So for the past little while I’ve had a Pi 4 hooked up to my TV as a Kodi box running OSMC, which has been okay I guess. Having recently built a new PC, my old Ryzen 3600/GTX-1080 box is freed up, so I’m thinking of replacing that Pi with something that can also run Steam.

I’m completely at a loss for what system to run for a living room couch/TV experience. Kodi…could be better, OSMC doesn’t have a desktop and won’t launch just a normal web browser, it uses Kodi as its only UI and it’s just not fully good enough.

I’m also not sure if Steam Big Picture Mode is capable of being a media center. Like, can it play movies from there? My experience with Steam’s Big Picture Mode is it runs like microwaved shit anyway, feels as responsive as the average dogwood.

I want to be able to get to my collection of movies on my NAS, play Steam games, and do some web browser tasks like watch Youtube and that kind of thing. I just don’t do the streaming services, I don’t need Huflix or NetMax or whatever.

  • downhomechunk@midwest.socialEnglish
    0·
    12 days ago

    I have a hardkernel station m1 running android TV. You can set up with or without the play store, I did mine with. It’s great. The main control is a remote from the couch.

    It uses flauncher for the 10’ UI and runs tivimate for iptv. I added a cheap nvme drive for dvr functionality. Other apps include stremio, YouTube, steam link, retroarch, vlc, etc.

      • downhomechunk@midwest.socialEnglish
        1·
        11 days ago

        You have the choice of whether or not to register with Google and use the play store. My wife and 5 year old require simplicity, so I registered.

        Android TV is a little different than Android on a phone. Not every Android app is compatible, but most are. It’s just like a chromecast.

        So any play store app like Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ etc will work just fine, as will plex / jellyfin.

  • dingdongitsabear@lemmy.ml
    01·
    12 days ago

    I can do 2 out of 3. instead of running the abomination that is Kodi, you can install normal linux to the Pi (Raspbian), and then add on jellyfin-mpv-shim (or plex-mpv-shim) and macast (for youtube, peertube, etc and it also supports DLNA). they are sinks, i.e. there is no UI for you to interact with. instead, you use your mobile phone or tablet to browse your library, youtube, whathaveyou. when you want something played, you send it to the sink and it plays it in full screen. you can use the mobile device to control playback (pause, ff/rew, change subs, etc.).

    can’t help with the gaming part, moonlight/sunshine should do that but I haven’t got any experience with them.

    the Pi 4 you got is more than adequate for all the mentioned tasks.

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      0·
      11 days ago

      I think you may have misunderstood.

      I currently have a Pi running OSMC (basically Armbian - Kodi) which I am going to replace with my old desktop gaming PC, a Ryzen 3600/GTX-1080 rig, which can run Steam and any game I want to play on the couch with a controller locally under its own power.

      • dingdongitsabear@lemmy.ml
        11·
        11 days ago

        I understood you fine. what I’m saying is, you don’t need to use the 1 KW PC when the 5 W Raspy can fulfill all the roles you stated - media playback (local and online) and remote gaming from your new rig. if you know Raspy’s power by way of the crap that is Kodi - a bloated, slow as molasses, buggy zombie patched for 20 years and held together by duct tape - then you might be surprised with how it can run. also, you have the option of running LineageOS AndroidTV with native apps for all three stated roles.

        if you’re adamant about repurposing your old PC it in that role, your best bet would be bazzite, a 10-foot UI-having SteamOS clone. but then, you’re smashing into the wall that is Nvidia on Linux; a fun project but not really a plug and play solution for the living room.

        • pineapple@lemmy.mlEnglish
          1·
          10 days ago

          What is lineage os Android TV? Couldn’t find it anywhere on my search engine.

          Also I don’t know what people mean by “the wall that is nvidia on linux” I have been using my gtx 1660 on Linux and it just works. Since I use bazzite you can select your gpu model before downloading the iso file and it preinstalls nvidia proprietary drivers. I’m not sure what it’s like on other distros but it seems fine.

          In fact I also have an rx 6700xt but unfortunately I could not get a display output on Linux no matter what I tried. So for me nvidia has been better than amd on Linux.