this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
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We really need to figure out an open source TV OS or something. I want a Linux based OS for a small PC explicitly to stream Plex or other streaming services. I think I read that licensing for the transcoding or something was the hang up.
There are solutions aiming to help with that like LibreELEC (basically a minimal backing OS for Kodi). But unfortunately any Linux-based streaming solution will have issues with DRM connecting to Netflix, Prime, etc. There are sidesteps around that too but starts to get more and more challenging for the average user
KDE Plasma Bigscreen is joining the Plasma release schedule next month and will then be available in distro repositories. That at least will be a big deal for Linux HTPCs.
There's several problems. Transcoding is one but there's also issues with content providers requiring the use of their own apps along with Linux not (until very recently) being able to use any HDMI spec beyond 2.0.
I've been a ROKU user for over a decade but the last year has had me thinking more and more about boxing up my devices and sending them to their HQ with a note "Since you treat these like you own them I figured I'd just send them to you."
I am really REALLY tired of them dicking with my boxes and updating / reconfiguring things however and whenever they see fit.
Roku solved my wifi/buffering issue way back in 2015 or so, when i was using a Sony bluray player that had built in streaming capability. I became a devout user after that.
Also the UI isnt clunky, laggy like so many cheap TVs and such (except the Youtube App is fucking laggy trash).
Is the recommended ONN streamer (see above) as good as the Roku at all the same shit?
I would love to ditch the rokus for all the same shit.
I've been considering what to do with mine that has been in a box since they pushed spyware to them. I might do that.
The biggest hurdle is streaming services' DRM (something called widevine iirc) that just doesn't work on linux, which limit you to low resolutions like 720p. There was some struggles between AMD and the HDMI consortium preventing them from shipping HDMI2.1 drivers, but that appears to be solved.
Good point. Of course, while technical solutions make for an interesting discussion, piracy is both an excellent free solution, and can get rid of the pesky anti-piracy ads.
But I do appreciate the discussion, as I remain unwilling to bother with piracy, and I might still use and pay for a service that works on Linux without too much effort.
I love how both streaming and blu-ray both made piracy the simpler solution by having ungodly amount of DRM that only screw over the paying customer (that don't even work to stop piracy, by the way).
As some old gaming dude once said "Piracy is almost always a service problem" , said dude is now a billionaire by providing a correct service by the way.
Show me a steam or gog equivalent (ie just a platform that is not outright hostile to consumers) to buying movies and tv shows and my money is yours. In the meantime I'll keep sailing the high sea.
So true!
Dropout and Nebula both steam pretty well from locked down Android, without unreasonable permissions, at least.
Neither is at feature partity with Steam, by any means.
Are you familiar with Kodi?
I wish there were something more like Apple TV UI. Kodi is weird and hard to navigate. Apps are more like plugins instead of just Apps.
Plasma Bigscreen is scheduled for its first release next month: https://plasma-bigscreen.org/
Looks good and I’ll definitely try it but this likely won’t get you any of the streaming services. But I don’t personally care about that.
Seems like doing some clean room design off of Roku OS would be a good choice.