Or an android tv supported by a privacy respecting custom rom.
The $20 Walmart onn-branded box (2021 version) supports LineageOS. Also the Google ADT-3 box, along with other Amlogic devices.
You will have to build a ROM yourself, since Android TV doesn’t have an open source launcher, and usually comes embedded with GApps. You can replace the launcher with Leanback On Fire, which is a TV-friendly, open source launcher.
What did you decide on?
I got myself an ONN
ONN?
A few months ago I bought a second hand Nvidia Shield TV (€40), flashed LineageOS on it. Very happy with the device, especially the performance.
I use Jellyfin, SmartTubeNext and some VOD TV apps from my country. I’ve Adguard Home on my Proxmox server (can also be a Raspberry Pi) that I use for DNS adblocking, so we can watch VOD TV without any ads. Works really well :)
We’ve switched to this from cable TV and my family loves it, we can watch anything we want without any ads and FREE!
Only problem (not for me) is that Netflix doesn’t work on it without GAPPS.