this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2026
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Privacy
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im mainly trynna watch something like smarttube (youtube ykyk), jellyfin and some streaming services
There are a bunch of tvos smart tube apps in the store for free but I’d just build the client on github and load it.
Even on the most locked down device the qos involved in streaming gives enough information to track you. If your goal is to block ads that’s no problem but just bear in mind the feed isn’t one way, your device communicates back to the source to negotiate bitrates and buffers and that’s enough to do some very accurate measurements especially with a side channel of normal https communication in the mix which they all have.
It sounds like you just want to block ads and there’s nothing wrong with that, I just don’t want to lead you into thinking you’re actually in any way private when streaming. Every service is actively collecting as much information as they can in the process of sending you video.
Anyway don’t read any of that just try out the appletv and if you end up not liking it you can easily sell it to someone for 90% of what you paid.
my brother actually wants an apple tv and/or my family's tv needs a tv box just in general so that could work
and i don't really care that streaming serviced collect my data (i mean i would like them to not but im "fine" with it)
i thought that sideloading apps like smarttube on apple tvs was pretty hard, and thats mainly why i didn't really want one, but if i can use something like smarttube then maybe ill give it a try
You have to take some extra steps, it’s not just “click button -> success”, but it’s not too hard.
Perhaps you’re the target audience for the many unofficial smarttube apps in the tvOS store.
im fine with sideloading and stuff, i use linux (arch btw (endeavouros but i want to larp as an arch user)) ykykykykykykykykykyukykykykykykyklykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykykyykykykykykyukykykyykykykykykykykykykykyuklykykiykykykykykyk
Building and loading your own apps for tvOS isn’t hard but the instructions are always written for Xcode in its native environment (macos, formerly osx of xcode fame). You may have no problem setting up a vm for that, already have some device that runs macos natively or run into an infinite amount of roadblocks that you can’t surpass.
In the last case be careful what insane unofficial smarttube app you settle on.
You could also, and I wasn’t able to come up with a better way to put this because I’m not very smart so apologies if it seems like an attack, not watch youtube on the tv.
youtube is like the only thing i watch so giving it up is a big deal, and all of the other stuff you said is basically nonsense to me 🥹
In that case plan on doing your research into what specific insane unofficial smarttube app you want to use.