If you have a 3050-level graphics card or higher you can use RTX upscaling to improve the image, from the browser. 1080p content improves a lot if the base bitrate is okay, but dogshit 700mb/hr rips are always going to look bad.

Was IE for the longest time

I absolutely see your point, and agree to an extent. However, I was on this exact journey a decade ago and a few free sites (for local charities and orgs) to establish a presence genuinely helped attract paying clients. Obviously I set some firm boundaries that any support would come at a cost and that both established expectations and got a few, admittedly small, income streams going off the bat.

Solo Web dev is very competitive. It’ll take a while before you are able to get paying clients, especially if you’ve not got a portfolio already. Be prepared to do a fair bit of free work first.