Post by plutronus on Jul 18, 2021 7:47:16 GMT
Hey,
I've been working to cut my $123/mo cable addiction and to setup a non-Roku/non-FireStick solution streaming configuration.
The configuration I've been considering is the usage of a 'nVidia Shield Pro' loaded with 'fLauncher' (to bypass Google's unannounced, pushed SW update which now runs ads across the screen) and Kodi OpenSource media player software. Used nVidia boxes sell new for around $250 and used anywhere from $125 upto around $200. Pricey. But unlike the $49 Rokus and FireSticks, it does everything and employs a quadcore tegra ARM processor along with all sorts of other high-performance gadgetry.
While I don't intend to do so, Kodi has the reputation of streaming pirated media, very easily, but in any case, I now only use the 'Net with a VPN, to thwart those no good anti-constitution woke corporations from spying on everything I do on the 'Net.
Then I discovered that a Raspberry Pi (a very inexpensive, very high performance), single board hobbyiest computer that has a sleightly larger footprint than a credit-card and about 1/2 inch/12,7mm thick, and only costs $35, can also decode streaming media. These little computers run a flavor of Linux called Raspbian and were engineered by a UK scientist to aid his young country nerds to be kickstarted into the microcomputer world to enable them to be competitive in their future lives. If that little computer were engineered and sold in the US, it would likely cost around $400 simply due to corporate greed.
So I started looking at that, and all that is required is an HDMI TV set, a power-supply, an HDMI cable, a keyboard with arrow keys, an InterNet connection and some free software! And since I was given two of these little computers, I got everything needed.
But that is not what this is all about, but rather something I bumped into that I feel many people might be interested to learn about. Its a uToob tutorial titled:
"PiVPN : How to Run a VPN Server on a $35 Raspberry Pi!"
Implementing the above configuration enables one to access one's home network, through one's own VPN server, from anywhere on the 'Net! Say you are in a resturant in Paris, and you desire to update your expenses report via your home accounting program, etc. Access your home IoT gadgets, your printers, your security cameras, lawn sprinkler controls, etc. Because it is running through your own VPN on a Raspberry Pi everything is also encrypted, end to end, and you still have access to your all home directory files via Raspberry Pi's SAMBA protocol. How cool is that?
See: youtu.be/15VjDVCISj0