Help A Windoze User Migrate to MacOS for Basic HTPC Setup

[BYTE_ME]

So - new member here though I've often stopped by to find some info. I am a PC user by default, though all my mobile devices are iOS so I am somewhat familiar with the territory. I have a Windows 11 box set up for watching streaming services (Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, etc) and Music (self hosted FLAC files + Apple Music). I have a basic 1080 HD tv for display and I don't use any fancy GUI - I just scale the desktop so I can read it from the couch and use a small wireless keyboard/trackpad for control. I don't watch any broadcast tv - only network streaming services such as YouTube. I have my streaming websites saved as Web Apps from MS Edge and put the shortcuts in the desktop taskbar for easy access. 1 click and I go to the streaming site in full-screen glory. When I'm done, I just close the page either with a custom hotkey or even clicking the X window icon at the top. Works fine for me.

I am really trying to migrate this setup to a basic Mac Mini M1 running 26 Tahoe. It would seem like an easy thing to do, but I've hit a few hurdles...

1. Display Scaling - my 1080 tv looks perfect with Windows set to 150% scaling. I was very surprised to find that MacOS doesn't like to scale 'fractionally', and my only option is HiDPI 1024 x 576 which basically doubles the pixels. That's too big. And normal is too small. I try to make up for it using the Zoom feature on some websites, but it doesn't really work. I would have thought that Apple had the better display options?
   
   
2. Prime Video Ads - after already paying for Amazon Prime, I am too cheap to pay more to drop ads in Prime Video. The funny part is that I didn't even know this was an issue because uBlock Origin in the MS Edge browser works perfectly on killing Prime Video ads. But uBlock Origin isn't available on Safari - only a cutdown version called uBlock Origin Lite - which does NOT work on Prime Video ads. OK, it turns out that Edge will run on MacOS so I install Edge and the uBlock Origin extension. So far, so good - no ads. BUT there is no way to have my streaming site web app shortcuts in the dock open Edge in full screen mode... No matter what jumping around of setting full screen then quitting, you simply cannot set Edge to automatically open full screen. PITA. Easy access or ads, I can't have both like I can in Windows. I am currently trying to create Applescript apps to automate Edge opening full screen, but just as soon as I think I have it something goes sideways and suddenly the script app can't send keystrokes anymore. Bah.
   
   
3. Blue Privacy Dot - MacOS does seem to do audio better. I'm using Soundsource as an EQ and compressor to put movie audio under control and it works and sounds great. BUT any app that dares touch system audio triggers the privacy dot warnings in the top right of the screen (even full screen). Apparently, you can disable this for external displays, but the HDMI out on the Mac Mini must be considered a primary display and so these warning dots cannot be disabled. It's not horribly intrusive, but as soon as I see it I can't stop seeing it. Silly that Apple won't let a user exclude apps if you want.

SO - any suggestions would be appreciated. Right now, if I could somehow have nice shortcuts to Prime, Hulu, YouTube etc in the dock that open Edge in full screen mode, I think that I could live with the rest. I'm a bit disappointed that such basic tweaks are so hard to do in MacOS. All my mobile Apple gear (iPhone, iPad etc) works so well that I never considered having any issues pulling this off.

TIA

Edit - regarding Edge opening Full Screen, I have also disabled the 'Close windows when quitting an application' setting. It doesn't fix the issue with Edge. No doubt Apple has a bit of rivalry going on with MS apps (or 3rd party in general, which seem hit & miss). Only official Apple apps seem to work well for going into full screen easily.

Edit 2 - no 'Hey Siri' on my Mac Mini? Really? I had some grand visions of how that would work out, but plug in a microphone and.... nothing. Turns out you need to spend $$$ on a special Apple branded display to get that. Bah.

 

[maflynn]

1. Display Scaling
   
   
2. Prime Video Ads

Check out BetterDisplay, it gives you more options then what the settings does. macOS display scaling is much worse then windows, this is one of the areas where macos just fails to provide a better experience. You're best bet is find a HiDPI resolution that looks pretty good.

2. Use Firefox or Chrome (I prefer Firefox) and you can use the same plugins.

 

[BYTE_ME]

2. Use Firefox or Chrome (I prefer Firefox) and you can use the same plugins.

LOL thanks! I am so completely fine with Edge and I completely had a mental block forgetting other browsers exist. As I just need a full screen player it doesn't really matter to me what browser got me there. I will give this a whirl.

 

[BYTE_ME]

2. Use Firefox or Chrome (I prefer Firefox) and you can use the same plugins.

Sorry if I am being thick - but just installed FireFox and cannot figure out how to create shortcuts in the Dock... In Edge I just create a 'web app' and drag into the dock. Safari lets you send current url to the dock. Cannot figure out how to do this with FireFox... What am I missing?

 

[BYTE_ME]

EDIT - Figured out how to save URL as web app in Chrome (which allows custom icon shortcut in dock), but back to the same problem Edge had - dock icons simply will not open non-Safari pages in full screen mode. Nothing gained (but nothing lost).

I did see references to using Applescript automation to open Edge/Chrome/FF and then pass key codes to the app to put it into full screen mode, but as mentioned this is also having trouble because while the script works fine in the Editor, as soon as I export it to an application file that will go into the dock something goes sideways and suddenly the keypresses are some kind of security issue. It's like I'm soooo close but can't seem to pull it all together.

EDIT 2 - MAYBE I'm getting lucky and tried Adblock Plus in Safari... Prime Video ads are sporadic, so it's hard to tell when they are completely blocked but so far so good. I really don't care what browser I'm using as the sole purpose is streaming video - BUT it needs to be easy to use with one-click operation to full screen viewing. And Safari is the only browser that works that way (big surprise being the Apple app built into an Apple product lol... Not that Apple would ever do something like that to discourage people using competitors apps...)

EDIT 3 - something like this is what I'm trying to do...