Streaming TV

[imoldernu]

Your thoughts on the streaming TV product you may be using.

I'll start with Roku... We now have three for the different TV's in our house. Last one is the Roku Express, from Amazon @$29.95. Have a Roku 3 and an older Roku II.

Very happy with all three. While we use it for Netflix, the dozens and dozens for free channels provide more than enough for anyone... from news, to movies, to books on take, to health and exercise sites... Too many to go through.
If you have a Roku, try XTV (available by searching google.)

Your choice?...

 

[MissMolly]

We have 5 TVs. 2 are Roku TVs and the other 3 have the Roku sticks. Got the first stick in Jan 2016 and played around with it. Then went through several antennas until we found one that worked really well for us. Bought a Tablo to serve as our DVR. Then practiced for a month not using cable at all - only the Rokus and antenna. Felt confident and cut the cord in January of this year. Do not miss cable AT ALL. Every show we want to watch we have access to - and we do not have any streaming services at all - no Hulu, no PSVue, no nothing. We do have Amazon Prime which we had never used before for watching movies (didn't know how) and we are on our son's Netflix account. Between those 2, XTV, Plex and all the tons of options available for free with Roku, we have far more options of what to watch and far more control over when we watch it than ever before. I love my Rokus.

 

[kcowan]

I have a Roku and a Chromecast. I prefer the Chromecast because it is easier to set up
and move around. I can also cast from my laptop which makes movie selection easier. But I often use my iPhone 4S for the bedroom. I can cast from the LR to the MBR.

But yes we find streaming to be essential now that summer season is upon us. Also Netflix works in Mexico. Sometimes we will tune in a Swedish movie with Spanish subtitles. But aside from that, all the usual selection is available.

We finally watched Breaking Bad, 2 episodes a night. Cannot get into Better Call Saul, even though Vince Gilligan is the director.

We have become increasingly selective now that we have so much choice. Some people got those Android boxes for $70 that give you 10000 channels. So far, we have resisted.

 

[imoldernu]

Here are some sites that provide channels for Roku... not available on the Roku list, but easy to install. "Private" doesn't mean that kind of private... the listed ones are Family OK.

Roku-Channels.com, RokuGuide.com, StreamFree.tv and RokuChannels.tv.

Here's the link to XTV... many very recent and popular movies.
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/xtv

By the by... Did you notice MissMolly's post about being on her sons Netflix?... We are on our son's Amazon account... Works perfectly.

 

[GrayHare]

We've used Sony streaming boxes. Sony has not required registration or telephoning them to get the box started, and thus they do not track/sell your personal info and viewing habits.

 

[erkevin]

My son uses our Netflix account while away at college.

 

[easysurfer]

I use an Amazon Fire TV device for streaming. I get prime for the quick shipping, but jumped in one Amazon Black Friday sale and got the Fire TV.

Overall, I like and meets my needs but was happier before with the old instead of the [-] IMO, cluttered[/-] "new and improved" interface.

 

[Dawg52]

How does XTV get away with streaming channels like ESPN, Golf Channel and other premium channels for free? Those are not free OTA channels like local ones.

 

[CaptTom]

Amazon Fire box with Prime, and Netflix. Have a Chromecast dongle but don't use it much. Haven't had cable TV in a couple of years now. We also use YouTube, which most TVs or boxes like the Amazon Fire or Roku can tune in, too.

 

[Nightcap]

Apple TV on living room TV, an older Apple TV on the bedroom TV which we almost never watch. They're smart TVs that include Netflix and Amazon Prime, but the bedroom one doesn't have WiFi, so it's limited to what's available on the Apple TV (Amazon Prime coming soon!)

We cut the cord a couple years ago. Though there are some things that pique my curiosity, I can wait another year or so until they show up on Netflix. Currently paying for Netflix, HBO, Starz (American Gods, but I'm rather disappointed and that subscription may not last), CBS All-Access commercial-free (herself loves Survivor), and Amazon Prime.

 

[ponyboy]

For those who do stream HD content frequently...how much bandwidth does it use per month? 100GB? 500GB? Just curious as my new ISP caps you at 1TB.

 

[audreyh1]

Two Apple TVs, one for each TV. We rarely use the bedroom TV, so we have an older Apple TV there, and the latest in the living room.

 

[AllDone]

We have an Apple TV in the living room and a Chromecast in my husband's office. I almost never watch real TV, just Netflix and Acorn TV.

 

[jjquantz]

Roku 3, Roku II and a Chromecast. The Chromecast is only used to stream music, although we have streamed video with it. The Roku II is hooked to the TV that is used almost exclusively for MLBTV so DW can watch the Cubs on the patio. The Roku 3 is hooked to our main TV. Overall, we've been happy with all 3, but we watch so little TV that I would be hard pressed to describe their advantages and disadvantages in a meaningful way for others.

 

[Ian S]

We have a single Roku in the living room. Last year we signed up for HBOnow on a temporary basis so I could binge on The Sopranos then cancel. Well, my friend said I really need to watch Game of Thrones even though I found the first episode of limited interest. I forced myself to continue and got hooked and eventually caught up to date. Started looking at their other series and it turns out they have a treasure trove that I never knew about: The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Six Feet Under, Rome, and so on. The only one I've had trouble getting into is Oz. Now I'm trying out Deadwood. Needless to say, we're still subscribed. LOL!

 

[Chuckanut]

Tivo Roamio OTA box with lifetime guide subscrition. Roku for a few other things.

The Tivo has the Netlifx, Amazon and a few other apps built in. It also hooks up to my antenna for free OTA TV and allows me to record shows for later watching, binge watching a series, etc. Between OTA broadcasts, Netflix and Amazon I could waste my entire life in front of the TV if I so choose.

 

[Cobra9777]

We have 2 Fire TV boxes for the main TV and bedroom. One of the spare bedrooms has a TV with a Chromecast that guests can use with their own device and accounts.

Very happy with Fire TV, especially voice search on the remote. It searches across all our apps, which makes the Fire TV experience feel more integrated, like you are selecting content, irrespective of what app or channel provides it. Similarly, it merges your watchlists, suggestions, etc from various apps on the home page. We also enjoy the integration with Prime Photos, where photos are stored real-time from both our phones. We run Kodi on the Fire TV boxes for live OTA TV, EPG, and DVR functionality. So we never switch inputs.

We subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Curiosity Stream, which is a Prime add-on for science and technology documentaries. DMIL used her cable credentials to log in to Fox Sports Go so we can all watch Texas Rangers games over here.

 

[imoldernu]

For those who do stream HD content frequently...how much bandwidth does it use per month? 100GB? 500GB? Just curious as my new ISP caps you at 1TB.

I wish I could answer that, but can give you some experience... I have Comcast... the limit is 1TB as mentioned.. I didn't know that. My son brought daughter in law to visit and for three days, she streamed content at least 10 hours a day including while she slept. I received a warning that I had used 950G and that if i went over, for two months, they would give me a pass, but after that I would be charged $10 for every ??G (can't recall). Anyway, going to my account, I looked at past usage... past three months were 300G, 250G, and 500G... so I don't think it will cause me a problem anyway... Watch for new FCC rules... I think we're going to get hit with new limits, and they may go down. ?? may??

We do a moderate amount of streaming, but from now on, I'll be more careful about falling asleep for 5 or 6 hours, while Netflix spins binge watching.
...and... Riley's Ipad will be put away when she falls asleep.
.......................................................................................
different subject...Wonder if those who don't have access by smart TV, know that they can get access for the $29.95 price of a Roku Express at Amazon.

 

[Nightcap]

We have an Apple TV in the living room and a Chromecast in my husband's office. I almost never watch real TV, just Netflix and Acorn TV.

We did Acorn TV for a while, but found ourselves getting our Brit Fix on YouTube and Daily Motion. (Great British Bake-Off, Escape to the Country, Grand Design, e.g.) Netflix has a bunch of Celtic Noir (where do they get that sickly greenish hue for indoor scenes?) and London psychopaths keeping one step ahead of the Detective With a Dark Secret. It was inexpensive, though, so we may ditch something else and get back to it.

 

[imoldernu]

How does XTV get away with streaming channels like ESPN, Golf Channel and other premium channels for free? Those are not free OTA channels like local ones.

Yeah... I don't know, but I don't think they'll put us in jail for using it. Quite a bit of chatter about this on the internet. It's apparently a P2P type project. This shows up on more of the newer channels that are not directly offered by Roku, but are available from many on-line sources. most of the "free" channels used to be loaded with commercials, but some of the newer channels are, indeed, commercial free. Go figure...

 

[aza455]

What is the best streaming device to be able to watch news channels like CNN, Fox, ABS, NBC etc?

 

[Beldar]

We have ben using the Roku for several years now. It's absolutely incredible what content is out there, FREE. We love the fact we can watch UK television, live, and for FREE. We plan on dropping the cable TV service this summer and will use OTH and Roku.

We just purchased a Roku TV for MIL and she is thrilled.

_B

 

[MissMolly]

There are two of us. I only watch TV a couple of hours in the evening usually and that is basically OTA. Never more than 4 hours a day. I don't do a lot of streaming - maybe at most 3 hours a week. My husband watches a lot more than I do and all of his is streaming. Our usage since cancelling cable:
Jan - 192g
Feb - 194g
Mar - 275g (I was sick and watch a lot of TV)
Apr - 208g
May (so far) - 128g

We are on the computers all the time, so that plays into our usage as well.