I have an old laptop that I want to use to replace the “smart” features on my living room TV. Can anybody recommend a distro and setup which could act like a dashboard / remote control setup?
I want the PC to auto launch to a menu where I can use something like a remote to keep it convenient for lower tech people in my home. Are there remotes controls for this purpose? Distros?
I appreciate any guidance!
Piggy backing to ask how one could play video from streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, etc in full HD under such a setup? My assumptions are that videos would be played in a web browser, and most if not all streaming services like Netflix limit video playback to 720p in a web browser, although I’d love to be wrong about that.
There is a browser extension called “Netflix 1080p”, but in my experience the quality isn’t the same as Netflix’s native 1080p - the quality with the extension is visibly lower (but still better than 720p). And of course, it can’t do 4K at all. It also occasionally breaks, which is annoying.
If you really want to play streaming services at full quality, it’s better to just get a streaming stick like a Fire TV Stick, or a Roku or similar.
I’ve been using a htpc for TV content for years, and I’ve finally given up and just gonna pirate all my shit now. The hoops I’ve had to jump through to get 1080p on Linux, and Netflix/prime video working on my rooted lineageos phone has pissed me off too much. Researching all the *arr software packages and which sources to get content from, this weekend.