Software-wise, I really like Jellyfin. Runs wherever you have your media files (Raspberry Pi, NAS, home server...) and can be accessed either through a browser or through an app. There are clients for pretty much all smart tv operating systems so you might not even need a device hooked up to your tv. I use meine on LG webOS and Fire TV.
this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2023
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Jellyfin is a genuine revelation for me. I have a couple of Roku's that fit my needs, for my bedroom and living room, but are becoming increasingly annoying mostly due to my loathing of advertisements, which I cannot due anything about.
I was looking into home theater computers, and they are way too expensive. The combination of small, powerful, and output to 4k without blowing up in noise makes them pricier than other solutions. I think I need to research this a lot more.
Anyways, while looking for a way to cast video from newpipe to Roku (dead end) I saw Jellyfin and installed on a whim. I installed the server on my main desktop, moved some videos into the media folder, and after figuring out my IP I got watching The Repair Shop on the bigscreen.
I am in love. I got a couple of old computers I meant to turn into servers, and I cannot wait to start crafting my media center. It works so well.
Like dfyx said, Jellyfin is a good free option, if you what another free(mostly) option, Plex is another good one which may be a bit more user friendly if all you want to do is stream your own media through the internet. If you want to only view files locally, then even a raspberry pi may suffice through some kind of local file viewer, but online (Plex, Jellyfin, etc) would be best for viewing on other devices too.
I haven't done it myself, but you should definitely take a look at Kodi. Maybe you could even put it on a Raspberry Pi.
You can install LibreELEC (basically an OS dedicated to Kodi) on a Raspberry Pi, and use that as a streaming box. You could also install Android TV on it and block all of the "phoning home" with DNS
@king_dead What are you talking about, exactly?
Something like a Chromecast, but with a built in browser that can be loaded with ad blockers and local media libraries
@king_dead Like an #AndroidTV or #GoogleTV?
Yeah. Personally outside of the desires stated above, It's been a miracle if any of my google TV Apps work correctly.
@king_dead What apps have you been using?
The native apps built into google TV. Prime Video and Paramount+ have been notoriously awful