1y ago

Best TV box for connecting to streaming services?

We currently have Roku's on our tvs to connect to streaming services and servers but they are infested with advertisements.

Some other comments mentioned Walmart's $20 ONN 4k boxes, but these are android and I don't have the time or knowledge/patience to go through the flashing process on one of those; if there is even a working custom ROM.

Basically we just want a functioning (libre) streaming box. The closest I could find was OSMC's Vero V (just released a few months ago), although it's a little pricey at $160 usd. Are there any other options out there or does anyone have any experience with the Vero V?

42 comments

I would just use a tiny PC and connect it to the Internet, then use Linux and pirating services to build a library of stuff. Works well for me.
- I would 100% do this (minus the pirating part) if there was a way to get a tv style remote for the box. That's the biggest obstacle for me because I've never been able to find a PC/tv remote and non technical users will be using the TV.
  
  Look for air mouse. It's basically a wiimote. Uses gyroscope to pretend to be a pointer device. You'll need that because you're basically going to need to use a web browser if you want to go down this path.
  It's not a nice experience but all the nice experiences you won't like.
  
  Get an ir usb receiver like a flirc and just use a normal remote. I think flirc even sells a remote.
  
  You can get a USB IR receiver and use software like LIRC to map the inputs of basically any remote you have. Setting it up takes a little effort, but it works great when it's done.
  
  I just use a kb/mouse combo device and treat it like a PC and use VLC/online services/DVD drive to play media. It's not super traditional but it feels pretty easy since most of it is in a web browser!
  
  Search wireless pc remote on Amazon, they have a trackpad scroll wheel and media controls and theyre about the size of a smartphone in landscape with full qwerty keyboard, they're fantastic, I bought one for every TV in the house... connected to old mini pc's
- currently using a laptop and a bluetooth KB/mouse, works fine for me
For maximum compatibility with all services you are limited in your choices due to DRM licence requirements.
You can mostly decrapify android based boxes via ADB to strip out much of the bloat, strip most of the telemetry entirely then block the rest in your firewall, and replace the launcher with a super barebones one like Flauncher but it will never be 100% perfect.
If you must be in full control of what is on the device and what it is doing, a small, low powered miniPC (intel n100 is a good chip for basic AV for example, 4k 10bit with perfect H265 and AV1 decoding) and use the operating system of your choice, but you are then limited in what you can stream via browser or third party apps, often in nowhere near full quality, again this is due to licencing and drm.
The best option is to avoid streaming services altogether and download your own content, then use an offline player like kodi or a server/client solution like Jellyfin (a free and open alternative to plex, with most of the base features well implemented) to play it.
- Kodi is good for many streaming services too, just not Netflix. It has been good with HBO Max.
I have an Nvidia Shield running LineageOS.
The setup process wasn't too bad, but the Shield might be more money than you want to spend.
I use it for Netflix and Plex, as well as Spotify, with no problems. It tells me that Netflix is not optimised for the device, but plays fine. I've heard that Netflix may limit it to 720p, but the quality is as good as you can expect from Netflix anyway.
Plex works perfectly, can stream 4k from my media server with no issues. I will eventually transition to Jellyfin, once I convince the 4 other households that have access to my Plex library to sort themselves out.
- LineageOS on the Shield? Any drawbacks?
  
  Last I heard GPU accelerated video decoding didn't work
  
  No drawbacks for my use case, but there are a few quirks.
  Some apps that I've dabbled with might show vertically, but most of the Android TV compatible apps were fine.
  Some apps seem to expect a touchscreen input, and don't really show what's highlighted or selected very well, so navigating with just a TV style remote control can be tricky. I have a mouse and keyboard that I also use, definitely the easiest option.
  Lastly, the Shield is a pretty powerful device, so I always kinda feel like I'm not using it to its fullest potential. I haven't really tried any gaming with it, I don't use it as a media server or anything, just a simple stream box. That's less of a quirk with the device itself, and more an issue with me feeling like I should be putting it to better use.
  Happy to answer any other questions you may have!
Kodi via LibreElec on a RaspberryPi in a Flirc case with the Flirc remote.
Streaming pirated content used to bother me but now I see it as these streaming companies steal my data, give me ads after I pay for the service, and if I "purchase" something it's not actually mine, not DRM free, and they have the tendency to remove that so called purchased content due to licensing issues.
If you want things to just work: Chromecast with Android TV, plus PiHole or Adguard to pull out of all the telemetry and advertising (except maybe Amazon Prime's new stuff).
Also, Google at least gives you the possibility to pull out of the personalized stuff and doesn't work much with 3rd party advertiser's. And those they work with are being taken care of with PiHole and Adguard.
- I have that setup. The entire front page of Chromecast is baked-in advertising with a small row of your apps and pihole with a good list still doesn't get rid of them, sadly.
  Chromecast is built for and of ads. That being said, it definitely does "just work". Jellyfin + Chromecast is a great streaming experience. I don't have to deal with skipping and stuttering like on the android app.
  
  Replace the launcher.
I have the $20 Walmart one, no need for flashing anything, it let's you install 3rd party apps out of the box. I googled guides online for recommended apps and it took all of 20 minutes to get my own loader, etc set up with just the apps I want installed.
- trying to get away from Google services / looking for a libre solution.
  
  Yeah that's fair. I sidestepped the google issue by creating a new account not used for anything else but the box but that's not a perfect solution either.
I have rokus and use a pihole plus NAT routing rules to force them to not use hard coded DNS so they can't reach their APIs and most ad domains and while not perfect I don't see many ads. Maybe the odd poster scrolling around to get to Plex or Netflix

Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters	More Letters
DNS	Domain Name Service/System
NAT	Network Address Translation
PiHole	Network-wide ad-blocker (DNS sinkhole)
Plex	Brand of media server package
SBC	Single-Board Computer
VPN	Virtual Private Network

6 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on today has 10 acronyms.

[Thread #504 for this sub, first seen 12th Feb 2024, 00:55] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]

I use old Intel nucs or just mini PC's in general put debian or whatever you want on them paired with an Amazon wireless keyboard and trackpad, I think I searched wireless pc remote on Amazon, and blamo you have a media centre pc... if you use plex they have a desktop app or a media center version of it you you can boot into on boot which is great because I don't need to launch it everytime. Plus when I press any button on the keyboard it wakes up the TV and pc seamlessly... honestly it's fantastic, I have a smart TV that cost way too much because I exclusively just use the pc connected to it
The best thing I can think of is my raspi with libreelec. Youtube and Twitch work but its still young. Lots of work to put in for privacy and freedom. Its far better than my newer appletv (legacy) and since my old appletv (1st gen) was declared obsolete by apple, it could not play anything anymore.
Honestly, I would definitely start using SBCs (raspi, bananapi, rock64) and learn to make plugins since they have an awesome api already completely done so you barely need to program. Its far better than running custom janky roms on proprietary shit hardware and probably the same amount of work.
You did not say what kind of streaming services.
For anything self-hosted or torrents/debrid, just get a Raspberry Pi with LibreELEC.
If you use Netflix and the likes, you will likely want something officially supported. My partner likes Netflix for some reason and after years of using the unofficial addon by CastaginaIT, I gave up and got her a Firestick this winter (having set up a separate VLAN for it and ripped out the microphone, of course).
The unofficial Kodi addon is an amazing piece of reverse engineering work, but it's not really great that you have to log in using your computer every month or two, and occasionally download a 2GB binary, before you can watch a movie on Netflix half-asleep.
Why would you need to flash the Walmart one?
- Android/Google telemetry.
  I'd like just one piece of technology that doesn't use my information to sell to the highest bidder.
  
  Oh of course. I've given up.
If you have a smart TV you can use stremio, don’t even need a box.
- I believe the general consensus is that hooking a smart TV to the Internet is generally a bad idea.
I know it’s not a popular option around here and expensive but I absolutely love my Apple TV.
Besides the set up plug for Apple TV+ I never get any ads from the OS outside of the specific apps. Yeah, you go into Amazon or something you get their ads all over but not sure you can do anything about that. Even without a pinhole it’s a much better experience compared to my TV (when I allowed it online) or a friend’s Roku with piholes.
Overall though it’s an unobtrusive OS, has apps that are updated well, supports high quality output (4K/atmos etc.). You just have to pay up front for it, but of all the Apple stuff it’s the best bang for the buck. I love to tinker with my tech but for TV, me (and especially) the family need something that just works nicely without needing to fiddle with it.
- I’ve been wondering about that, since my Firestick became so shitty that I actually prefer streaming apps on my TV. Most of my devices are already on Apple, so how about this one?
  I like fewer ads
  if it’s like the Apple TV app, there’s too much pressure to buy stuff I’m never going to buy.
  So, on the home screen, can you tell which Videos are to purchase without clicking into them? Are things you subscribe to easily distinguishable from god forsaken ad infested ones?
  
  It is basically like a basic iOS device so the apps are separated and by each developer. You can rearrange the Home Screen and do folders in the same way. The App Store is similar and just has the tv specific apps.
  The Apple TV app is exactly the same as the app on other Apple devices, but you don’t have to use it. (You may have to change a setting so the home button goes home and not the tv app but I forget)
  The third party apps are pretty much like using Netflix/youtube/whatever on an iPad. So if you hate them they’re you’ll not like this.
  If you can try one I’d give it a shot.
  Also: some people don’t like the remotes (especially the older one), but I really like it. It’s nice that it charges with usb and I only charge it like one a year.

42 comments