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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/
A FOSS alternative would likely be missing or have meh performance from many of the streamers. All the big ones use proprietary codex 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.
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.
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.
I feel like Kodi mediacenter app is one of the main things to consider putting on it. Like, booting some Linux and instantly launchung it, so it’s UI is the main UI for user to interact with. It covers most TV usecases of mid 2010s and shines if you have a medialibrary on the network.
But it doesn’t cover occasional web browsing, DRMed videostreaming platforms with their own apps, etc. Worse than that, if we don’t limit it to just Kodi, we’d need some UI to pick apps, swtich apps, etc, and if that’s critical, it’s probably worth it to rip an image of some WebOS, like on LG TVs, or an Android fork like on SmartTV boxes/sticks, whatever is less combatative, and methodically carve out bloat and adware, forming an image of inherently insecure/outdated OS that has the UI thing working right.
Outside of SteamOS idk if Linux (not Android) had slick console/SmartTV-like DEs/system-wide GUIs. But since the problem is on the surface, I believe there are some who tried, or configured/themed their environment to act like it.
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.
KDE is able to release plasma bigscreen. That, or frankly gnome would be fine with an air mouse.
Can you imagine what it must be like to have a stake in roku when you get the news that the company is going to be sold for 22 billion? Do you just immediately nut and throw up at the same time?
can’t believe they didn’t reply to my offer of $3.50 and a paperclip
Clearly you needed a bigger offer. Should have gone with a binder clip.
KODI KODI KODI KODI KODI KODI KODI KODI KODI
Don’t be lazy. Put some work into customizing your setup. Enjoy a better life.
Fuck Fox and Fuck Roku. It will only get worse. My Roku is already the top blocked device in my Pihole, making thousands of telemetry requests for no good reason. Time to remove…
Kodi keeps clunky and old honestly.
It’s not about laziness. Roku is used by a ton of people who don’t know what a linux is.
The best solution would be for an open source roku alternative that is plug and play
heck we need to go out evangelizing kodi
Welp, time to discard all things Roku in my house. I’ve already been trying to make everything “dumb” again.
No, microwave… there’s no fucking reason you should be “phoning home”… get the fuck outta here with that shit.
Welp, time to discard all things Roku in my house. I’ve already been trying to make everything “dumb” again.
As if Roku is some great company beyond Fox lol
@ComradeMiao @technology I have a RokuTV, but I blocked it from my network. All I wanted was a dumb screen for my set top box, and I am now even happier I did that
Yeah, all corporations are bad… sure. My point was the tipping point for me personally breaking away from the convience of Roku’s all-in-one streaming would be the addition of Fox’s no doubt right wing propaganda injection, even more malicious privacy invasion, and data tracking.
I didn’t say Roku was a “great company” just because I may have a few of their devices already… we all have crap in our house from one bad company or another, no one can fully escape corporate consumerism, and if they can they wouldn’t be on here to read this, more than likely.
If you had to choose, would you rather:
-
a turd with flies all over it?
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a turd that a drunk also puked on, with flies all over it?
-
I purposely didn’t buy a Roku
Damnit…
Have a roku tv and only use it to 🏴☠️screen mirror☠️🏴
🌊⚓Yarr mateys⚓🌊!
This is the same Fox that owns Fox News. So now Roku’s advertising push can include a side of misinformation.
I was just at my father in laws house and he has roku, it already does that. He went from voting for Harris to last week saying “Trump is the smartest president we’ve ever had”.
Sounds like dementia.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound like Roku’s fault.
Dementia doesn’t automagically make one rabid for Trump.
No, but it does often lead to sudden, late-life personality changes
There seems to be a pretty strong correlation though
Same with the level of propaganda.
Side?
Okay, okay… the entire goddamn buffet AND the drinks from the bar.
Don’t forget the sundae bar.
Corporations shouldn’t be allowed to buy each other
$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.
Already replaced my Roku with an Apple TV.
Tons of older folks (like my Mom, grandma, my aunts) have Rokus set up to replace cable. They don’t know how to operate individual apps, but they love Roku TV (which pops up by default), and kinda just watch whatever comes in.
So… Yeah.
That’s not worrying at all.
A lot of the stuff that comes over the online TV channels is also broadcast over the air, have you considered getting them an antenna?
They all have one! In the attic, with an amp. I installed them myself.
It’s not the same as the Roku TV app though. Those channels are like older person catnip, and the duplicated ones don’t cut out unpredictably.
It’s also understandably difficult for some folks to remember how to change TV input, rescan channels and such.
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.
I’d settle for a crack so I can make it a plain ole linux htpc.
Bonus points if I can configure the remote.
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.
On the day of the handover lock it up with ransomware.
