Linux

I've been using a Raspberry Pi 400 with LibreELEC installed. Mostly watch 4K HDR Blu-ray Remuxes that I have on another machine with a Samba server. Works really well for me.

Another good option would be to have Jellyfin on a media server and cast to the TV or use the TV directly if it has a Jellyfin app (I know there are official apps for Roku and WebOS (LG)). Jellyfin is similar to Plex but open-source and fully local (no need for an external account).

Of course, this is only works for local media. For streaming, just use a Chromecast.

I’ve been using OSMC on two of my TVs for years. First on RPis, then on Vero boxes. They connect via SMB to my NAS for content. OSMC/Kodi can play almost anything without needing wasteful transcoding. I use them daily.

For Netflix/Prime it’s either built in on the TV or running on a Firestick. Interestingly one can sideload Kodi on a Firestick, so an OSMC device isn’t necessary in that scenario.

"Smart TVs" usually suck as the manufacturers tend to put in the cheapest internals that have very little future proofing/longevity.

You're going to be infinitely better off getting some kind of android TV box (the ONN 4k from Walmart runs Google TV and it's usually around $20) and just using the "Smart TV" as a display.

I honestly don’t know anything about ~~OSMV~~ OSMC besides what I just read on their site.

Streaming services are gonna be an issue. I’m guessing you’re going to have to hope kodi addons are working. If you happen to find one that works, at best you will get 1080p, probably 720p depending on the service.

Everyone has their preferences. But ya just need to throw a Roku / Google / AppleTV behind it.

I used OSMC for years going back to when it was still raspbmc, got the first Vero and then the 4k model.

They were never perfect and hassle free, a lot of which I put down to Kodi itself. I love the idea of Kodi, but the base interface is lacking (especially when you have a big collection) and most of the fancy front-ends / skins I tried would run too slow and once again bring back the shoddy TV experience I was trying to avoid. It also does not support streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ in any usable capacity. Kodi has a rich add-on ecosystem, which usually means you can plug some gaps but the add-ons have a habit of just breaking out of the blue or during major upgrades. I've had to have Kodi index my library so many times that I got sick of it ruining film night.

Eventually I bought an Nvidia shield, still using Kodi at first but switching between Plex, jellyfin and emby until I settled on emby for my local content. Being able to use other streaming services was a bonus and the hardware was good enough that it doesn't feel sluggish.

You can also install 3rd party apps like smart tube for an excellent YouTube experience (and now my preferred way to watch YouTube).

The shield is starting to show it's age big time (it doesn't support HDR on YouTube, for example) but sadly outside of the USA there isn't really any devices that match or beat it - you keep hearing about that Wal-Mart device being brilliant but that's US only.

So in short, get a good android TV box for the best experience and the most options.

Over the years I have used OSMC for my TV. I have never used it for streaming however always internal across the network streaming of my own content. It worked reasonably well for the most part although I have had issues with Samba in recent versions and have stopped using it. I can't say much about its streaming, mostly for that you need a supported android or similar device rather than an open source one.

I tried for awhile to make osmc work on an raspi4 for media playing and it was always just.. not quite there.

I ended up going with a Ebay mini pc with Plex on it and stream to my TV with a Roku stick. Just worked so much better without much effort on my part.