Agreed. I started out with r-pi for the TV and and refuse to ever go back to just the smart-TV or stick interface. I’ve since moved on to more powerful HTPC/dedicated game server PC so I can host games for our friends but I still have the r-pi.
Honestly as nice as some of the smart TV or smart stick functions are, they’re only nice because they’re zero-effort. For just a slight amount of effort and no technical knowledge you can have a much better and safer setup.