Raspberry Pi Smart TV?

WolfLink@lemmy.ml to Linux@lemmy.ml – 107 points –

I want to try to set up a Raspberry Pi I have as a smart TV box and I was hoping I could find some advice.

My main requirements are:

  • can run Moonlight

  • can be controlled from a Bluetooth game controller (that should also work in Moonlight)

What would be nice:

  • can run VLC or Plex or something

  • can support AirPlay

  • can be used for some actual streaming services like Netflix

Any suggestions?

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  • No SBC that I know of can handle 4k 120Hz HDR output, so getting the most of moonlight is not possible.
  • Low latency decode requires some work to get running
  • AV1 encode/decode has even more latency, do you will be running higher bitrate h264, which in turn means wired network connection is recommended.
  • Streaming services limit 4k and/or HDR access on a lot of content to locked devices. E.g. Netflix only guarantees 720p sdr when watching in a browser - how much more you get depends on the deal with the copyright holder.

Tl;dr; a long, active fiber HDMI cable + USB over IP might be cheaper, better and easier. That's what I ended up buying despite the cable length being 60m (200ft).

Idk where you assumed 4k 120hz HDR from the post?

4k 120Hz HDR is what current gen consoles can output right now and what is becoming common even on mid-range TVs (quality of HDR aside). I'd expect you'd want most of that experience or future-proof solution that would allow that when you get a new TV.

I don’t think there’s a single thing they actually output that’s 4k/120. High refresh rates are downscaled, and high resolutions have lower refresh rates.

But you also need a tv that's powerful enough my monitor isn't even that powerful.

What do you mean "powerful monitor". It just needs to display a picture.

At 4k and 120hz. My pc can't even do that

Then you need a more powerful PC. What do you mean a more powerful monitor? I don't even understand what that means.

Monitor resolution ,refresh rate and things like that. And gpus aren't that cheap