While this option is certainly not available to all, it is the only thing that will really fit your needs. I completely gave up on finding anything decent in that market.
What usability / long-term reliability perk does your own software running on a RPI have over an Apple TV plugged into a dumb TV / monitor?
I would say not "hn user" level folks, more like "i have a gaming pc".
Everyone's idea of 'simple' is rather asinine, unimaginative.
The latest Pis come practically preinstalled with everything, just have to load Kodi.
But someone who has found 'their' solution i.e. some crap by Apple e.g. assumes this is how everything should be... And we all get stuck with crappy 'smart' TVs (or don't own one - I have survived 10+ years without a TV - absolutely nothing about TVs today makes me want one. So much hot garbage)
My own solution has the pros:
- I control precisely what I need and what not, both in terms of features and in terms of usability
- I control when it gets changed/updated
- I control which data flows in and out of the system
- Your device is not a brick when the manufacturer decides to end the support or shuts down the wrong server
The obvious downside is that it means work and requires a certain set of skills. Whether it is worth it or not depends on how important that thing is for you and how much all the TVs suck at doing what you want in the way you want it done.
[0]: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/build-the-ultimate-4k-home-...