I just recently started using my Samsung TVs as dumb screens because they're slow as shit, but a nice side effect is zero ads.

ONN 4k streaming box for $20 at Walmart.
Install a custom launcher.
Install a button remapper for the remote.
Install SmartTubeNext for YouTube (no ads, SponsorBlock).
Install whatever other apps you need (Plex, etc).

FAR better experience. Turn the TV on and it's ready to go in a few seconds, not the ~60-90 seconds it takes the Tizen nonsense to "warm up."

It's not perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better. Can recommend, especially for only $20.

Oh, this one's easy: Subnautica.

Mongo isn't appalled.

Absolutely loving the series!

It's very easy. It can be done through calibre, yes, although I prefer self-hosting a library that the kobo syncs to. I've used Calibre-Web, and recently moved to BookLore (NOTE: if anyone from the future reads this, the Booklore dev had a very public crashing-out (reddit link); the new one seems like it's gonna be Grimmory), and the latter is really, really nice so far. I have three people set up with their own accounts on BookLore, and we share one general library, but each person also gets their own personal library to do with as they please, and each person can choose what they want on their kobo, and it all syncs just by hitting the sync button on the kobo (you point the kobo to your own "store" instead of the kobo store). If you want to keep the stock store with the ability to also load "alternatively sourced" books, that's also easy with OPDS, also supported (very well) in BookLore.

Kobo can also be pretty customizable too, for what it's worth. KOReader is highly customizable, but if that's not your jam, there's also kobopatch which can change the default OS to some degree. Also NickleMenu, NickleClock, etc. There's plenty available to tune a kobo, imo, and I'm someone that's generally very "tinkery" with stuff.

That is a fly butt. Still cute!

The more replies like this I get, the more I'm inclined to set up a second computer with just TrueNAS and let it do nothing but handle that. I assume that, then, would be usable by the server running proxmox with all its containers and whatnots.

Thank you for the input!

That is also a fly butt!

Directly from the play store, you can install alternative launchers. Some people like FLauncher; I did not. I went with Projectivy. Highly customizable, very clean.

You can also grab a button re-mapper there. I went with tvQuickActions Pro - it's paid, but quite powerful.

For SmartTubeNext, I followed this guide.

Jellyfin is definitely on my radar, and I'd love to make the switch. One thing that's important to me and my family, however, is the library sharing between accounts. To my knowledge, Jellyfin doesn't support this.

My big one is Subnautica, but Mass Effect is right behind it. Such a great trilogy.

Heavily leaning this way, thank you for another vote!

Just a drone fly, not a horse fly.

Someone downvoted you, but this is the only way with companies like Bethesda, in a world where the industry is as sketchy as it currently is. Might be worth a purchase in 5 years, once it's on sale and the community has fixed it for them. Just remember to support modders, too.

I like the advice to use a VM for anything specifically touching hardware. I think I'll run with that. Thank you! External access is tricky, I know, and doing it securely and safely is really paramount for me. This is the one thing that's keeping me from just "jumping in" with things. I don't want to mess that part up.

I use the Proton Pass desktop app (windows) every day.

I sometimes travel for work, as an example, and need to be able to access things to take care of things while I'm away and the girlfriend is home, or when she's with me and someone else is watching the place (I have a dog that needs petsat). I definitely have the time to tinker with it. Patience may be another thing, though, lol.

Good luck!

100%. Been using valetudo (in combination with Home Assistant) for 4 years or so, and it's pretty damn great.

I'm glad you're having a better time with it! Honestly, if you watch any amount of YouTube on your TV, it's well worth the $20 just for SmartTubeNext. Such a massive improvement to skip all the sponsor, promotion, intro, etc segments.

I might be able to scrounge together another physical server to use strictly as a NAS, that isn't a bad idea. Thank you for the suggestion!