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?

  • tty5@lemmy.world
    0·
    6 months ago
    • 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).

      • tty5@lemmy.world
        01·
        6 months ago

        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.

    • Manzas@lemdro.idEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

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

  • funkycarrot@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    6 months ago

    First had Kodi on a RPI, but I got fed up with Kodi, partly because there are too many moving parts and partly because there’s no great way to watch YouTube.

    Then found Flexlauncher, which has already been suggested by someone else. Slapped Debian on the RPI and then realized that getting smooth HD YouTube video playback is impossible outside of Kodi, because of hardware (?) limitations.

    At this point I decided that enough is enough and just got out the old laptop in the household no one uses anymore, same Debian + Flexlauncher combo with Stremio and Freetube. Set Debian to do auto login and start Flexlauncher automatically. Works great, but controlling with Keyboard only (and using the laptop trackpad when nothing works) gets a bit annoying. Looks like an airmouse is the way to go.

    • Teppichbrand@feddit.de
      0·
      6 months ago

      Sharing videos from NewPipe to Kodi worked pretty well. But I switched too, after years of tweaking & fiddeling and I now use just an old laptop with Mint and a controller. It’s not as pretty and controller-friendly, but much more stable and I don’t really need the movie collection features.

  • vintageballs@feddit.de
    0·
    6 months ago

    Which version of raspberry pi?

    Assuming it’s a 4, you could probably use LibreELEC. There is a plugin for moonlight game streaming.

    Kodi, a very popular and highly extensible Media Center which acts as the GUI of LibreELEC, can play just about any media. Airplay seems to be supported as well.

    There is a plugin for Netflix, however note that you will be limited to 720p since you can’t use widevine levels above l3.

  • glasgitarrewelt@feddit.de
    0·
    6 months ago

    I tried what you are describing: Using a Pi4 and loading lineageOS (KonstaKANG) on it. Before that I tried libreELEC with Kodi or something like that… Internet via WLAN. Both setups suck. Everything is slow, input with my cableless keyboard/touchpad is laggy and I am not using the TV because of it… Watching jellyfin on my smartphone is more convenient.

    But I am new to all this stuff, so maybe I missed some ways to optimize this setup. Next time I will just take a long HDMI cable and connect the TV with my main PC.

    • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      0·
      6 months ago

      Pi5 with standard OS, Firefox with an adblocker, and VLC for local files works AMAZINGLY. I was shocked, as I’m running it off’a SD card, and my other Pi is running an SSD.