# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/21 "2014-10-24T14:34:04Z")
OP here. We do have a Toshiba tv that’s capable of receiving Netflix and hulu, and maybe even Amazon. But it’s so slowly responsive and cumbersome to use that I’d like to do something else. And, of course, we have two other tvs that are not capable of such reception, so I’m looking to see how this streaming thing will work in this house with all three. ---
**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, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/22 "2014-10-24T14:37:54Z")
Missed edit window: I just did some more Googling and found that apparently some smart TVs will not pass-through surround sound when the signal is from an external device, but _will_ output 5.1 sound when using one of their own internal apps. I guess you just have to research each individual TV thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/23 "2014-10-24T14:39:38Z")
(Boy, it used to be a lot easier to keep up with stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/24 "2014-10-24T16:08:38Z")
At our house: Living Room: non-smart flat-screen TV with smart Blu-Ray player/surround sound reciever combo. The Blu-Ray player runs apps for Hulu, Amazon Streaming, Netflix, etc. Bedroom: non-smart flat-screen TV with Roku, which is basically a little box that runs streaming apps like the ones above. Anywhere: iPad (fairly common), MacBook Pro (less common, although for certain web-based streaming I’ll hook it up to the TV with an HDMI cable), iPhones (almost never for full streaming programs, although short videos on social media, etc. get viewed this way a lot). When we’re watching a program on one of the TVs, it’s basically the exact same experience as watching on cable or satellite. Groups crowding around an iPad doesn’t happen. ---
**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, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/25 "2014-10-24T17:18:17Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Missed edit window: > I just did some more Googling and found that apparently some smart TVs will not pass-through surround sound when the signal is from an external device, but _will_ output 5.1 sound when using one of their own internal apps. I guess you just have to research each individual TV thoroughly. Uh 5.1 is one of the forms of surround sound. It’s basically the starting point and then you get into 6.1, 7.1, dolby digital, THX and so forth. But it is surround sound. ---
**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, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/26 "2014-10-24T18:03:48Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > 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! How good does your wireless have to be for the streaming to work? I have WiFi in my house but sometimes it’s kind of flakey. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/27 "2014-10-24T18:23:30Z")
We mostly use an Apple TV but I use my iPad when I’m traveling. I get around the surround thing discussed above using an Onkyo A/V receiver. The Apple TV, XBox, Cable Box, etc all go through that first before going out to the TV. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/28 "2014-10-24T20:01:13Z")
I watch them on TV via Apple TV, or I watch them on the iPad (or computer), or I stream it from my iPad (or computer) to the TV via Apple TV and Apple Airplay, or whatever it’s called. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/29 "2014-10-24T20:20:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I watch them on TV via Apple TV, or I watch them on the iPad (or computer), or I stream it from my iPad (or computer) to the TV via Apple TV and Apple Airplay, or whatever it’s called. Yeah, AirPlay is da bomb. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/30 "2014-10-24T20:37:00Z")
Slight hijack / diversion: I have zero use for movies or series “TV shows”, new or olde tyme. I watch sports. Not yak-yak talk shows about sports, not daily highlight shows. Actual, you know, \*games \*from start to finish. I don’t mind not seeing them live real-time. I often watch them several days after they’ve been played. The event is still new to me since I don’t follow the ESPN soap opera. Right now I’m using a DVR to time-shift the stuff I get over Comcast xfinity. So … What low cost streaming service provides feeds like this for major US and/or worldwide sports? And most important: If the service contains any advertising, can I skip past commercials? I refuse to watch anything where I can’t bypass the advertising. Better yet if it doesn’t have any to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/31 "2014-10-24T20:52:26Z")
I use my Playstation3 to watch streaming content on my TV - Netflix, Crunchyroll, [MLB.tv](http://MLB.tv) etc. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/32 "2014-10-25T15:33:56Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Uh 5.1 is one of the forms of surround sound. It’s basically the starting point and then you get into 6.1, 7.1, dolby digital, THX and so forth. But it is surround sound. I know. You misread that sentence. What I was saying was “some smart TVs will not pass-through _any_ surround sound when the signal is from an external device, but will at least output 5.1 surround sound when using one of their own internal apps.” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/33 "2014-10-25T15:57:39Z")
My own systems for streaming, in order of usage: 1. DVRs. 2. Desktop PC. 3. Android tablet (Nook HD+). If I didn’t have the DVRs, I’d get something like a Roku. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/34 "2014-10-25T17:54:51Z")
The Roku consistently amazes me. It’s the tiniest little box, almost feels like it’s empty, but it does such a better job of streaming stuff than my Blu-ray player does that it isn’t even funny. It’s remarkably simple to set up and use - I liked it so much I bought a second one for the living room (my first one went in the nursery) and I got that one for IIRC 20 bucks reconditioned on Woot. It is truly a thing of beauty. ---
**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 25, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/35 "2014-10-25T20:24:27Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > The Roku consistently amazes me. It’s the tiniest little box, almost feels like it’s empty, but it does such a better job of streaming stuff than my Blu-ray player does that it isn’t even funny. It’s remarkably simple to set up and use - I liked it so much I bought a second one for the living room (my first one went in the nursery) and I got that one for IIRC 20 bucks reconditioned on Woot. It is truly a thing of beauty. I had a Sony Blu Ray player that was the worst piece of shit equipment for streaming that I ever had. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/36 "2014-10-25T20:37:20Z")
We watch stuff on the PlayStation 4. Either Netflix or Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/37 "2014-10-25T22:15:43Z")
We have a DVD player that’s also a blu-ray player, although we’ve never rented a blu-ray disc. The comments above lead me toward getting a Roku box for streaming. Would a Roku interfere with the DVD player and what it does? Would it interfere with the U-verse box that brings the cable programming? Jeez, I’m so far behind! ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/38 "2014-10-25T23:28:42Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I had a Sony Blu Ray player that was the worst piece of shit equipment for streaming that I ever had. Both you and Zsofia have said your Blu-ray players were bad for streaming. Would you mind sharing why specifically? ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/39 "2014-10-26T00:54:12Z")
> [@CC](#): > > We have a DVD player that’s also a blu-ray player, although we’ve never rented a blu-ray disc. The comments above lead me toward getting a Roku box for streaming. Would a Roku interfere with the DVD player and what it does? Would it interfere with the U-verse box that brings the cable programming? Jeez, I’m so far behind! As long as you have an unused HDMI input available on your TV you can plug in the Roku and you’ll be all set. The only way it might interfere is if you have to unplug another device to make room for the Roku. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299/40 "2014-10-26T01:04:30Z")
Roku for Netflix and Amazon Prime. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-watch-streaming-programs-on/702299.md?page=3)