basically for a full featured FOSS service you’d need to start with getting grants to buy to codec licenses, and then you’d need to hire people just to maintain your relationship with the streaming services to stay in their good graces while they know you’re working against their bottom line.
For me it’s kind of JellyFin + TailScale, but that probably isn’t going to work with less tech savvy family members or on all devices. Plex works well enough, but then again it’s the same thing that someone has to be responsible for the ‘media’ portion, and a lot of people enjoy live sports, which seems difficult through the open source things.
Yeah JF + Tailscale in one of them $20 Walmart Google TV boxes works well enough but like, I’d love to drop the Google part entirely.
Yeah, I just use the web interface, so I end up having a cheap PC with a keyboard/remote which works pretty well, then it doesn’t matter the TV and get’s away from Google altogether.
Can you configure and ship it?
Until I read the last sentence, I had no idea what you were talking about. You sound like you could whip up a media center PC easy enough. The machine I’m typing this on doubles as our media center. I have to take the mouse to the coffee table for a movie remote, but that’s the only hassle, and it isn’t a hassle for me.
I feel like the tech is already in place. What do you want that isn’t out there?
Must get very small, very quiet, require zero ongoing maintenance besides an automated update mechanism, and have a single unified UI across all apps that the user can’t easily escape out of.
Jellyfin is quite great for me right now. Check it out https://jellyfin.org/
Jellyfin is just a media streaming application
It is a server application too that can be installed in old hardware serving media to many clients, not only the jellyfin app.
It’s a server application that just streams your media. You’d still need some kind of device to install the client on.
Relax. I was just correcting your wrong statement about it being just “a media streaming application” by adding the sever part bit.
Relax, it is in fact just a media streaming application. It is an application that streams media. It does nothing else.
Okay ñ_ñ
Coreelec on ugoos am6b+ is the best option if you want the broadest support for formats possible (though notably missing av1)
Htpc with streaming content or stuff like Dolby vision is a licensing nightmare. Some stuff works, some doesn’t, Linux support is trash, etc
Eh, fuck you Roku I never trusted you.
That’s disappointing.
It would certainly be a shame if some rogue Roku employee deployed an update that stripped ads and broke automatic updates for all devices right after Fox finalizes the deal but before they get anything out of it.
that’s a nice idea, but when they catch-on it probably wouldn’t survive six months before breaking changes are implemented on the backend somewhere.
I’d settle for a crack so I can make it a plain ole linux htpc.
Bonus points if I can configure the remote.
On the day of the handover lock it up with ransomware.
Well shit.
Nope. Don’t like that 🤢
Time to toss the stick I use on the spare TV in the garbage
Oh, ffs.
This on top of tubi? It seems that Trump’s henchies really do have all of FAST in their goddamn pockets.
Oh no! Not the pop-up AD Smart TV company! The only reason to have Roku today IMO is for those cheap Roku subsidized TVs but only when you keep them completely offline. I truly feel bad for all the people who have them connected to the internet but this is pretty on par for Roku.
Both our TVs are Rokus, internet connected and I’ve been too lazy to configure the firewall. Only ads I see are on the home menu screen, and those are slightly annoying but unobtrusive.
Wife’s TV in the bedroom is only used for YT. (I think, that’s her thing.) Mine’s a second monitor for my PC to watched pirated content.
Where and how are people seeing ads?
Already switched to an Android box since Roku was getting crappy fast. Projectivity launcher. Still need a fork to go mainstream to reign in Googles app developer shenanigans. If memory prices weren’t so screwed up, would have been a perfect time for Steam Machines to push regular Linux as an HTPC closer to mainstream
Any android box you can recommend? I am looking for something without all the bloat, ads and privacy nightmare. I have a shield. It is pretty nice but still bloated and too bulky to put behind a TV.
Projectivity helps. Android TV should be open source.
A Fire TV went nuts today spamming my network with 60k mdns Pkt/s. It took down all my WiFi access points because the CPUs couldn’t handle it.
I mean a BC-250 is still not a terrible option for a steam machine
Well that’s some shit I’m gonna toss in the garbage. All of the streaming in the house is done on PCs or Playstations currently, so it won’t be a big loss. I have a few devices sitting around to take for travel or whatever, but I can find other solutions.
Dear corporate America:
I reject your enshittification. I don’t need your service. Fuck yourself with an axe-head.
– Shel
Guess it’s finally going to be time to flip over to AppleTVs.
Sail the high seas.
Can someone recommend a good, simple, open source TV box with a remote that can play YouTube and Plex?
Kodi.
That’s not what they asked for
Cable is dying hence Murdoch needs a new way to broadcast his propaganda to old people.
