There are some Beelink PCs on Amazon that really aren’t bad. I’d never (NEVER) put them in a commercial application where a NUC is required, but I do have a couple kicking around the office. One is connected directly to a TV.
Pretty cheap way to have a little freedom in your living room. Just get a wireless keyboard with trackpad and you’re off and running.
That’s how I am too. I stream everything when needed. There are multiple free movie streaming services but I wont link to them here. I watched Costner’s Horizon last week on it. That was solid.