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Post by SA on Apr 25, 2015 3:04:32 GMT
So, I'm in the market for something small to put on my bedroom TV so I can watch all the goodies (netflix, amazon TV, etc).
Anyone have experience with Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, etc? What's the difference and features that separate them? Do you have a preference?
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Post by parelex on Apr 25, 2015 5:04:21 GMT
We've had a Roku 2 last couple of years and we love it. If we could get local news via antenna & NFL games on it we would totally cut the cable. We have Amazon Prime, Hulu & Netflix on it as well, so we have quite a variety. You can even get premium stations like HBO Go if you have a cable service provider with it.
I haven't used the other devices, but I like Roku because it's simple to use and there's a ton of apps (we like the kid stations and music ones especially). There's really not much else we could ask for.
We loved ours so much I bought one for my parents for Christmas and they love it too.
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Post by Pantlandia on Apr 25, 2015 5:59:01 GMT
I have the Roku streaming stick and it's pretty awesome. Not sure what type of TV you have, but the stick requires an HDMI slot, as does the Roku 3. I think the Roku 2 has RCA input for older TVs. Also, if you just want Hulu and Netflix and some other basic stuff, you can always get a Blu-Ray DVD player. Most of them come with those apps built in.
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Post by SA on Apr 25, 2015 12:06:27 GMT
Thanks!
We were leaning towards the Roku 3 (we like that it has earbuds attached to the remote!). To me, they seemed like they all did the same thing but was curious why the Roku was more expensive. Maybe the whole remote control thing.
We have DirecTv which I hate and will probably be paying to cancel once our 1 year discounted contract is up. We just wanted something to play the Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. Sounds like the Roku is the way to go!
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Post by Pantlandia on Apr 26, 2015 4:01:03 GMT
Yes, the channels on Roku are pretty amazing. Just be careful if you sign up for a channel that gives you a free trial. We signed up for a 7 day free trial on a music channel then cancelled through the TV. I got charged because I apparently had to cancel through the website. They didn't tell me this. That is the only issue I've run into.
They have A LOT of free channels that are pretty decent. Lots of oldies stuff too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2015 20:59:10 GMT
I've been cable free since 2011 with a roku and an antenna for local stations. I have Netflix and hulu plus subscriptions which around $16.00/month total. I've considering att HBOGo for a few months to catch up on some shows too. It is easy enough to add/remove stations and there are many free stations.
We had Amazon Prime for a year and cancelled it. Maybe it is worth the subscription for the other Amazon related perks like the free-shipping if you shop there regularly, but the streaming library has a lot of over lap with other services = we didn't feel it was worth it.
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Post by SA on Apr 26, 2015 21:11:06 GMT
Thanks so much for all of the great input. I purchased the Roku 3 and DH is installing it now!
I think we will do a trial for a week and see if we can "live" cable (satellite) free. I simply hate directv with a passion.
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Post by blissfullymiserable on Apr 27, 2015 2:19:45 GMT
I have direct tv, don't have any big issues with them but wouldn't mind exploring cheaper options. The dish is attached to my roof with big bolts so I'm stuck with that aspect of it. I too like the earphone option on the Roku remote, that's the one thing I don't like about the 2 new tv's that I recently got. Especially when I'm on the treadmill.
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Post by SA on Apr 30, 2015 11:25:53 GMT
Mine is on a pole on the side of the house, so no big deal for me.
My deal with them is the service itself just sucks (compared to the Comcast we used to complain about).
They have replaced my genie box 3 times in the last year
Their guide is more difficult than Comcast
Their search is much more difficult than Comcast
Their On Demand is HORRIBLE compared to Comcast
Each time I've called, the customer service has had me banging my head on the desk
But, we'll see what happens when our cheap one year is up. I definitely won't be paying them full price--that's for sure!
We love the Roku3! Works better than our BluRay.
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Post by blissfullymiserable on Apr 30, 2015 18:30:22 GMT
I haven't had any of those problems so far, just got my first genie a few months ago though. I'm not sure we have Comcast here in AZ.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2015 18:41:09 GMT
I have dish, I'd be more than happy to drop it and go with a Roku or something. We have a large digital library so lots of movies to watch. The only shows I personally watch I can see online like Amazing Race. Dh would never give up the satellite. Even though all he watches are endless reruns of crappy shows we've seen hundreds of times and probably the same shows he could access online or with DS's Netflix account. The TV has wifi so it would be easy to just stream everything to it. I'm sure I could find something better to be doing with that $100 or whatever it is a month but even though 99% of the time it's only on as background noise I'd never convince him of it. We haven't been under contract for years so it'd be easy to cancel, well except for the Dh part of it LOL
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2015 15:20:00 GMT
Welcome to the dark side! I'm not even going to say how many Rokus are in my house now. We are slowly trying to cut the cord with cable. I used to be a voracious bookworm....
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val2525
Chaos Manager
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Post by val2525 on May 2, 2015 5:02:06 GMT
Post back after a week, Liz, would you please? I have a friend who is paying way too much for Dish and she was interested in Roku or Apple TV, but hasn't done anything about it yet.
I don't even own a TV. About once every couple of weeks, the cat and I will sit down and watch TV on my larger laptop. Most of what I like is on CBS, so I just go to CBS.com and watch. My guilty pleasure (but hey, it's free!). Rest of the time, I usually read.
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Post by kat on May 2, 2015 7:41:31 GMT
I have a Roku. It's quite outdated but I love it. I have Hulu, Netflix and Prime. The only reason I have cable is because it was included with my internet.
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Post by SA on May 2, 2015 12:07:59 GMT
DH is the main user. He has to have a double hernia surgery on Wednesday and will not be going to work the next week. I can only imagine he will be in bed for a day or two also, so it will get heavy use then. I personally haven't even had my hand on the remote to use it yet LOL!
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