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Comment by lotharcable2 | Hacker News Reader

> Is there an equivalent of DDWRT/OpenWRT but for TVs?

Get a used mini-pc, install Linux on it, and don't allow the TV to connect to any networks. This is a 50-75 dollar solution. Good if you are on a budget and are not interested in any wiz-bang features like HDR.

There are a few TV-dedicated Linux systems out there, like libreElEC.

Or get a more powerful system with a AMD GPU and install Bazzite on it. That way you get something like "SteamOS for your TV". Pairs nicely with controllers like 8BitDo.

It would be nice to have TVs as open as PCs, but the manufacturers and media companies are ran by dirtbags and would rather have victims then customers.

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> Get a used mini-pc, install Linux on it

As someone who tried that route I'd strongly recommend against it for anyone who isn't core HN audience or just loves tinkering. You're much better off with an Apple TV or an Nvidia Shield unless you really want the "beefy gaming media center".

I walked the mini-PC/RPi road and they came up short every time even for me, let alone the rest of the family. Even when I put in place the perfectly optimized initial setup I was still left with a bad compromise of performance, power consumption, noise, boot time, ergonomics, and the constant trickle of things breaking down or needing tweaking because of some update.

When trying to watch a movie with the family the last thing I want is to troubleshoot random issues.

I've had a MSI Trident functioning as a gaming/HTPC computer for years and the family loves it. They know how to browse the various streaming services and use Steam and Kodi.

> a MSI Trident

This is diverging quite a bit from "a smart TV replacement". Especially if Steam is a requirement.

The gaming PC you have there is probably exactly the combination you want. But for most others it's the compromise to avoid I mentioned above. It delivers the console and TV/media center experience but with the full PC power consumption, noise, boot times, maintenance effort, and inconvenient controls.

The cheapest Trident I can find on eBay costs more (by 2-5x) than an Xbox and an Apple TV together. And these 2 deliver their respective experiences with far fewer compromises.

> They know how to browse the various streaming services

Knowing how to use it is just the bare minimum requirement. With an Apple TV for example you can do the same with almost instant startup time, 0 noise, 0 maintenance, ~1-2W streaming, and a small remote control. And probably has less ads than the average Windows computer :). I found the "right tool for the job" more appropriate for my use case but that might not work for everyone or all the time.

Things just happened that lead to that optimised state of using one device for alll (The MSI). Nevertheless the main question was about a nice 4k screen. :)

I just use an old macbook air with a bluetooth keyboard that also has a touchpad. The thing is in sleep mode when not needed, so it wakes up fast and does not need a lot of energy. With that setup I can access whatever media I want, have a solid adblocker and a browser with a real keyboard.

> with a bluetooth keyboard that also has a touchpad

Different strokes for different folks, having to use a keyboard to control my TV is for me one of those usability compromises I preferred to avoid. It's probably related to how I use the TV, things like browsing the web were never on the list of requirements. I'll have a phone, tablet, or laptop at hand for that.

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