Normal people with a normal TV or basic soundbar can get by with just a Google TV chromecast if they have a good network or use an Ethernet adaptor add on.

The shield is still the go to device for more advanced home theater setups though. Add a flirc for integration into universal remote setups.

Used to be that a full HTPC was the best but they just can’t compete these days with their poor DV and Atmos support and the hoops you need to jump through to get that working properly, they’re good for kodi and madvr though.