I bought a Roku and a Fire last January since I had two tvs and couldn’t decide between them. Over all I like the roku better since I don’t like the fire always trying to get me to buy or rent from amzon. I don’t like paying on a per episode basis since it always seems wildly expensive even though we’re prime members it never seems what we want to watch is free on prime. With the roku its easy to just watch hulu and mlb.tv.
We recently went through this, and we chose the Roku. It had the greatest number of “channels” available. It is extremely easy to set up and use.
So it’s starting to look like Roku is the favourite…
Now… which version?
As I understand it, the key difference between Roku 3 and 4 is 4K - which I don’t need.
What does the Roku 3 do that the Roku stick does not?
OK, I found this- which does seem to indicate that the Roku 3 is the right fit. Ethernet connection to my router is a preference and the headphone jack in the RC seems like a fine idea.
I own a FireTV Stick. It’s an “okay” device. I’ve sideloaded Kodi on it and use that for the most part.
The problems with the Stick that annoy me the most: WiFi only connection and the flaky Bluetooth remote. I have an Ethernet hub right there. I want to connect the Stick to that and get a reliable connection. I recently put a spare WiFi hub directly under the stick to improve the connection. The Bluetooth remote does all sorts of weird things: not responding to keypresses, suddenly acting as if I’d pressed a button a hundred times, etc. I got a replacement remote from Amazon (they admitted the problem and sent it free) and it has the same problem. I have a Bluetooth keyboard that helps for entering strings.
I recently had a major problem. No remote response at all. Finally figured out that Bluetooth had turned itself off! I was able to get it back using the FireTV Android remote app (which is horrible!).
There’s a newer remote version that uses WiFi instead. Amazon knows Bluetooth sucks.
There’s also a remote now that recognizes voice commands, if you’re into talking to devices.
The Amazon FireTV (now in 2nd gen release) is a heftier device. E.g., it has an Ethernet and USB ports. It allows hooking up a USB stick or powered drive, etc. The current OS also allows rooting. I would get this on sale if I was starting over.
I also have a Raspberry Pi B+ that boots straight into the OpenElec version of Kodi. The starting price is cheap but it soon adds up. Not recommended for everyday folk.
There are also some prebuilt Android boxes like the new Jide Remix.
The problem with the latter 2 and similar is that you can’t run Netflix and other DRM controlled programs on such open platforms.
Note: FireTV and similar devices have HDMI output only. To hook up to a prehistoric set would require an adapter, at the very least. HDCP copy protection might add another layer of woe to deal with. (The latest FireTV OSes require always on HDCP regardless of source.)
Roku roks.
If you truly bought that TV at Wards, you may be stuck; your TV is pretty out of date, technologically speaking.
Montgomery Ward went out of business at the end of 2000. It looks like TVs with HDMI ports weren’t marketed until 2003 or 2004.
I’m not sure if there’s a way to convert an HDMI output to an input that an older TV can accept. I went through this sort of dance seven or eight years ago, when I was outfitting my parents’ old TVs with DVD players, and there was a converter box which made it possible, but even that didn’t have HDMI input.
The Roku 1 (and not any other Roku) has a composite video out that should connect to most older televisions. Of course, it would be a Standard Definition picture. It also has an RCA audio output.
Mini PC will be most versatile, but require technical know-how.
Roku is simplest with most features from what I’ve seen.
I just ordered a Fire TV Stick, so I’ll post findings soon. Not sure why you’d bother with the voice remote since you can control it (including voice commands) with a smartphone.
I went for roku 3. Ill post feedback when I get it…
I keep my movies on my NAS and access them through CIFS shares. The best device for this that I’ve found is the WDTV Live. It also has all the streaming services but this extra feature is what pushes me to use it over the others. I’ve tried ROKU and a Samsung “smart box” and niether of them would access the CIFS/SMB shares on my NAS.
If you’re into video games, any of the modern systems (PS3, PS4, Wii U, 360, Xbone, even 3DS) have support for most of these services. More expensive than a Roku for sure, but if you already have or plan to get a system to play games, it’s a nice bonus.
I’ve found AppleTV to be the best way to watch Netflix on a TV, on Roku and video game systems it seems to take a while for movies to get up to 1080p. I don’t know what Netflix’s problem is, as other services on the same device have no problem giving full resolution right away unless my network is bogged down with traffic, but it’s really bad on Netflix, and I don’t care to see the first segment of a show/movie in 480p or lower while waiting. On AppleTV, though, it usually comes up without problem.
Not that the AppleTV doesn’t have drawbacks of its own, lack of Amazon support is a biggy, also you don’t really get any choice of what channels you get like on Roku. You can hide ones you don’t like, but other than that, you get what has been decided you get.
There are older Rokus from before the current numbering system that have component output, which if you’re lucky a TV from back them might possibly have had, but probably not. Not as good as HDMI, but it will get you HD (if the TV supports HD, obviously).
As for the Roku1, it’s lacking an ethernet port, so for that one it’s wifi or nothing. It’s also apparently been supplanted by the Roku stick, so finding one might take some extra legwork (or googlefu).
I’ve had several boxes, Roku, Logitech, and Smart TV’s, DVD Players with Streamers, and now th Amazon FireStick… The FireStick is worlds faster than anything else I’ve had… I don’t mean a little, it wakes up just about immediately, and is very fast for browsing content.
They are all about the same for display, but browsing for content (or starting up) is always the big slowdown for me.
The Roku (at least the modern line) never turns off. It literally lacks that function, not even a sleep mode. There’s a screen saver, but like all screen savers, that turns off instantly at the first button press. AppleTV can be put to sleep, but it sure seems to wake up fast enough for me. The various video game systems, they’re the only things I’ve used that have starting up times that are a problem.
Yeah the consoles take a while to start up, and they have mandatory updates too. I used to try to watch Netflix on my PS3 every once in a while, but it seemed like there was always a system update required. And it wouldn’t run Netflix without the system update. That was a 20+ minute download when I just wanted to sit down and watch something. Finally gave up on using the PS3 for streaming video, Roku is much simpler.
I’m looking at cord-cutting with a Roku 3 as well. Regarding the startup time: We’re anti-vampire, so we turn everything off at the surge protector when we’re not using it. What’s the boot time from cold on a Roku 3?
I’m thinking of cord cutting. My HD antenna reception is good, but I still want a DVR function, preferably with two tuners. What’s out there for that?
StG
Here’s a recent review of commercial OTA DVRs. The Tablo seems to be the newest kid on the block that’s growing well.
The big ugly part for a lot of people is the subscription aspect. You pay for the box and the programming info (so you can schedule in advance, etc.). Many hate that.
You can roll-your-own DVR (called a PVR in that world) using a simple computer, a tuner, some software and some computer skills. But it hasn’t work out well for too many people. However, Kodi’s PVR add-on seems to be gaining fans and I can vouch for the other aspects of that program. It runs on a lot of platforms. But the key thing is making sure the drivers for your tuner work well on your system.
The odd thing about DIY PVR is that the programming guide stuff is obtained free. For commercial companies, that’s usually where they make their dough.