this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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I find a dedicated HTPC is just overkill in terms of hardware these days. I just use Kodi sideloaded onto a Fire stick and point it to my file server for all my media. There are methods to get Kodi to launch on startup or to remap one of the stupid service-related buttons on the newer remotes to launch it instead.
Ads on the home screen? I don't give a shit, I'm just there for a second to launch an app. Ads while searching? Cool, I don't think I've ever used the device's built in search.
I have a NanoPC-T4 that I use as a server, the thing would in principle make a good set top box -- it's what Rockchip designed the RK3399 for, after all, it can decode 4k h.264 and h.265, and it's from 2016 (I got it for its pcie lanes, a rarity with arm boards).
None of those SmartTVs run expensive hardware, any reasonably fresh potato can do what they do.