this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2026
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Privacy
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The magic remotes work on Linux without an lg tv but require an lg tv if you’re not hooking them to Linux. That means you won’t have the gyroscopic cursor control if the remote is communicating directly with the non lg tv but if it’s communicating directly with your Linux computer then you will have gyroscopic cursor control.
If you don’t understand that distinction or how to handle it I recommend you don’t bet on having that feature.
You can’t remove or destroy the mic without taking the remote apart. Often remotes use many mics because it’s cheaper to use four shitty ones and run them into unused dsp channels than to use one good one, so you don’t even know if you got em all. The other benefit of many mics is that they work even when one is not in the optimal position to receive inputs like left handed holding or in a bin of other remotes.
Even if you did take the remote apart there’s no guarantee you would correctly recognize the microphones. On this very site is a highly upvoted post of a person triumphantly holding a resistor network and proclaiming they removed the mic from their remote. Next to the populated component labeled “m3”. M for microphone. 3 for the third one…
That person isn’t stupid and I’m not making fun of them. That resistor network may have been connected to the mic and removing it may have achieved what they wanted. My point is that it’s hard to read and interpret a pcb and it’s silkscreen especially when you don’t have specialized experience.
What you may have overlooked is the appletv4k. It’s really cheap and very functional. It is generally considered the most privacy respecting off the shelf streaming device. It doesn’t require any fucking around.
However you’d have to have your own jellyfin or plex server. Not that that’s hard, I got a sixteen year old pc in a closet that serves multiple streams very easily.
alright thanks! I'm not really interested in an appletv 4k since i feel like i can handle a linux box and i think it will be pretty fun too, and i also have my own jellyfin server so that wouldn't matter anyway. I guess i should just look for a remote without a microphone?
The remote requires host device intervention in order to trigger recording so unless you plan on enabling recording functionality the lg remote should be fine. Assuming you like the lg remote.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using an ir receiver on your mini pc and your existing tv remote, especially if it has the device selection buttons at the top like “tv, dvd, etc”. In some ways that’s easier to understand and handle for an end user.
I have done Linux media pcs for the past 25 years. If you want a project you will indeed get a project. It is not fun. If you have a specific goal in mind for your Linux streaming box I can most likely offer experience and insight.