AI Tools for TV & Streaming

OpenAI · Free; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro from $100/mo

• ▸Step-by-step troubleshooting when you paste in error messages or speed-test results
• ▸Turning a messy list of subscriptions into a rotation plan
• ▸Voice mode for talking through a setup while you're holding the remote

Privacy Chats can be used to train models unless you turn off "Improve the model for everyone" in Settings › Data controls.

Anthropic · Free; Pro $20/mo; Max from $100/mo

• ▸Long, careful answers: comparing services against your exact channel list
• ▸Reading config files and logs (Pi-hole, Plex, Jellyfin) you paste in
• ▸Asking you clarifying questions before recommending hardware

Privacy You choose whether your chats can be used to train models; change it any time in Settings › Privacy.

Google · Free; AI Plus $4.99/mo; AI Pro $19.99/mo; Ultra from $99.99/mo

• ▸"What should I watch?" questions answered right on the TV with Gemini for Google TV
• ▸Searching current info (release dates, what's leaving a service) with Google Search grounding
• ▸Help with Google TV and Android TV settings

On your TV Replaces Google Assistant on the Google TV Streamer and a growing list of Google TV sets (Android TV OS 14+).

Privacy With Gemini Apps Activity on, chats are saved and some may be reviewed by people. Turn it off under Activity in the Gemini app.

Amazon · Included with Prime; $19.99/mo without Prime (limited free chat)

• ▸Conversational search on Fire TV ("find that heist movie with the twins")
• ▸Jumping to a scene or a show across apps by voice
• ▸Controlling smart-home gear from the couch

On your TV Built into compatible Fire TV devices at no extra cost.

Privacy Requests are processed in Amazon's cloud. Review and delete voice history in the Alexa app under Alexa Privacy.

Perplexity AI · Free (limited Pro searches); Pro $20/mo; Max $200/mo

• ▸Current facts with sources: today's price of a service, which app has a show this month
• ▸Checking claims before you cancel or switch a subscription

Privacy You can stop your searches being used to improve models with the AI data retention setting in your account.

Microsoft · Free; Copilot in Office apps via Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/mo

• ▸Quick answers with web sources, free and without a subscription
• ▸Building a streaming budget spreadsheet in Excel (with Microsoft 365)

Privacy You can opt out of your conversations being used for model training in Copilot's privacy settings.

Ollama (open source) · Free, open source

• ▸Running open models (Llama, Qwen, Gemma, Mistral) on a mini-PC, Mac, or Raspberry Pi 5
• ▸Private home-lab helper that never sends your questions to a cloud
• ▸Back end for Open WebUI and Home Assistant voice

Privacy Runs on your own hardware; prompts stay on your network unless you deliberately connect a cloud model.

Open WebUI (open source) · Free, open source (self-hosted)

• ▸A ChatGPT-style web interface for your local Ollama models, usable from any device at home
• ▸Saving your favourite prompts from this library as reusable templates

Privacy Self-hosted: chats are stored on your server. Nothing goes to a third party unless you add a cloud API key.