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I'm biased but I think everyone should do this. You can basically find the hardware you'd need out of a dumpster, and then you can slowly build your library from there.

The best and possibly only dumb TV brand is Spectre.

https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV-category1category73.html?sort=tbt.parent_pdtype&order=DESC

Source: framework CEO https://community.frame.work/t/in-defense-of-dumb-tvs/160

Disclaimer: have not tried them.

I second this. And the transition was made easy due to anti-consumer practices. Plus, you can take your media on-the-go for free

As others have said, just buy a TV that meets your A/V needs and don't connect it to the internet.

I know everyone talks about Jellyfin these days, but Kodi is an excellent option too if you don't need streaming to multiple devices. I use Kodi via LibreElec on an rpi4 and it's been great. All media is stored on my home server and shared over Samba, but you can easily store it locally on the box if you don't have a server.

For music streaming, I run a separate instance of miniDLNA on my server, since I like to browse-by-directory for my music instead of relying solely on metadata. This also allows you to stream to any DLNA-friendly device on the LAN.

I've digitized my disc collection and just keep the physical media as a backup. The local library has a huge selection of media too...and if we don't use it, we'll lose it.

That's what I've done. It's the way to go. Got a TV from the panel manufacturer that's so basic you can see light shining through the back when it's on lol

I've tried to do this a few times, and unfortunately it feels like you really have to go all in on managing your own content library.

Like many, I had stopped pirating shit when netflix etc were "good".

None of the streaming services want you to use them outside of their official sites/apps, so you end up being limited to like 720p when running them through kodi etc.

That's what I did a couple months ago and I regret not doing it sooner. I got a Beelink SER and loaded it with Endeavour OS, a web browser, torrent client, and VLC.

While I get your point, the TV isn’t nice because of its app features. If it’s a nice TV it’s because of its display panel and features like upscaling, interpolation, etc., and it’s being subsidized by those built-in apps and tracking functionality.

By purchasing a nice TV, never using the built-in apps, and never connecting the TV to the Internet (or better yet connecting it to a segregated VLAN and dropping literally all traffic to/from the TV), you’re costing the company money on that TV set. Or probably more accurately you’re like the credit card user that maximizes their point rewards while paying off the balance every paycheck, you’re profiting off people who are in debt to their credit card company for whatever reason.

To be clear, I have a G series LG OLED that is not only in its own VLAN with no traffic allowed in or out, but I drop all DNS that isn’t coming from my pihole at the WAN port on my edge router, I watch stuff from a secondary device, and most everything I watch is pirated and streamed locally anyway, so I’m definitely subsidizing my entertainment with the privacy invasion of others. If I could get an OLED tv without any of the built in OS stuff I absolutely would, and would be willing to pay more for a SKU with that stuff stripped out, but afaik that’s just not possible.

If ye hold yer privacy dearer than a chest full of doubloons, then steer o'er to yer own private island, uncharted on any map o' the seas, to enjoy yer piles o' loot without fear o' some scallywag chartin' yer course!

AARGH!

They keep giving us more reasons to sail the high seas.

Probably safe to assume that the streaming app on your phone is collecting the same data about your viewing habits, whether or not you Chromecast it to another device.