The Jokeman Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 (edited) So I'm about thinking about venturing into the world of wifi video streaming and curious what people thoughts the best way to go is? I'm not going to cut the cord on cable yet I want to explore this new world. I'm debating because I own quite a few DVDs and will probably keep buying them to complete some of my collections but I'm also at a point where I know owning DVDs is a wise investments and doubt I will ever buy Blu-ray DVDs so that's why am looking to jump into the world of streamers yet my current dvd player is a dvd/vcr combo so it could be upgraded but it still works so not mandatory. So I've done some homework and it seems like Roku is the best streamer out there. Or am I wrong? For what it's worth I have an Amazon Prime Account and a Motorola Moto X 2013 phone (which supposedly supports Miracast). I'm looking for something that will allow to use Spotify, Amazon Prime, Youtube on my non smart hdtv So which streamer do you think is the best one to go with now? or should I wait til more info about Roku 4 comes out? or should I just buy this Blu ray player instead? http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDPS3500-Blu-ray-Player-Wi-Fi/dp/B00TYFCJ8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444608660&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+ray+wifi+dvd Edited October 12, 2015 by The Jokeman
/dev/null Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 So I've done some homework and it seems like Roku is the best streamer out there. Or am I wrong? You sir are correct should I wait til more info about Roku 4 comes out? Roku 4's big selling point is 4k, which isn't that widely used atm. Roku 3 will serve you just fine. In fact to give you an idea how long a Roku generation will serve you, I just recently upgraded to Roku 3 from the original Roku circa 2010. And the only reason I upgraded was the batteries in the remote corroded (original batteries btw) If you're concerned about your Blue Ray/DVD collection you should probably just buy a stand alone player. Unless you enjoy collecting box sets or displaying your collection on a shelf, there's really no need for physical media. Just get the Torrent/MP4 and set up a home media server on an old PC. Roku has a Media Player that can stream from a local media server (such as Plex) or a USB drive. I know you said you're cutting the cord, but if you had DirecTV whole home DVR, the Roku can even stream from your DVR
The Jokeman Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 (edited) You sir are correct Roku 4's big selling point is 4k, which isn't that widely used atm. Roku 3 will serve you just fine. In fact to give you an idea how long a Roku generation will serve you, I just recently upgraded to Roku 3 from the original Roku circa 2010. And the only reason I upgraded was the batteries in the remote corroded (original batteries btw) If you're concerned about your Blue Ray/DVD collection you should probably just buy a stand alone player. Unless you enjoy collecting box sets or displaying your collection on a shelf, there's really no need for physical media. Just get the Torrent/MP4 and set up a home media server on an old PC. Roku has a Media Player that can stream from a local media server (such as Plex) or a USB drive. I know you said you're cutting the cord, but if you had DirecTV whole home DVR, the Roku can even stream from your DVR I'm not cutting the cord. I do display my DVD collection but I'm running out of space and it's obvious that the smarter thing to do is go streaming then collecting more. The reviews I've read indicate that Roku 2 is the best value for the money but with the recent release of Roku 4 I don't want to be too far behind. I'll admit a big reason am leaning toward Roku is I bought my dad a Roku tv for his birthday a few weeks ago and I set it up for him. It was really easy and admit that I'm jealous lol yet my HDTV tv is less than 5 years old and don't have room for a bigger tv and no sense in throwing out a perfectly good 40 inch Bravia IMO. Edited October 12, 2015 by The Jokeman
/dev/null Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Sorry, misread the part about cord cutting If you're staying with a cable provider, that re-enforces my part about the DTV whole home DVR. You may want to look into your providers DVR sharing capabilities
Chef Jim Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 We've had Roku for a few years after we cut cable. I have nothing else to compare it to but we love it.
The Jokeman Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 Sorry, misread the part about cord cutting If you're staying with a cable provider, that re-enforces my part about the DTV whole home DVR. You may want to look into your providers DVR sharing capabilities No worries, I've looked into the whole house DVR thing but holding off as it mean losing stuff I've already recorded. I'm just curious which Roku to go with. Ie 2 vs 3. As most reviews say that 2 is good enough but as eluded to earlier am wondering if I should just hold out a little longer and go 3 or 4?
/dev/null Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 No worries, I've looked into the whole house DVR thing but holding off as it mean losing stuff I've already recorded. I'm just curious which Roku to go with. Ie 2 vs 3. As most reviews say that 2 is good enough but as eluded to earlier am wondering if I should just hold out a little longer and go 3 or 4? 2 vs 3: 3 has better remote sensor. You have more options in hiding the console and remote. Also a little better gaming options 2/3 vs 4: 4 has 4k support 2/3 vs 4: I'd go 2/3 unless you want to be cutting edge 2 vs 3: Today 2 is more cost effective but 3 will have a longer supported service life. When do you plan on upgrading? But like I said earlier, the only reason that I had to upgrade my 1st generation Roku to Roku 3 was the remote batteries corroded. My 2010ish Roku had no problems with Netflix, Amazon, or HBOGo
Rob's House Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Roku's great. I've got one that looks like a flash drive that plugs into an HDMI port on the TV. You still have to run an electrical cord to it but it's a skinny one. It works great (much faster than my 5 yr old blu-ray player), it takes up virtually no space, it has tons of audio and video apps, and has a great platform. I dig it.
The Jokeman Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 (edited) 2 vs 3: 3 has better remote sensor. You have more options in hiding the console and remote. Also a little better gaming options 2/3 vs 4: 4 has 4k support 2/3 vs 4: I'd go 2/3 unless you want to be cutting edge 2 vs 3: Today 2 is more cost effective but 3 will have a longer supported service life. When do you plan on upgrading? But like I said earlier, the only reason that I had to upgrade my 1st generation Roku to Roku 3 was the remote batteries corroded. My 2010ish Roku had no problems with Netflix, Amazon, or HBOGo I don't plan on upgrading for a few years. As I don't need top of the line as even with my cell phone I bought it the same year a newer model came out and still very happy with it. I think your line about longer supported service life makes the Roku 3 the best option. Roku's great. I've got one that looks like a flash drive that plugs into an HDMI port on the TV. You still have to run an electrical cord to it but it's a skinny one. It works great (much faster than my 5 yr old blu-ray player), it takes up virtually no space, it has tons of audio and video apps, and has a great platform. I dig it. I've seen the streaming sticks too and thought about as the size/non box aspect seems nice, yet do they plug into a flash drive input or HMDI input or both? Edited October 12, 2015 by The Jokeman
Wooderson Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 I have both the Roku streaming stick(bedroom) and Apple TV(living room). Both work well. I'd give Apple TV a nudge because it offers the AirPlay feature where I can play movies and videos from my iPhone, iPad, and Mac Book without any cords. Also, we don't have cable, only a roof antenna clamped to my unused DirecTV dish and streaming services (Netflix, Hulu). Quite happy saving $100 a month.
Jobu Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 I prefer Chromecast because I can cast M3U8 streams from my laptop in addition to the stuff it provides natively. Roku provides "Roku compatible" M3U8 support, which basically means it does not support it. I generlly have access to HBO, Showtime, Playboy TV etc. for free, but I primarily use them for NFL Network. The streams sometime will disappear and you will need to find a new one, but having the functionality is important to me. The NFL network stream has been unchanged for some time now.
plenzmd1 Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 I know next to nothing about these devices, but i do have both a Roku 3 and an AppleTV. Only thing i will mention that you really need to make sure your bandwidth is capable of streaming the content you want. Also, i know you did not ask but the new Roku has the 4K capability. This article talks about what your eye can and cant perceive, and where 4K content and a 4K TV makes sense.Most likely the 4K content will not matter unless you have a big 4K TV and sit close. Also good for those in the market for new TVs in deciding if the 4k is worth it. http://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/4k-ultra-hd-uhd-vs-1080p-full-hd-tvs-and-upscaling-compared
Just Jack Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Personally, I'd go with the Roku 4 because even though I don't have a 4K TV now, I know my next TV will have it. But until this 27" tube TV that I bought in 1998 dies, I'm not replacing it just because I want the latest and greatest. (Currently using a Roku HD (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41e1ZTPI%2BaL.jpg) on that TV and a Roku 2 on a 22" LCD TV in the bedroom)
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