I currently use an Apple TV 4K, which is - as far as I’m aware - more or less the best streaming box you can buy. However, it’s the version without ethernet, and Steam Link has become a dog over wifi for some reason. So I figured I’d look around to see if there’s an alternative solution.
Hardware-wise, I have a Dell Optiplex 3020 or a 2014 Mac mini (running Debian), to choose from, but have no real idea where to go from there, beyond the vague notion that KDE have put big screen mode back into beta. I did have a play with that a few months ago in a VM, but was struck that there were (obviously) no applications that made any real use of it.
Does anyone out there run anything they’ve built themselves? If so, what?
Plasma Bigscreen. If you haven’t tried it, TRY IT.
It’s any Linux distro with KDE, plus one installed package and you get a tv interface on a computer. You can use Jellyfin with any “Air mouse” you want, and Plex htpc, plus waydroid for android apps. And worse case, is something doesn’t work, you’ve always got a normal web browser.
You don’t need an air mouse, Jellyfin has a TV mode. It has to be selected in the settings.
Gonna bash Debian on my 2014 Mac mini tomorrow, install Bigscreen and see what’s up.
If you go that route (which I recommend, just finished my own install, happy with it), I recommend Waydroid-ATV.
There are even cheap Air mouses which can learn your TV remote commands, so you can throw that in a drawer and have only one remote 👍
Unless it’s been updated, Plex HTPC doesn’t work on arm
yeah i did this and it works brilliantly. An airmouse can be fairly cheap. I got an elitedesk mini from a company’s old hardware sale. It works wonders for now. An old laptop should work great (easier to find a used one with ok graphics and HDMI) but i found the mini pc formfactor to be easier to place with the tv.
Listen to Dust0, I’ve done this with an old Mac book and works very well
This is the way !