Venn diagram of people who understand this specific technicality and people who don't want to deal with the shitty TV software is almost a circle though.
I'd rather get a Android box at the very least.., or just HTPC.
I'm in that Venn diagram but I'm married with kids and the UX of anything but the TV remote and Plex software is a bit much for me to convince the family to learn. And potentially relearn when I find the next great app like jellyfin 😅
I think there's another circle with at least significant overlap between those two of family techies who just can't convince the rest of the family to care.
My wife and kids found Jellyfin easier to use because it more closely resembles Netflix. Your mileage may vary but I get it, and it's why I even use a media server over just plugging in a laptop with Kodi.
Sometimes the best solution is whatever you can get the users to actually use.
I set up an hdmi-Ethernet converter and run Ethernet between my TV and main desktop. It solves problems.
That's one solution.... unless someone wants to use the computer while you're watching something, it's fine. For any shared access TV/computer set up, this falls apart quickly.
I want my SO to be able to watch something on the TV while I'm playing a game though (and vice versa). Personally all of my stuff is independent, we each have a gaming computer, and the TV ruins separately of all of it. We have a Samsung smart TV and it has a Chromecast attached, so we have options there.... but not everyone is set up like me.
Nobody's using this computer except me and nobody uses it for media except during group nights so it's no problem. Technically it has a PlayStation hooked up to it that could be used for DVDs/Blu-rays but that never happens.
Venn diagram of people who understand this specific technicality and people who don't want to deal with the shitty TV software is almost a circle though.
I'd rather get a Android box at the very least.., or just HTPC.
I'm in that Venn diagram but I'm married with kids and the UX of anything but the TV remote and Plex software is a bit much for me to convince the family to learn. And potentially relearn when I find the next great app like jellyfin 😅
I think there's another circle with at least significant overlap between those two of family techies who just can't convince the rest of the family to care.
My wife and kids found Jellyfin easier to use because it more closely resembles Netflix. Your mileage may vary but I get it, and it's why I even use a media server over just plugging in a laptop with Kodi.
Sometimes the best solution is whatever you can get the users to actually use.
I set up an hdmi-Ethernet converter and run Ethernet between my TV and main desktop. It solves problems.
That's one solution.... unless someone wants to use the computer while you're watching something, it's fine. For any shared access TV/computer set up, this falls apart quickly.
I want my SO to be able to watch something on the TV while I'm playing a game though (and vice versa). Personally all of my stuff is independent, we each have a gaming computer, and the TV ruins separately of all of it. We have a Samsung smart TV and it has a Chromecast attached, so we have options there.... but not everyone is set up like me.
Nobody's using this computer except me and nobody uses it for media except during group nights so it's no problem. Technically it has a PlayStation hooked up to it that could be used for DVDs/Blu-rays but that never happens.