This is way over my head, but I thought it might interest someone who has more ability than me.
If you're reasonably competent with website design, you can create a personalised landing page with links to all your favourite media sites. By running this page locally on your PC, you can use Firefox Kiosk Mode to transform your computer into a full-screen, dedicated Smart TV / Media Center that removes the address bar and other browser menus.
Live television via aerials and satellite dishes is slowly dying out. Our media consumption has moved almost entirely online, served through apps on Smart TVs, Android boxes and Firesticks. This is a great shift for convenience, but it introduces a major trap of being locked into the manufacturer's ecosystem.
At the risk of derailing this topic, as I think this is s cool idea, I am over streaming services. When I had DirectTV, yeah it was expensive, but when I add up all my subscriptions, I am shocked at how expensive it is. What’s worse, are services like Paramount + where I pay for the service but some of the new shows have commercials so I have to pay for the premium version for no commercials. So people rag on Disney+ for being so expensive, but if you get Paramount plus with no commercials, it’s the same price. And frankly, all I want on Paramount plus is the Star Trek stuff anyway. I could care less about all the CBS crap.
“Cutting the cable cord” was initially a great idea, now I swear we are paying more for streaming services and it is more confusing than ever to know what you are paying and we still have commercials again. It’s like a massive bait and switch. “Come to streaming and ditch cable, it will be so much cheaper and better with no commercials…”
Thank you @jymm for the link, interesting idea to check out.
Agreed 100%, very convenient, but locked into their ecosystem. Times have changed, way too much.
LOL! Loved this warning! and indeed you’re right…
I’m guessing you’re in the U.S., right? Because of what you say about paying for the premium service.
I’m not there, I’m way down South America, where streaming services are different: they’ve got a lot less stuff (because of international licenses), still everything is so fragmented, and even that way, some shows and movies are not available.
I’m always on Prime Video, also on Paramount Plus (which is a lot cheaper here than in the US), but it’s got a lot less shows and movies (once again, because of international licenses).
Right now I’ve got Disney Plus and HBO Max, but because they’ve got big discounts, like 70% less, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to pay for their service.
I've been using Kodi and LibreElec on a Raspberry Pi 4B for quite some time now as a "smart" TV . It works really well except that usually every month or so, a service will stop working. None of Kodi's applications are supported by the (streaming) services, so the service will change something and then it naturally takes time for the volunteer developers to fix the application.
This post has reminded that I need to investigate how to use a browser as a backup for when the applications on Kodi fail. Or - could I dual boot and use something like this as a backup.
I agree, paying for every premium service is costly, but you pay for most of them on cable or satellite too. Yes there are basics to add to like Hulu, but that is what you are paying for with when you pay your Internet bill and cable bill too. Not much difference in the long run other than the free stuff you get on streaming, which is not premium content.
I don’t pay for subscription services. I have Roku and mostly watch movies on YouTube and Tubi with the commercials but which is no big deal as it is how I watched on air TV and cable all my life. Otherwise it is what is on Roku or my antenna.
Same here.Bought a Roku at Wallyworld hooked it up my older flatscreen and watch content thru the free streaming services or the antenna which gets at this point 94 channels.On occasion when Amazon offers free Prime I'll use that until it expires.The only thing I pay for is internet access.
I recently setup 24.04 on an small “industrial PC” basic install, adding Kodi, Brave. Kodi lets us watch all our ripped DVDs & BluRay disks (kudos to MakeMKV) and shows recorded with Hauppage HD-PVR box. Brave has some plugins to help with the commercials on Netflix and “on-demand” from Tubi and Pluto, these are a constant battle with “updates” but when they are working we watch a lot more TV.
. It works really well except that usually every month or so, a service will stop working. None of Kodi's applications are supported by the (streaming) services, so the service will change something and then it naturally takes time for the volunteer developers to fix the application.