jsharr ★ Posted March 30, 2015 Share #1 Posted March 30, 2015 Which one do you use and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted March 30, 2015 Share #2 Posted March 30, 2015 I have 5 Roku's and an Amazon fire stick. The firestick was a huge letdown. The interface sucks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted March 30, 2015 Share #3 Posted March 30, 2015 Chromecast from a Chromebook with Amazon Prime and HBO GO. Plus when the wife's at work during the day I can put the programming manuals up on the big screen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerrySTL ★ Posted March 30, 2015 Share #4 Posted March 30, 2015 I have a ROKU and use it with Amazon Prime. The ROKU was on sale when I bought it. it works very well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 30, 2015 Share #5 Posted March 30, 2015 I got Chromecast last year and it was a big let down too. I remember looking just recently at a side by side comparison of those three and AppleTV too. And from my POV, it looked like ROKU (latest version) had the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldendesign Posted March 30, 2015 Share #6 Posted March 30, 2015 Roku has better programming. I use no subscription services so the chromecast I have is perfect. I watch youtube and ABC which has the best list of the current shows for streaming in hd.I also use plex media server on my pc so I can cast my entire tv and movie libraries anywhere in the house with my chromecast(s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 30, 2015 Share #7 Posted March 30, 2015 I don't have any of those, am I missing something? My Blu Ray player gets Netflix and Amazon and a bunch of other stuff. D I need more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 30, 2015 Share #8 Posted March 30, 2015 We've had a ROKU for a few years now but something is starting to go flaky - can't get it to show up on the TV easily any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted March 30, 2015 Share #9 Posted March 30, 2015 Roku has better programming. I use no subscription services so the chromecast I have is perfect. I watch youtube and ABC which has the best list of the current shows for streaming in hd.I also use plex media server on my pc so I can cast my entire tv and movie libraries anywhere in the house with my chromecast(s)I do the same with my Roku's. The firestick, I had to pay for the plex app and it buffers all of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyBob Posted March 30, 2015 Share #10 Posted March 30, 2015 I use Roku and a Samsung smart Blueray player. The Roku is easy and straight forward. No issues what so ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Share #11 Posted March 31, 2015 Roku here (2x's) Like it. Easy set up (none) and easy navigationOnly use Amazon streaming & Netflix. Got us through the winter at our vacation home. We turn off the cable during the winter. I showed WoScrapr how to stream her shows on the laptop and now she wants a laptop over there. I'm not sure we can ever cut the cord entirely. So this gets us through. WoScrapr likes the cooking shows. So if we could stream that I'd be one step closer to cable free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzieQ Posted March 31, 2015 Share #12 Posted March 31, 2015 Roku cos that's what my daughter told me to get Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Share #13 Posted March 31, 2015 what language are you speaking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #14 Posted March 31, 2015 I speak Texican and a smattering of Murican Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted March 31, 2015 Share #15 Posted March 31, 2015 None. I built a home theater PC and run XBMC on it; after having several appliance-type video devices, I didn't get the control I wanted. With the box I built, I can either use a wireless keyboard/trackpad combo, or a remote control, depending on what I want to do. If I ran an appliance, it'd be between the Roku and the Amazon FireTV (not the stick, which doesn't have as fast of a processor) most likely --however, neither of those options are portable. Are you looking for something you can travel with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #16 Posted March 31, 2015 I don't have any of those, am I missing something? My Blu Ray player gets Netflix and Amazon and a bunch of other stuff. D I need more?That's kinda where I'm at.I had Chromecast, but ended up not liking it within a week or so. We use Netflix or Amazon Prime streaming, both we can do straight through the apps on the TV. We don't watch enough TV to go out and find something to give us more options. We even cut cable about 3-4 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted March 31, 2015 We do not have a smart TV or a blu ray player. I just have ATT Uverse box and ATT Uverse internet with a wireless router thingee so we have WiFi. I just want soemthing that would allow me to watch online stuff on my TV with the least amount of fuss. We do have Amazon Prime, so I would like to be able to take advantage of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #18 Posted March 31, 2015 We do not have a smart TV or a blu ray player. I just have ATT Uverse box and ATT Uverse internet with a wireless router thingee so we have WiFi. I just want soemthing that would allow me to watch online stuff on my TV with the least amount of fuss. We do have Amazon Prime, so I would like to be able to take advantage of that.Do you have xbox or wii or anything like that hooked up? They usually have a Netflix or probably Amazon Prime (by now) app. If not, you can also get a blue-ray player with those smart apps for the same or less than you can a Roku. I think the blu-ray I bought last year (that I'm not sure if I've even used) has those apps in it (and is wifi capable). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #19 Posted March 31, 2015 Do you have xbox or wii or anything like that hooked up? They usually have a Netflix or probably Amazon Prime (by now) app. If not, you can also get a blue-ray player with those smart apps for the same or less than you can a Roku. I think the blu-ray I bought last year (that I'm not sure if I've even used) has those apps in it (and is wifi capable). No gaming systems on the TV in the den. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 31, 2015 Share #20 Posted March 31, 2015 I seem to have terrible luck with Blu Ray players. I buy one every year or two, and we hardly watch any discs. I've bought them for up to 150 or so and as cheap as 39, and they always come with Netflix. I never paid much attention to Amazon because at the beginning they didn't seem to offer much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #21 Posted March 31, 2015 None. I built a home theater PC and run XBMC on it; after having several appliance-type video devices, I didn't get the control I wanted. With the box I built, I can either use a wireless keyboard/trackpad combo, or a remote control, depending on what I want to do. If I ran an appliance, it'd be between the Roku and the Amazon FireTV (not the stick, which doesn't have as fast of a processor) most likely --however, neither of those options are portable. Are you looking for something you can travel with? Maybe move from room to room or take on trips to parents, etc. I want simplicity. I like that ROKU has a remote. I found one that someone in our hood bought but they were trying to cut the cable and it did not work, as the husband is a news hound and had to have his news channels. They want $60 for a NIB ROKU 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted March 31, 2015 Share #22 Posted March 31, 2015 ROKU, but anymore I mainly use it to interface with my Plex media server and less for streaming from online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
az_cyclist Posted March 31, 2015 Share #23 Posted March 31, 2015 I have not used any of these, but since I have a smart tv I should look into them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted March 31, 2015 Share #24 Posted March 31, 2015 I couldn't add the playon app to my Blueray smart thingy. Also not a choice on the firestick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #25 Posted March 31, 2015 I couldn't add the playon app to my Blueray smart thingy. Also not a choice on the firestick.I don't know if it's changed or not. I tried Playon when you first mentioned it maybe a couple of years ago at the other place. It was a bit of a pain having to run the Playon server task all the time and then when I configured it on the TV, trying to use the play/pause, etc... was horrible. The remote worked like a mouse and buttons were about the size of a gnat. Which begs a similar question. What would ROKU buy me that I don't get from Netflix/Amazon Prime? Seriously...I don't know. Are there anything it has that wouldn't be available in those places? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted March 31, 2015 Share #26 Posted March 31, 2015 I don't know if it's changed or not. I tried Playon when you first mentioned it maybe a couple of years ago at the other place. It was a bit of a pain having to run the Playon server task all the time and then when I configured it on the TV, trying to use the play/pause, etc... was horrible. The remote worked like a mouse and buttons were about the size of a gnat. Which begs a similar question. What would ROKU buy me that I don't get from Netflix/Amazon Prime? Seriously...I don't know. Are there anything it has that wouldn't be available in those places? Nothing really. Ive been using a Raspberry pi running XBMC lately for stuff I cant access on the Roku. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #27 Posted March 31, 2015 So, if I just want the easiest way to get stuff from my computer to my tv via WIFI what do I go with. I will never have a fancy schamcy set up I just want Netflix and Hula and Amazon and Youtube to appear like magic on my TV. And I want to spend as little as possible and I want to have a remote and I hate buffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #28 Posted March 31, 2015 If you already have Netflix, Amazon, etc.... I would just get a cheap blu-ray that has those apps built in. There are many out there now for < $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #29 Posted March 31, 2015 If you already have Netflix, Amazon, etc.... I would just get a cheap blu-ray that has those apps built in. There are many out there now for < $50.But Roku is under 50 as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #30 Posted March 31, 2015 But Roku is under 50 as well? Oh....didn't realize it. I was just looking at it a few months ago, and I thought the latest version was about $100. Can you do Netflix/Amazon/Hulu through Roku? If so, that's probably just as fine too, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #31 Posted March 31, 2015 Oh....didn't realize it. I was just looking at it a few months ago, and I thought the latest version was about $100. Can you do Netflix/Amazon/Hulu through Roku? If so, that's probably just as fine too, then.https://www.roku.com/products/roku-1Or i have a neighbor selling two of these for $60 each. May offer her $50 cashhttps://www.roku.com/products/roku-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 31, 2015 Share #32 Posted March 31, 2015 But Roku is under 50 as well? But, can the Roku play DVDs or Blu Ray? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #33 Posted March 31, 2015 But, can the Roku play DVDs or Blu Ray?I have a DVD player that works. I have heard that the bluray player interface is sort of clunky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #34 Posted March 31, 2015 I am leaning towards ROKUhttp://www.cnet.com/news/chromecast-vs-apple-tv-vs-roku-3-which-media-streamer-should-you-buy/Just made an offer of $50 for a very lightly used ROKU 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 31, 2015 Share #35 Posted March 31, 2015 No gaming systems on the TV in the den. Do they still make gaming systems?I use a Western Digital media player, because it can play every damn file type out there. I load up at a buddy's place, just fill up a terabyte or so with movies and tv shows. It is pretty great at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 31, 2015 Share #36 Posted March 31, 2015 But, can the Roku play DVDs or Blu Ray?I don't think people still do that, do they? I made RW throw away her DVD player when we started living together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 31, 2015 Share #37 Posted March 31, 2015 Do they still make gaming systems?I use a Western Digital media player, because it can play every damn file type out there. I load up at a buddy's place, just fill up a terabyte or so with movies and tv shows. It is pretty great at that. That's illegal.I don't think people still do that, do they? I made RW throw away her DVD player when we started living together.I watch a disc every now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share #38 Posted March 31, 2015 I still go to Blockbuster and get VHS tapes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 31, 2015 Share #39 Posted March 31, 2015 I still go to Blockbuster and get VHS tapes. I miss Blockbuster. They did not have a back room though. I liked those seedy, dimly lit rooms behind the black curtain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 31, 2015 Share #40 Posted March 31, 2015 That's illegal.That isn't stopping anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 31, 2015 Share #41 Posted March 31, 2015 That isn't stopping anyone.It stops me. It stops my wife. We're someones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 31, 2015 Share #42 Posted March 31, 2015 It stops me. It stops my wife. We're someones.Ok, it doesn't stop the vast majority of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted March 31, 2015 Share #43 Posted March 31, 2015 I am leaning towards ROKUhttp://www.cnet.com/news/chromecast-vs-apple-tv-vs-roku-3-which-media-streamer-should-you-buy/Just made an offer of $50 for a very lightly used ROKU 3 I think that's the same article I looked at a month or so ago. Based on what you need, that information in the article that compares them, and that you know someone selling a used Roku 3, I think that you made the right decision. Seems almost a no-brainer to me. I'd have done the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted March 31, 2015 Share #44 Posted March 31, 2015 It's only illegal to share the files online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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