What is being used for TV Serial control

[bobskie708]

So I have been told I need to keep cables and devices around the TV to a minimum, but we want to add control for the TVs. We have a mix of LG and Samsung TVs with serial ports or ex-link ports. Right now i have a Raspberry Pi for one tv, acting as a serial port server with virtual comports on the CQC server. This seems to work ok, but its messy and I need a second and third one. I have POE on my switches so if I can eliminate another power brick I'm all for it. I have looked at the various serial port servers with POE but they are over $100. I could build another RaspPi contraption but by the time I add the POE hat and various parts, I am pushing the cost of a prebuilt serial server device. I have found some cheap ones, but they are Chinese and the software is lacking. 

We use plex as our main media platform, currently playing through the TiVo's or Roku's. The Roku's are aging and will need replaced soon. I am thinking about getting Intel NUCs for Plex players (we dont really use the Roku's for anything else) and then I could use a serial to usb adapter and run a serial server from the NUC killing two birds with one stone and removing a device. The NUC could act as a sort of server for different devices that are all centered around the TV it is at, maybe even a USB UIRT for devices that need IR.  

What is everyone else using to control their TV's, if anything? Would you change it or do anything else over?


Robert