Streaming TV Devices

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JGoodish

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JGoodish
We have an older Samsung 40-something-inch plasma TV which does not have any built-in app or streaming support. A couple years ago, we purchased a FireTV Stick since we cut the cable cord and are Amazon Prime members. For the most part, it’s been fine. We subscribed to SlingTV and Disney+ a couple months ago, and the performance (especially with Sling) has not been great. The Sling app usually works fine after a reboot of the FireTV Stick, but then the whole system gets slower over time, eventually culminating in the Sling streaming constantly buffering or simply not loading. A reboot of the FireTV Stick seems to fix this, but I’m still not entirely sure whether the problem is the FireTV Stick, Sling, or both. We like the Sling content, but I don’t want to buy a different streaming device if the service itself is the problem.

Anyone have any experience with SlingTV?
 
I've been happy with a regular RoKu - sometimes they'll be on Woot or directly on their website as refurbs. I didn't get a stick specifically because I wanted to be able to move the box if a stick would end up in a poor coverage location for the WiFi (I find that it's not a factor, but I wanted the option).

I've also got an Apple TV, but I like the RoKu and it's interface & remote better than the Apple. YMMV.

Both of my units have a x-baseT connector so I can avoid wifi altogether if necessary.

(Side note: I've set up VLANs to isolate them from the rest of the traffic on my home networks for security. RoKu outright tells you that it scans your LAN for other devices and sends back to mothership. I assume Apple does the same. I'm not comfortable with that, so they sit on a separate VLAN, with yet another VLAN for guest users, and one for any IoT devices I might get in the future).
 
I'm not a gamer, so Shield TV Pro is completely pointless for me. I bought the "hot dog" Shield TV. It was fine. However, keep in mind that even the best of the best streaming platform can do nothing if the streaming app is garbage (except blacklisting it outright). If Slick's app for Android TV leaks memory, not even Shield TV Pro will save you.
 
I need to clean my glasses... first glance at the title my brain read “Screaming TV devices”
 
Won't bore you folks with the extended story, but suffice it to say that I went DEEPLY down this rabbit hole over the last few months after building some new speakers and upgrading our home theater to accommodate the newest surround sound and video formats. It is absolutely maddening how certain formats are supported on one device and not another, or one app on a certain device will support a certain format but that same app won't support the same format on another device, blah blah...borders on criminal.

Here's the short scoop...

For ease of use and speed of interface, Roku.
For most complete support of Dolby Vision, Atmos, Dolby Digital+, and other high endish formats, Nvidia Shield. NO question. Been using Roku for many years, going from 2xd to Roku 4 to Roku Ultra and a TCL Roku TV in the bedroom..love the interface. Bought a TCL 75R617 Roku tv for theater...defective, replaced with second sample, also defective, gave up and bought a Sony w Android TV system. GREAT picture, terrible android implemention w underpowered processor. Roku ultra solved that, but not compatible with Dolby Vision, and some apps didnt support Atmos. Xbox One S supported more, but didn't pass Atmos directly. Pulled my hair out, took a chance on the Nvidia Shield (not the pro model....I don't "game"), and have been absolutely thrilled with it. Blazing fast interface, and supports anything you throw at it.
 
Thanks all. It sounds as though the Roku platform is probably the best option where the power of the Nvidia system is not required. In my case, I don’t even own a 4k TV, and have been living with the lousy built-in speakers—I should probably get some type of sound bar or external speaker.

I am an Apple guy, so I have considered the Apple TV, but I really don’t participate in Apple’s media ecosystem so I’ve never been able to justify the expense.
 
I bought a Fire thing when they came out and were on sale, but I also bought an AppleTV and for the last many years that's all I've used. I don't subscribe to any of the Apple entertainment stuff, but I do pay for HBO on it, and get Prime Video and Netflix, watch a lot of Youtube Premium. I have no need for anything other than that AppleTV, which pretty much seems to do it all. The other thing I appreciate about AppleTV is the ability to stream my iPhone or iPad directly to it over whatever network it's on. At work, all the video conference rooms have AppleTV's which are extremely useful for video presentations and Powerpoints.
 
JGoodish said:
I don’t even own a 4k TV, and have been living with the lousy built-in speakers—I should probably get some type of sound bar or external speaker.
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I went with Sonos. Sonos Play Bar soundbar, Sonos Sub subwoofer, and two Sonos One speakers for the two surround sound speakers. Sounds very good, though you won't get all the newest Atmos, etc. formats. Very solid 5.1 surround. Has an nighttime mode which limits the dynamic range as well as a mode which enhances speech. Together they let you set the volume lower to avoid bothering others but you can still hear the dialog and quiet passages.

Best feature was it completely eliminated the A/V receiver and all those wires. The Sub, and two Ones just plug into power, no audio wires. The Play Bar needs power and a TOSLINK (optical) audio-out from the TV. Your components (DVD player, DVR, etc.) connect directly to the TV.

When you're not watching TV the Sonos system will stream music, radio, podcasts, etc. through those same speakers. Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeart Radio, etc. Everything is controlled through an Android, iOS, or PC app. It'll learn your TV's remote for volume and mute.
 
MacFly said:
The other thing I appreciate about AppleTV is the ability to stream my iPhone or iPad directly to it over whatever network it's on. At work, all the video conference rooms have AppleTV's which are extremely useful for video presentations and Powerpoints.
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AirPlay is a big plus for AppleTV—I know that there are Android TV apps for this, but judging by the reviews, they don’t work all that well.


Larry in TN said:
I went with Sonos. Sonos Play Bar soundbar, Sonos Sub subwoofer, and two Sonos One speakers for the two surround sound speakers. Sounds very good, though you won't get all the newest Atmos, etc. formats. Very solid 5.1 surround. Has an nighttime mode which limits the dynamic range as well as a mode which enhances speech. Together they let you set the volume lower to avoid bothering others but you can still hear the dialog and quiet passages.
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I probably should get something, because I have congenital hearing loss and have to turn the volume up louder than it needs to be in order to understand what is being said from the poor fidelity built-in speakers.
 
JGoodish said:
I probably should get something, because I have congenital hearing loss and have to turn the volume up louder than it needs to be in order to understand what is being said from the poor fidelity built-in speakers.
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If Best Buy is open near you, they have a nice Sonos display. They'll have the various Sonos Players (what they call the speakers) and a tablet on which you select which Players you want to hear and what type of audio to play.
 
I have a 50-inch 4k Samsung TV, and I have been quite happy with the cheapest variety of Roku.
 
JGoodish said:
I probably should get something, because I have congenital hearing loss and have to turn the volume up louder than it needs to be in order to understand what is being said from the poor fidelity built-in speakers.
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Bluetooth headphones with a Bluetooth transmitter plugged into the TV’s audio jack
 
AppleTV works well for us, pretty efficiently providing access to all our streaming services - Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, plus YouTube and video podcasts and more. Sounds like a lot of services, but we’re never without something good to watch and the total for all the services is less than we used to pay for cable. And was mentioned upthread, AirPlay is handy and works much better than it originally did.

But no doubt there are numerous, cheaper options out there that get the job done as well.

Speaking of video podcasts, there’s a good one called “Cordkillers” that always includes a segment on what’s new in “set-top boxes”. Engaging hosts and have gotten lots of good - and a few bad - suggestions on “What To Watch”.
 
I have Apple TV and a couple of fire sticks. They're both acceptable but not tremendous. Most of the TVs are "smart" ones and the one that didn't had a "media pc" attached to it.

I can't say any of them are really as all inclusive nice as I'd like. Some day TIVO or someone will do a better job, also incorporating a smart guide and OTA support. I'm a DISH network customer now, but as soon as the phone company gets fiber run to the house (I'm stuck on lousy DSL now), we'll probably pull the plug on that. Dish is dying. They've been in more and more ****ing matches with various providers. There's no HBO or NFL anymore, and they lost all the FOX-related stations for a while. While I kind of like some of the cable chow they've been replacing it with (Cowboy Channel and Ride) it really is getting to the point where it's not worth the money.
 
Something I've found is that the Roku devices are constantly being upgraded and/or obsoleted even though you don't realize it. We have been using a Roku for Sling, Netflix, and Hulu for years, and found the services to continually degrade to the point that the Sling app would hardly function. We decided to replace the Roku with a new identical looking unit, and low and behold everything worked great again. In comparing the firmware versions, we discovered the Apps were being upgraded, but apparently our 3-4 year old Roku unit could no longer function them properly.
 
flyingron said:
I'm a DISH network customer now, but as soon as the phone company gets fiber run to the house (I'm stuck on lousy DSL now), we'll probably pull the plug on that. Dish is dying. They've been in more and more ****ing matches with various providers.
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This is a problem.

There is only one reason, though, that I maintain a traditional cable/dish subscription: Peter Angelos.

We are MLB fans, in particular the Washington Nationals. The Nats are on MASN, which is (thanks to Angelos and MLB) majority owned by the Orioles - it was the "ransom" that had to be paid to allow baseball to return to DC.

MASN doesn't allow it's programming to be carried on any of the streaming services. No Sling, no Apple TV, no AT&T Now (but they are on DirecTV satellite)- none of them (unlike the Caps and Wizards that are carried on streaming, and NFL, but who cares about the Washington football team). Aside from traditional cable and the 2 satellite services, the only service that carries them is T-Mobile TV (formerly Layer3 TV), which is a full OTT cable service available if you have a fast enough internet connection, but comes with a cable-like monthly price for full cable services. MLB-TV is available on streaming, but subject to area blackouts (yeah, there are ways to avoid the blackout but it's a bit of a pain to do so).

So, we're stuck for now.
 
Yah, Nats fan here, but I moved to NC so I have less of a problem. I grew up outside of DC in the Senators era.

On the other hand, I'm now in the land of minor league baseball (though the FDK Keys and the Bowie BaySox are good as well. You can keep Art Silber even with his new stadiums for the Cannons/Nats. I've got one AAA and four A teams fairly close. The admission price is hardly anything, the food is good and the beer is cheap. You sit close enough to talk to the ball players in the on-deck circle. Last time I was watching a Dash game I noted my free program didn't contain a scorecard. The usher went to guest services and brought one to my seat.
 
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flyingron said:
Yah, Nats fan here, but I moved to NC so I have less of a problem. I grew up outside of DC in the Senators era.

On the other hand, I'm now in the land of minor league baseball (though the FDK Keys and the Bowie BaySox are good as well. You can keep Art Silber even with his new stadiums for the Cannons/Nats. I've got one AAA and four A teams fairly close. The admission price is hardly anything, the food is good and the beer is cheap. You sit close enough to talk to the ball players in the on-deck circle. Last time I was watching a Dash game I noted my free program didn't contain a scorecard. The usher went to guest services and brought one to my seat.
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Yeah, we get a partial season package to the Keys. Don't know what's going to happen with them next year given tha MLB wants to cut the affiliation. It's nice to go to a ball game and spend less than 1/4 of what you'd spend at a major league game. Our seats are about 3 rows behind home plate.

Haven't been able to go to the shiny new stadium in Fredericksburg yet. We'll go just to see it (and another friend of mine lives not far away so it's a two-fer). Won't be a regular as I live near the beltway and loathe the I95 traffic.

Also grew up with the Senators - grew up in the Virginia suburbs.

There's some talk about Richmond becoming a Nats affiliate and moving the AAA team back east.
 
Roku. I've tried android built ins, yahoo constructs, firestick, apple TV, yet Roku continues to do well. Roku Ultra sold at Walmart for $50 at the right time.
 
We’ve been pretty happy with our Fire Stick 4Ks. They seem to perform well, and I haven’t had to reboot one in quite a while. We don’t have any 4K TVs, and our audio on the big one is fairly simple with a Vizio soundbar with satellites and a subwoofer.
 
I just got the Nvidia Shield Pro and it works awesome EXCEPT there are no codes to make the remote work with the volume on my Vizio TV. The Nvidia Pro comes with 16gb internal memory but you can add as much as want with an SSD card. I added a 256gb SSD SATA drive and plan to add a bunch of movies to my Plex server. The processor is super fast.
 
We’ve had multiple of the older non-4K FireTV sticks for a couple of years with no slowdowns or issues but we don’t use Sling. It’s probably their app.

As others have mentioned Roku is the most “open” platform but even they are getting sucked into the direct content delivery blackout wars. They had some issues with NBC recently with NBC rolling out their Peacock thing to directly compete with CBS All Access.

I think over time the middlemen are slowly getting cut out. It’ll be stream straight from content maker to your device. Which devices will win, nobody knows. Apple is doubling down on being a middleman with Apple One. Not a good place to be. Roku needs app developers at every source to make apps for their platform as do they all really.

Someone mentioned better OTA integration. Amazon technically has that with their own OTA receiver but it streams internally on your network at only 720P unless they’ve fixed that. Kinda kills the whole point of OTA reception if you’re going for sports at 1080i from some networks.

Saw where some municipality somewhere is suing the local internet provider for all the TV fees and taxes that the cable monopoly used to pay them in monopoly franchise fees. The poor dears. Not making enough tax revenue with all the cable cord cutters and the old monopolies they had captive for tax money.

Brave new world. By the time you subscribe to all of the direct content providers needed to replace the cable, it’ll cost more. That’s how they’re all restructuring it. Whoever owns the copyright will charge you whatever they like eventually.

What people WANTED was a la carte individual channel pricing and choice on the big distribution networks. What they got was a mishmash of content provider forced packages streamed directly to them over the Internet connection they already pay for separately. Still can’t buy ONE channel from anybody.
 
denverpilot said:
What people WANTED was a la carte individual channel pricing and choice on the big distribution networks. What they got was a mishmash of content provider forced packages streamed directly to them over the Internet connection they already pay for separately. Still can’t buy ONE channel from anybody.
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I've always heard that it was ESPN, and perhaps more broadly, all of the sports channels, that are the reason one can't get channels ala carte. Those are hugely expensive channels to provide (I seem to recall hearing something like well over 50% of the total cost of a typical cable bundle), and if the option was there to unsubscribe from ESPN, enough people would do so that the cost for the sports fans who really want sports channels would be huge, like, unpalatably expensive. So the cable companies force all viewers to subsidize the sports channels.
 
Having similar problems w my moms TV- got her sling and their free Android Air mini I think it is- locks up a lot...

I have zero issues w my Roku but I use Hulu so was thinking about getting her a roku...
 
We are moving to Ranson WV next week from northern AL. We are not taking our TV's and will be buying new when we get there. We had Direct TV and Comcast will provide our cable when we get there. My wife says we are getting there TV package for one year. After that, she MAY let us cut the TV and go online. Before I retired I was working in a TS lab researching old missile technology for many-many years and so I have not had twitter or facebook or been up on the technology advancements. I got a phone two weeks ago to replace my flip phone.

All that said... I need help on what to get to be able to watch news, Discovery/History channels and my wife's HGTV and like channels.
 
Most of my TVs are Androids in their own right. There's two firesticks and a Apple TV unit kicking around. Unfortunately, there's no cable here and the internet sucks, so I'm stuck on the moribund satellite service until Christmas-time when they are scheduled to install fiber here. Then I'll probably jump to some service (possibly YouTube TV) on the various platforms.
 
I use Roku box with my Samsung and it works fine. OTA with one of the simple “Paper” antennas also is ok except in bad weather.

The Apple TV gathers dust since I get what I need via Roku Streaming Prime, Hulu, etc and OTA. I bought it refurbished from the Apple Store so no great loss.

I take a Roku stick with me to Colorado for the ski season and again, it works fine.

Cheers
 
denverpilot said:
We’ve had multiple of the older non-4K FireTV sticks for a couple of years with no slowdowns or issues but we don’t use Sling. It’s probably their app.

As others have mentioned Roku is the most “open” platform but even they are getting sucked into the direct content delivery blackout wars. They had some issues with NBC recently with NBC rolling out their Peacock thing to directly compete with CBS All Access.

I think over time the middlemen are slowly getting cut out. It’ll be stream straight from content maker to your device. Which devices will win, nobody knows. Apple is doubling down on being a middleman with Apple One. Not a good place to be. Roku needs app developers at every source to make apps for their platform as do they all really.

Someone mentioned better OTA integration. Amazon technically has that with their own OTA receiver but it streams internally on your network at only 720P unless they’ve fixed that. Kinda kills the whole point of OTA reception if you’re going for sports at 1080i from some networks.

Saw where some municipality somewhere is suing the local internet provider for all the TV fees and taxes that the cable monopoly used to pay them in monopoly franchise fees. The poor dears. Not making enough tax revenue with all the cable cord cutters and the old monopolies they had captive for tax money.

Brave new world. By the time you subscribe to all of the direct content providers needed to replace the cable, it’ll cost more. That’s how they’re all restructuring it. Whoever owns the copyright will charge you whatever they like eventually.

What people WANTED was a la carte individual channel pricing and choice on the big distribution networks. What they got was a mishmash of content provider forced packages streamed directly to them over the Internet connection they already pay for separately. Still can’t buy ONE channel from anybody.
Click to expand...
They're learning from the fools that own print media. I'd pay up tomorrow if I could get one subscription that would let me read a fair number of articles from multiple papers. Instead, one needs to subscribe to each individually even if you only read a coule of articles a month. As long as it wouldn't become like Big Cable.
 
Well, I have had the Nvidia Shield Pro for a few weeks now. It is fast and handles streaming great and works well with KODI. User interface is great. Biggest disappoints are the remote which will not let me control volume on my Visio TV and is not compatible with several of the apps that I would like to install: including Britbox and RBdigital.
 
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