# What do people watch streaming programs on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299 "2014-10-23T23:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/1 "2014-10-23T23:31:01Z")
Yeah, I’m an old fart. I do e-mail. I have a cell phone, although it’s just a phone. And when we want to see a movie at home, we rent a DVD - usually through Netflix. But now I see that Amazon, and also Hulu and Netflix, and I don’t know who else is next, are streaming movies and their own produced programs, etc. Do people these days watch those things on hand-held devices? On tablets? Is watching movies and “tv programs” like the new productions of Amazon mostly an individual thing now, as opposed to a moderately social event such as sitting in a living room watching a tv with a group of people? How do these streaming sites work in a household of people who don’t have little computers in their pockets? If I choose to stream these movies or programs, how do I watch them? ---
**Author:** ![JonE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@JonE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonE)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/2 "2014-10-23T23:40:42Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Yeah, I’m an old fart. I do e-mail. I have a cell phone, although it’s just a phone. And when we want to see a movie at home, we rent a DVD - usually through Netflix. But now I see that Amazon, and also Hulu and Netflix, and I don’t know who else is next, are streaming movies and their own produced programs, etc. Do people these days watch those things on hand-held devices? On tablets? Is watching movies and “tv programs” like the new productions of Amazon mostly an individual thing now, as opposed to a moderately social event such as sitting in a living room watching a tv with a group of people? How do these streaming sites work in a household of people who don’t have little computers in their pockets? If I choose to stream these movies or programs, how do I watch them? Hook up an Apple tv or Roku box to your HDMI slot in back of the tv. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/3 "2014-10-23T23:41:14Z")
I use chromecast. My friends all use either chromecast or Apple TV. A few poor benighted souls connect their laptops to an hdmi cable and treat the tv as a second monitor. I know other people use Roku, but I know nothing about that. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/4 "2014-10-23T23:44:00Z")
A internet connected Bluray, a laptop, and a RoKu box all viewed on a HDTV. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/5 "2014-10-23T23:47:05Z")
> [@JonE](#): > > Hook up an Apple tv or Roku box to your HDMI slot in back of the tv. 'nuther old fart here. Roku or Apple TV most of the time, connected to TV. On rare occasions I will watch on a tablet. Never on a phone - too used to my 92 inch screen. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/6 "2014-10-23T23:47:35Z")
My Smart TV has Netflix built in, and I use a Chromecast device to watch downloaded video on it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/7 "2014-10-23T23:47:59Z")
I used to have a media computer, back when there weren’t simple solutions, hooked up to the TV. Then we got a Blu-ray player that had apps that could play all that stuff, but it started to screw up all the time. So now we have a Roku and it’s fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/8 "2014-10-23T23:58:06Z")
Another Chromecast user here. That and a $8 a month Netflix Streaming account keep my TV happy. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/9 "2014-10-24T00:27:23Z")
There are lots of options besides tablets and phones. There are smart TVs that have built-in ability to stream video. There are streaming devices designed to connect to a TV: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, etc. Some of these devices are little sticks that plug into the HDMI port, others are small boxes. Many blu-ray players have the ability to stream video. Many digital video recorders (DVRs), like TiVo, also have the ability to stream video. Of course, I’m sure a lot of people view streaming video on a desktop PC or a laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/10 "2014-10-24T00:41:14Z")
I have a Roku and its hooked up to my TV, so watching streaming shows is just the same as watching it as a broadcast. If you had a gaming console, like an XBox360 or Playstation 3, it can also stream Netflix, Amazon, etc, to your TV through its own interface without needing another device. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/11 "2014-10-24T02:55:33Z")
Roku’s working great for me so far. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/12 "2014-10-24T04:02:29Z")
My wife watches netfilx on her iPad every day. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/13 "2014-10-24T04:12:57Z")
And if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI slot? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/14 "2014-10-24T04:31:13Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > And if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI slot? Some of the Roku units (Roku 1 and Roku 2)work with TVs that have composite inputs, which are standard definition. That’s the input that is the yellow RCA plug. Edit: those Rokus also have HDMI output so it will work if you ever upgrade your TV. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/15 "2014-10-24T04:36:48Z")
It depends on your television. If you have an open HDMI slot, then you can use Chromecast ($35) and stream to it from your computer. Personally, I use a smartphone loaded up with the apps for Hulu, Netflix, etc. and stream from it while it is wifi connected to my home network. It’s easier to use from the comfort of the sofa. If you don’t have a digital television, then you could use a set top box like Roku. The “1” and “2” versions have Composite A/V (red/white/yellow) outputs which should be compatible with whatever you have. For truly social events, I stream to a high def video projector, but that gets most of its use playing games. Madden NFL is cool with life-size 3D players. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/16 "2014-10-24T10:23:28Z")
I have an HDMI cable running from my desktop computer to my TV. This means that, when I want to, I can simply set up my TV as the second monitor of an “extended” display. I stream in a browser window and sometimes watch at my desk on the computer monitor, and sometimes on the TV from my couch. I can just drag the browser window from one screen to the other. (I also usually set the sound output to the HDMI from the TV when I do this, which takes a couple more clicks, but this isn’t really vital.) I have a wireless mouse that I can use from my couch to control the display. I have been doing the majority of my TV watching this way for about three years now. I watch much more streamed (or downloaded) stuff than broadcast stuff, and I feel no need at all for a cable or satellite TV subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/17 "2014-10-24T11:22:52Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Some of the Roku units (Roku 1 and Roku 2)work with TVs that have composite inputs, which are standard definition. That’s the input that is the yellow RCA plug. > > Edit: those Rokus also have HDMI output so it will work if you ever upgrade your TV. Ditto, from another old fart who is still using a 25-inch tv that’s almost 20 years old. No hi-def, no stereo, But it is color. I got the Roku 2 less than two months ago. It is one of the simplest high-tech devices I ever got. One end of it plugs into the electricity in the wall, and then three plugs connect to the jacks on the tv. That’s it. It is always on; it doesn’t even have an on/off switch. To switch from regular tv to the Roku, all I do is change the Input from Cable to Auxiliary. Using the Roku itself is done with its own remote control, which has a few buttons for navigating the on-screen menus. Personally, I’m a high-tech guy, but I think that even my mother (for whom AOL is too complicated) can figure it out. I gotta admit that it’s not quite that straightforward: It would be useless if I did not have a wireless router connected to my PC. On the other hand, I did not have to do anything to the router, nor on the pc. The only thing I needed was the name of the router and the password, which I enter into Roku with the on-screen menu. Once you get past that, Roku’s on-screen menu offers a whole bunch of streaming providers, some of which are free and require no additional setup, and others cost money. Typically, you need to use your pc to sign up and pay for those, and then all you need to tell Roku is your name and password. For example: I used my pc to switch my Netflix account from DVDs to streaming. Also, my cable company give free access to HBO streaming (called “HBO-GO”) and I set up a password for that. I also tried Hulu Plus, but cancelled it within the two-month free trial. It’s really easy and convenient. The only part I don’t like is that the “Universal Remote Control” for my tv doesn’t have a way to swtich from Cable to Roku, so I have to get out of my seat to do that. Now get off my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/18 "2014-10-24T12:43:54Z")
I use my iPad, my gf uses her tablet. We own a TV that is hooked up to the Internet, but haven’t used it in many months. It’s mostly for the convenience of house/pet sitters. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/19 "2014-10-24T13:29:17Z")
I’d been using my Roku box until I bought my new Samsung UHD TV last week. I still use my Roku for most things but find that I need to use my TV’s streaming connection in order to get NetFlix 4K feeds (right now limited to Breaking Bad episodes) as Roku is presently limited to 1080P. The difference is astounding. If you don’t need 4K then I highly recommend a Roku box, pretty easy to use and set up. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/20 "2014-10-24T14:29:52Z")
Here’s something people considering changing or upgrading their home entertainment should know. I recently bought a Smart TV and have been using the built-in Netflix app. Only after buying my TV did I start considering a surround sound system, and by doing some preliminary research, I learned something important: most TVs, even the latest-and-greatest smart TVs, do not pass-through a surround sound signal, instead “dumbing down” the audio to simple stereo. This means that if you are using an app like Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Amazon Prime on your smart TV to stream content, and you have the TV outputting the audio signal into your sound system, then even if the app provides surround sound content, you will only be listening to it in simple stereo. The only way to take advantage of the surround sound is to use the corresponding app on a device that _can_ output surround sound, like a Roku box, smart Blu-ray player, or Playstation, and have that device hooked up to your sound system–which obviates the usefulness of a “smart” TV. [Here’s a list from CNET](http://www.cnet.com/news/20-tvs-tested-which-sets-can-pass-surround-sound-to-a-sound-bar/) containing some TVs which _do_ output surround sound. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299.md?page=2)