The whole TV streaming space is just super depressing. Even though I try to self host as much as I can, nothing I’ve found comes close to the experience of Android TV even with the ads (though you can replace the launcher to fix that problem).

If most of your content is self-provided (through whatever means) then a mini-PC may offer a decent experience (subject to certain limitations even there compared to hosting on one PC and streaming to a dedicated streaming device of decent quality which together cost significantly more).

Most commercial streaming services due to DRM will not work with a min-PC, at least not above 720p resolution and only through a browser interface which is not the greatest to try and navigate with a remote control. So if a significant amount of content is watched via streaming services I could not recommend a mini-PC by itself as a solution.

IMO with the info you’ve given I say get a decent streaming box. Some you can replace the Android default launcher on to remove ads or otherwise root (though beware these methods have been patched more and more so someone saying they did so successfully in 2024 does not mean you’ll succeed with the 2025/26 model). There’s also options like Apple TV, not $60 (twice that) but it comes with no ads by default and is pretty overpowered with a smooth experience if you already have an iPhone (you can use the phone as a remote). If you don’t have an iPhone or other apple devices it’s a toss up, ATV 4K is still a very nice device but you might want to go with the Android side of things.

I can attest that having full control over a mini PC feels great compared to Android TV, if you have rather niche media consumption habits. Someone in my family had below their TV a laptop hooked up to an external drive full of local media, a DVD drive, and a crappy Android TV box only ever used to play YouTube videos. Replaced it all with an old SFF PC, put GNOME with 175% scaling on it, with a mini wireless keyboard to control it.

But as others have commented, a Linux setup falls apart as soon as you want to watch the mainstream streaming services.

So the main problem with a Linux TV box these days is that you can’t get a decent experience with legit streaming services thanks to hardware DRM. So the best thing to do really is to have a Linux server (any mini PC will do), and to stream from that to the Android TV box via Jellyfin. I would recommend using Proxmox, as you can have Jellyfin, your downloaders, a nextcloud instance if you like, all in their own containers with a nice web UI to manage them.

I’m pretty sure they have jellyfin apps on Android tv. I have a cheap projector that is running, I believe, Android tv and I use jellyfin on it.

For context: I personally use a 2015 Intel MacBook running Linux connected to my tv, and use a small wireless keyboard and trackball to control it from the couch. I’m actually planning on checking out KDE Connect after seeing it on https://hexbear.net/post/7662659

I’ve been researching some simpler options for my own parents since they use Roku which is somewhat limited and has ads. But a mini PC would be too complex for them. They need something with a simple remote and automatic updates. I think an Android box would make sense for their use case. I plan on installing something like SmartTube, PipePipe, or Tubular on it.

If your dad thinks he would like to do something like web browsing, email checking, or gaming on the tv, a mini PC is probably gonna do it better than Android TV.