I've been meaning to cut down my power usage without disrupting my lifestyle too much, the first thought is for me to "decommission" my HTPC which I keep running all day, asleep at best, just so it's ready for me when I want to sleep and need it to watch #YouTube (so I can get to sleep lol).
The "easiest" replacement is get an #ARM based computer to take over its job. My first thought it should run on #Linux just bcos I'm most familiar with it and it's an open ecosystem so I should be able to do a ton of things w it - but I only have a Pi 4 and that thing honestly sucks at streaming so nope. Tried #LineageOS on it to get it running #Android TV and while at first it seemed great, it ended up being quite a hassle and a mess so I ditched that.
Then my dad asked me to get an Android TV box/stick for his TV, and I got him the #Xiaomi Mi Box S (2nd gen). After I set it up and used it for a bit, I honestly kinda liked it. Tried #Plex, #Netflix, #PrimeVideo, etc. and they all ran great. The only downside I thought to this option is that I won't be able to watch YouTube with adblockers like I could with something like #Firefox on a desktop.
THEN I quickly discovered the existence of #SmartTube and GOD what a lifesaver it's been. It works just like the official YouTube client with all the pages and algos you're familiar with when you've authenticated, it blocks YouTube ads, but also it supports #SponsorBlock right out of the box without needing to self-host or wtv so it could even block sponsor segments in video if you want. Even has some nice accessibility options too like changing the subtitle colours, size, and positioning which is great for me who watches vids in bed w no audio.
This rant ended up being very long unnecessarily lol but all in all, that removed the only dealbreaker for me on getting and using said TV box for myself - so I did and have been using for abt a week now. The box turns itself and my TV off automatically after 30 mins of inactivity and I can easily turn the box and the TV back on using just my remote which is nice. Idek what'd I need the HTPC for anymore honestly since I already have a #SteamDeck to take over its job gaming wise much, much earlier.
apparently #youtube wont suggest videos on the home page without having #history turned on anymore? Can my subscriptions not drive the #algorithm anymore?