What TV Streamer do you use???

[sandyut]

This came up in another thread, so I didnt want to highjack the topic.

Ive been a roku user for decades, but have started to run into some issues with the Ultras. Nothing huge but real annoying. and roku was bought by Fox, and that tends to upend things.

SO: AI says Apple 4K + is the best and way to go. I am an iPhone user, hate macs. Seriously considering the apple option when they release the new version soon.

What do you use, what issues do you have, whats your recommendation?

 

[SMOKEOCD]

Fire stick on all my TVs. I use 0 smart features on my TVs because of their crazy EULAs. LG has like 8 agreements including of course analytics on my viewing, scanning my local network and sampling my voice commands and analytics across all my subscriptions. I know everything is tracked, in everything we do, not agreeing to one stop shopping for it for the big corporations.

 

[Fueling Around]

We don't have much experience.
Got a Visio TV many years ago and tried using their Smartcast, which I think (correct me if I'm wrong) is an integrated version of Chromecast. Well, Smartcast earned the moniker Crapcast.
Got our first Roku a few years ago and vastly better than Crapcast. Roku has a few irritating issues, but overall happy with it. I discovered we can stream our Spectrum service (included with our Florida apartment) anywhere. So far happy with Roku as we have 3 sticks and 2 TVs. 1 of the sticks has a glitch so for $30 will probably get replaced. Roku saves me over $600 a year by streaming Spectrum while we are in Minnesota.

...
I use 0 smart features on my TVs because of their crazy EULAs.
...

All streaming devices (plug in or TV included) track your habits. I need to reset the Visio to delete the Crapcast and omit the wifi. Never activated anything on the Sony TV in FL

 

[MileHighSmokerGirl]

Tubi TV (free)
Plex TV (free)
PlutoTV (free)
Samsung TV Plus (free)

I have my own media server of shows and movies I bought that I run through the PC in the computer room to the TV in the living room. I use Emby Server.

 

[normanaj]

Our living room TV is a Samsung "smart" TV which I have become increasingly frustrated with after the last major Tizen software update,pretty much ready to take a sledgehammer to it.

My other two TVs are old Vizio LCD "dumb" units. Both have the $15 ROKU units hooked up to them and we watch all the free streaming channels mainly which are the ones @MileHighSmokerGirl mentioned in her reply plus a few others.

We're lucky in that we have a discount tv store up in Providence that sells every tv under the sun at wholesale prices. When the Samsung dies I'll be up there buying a 55" "dumb" for the living room and then spin the wheel and maybe win the tv or a steep discount on it then I'll slap one of the $15 ROKUs on it.

 

[garyinmd]

All of our TV's are Roku except one Amazon I bought to try, hate it mostly because I don't have enough patience to learn how it works.

 

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

I use the amazon cube. Streaming service through iptv. Do have a smart tv but dont use that part.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

YouTube TV...

 

[sandyut]

Anyone use the Apple 4K+ streaming box? AI says its the best, but I dont know anyone who has one...which seems odd. Roku has been good enough, quite affordable, just the couple annoyances. I replace them often and eBay the older versions to keep them current as they release new one annually. Apple only releases a new box every 3-4 years or something. Not sure that is a big problem, but who knows.

 

[Hijack73]

My Samsung does it all. Also comes with a very close emulator of cable tv as someone posted above - Samsung Free TV plus or something along those lines. Probably a dozen channels I will watch and 75 others I don't care about.

Runs Hulu, HBO, YouTube, Netflix, Stremio (which is truly what I use more than anything else

) and everything else under the sun.

 

[schlotz]

This came up in another thread, so I didnt want to highjack the topic.

Ive been a roku user for decades, but have started to run into some issues with the Ultras. Nothing huge but real annoying. and roku was bought by Fox, and that tends to upend things.

SO: AI says Apple 4K + is the best and way to go. I am an iPhone user, hate macs. Seriously considering the apple option when they release the new version soon.

What do you use, what issues do you have, whats your recommendation?

Hey there Dave, we have 4 tv's in the house, all of them with an AppleTV attached. 3 of the 4 also have a very nice sound bar so that kept things real simple. No more messing with an AV stereo, speakers and a slew of always tangled wires. We mainly use the Fubo app on them to watch most things. For movies we use the Infuse app. Infuse is pointed to my local NAS that has over 700 movies on it. The NAS also runs a Plex server so our daughter's family can watch the movies over at their property using the Plex app on their Samsung tv.

Frankly the latest AppleTV 4k (model A2843 wifi & ethernet) will do everything you want and most likely will continue to do so for a number of years. Obviously it requires linking to your internet connection to function.

 

[chopsaw]

Anyone use the Apple 4K+ streaming box? AI says its the best,

The best is an opinion . The only way you can know that is to try it .
No apple here , but I have some smart TV's and some not . I use the Google platform on the internet ready TV's , and fire sticks on the non internet TV's .
The Sony Google TV is awesome . The cheap Hisense TV is slow and painful . Great picture once it decides someone wants to watch TV .

If you're asking about a device to connect a non internet ready TV to the internet , I use Firesticks , and have no issues with them .

 

[jcam222]

I think Roku is the most user friendly interface. I have it built into one TV and a Roku box on the other.

 

[Winterrider]

I second the firestick

 

[Norwester55]

I used ROKU for 10+ yrs and decided to try the Apple box on a whim. I wouldn't use anything else now.

 

[JckDanls 07]

All this talk is foreign to me... As most know I don't even own a cell phone ...

The cheap Hisense TV is slow and painful . Great picture once it decides someone wants to watch TV .

I just recieved this TV (with built in firestick) from work for 35 years of service... I set it up out in the garage to play with it...

I'm thinking about switching from DirecTv (over $200 a month) to streaming and also going with Starlink for portable internet... Using Spectrum right now for internet/home phone service...

As I said above... It's all foreign to me...

 

[chopsaw]

I just recieved this TV (with built in firestick) from work for 35 years of service... I set it up out in the garage to play with it...

Some are " Fire TV " Amazon platform , and some are Google TV platform .
They're nice TV's for the price . The higher end Sony I have is lightening fast , and the Hisense takes a bit to get going , but really can't compare the 2 . I have 2 of the Hisense 43 " UHD TV's . The one in my Daughters room runs better than the one in the kitchen . Might be a range thing .

I'm thinking about switching from DirecTv (over $200 a month) to streaming and also going with Starlink for portable internet... Using Spectrum right now for internet/home phone service...

I have Spectrum internet , but use You tube TV for tv channels . At that time , the older firesticks did not support the Spectrum TV app . I was reading yesterday that they just started support in April of this year . So you should be able to Download the app onto the TV , and see what the streaming for TV package is from Spectrum . Might be a bundle price there , especially if you have internet and phone . Won't be $200 I know that .
You would need a wireless network in your home though , and sounds like you might not have that .
Starlink would work ( no wireless network needed ) , but what would you use to get TV ?

Having a TV in the garage is a must have for me . I have one in the work shop , back patio , garage , at my desk , and so on .