The Television Thread: The Best New Ways to Watch

[LA Ute]

Does anyone have Amazon Fire TV? I'm thinking about it. Here's a summary of all the major options for such devices and services:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-tv-review-a-giant-iphone-for-your-living-room-1446080460

[Diehard Ute]

Does anyone have Amazon Fire TV? I'm thinking about it. Here's a summary of all the major optiobs for such devices and services:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-tv-review-a-giant-iphone-for-your-living-room-1446080460

We have a Firestick and Apple TV (the older version)

They're both fine. It all depends on what you're wanting it for. (In my media room I literally have 6 ways I can stream Netflix. It's sort of ridiculous)


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[chrisrenrut]

Does anyone have Amazon Fire TV? I'm thinking about it. Here's a summary of all the major optiobs for such devices and services:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-tv-review-a-giant-iphone-for-your-living-room-1446080460

If you are already an Amazon Prime member, it's good to have. Lots of older tv series you can stream for free, including a good portion of HBO series. Their free movie selection is hit and miss.

If you are not an Amazon Prime member, it's probably similar to any other streaming device (Roku, AppleTV). I will say it streams content better than streaming sraight through our Samsung SmartTV.

The Fire Stick works great on tv's if you have wifi. We use ours on our tv in our workout room since we don't have a cable box in there.

[concerned]

What about Chromecast? A guy in my office says I have to get it.

[LA Ute]

We have a Firestick and Apple TV (the older version)

They're both fine. It all depends on what you're wanting it for. (In my media room I literally have 6 ways I can stream Netflix. It's sort of ridiculous)

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Yeah, there are so many ways now. We're at one of those transition points again. Cable and satellite TV as we've known them are dying.


If you are already an Amazon Prime member, it's good to have. Lots of older tv series you can stream for free, including a good portion of HBO series. Their free movie selection is hit and miss.

If you are not an Amazon Prime member, it's probably similar to any other streaming device (Roku, AppleTV). I will say it streams content better than streaming sraight through our Samsung SmartTV.

The Fire Stick works great on tv's if you have wifi. We use ours on our tv in our workout room since we don't have a cable box in there.

We do have Amazon Prime, and that's how I first became interested in the Fire. Our Sony box (their version of Roku) works great but suddenly stopped working with Amazon Prime, which ticked me off. I just want to be able to access the main services -- Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. We originally got the Sony box because our "smart" Samsung TV wasn't very smart and couldn't access Amazon Prime. Now our newer smart TV requires us to use three (count 'em) remotes if all we want to use is our Dish account.


What about Chromecast? A guy in my office says I have to get it.

My son uses it and loves it. I'm intrigued by it but I don't want to have six different ways to watch TV....

[Diehard Ute]

Yeah, there are so many ways now. We're at one of those transition points again. Cable and satellite TV as we've known them are dying.



We do have Amazon Prime, and that's how I first became interested in the Fire. Our Sony box (their version of Roku) works great but suddenly stopped working with Amazon Prime, which ticked me off. I just want to be able to access the main services -- Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. We originally got the Sony box because our "smart" Samsung TV wasn't very smart and couldn't access Amazon Prime. Now our newer smart TV requires us to use three (count 'em) remotes if all we want to use is our Dish account.



My son uses it and loves it. I'm intrigued by it but I don't want to have six different ways to watch TV....

The fire stick is like any other.

My wife actually prefers our Apple TV for ease of use. And of course with iPhones I can stream from my phone to it which can be handy.

I hardly use either though as my Xbox One does it all and has voice control.



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[Rocker Ute]

So because of various tvs and various locations I have appletv, roku, FireTV and chromecast. They all have their ups and downs.

AppleTV is my favorite for ease of use and the ability to stream my iPhone or computer to the TV. The downside is you can only use they limited apps, recent announcement means this is changing, but my old one you can put Amazon prime or anything else.

The roku is nice but the version I have doesn't have a reliable tv/iPhone streaming app that I've found.

Fire is good, although a little clunky in my estimation. The big plus is the voice activated remote control. Integration with Amazon prime is nice too.

Chromecast is my least favorite, although it does let you share a chrome browser from your computer.

The ideal world in my estimation is when AppleTV opens up their environment and you can add prime.


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[LA Ute]

The ideal world in my estimation is when AppleTV opens up their environment and you can add prime.

A great example of why I have a love-hate relationship with Apple. I love their products, but hate the way they try to dominate their competitors at the expense of their customers.

Similar story: Our Sony box worked perfectly, but then for some reason. Amazon was no longer available on it. We have purchased entire seasons of some shows, and they are all on Amazon.


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[Diehard Ute]

A great example of why I have a love-hate relationship with Apple. I love their products, but hate the way they try to dominate their competitors at the expense of their customers.

Similar story: Our Sony box worked perfectly, but then for some reason. Amazon was no longer available on it. We have purchased entire seasons of some shows, and they are all on Amazon.


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Except Apple allows Amazon on the new AppleTV, it's Amazon who won't make an App for the new AppleTV, and won't sell Apple TV in Amazon.




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[Applejack]

Quick Question: I have an Amazon fire stick. Is there anyway to stream the Pac12 network (or Espn for that matter)?

[Diehard Ute]

Quick Question: I have an Amazon fire stick. Is there anyway to stream the Pac12 network (or Espn for that matter)?

I think both apps are available in the App Store, but as with all those services you'll need a cable or Satellite login.


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[LA Ute]

Except Apple allows Amazon on the new AppleTV, it's Amazon who won't make an App for the new AppleTV, and won't sell Apple TV in Amazon.

Sigh. Maybe I do need six ways to access TV. I'm also confused. The Wall Street Journal piece I linked says Apple TV is "Missing Amazon and Sling TV apps," and says that is a drawback to Apple TV. But it's Amazon who won't play with Apple? Also, its says that with Amazon "Video search doesn't include Netflix titles; home screen can't be customized and is largely built around Amazon content; product ads on home screen." Golden age of TV, my eye!

[Diehard Ute]

Sigh. Maybe I do need six ways to access TV. I'm also confused. The Wall Street Journal piece I linked says Apple TV is "Missing Amazon and Sling TV apps," and says that is a drawback to Apple TV. But it's Amazon who won't play with Apple? Also, its says that with Amazon "Video search doesn't include Netflix titles; home screen can't be customized and is largely built around Amazon content; product ads on home screen." Golden age of TV, my eye!

Yeah. It's Amazon that won't play.

The new Apple TV is different from the old one. It has internal memory and the ability to download apps much more easily than the original. (It's just being released tomorrow)

They've opened the hardware to anyone who wants to produce an app, but so far Amazon hasn't offered one or commented on it.

And recently Amazon removed both AppleTV and Chromecast from the retail part of Amazon.

My wife (who is not the tech geek I am) preferred when we had the AppleTV upstairs, even though she couldn't access Amazon.

I have Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, frankly I use Amazon the least of the 3. While there's occasionally something cool on Prime, 95% of the time the thing I want to watch is a rental and not covered by Prime. I use Netflix most, Hulu second.

Of course I also still buy movies on BluRay. I prefer the access to 2D and 3D with lots of options (yes I can shake my entire house with my surround system ;) )


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[chrisrenrut]

I watch sports and check out movies from the library. The golden age of TV hasn't turned up anything of real interest to me yet. I'm surprised people can find anything worth streaming on Amazon Prime. When I looked, the offerings were really weak in everything except cartoons for my kids.

Here are some of the TV shows they have that I think are great. Movies are more hit-and-miss, but so is Netflix.

The Wire
Sopranos
Downton Abbey
American Horror Story
Justified
Arrested Developement
Archer
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Flight of the Conchords
Parks and Recreation

[chrisrenrut]

Thanks. I've been through the comedies and really liked them too. I've never been able to get into a TV drama. They always seem like soap operas with higher production costs.

I agree to an extent. It's easy to get hooked, and binge watching is easy to do because of the drama and sometime cliff hangers at the end of episodes. But it's not only higher production costs, they are much better stories, and are (usually) less ludicrous than soap operas.

[Sullyute]

Here are some of the TV shows they have that I think are great. Movies are more hit-and-miss, but so is Netflix.

The Wire
Sopranos
Downton Abbey
American Horror Story
Justified
Arrested Developement
Archer
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Flight of the Conchords
Parks and Recreation

My wife and I have been waiting for the final season to drop on Amazon for free.

[chrisrenrut]

My wife and I have been waiting for the final season to drop on Amazon for free.

Me too. I had the whole season DVR'd, and then we switched providers and I lost it all. :mad:

[Scratch]

So what's the best way to watch P12 Network if I have DirecTV but "borrow" someone's login for all of the football and basketball games on the P12 Network? Currently I will plug in my laptop to the TV's HDMI port but that's burdensome. Please also consider that lots of times (especially for mid-week basketball) I am starting after the actual tipoff so I need something (like my laptop) where I can pause it and jump around. Thanks!

[UBlender]

My wife and I have been waiting for the final season to drop on Amazon for free.

My three. We just finished season 5 two nights ago. Do we have any idea when season 6 will be on prime (without the extra cost)?

[LA Ute]

There were so many responses -- and they were so informative -- that I decided to move them to their own thread.

[Rocker Ute]

As diehard said the new AppleTV allows for outside app development. My guess is Amazon will play hardball and then relent. Same with slingtv. When that happens AppleTV is the clear winner (in my mind) so if you are going to invest in anything now that is the safest bet.

For the record I cut the cord a couple of years ago now, more of just a way of sticking it to Comcast and with no real plan to do it for an extended time. I haven't looked back at all.


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[LA Ute]

As diehard said the new AppleTV allows for outside app development. My guess is Amazon will play hardball and then relent. Same with slingtv. When that happens AppleTV is the clear winner (in my mind) so if you are going to invest in anything now that is the safest bet.

For the record I cut the cord a couple of years ago now, more of just a way of sticking it to Comcast and with no real plan to do it for an extended time. I haven't looked back at all.


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How do you get the PAC 12 network?


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[Mormon Red Death]

How do you get the PAC 12 network?


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When I did it I just used my parents log in from comcast in Utah. Then I hooked up my computer to the big screen. It worked fine. I just like having DVR.

[Rocker Ute]

How do you get the PAC 12 network?


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This is the grey area... I have a family member's login and the PAC12 network app. I stream games to my phone and broadcast it to my tv through AppleTV.

On a side note, the need for networks is diminishing, kind of like major music labels. I can see a future where you don't buy access to a channel but pay for content directly. At least hand it to tv networks, they haven't been quite as arrogant or stupid as the newspaper and music industries despite still being obstructionists.

I also can't believe the tech for contextual ads for tv hasn't been developed yet (think Google ads). Then when you watch TV ads relevant to you get a GIGANTIC market of businesses who previously couldn't afford to advertise on TV and people don't mind ads so much. This has to be coming down the pipeline.


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[Dwight Schr-Ute]

I'm in a crappy TV situation at the moment. We're currently building a home and had a buyer fall into our la early in the process for our old house. That left us having to find a place to rent for six months. The guy that we're renting from is a real piece of work and is adamant that the Direct dish does not need a companion Dish dish. We've been "off the grid" since April. The only issue I have has been live sports. Every channel has it's own app with varying function and reliability. ESPN is the clear winner. Seems that any game on ESPN can be streamed on demand whenever. Fox is the most annoying. Not only does the app seem to freeze up regularly when I send the stream from my phone to my Apple TV, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of archive to watch a game later. The PAC-12 Network app is lacking on archived games as well, but there's enough replay across the various regional channels that I haven't had a problem finding a replay, although not always at what's most convenient to my schedule. Which with a three and one year old, can be tough to predict.


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[LA Ute]

This is the grey area... I have a family member's login and the PAC12 network app. I stream games to my phone and broadcast it to my tv through AppleTV.

On a side note, the need for networks is diminishing, kind of like major music labels. I can see a future where you don't buy access to a channel but pay for content directly. At least hand it to tv networks, they haven't been quite as arrogant or stupid as the newspaper and music industries despite still being obstructionists.

I also can't believe the tech for contextual ads for tv hasn't been developed yet (think Google ads). Then when you watch TV ads relevant to you get a GIGANTIC market of businesses who previously couldn't afford to advertise on TV and people don't mind ads so much. This has to be coming down the pipeline.


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What about ESPN, Fox Sports, etc.? As you can see, I am seriously considering cutting the cable cord (even though I have Dish)!

[LA Ute]

Relevant to our discussion:

ESPN Tightens Its Belt as Pressure on It Mounts
http://www.wsj.com/articles/espn-tightens-its-belt-as-pressure-on-it-mounts-1436485852?mod=776578645&kwp_0=48023&kwp_4=277897&kwp_1=196184&alg=y

[SavaUte]

It seems like many people have done what we do.... Pay for nothing and use a friend's login

For us, we have a tuner in the computer that is hooked to the projector. We use Windows Media Center (which they sadly don't make anymore) as a DVR for shows we can get on the antenna. There are plenty of options for live sports (mostly using someone elses login), but we've also found that using the money we would have put toward cable to go eat and watch at a restaurant works nicely. The best part about this is that we don't waste a lot of time mindlessly watching shows. All the shows we care about we get off the antenna (nova, modern family), or buy the dvds (arrested development, parks and recreation, planet earth).

[U-Ute]

Sony’s PlayStation Vue picks up ESPN, Disney, and ABC in huge content deal (http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/5/9674528/espn-playstation-vue-announced)


Sony's PlayStation Vue internet TV service just got way more compelling. Vue already offers more channels than Sling TV — and you'd hope it would considering it's far more expensive. But today, that content selection is getting a big boost; ESPN has announced that it's reached a deal with Sony that'll bring ESPN, the Disney Channel, ABC, and ABC Family to the service. Suddenly, Vue is looking like a real cable replacement.

All Disney owned channels, including local channels.

[NorthwestUteFan]

How much is Vue? Slingtv plus the Sports Pack is around $30 iirc. Bundled TV packages that include everything aren't much more than that. The nice thing about Sling and Vue and XBMC is the savings on equipment rental. I pay $25+ per month for the cable modem plus two Xfinity X1 HD receivers. :banghead:

[Diehard Ute]

How much is Vue? Slingtv plus the Sports Pack is around $30 iirc. Bundled TV packages that include everything aren't much more than that. The nice thing about Sling and Vue and XBMC is the savings on equipment rental. I pay $25+ per month for the cable modem plus two Xfinity X1 HD receivers. :banghead:

If you don't use Xfinity Voice buy your own modem


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[chrisrenrut]

If you don't use Xfinity Voice buy your own modem


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Yup.

[LA Ute]

I bought Amazon Fire and will connect it this weekend. After a trial with that I might get Apple TV for our other smart TV. Sounds crazy but maybe I'll let them compete right inside my house and eventually choose one as my only gateway.


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[LA Ute]

The FCC took action this week to allow us to use Apple TV, Amazon Fire, etc., to access cable. So soon I guess we won't have to rent those stupid boxes (assuming we even stay with cable).

http://nerdist.com/fcc-ruling-cable-apple-tv-android-tv-google-amazon/


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[NorthwestUteFan]

I picked up a FireTV a few weeks ago. It is great. It is even better if you sideload Kodi (xbmc) and Firestarter to dual boot Amazon Prime of Kodi.

With Kodi I worry that I should run a VPN because the streams available are certainly illegal.
If the FCC will allow people to stream cable programming to their streaming boxes without a cable box, will that effect internet rates? This new development has to be the reason Comcast et al were/are fighting tooth and nail against Net Neutrality.

[Mormon Red Death]

I picked up a FireTV a few weeks ago. It is great. It is even better if you sideload Kodi (xbmc) and Firestarter to dual boot Amazon Prime of Kodi.

With Kodi I worry that I should run a VPN because the streams available are certainly illegal.
If the FCC will allow people to stream cable programming to their streaming boxes without a cable box, will that effect internet rates? This new development has to be the reason Comcast et al were/are fighting tooth and nail against Net Neutrality.
So what does kodi or plex do? Why would you want that?

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[NorthwestUteFan]

Kodi/xbmc is a self-contained streaming environment that makes it very easy to access streaming content. For instance I streamed The Revenant in perfect BluRay quality to test it. Very easy, very free, and certainly very illegal.

[Mormon Red Death]

Kodi/xbmc is a self-contained streaming environment that makes it very easy to access streaming content. For instance I streamed The Revenant in perfect BluRay quality to test it. Very easy, very free, and certainly very illegal.
Can I stream the pac12 network, fs1, ESPN channels? If someone offered that I would buy.

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[NorthwestUteFan]

Can I stream the pac12 network, fs1, ESPN channels? If someone offered that I would buy.

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Kodi is a free download.

I will neither confirm nor deny that those channels are available.

(the available streams at any time number well into the thousands worldwide, and some site scrapers will inevitably pop up with anything you want).

It isn't particularly user friendly, but it isn't really hard if you know how to load programs on a computer. I am not a programmer but I will try to explain it anyhow. (note there are automatic programs that will load anything you will need).

Kodi has a simple user environment, with sections for Pictures (from your local network), Videos (stream from local network or from internet), Music (has apps for Slacker, Pandora, etc, plus countless others), Programs (apps), and Settings.

Basically you preload a few collection programs into Kodi for Video. Then you scroll to Video, select the program, choose the type of file you want (movie or tv replay, live TV, etc). Choose what you want to watch, click on it, and either play it or download it for later, or even stream it to another device (i don't know how well this works). My FireTV has about 4gb of storage iirc plus I could plug in a usb thumb drive or hdd to store as much as I want. If I plug if into the network then I can save to or stream from the 6TB cloud drive or to/from any other computer in the house.

It isn't as easy or as stable as Netflix, but with a bit of work it gives access to essentially all of the interwebz. Every movie or tv show that has ever been digitized is available from somewhere, and the programs make it very easy to search. I can typically find 10-50+ servers for ant title I look for. Quality ranges from 480p to 4k. Obviously a metric shit-ton of bandwidth is required.

Frankly I am a bit concerned about security, and that is the reason I want to investigate using a VPN. FireTV is an Android device and Kodi is a Linux type OS, iirc.

My FireTV boots to a simple environment where I can choose Fire (Amazon Prime), Netflix, ESPN, Showtime, HBO-go, the file explorer, or Kodi. Scroll to the desired system, select, and go. Hit the Home button to jump back to that starter environment. Easy Peasy.

Look for YouTube videos on loading/using Kodi. There is a lot of great info out there.

[U-Ute]

The cord cutting continues.


The Cord Cutting The Pay TV Sector Keeps Saying Isn't Happening -- Keeps Happening

(https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160310/14435333864/cord-cutting-pay-tv-sector-keeps-saying-isnt-happening-keeps-happening.shtml)

[Rocker Ute]

The cord cutting continues.


The Cord Cutting The Pay TV Sector Keeps Saying Isn't Happening -- Keeps Happening

(https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160310/14435333864/cord-cutting-pay-tv-sector-keeps-saying-isnt-happening-keeps-happening.shtml)

As a cord cutter I noted that there is a NCAA March Madness app which appears to have the games on it and doesn't require a carrier login... Is that correct? If so that basically fixes my annual problem.

[NorthwestUteFan]

As a cord cutter I noted that there is a NCAA March Madness app which appears to have the games on it and doesn't require a carrier login... Is that correct? If so that basically fixes my annual problem.
I added that to my FireTV but it required activation online. When I tried to activate it, I had to pick a provider.

Every single provider I can imagine was listed (probably over 100), EXCEPT FREAKING COMCAST.

I am planning to dump Comcast soon, but I guess I need to wait until after March Madness is over.

:mad:

[Diehard Ute]

I added that to my FireTV but it required activation online. When I tried to activate it, I had to pick a provider.

Every single provider I can imagine was listed (probably over 100), EXCEPT FREAKING COMCAST.

I am planning to dump Comcast soon, but I guess I need to wait until after March Madness is over.

:mad:

Did you look under Xfinity?

Cause that's what it's listed as on that app


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[NorthwestUteFan]

Did you look under Xfinity?

Cause that's what it's listed as on that app


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I couldn't find Xfinity. I will try again.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Confirmed. Neither Xfinity nor Comcast nor any variant are listed now through the website.

Maybe they just don't support FireTV.


The app seems to work without a login, but I don't know whether the actual games will stream.

[Diehard Ute]

Confirmed. Neither Xfinity nor Comcast nor any variant are listed now through the website.

Maybe they just don't support FireTV.


The app seems to work without a login, but I don't know whether the actual games will stream.

Or Fire doesn't like them

The phone app works.


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[NorthwestUteFan]

It is the ncaa.com/activate web page that doesn't list the provider.

[NorthwestUteFan]

FWIW it seems the games are all available on ncaa.com so perhaps the login for the FireTV and AppleTV apps is irrelevant.

[U-Ute]

FWIW it seems the games are all available on ncaa.com so perhaps the login for the FireTV and AppleTV apps is irrelevant.

You do need to specify a provider on the site. That's how I'm watching it today.

[U-Ute]

You do need to specify a provider on the site. That's how I'm watching it today.


LOL

The "Boss" button is awesome.

[LA Ute]

Does anyone have Amazon Fire TV? I'm thinking about it. Here's a summary of all the major options for such devices and services:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-tv-review-a-giant-iphone-for-your-living-room-1446080460

We got Amazon Fire a couple of months ago and I finally installed it Saturday night. We're loving it.

[concerned]

We got Amazon Fire a couple of months ago and I finally installed it Saturday night. We're loving it.



If I have Amazon prime and a smart tv, does the Fire add anything?

[Mormon Red Death]

If I have Amazon prime and a smart tv, does the Fire add anything?
You get "alexa". We have the echo downstairs and the amazon fire upstairs. Google "alexa" and see if it's worth it for you

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[LA Ute]

If I have Amazon prime and a smart tv, does the Fire add anything?

For us it made navigating a lot easier. Our smart TV (a Samsung) is annoyingly complex and we had to use three remotes to get around -- and doing so was awkward and frustrating (long story). Also, we can use the smartphone app as a remote, which is cool and actually works better than the Fire Stick. And yes, Alexa. Not a reason by itself to get Fire, but it's pretty cool and works very well, both with the Fire Stick and the smartphone app.

[NorthwestUteFan]

If I have Amazon prime and a smart tv, does the Fire add anything?
If you are still looking at which unit to buy, you might take a look at Roku. The Roku has a search function that looks across all platforms for the show you want. You search for something and it will tell you where you can watch it, whether on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Vudu, etc. This is much smoother than searching individually through each platform.

The trade-off is FireTV can be easily hacked to add Kodi if you want a very powerful local server. (Kodi also has access to grey market streams, use at your own risk, and a VPN is recommended).

[NorthwestUteFan]

And btw I love the FireTV. It is fast, easy to use, and has incredible picture quality.

[chrisrenrut]

LA's comment about using 3 remotes reminded me to mention my recent universal remote purchase. They are worth every penny. Our marriage was in jeopardy if we had to go through any more phone calls from my wife saying" The tv is on, but there is no sound", and try to walk her through the 3 different remotes to troubleshoot the issue. Now she presses one button to watch tv, or a movie.

I had this Logitech Harmony universal remote (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Advanced-Universal-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00093IIRA/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1464708538&sr=1-27&keywords=harmony+remote)for 5 or 6 years and loved it. When we changed providers, I tried to reprogram it, but it was no longer able to sync with the software on my computer.

I recently replaced it with this version:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Control-Smartphone-Simple/dp/B00BQ5RYI4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

It was very simple to program my TV, cable box, receiver, and dvd player. In addition to having a sleek remote, I can also use the app on my phone as the remote.

[Diehard Ute]

LA's comment about using 3 remotes reminded me to mention my recent universal remote purchase. They are worth every penny. Our marriage was in jeopardy if we had to go through any more phone calls from my wife saying" The tv is on, but there is no sound", and try to walk her through the 3 different remotes to troubleshoot the issue. Now she presses one button to watch tv, or a movie.

I had this Logitech Harmony universal remote (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Advanced-Universal-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00093IIRA/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1464708538&sr=1-27&keywords=harmony+remote)for 5 or 6 years and loved it. When we changed providers, I tried to reprogram it, but it was no longer able to sync with the software on my computer.

I recently replaced it with this version:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Control-Smartphone-Simple/dp/B00BQ5RYI4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

It was very simple to program my TV, cable box, receiver, and dvd player. In addition to having a sleek remote, I can also use the app on my phone as the remote.

I just use my Xfinity remote. It controls everything. (The voice remote is a great remote)

Of course I voice control most everything with my Xbox One, haven't used a power button in 2 years. Just tell my Xbox to turn on or off and it controls everything.

I had a Harmony. I liked it but found there were always a couple of things that wouldn't work so I had to keep my other remotes close by.




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[LA Ute]

And btw I love the FireTV. It is fast, easy to use, and has incredible picture quality.

I forgot to mention this. It's remarkable how great the picture is.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I forgot to mention this. It's remarkable how great the picture is.
4K, no problem.

The thing I enjoy most is the fast response time. My smart TVs seem to buffer forever before loading. FireTV is so much quicker than everything else. I might get another unit to use with every other TV just to eliminate hassles.

[Rocker Ute]

I forgot to mention this. It's remarkable how great the picture is.

So I actually have all three (AppleTV, Roku, and FireTV). The integration with Alexa and Echo is compelling for me but I haven't taken the jump for Echo yet. Here is what I think people should know and understand about them:

1. AppleTV has the best and most usable interface. With them opening up app development I expected it to explode like the iPhone did but that hasn't been the case. Services like Sling TV, Amazon Prime and others don't work on AppleTV (for the record I am unsure if Apple is preventing that, or if those providers are not developing for competitive reasons). If you work in a mac environment though it is very easy to stream your screen to the TV. In fact what I do is use the PAC 12 app on my phone and broadcast it to my TV through AppleTV, it is HD and works perfectly. However the closed/limited environment is its biggest and glaring weakness. If it can get open and the app development of Roku then it will be, in my opinion, the best player. The newest AppleTV is also integrated with Siri and can search across multiple apps.

2. Roku - Most apps out there. Good picture. Not the best interface. For a non-sleeper like me I like the remote with headphones so I can watch TV in the middle of the night without disturbing my wife. This has SlingTV, Amazon Prime, etc (I should mention they all support Netflix). It doesn't have any ability to play your apple movies if you've purchased through there. There are some apps for streaming your computer screen, I found them pretty lacking, but didn't do a super comprehensive search.

3. FireTV - Similar to Roku, good integration with Amazon Prime (no surprise). The Alexa/Echo integration is pretty compelling. Of the interfaces, I find FireTV to be the clunkiest. It also got slower the longer I had it. I've never looked for apps to stream your computer screen or phone screen to it, but I'm presuming there are some out there.

The big challenge I am facing now is whether to cut the cord with Netflix. We are Prime members because we do the vast majority of our shopping through Amazon, so we'll do that for the 'free' shipping (I put 'free' in quotation marks because you have to be careful because often they'll just cover the cost of shipping in the price of the item). The big advantage of Amazon Prime over Netflix is you can rent and buy movies through it. Netflix of course doesn't allow that (and I keep thinking they'll announce they are doing that soon). Much of the content on both services are the same but based on little else I feel that Netflix has better content.

I think I've mentioned here that we cut the cord going on almost 4 years now. SlingTv helps with sports. Mooching an Xfinity login helps on the other meaning I haven't missed a game I've wanted to watch yet. However, the sports issue is the biggest issue to cut the cord and the one thing that tempts me to sign back up with Cable or Sat each year around August.

[NorthwestUteFan]

My Xfinity bill is well over $200/mo now. I have paid for all the sports for the last several years, and apparently yours as well. You are welcome.

I am in the process of cutting the cord and kicking Xfinity to the curb. I got DSL through CLink for $29/mo, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO. I already had Netflix and Amazon, so the only real cost change is HBO (the channel was included in my TV package, shop this is a new charge). $15/mo increase, but in the end I will still save a nice chunk of change per mo. And now hopefully the kids will spend now time outside this summer...

OTA covers everything else with stunning clarity (OTA bandwidth is surprisingly huge and the picture is usually better than cable or satellite).

I wish the PAC-12 channel would go to subscription, but for a variety of reasons I don't see that ever happening. I can get most of the Seahawks, UW, WSU, and some OU games via OTA channels (I can sometimes pick up Portland TV stations). Not yet sure what I will do for Utah games. If most of them end up on ESPN I might pick up SlingTV for the season. Is they are on Fox Sports 1 then I might need to look at other options (stream from phone through Fire TV or similar?).

[NorthwestUteFan]

And you are correct on the Apple TV. It is fabulous to use.

I got it for my mom and it is amazing. Super easy to use, automatically links to her Mac and iPad and iPhone. If it was the least bit clunky to use she would never even attempt to use it.

[Rocker Ute]

My Xfinity bill is well over $200/mo now. I have paid for all the sports for the last several years, and apparently yours as well. You are welcome.

I am in the process of cutting the cord and kicking Xfinity to the curb. I got DSL through CLink for $29/mo, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO. I already had Netflix and Amazon, so the only real cost change is HBO (the channel was included in my TV package, shop this is a new charge). $15/mo increase, but in the end I will still save a nice chunk of change per mo. And now hopefully the kids will spend now time outside this summer...

OTA covers everything else with stunning clarity (OTA bandwidth is surprisingly huge and the picture is usually better than cable or satellite).

I wish the PAC-12 channel would go to subscription, but for a variety of reasons I don't see that ever happening. I can get most of the Seahawks, UW, WSU, and some OU games via OTA channels (I can sometimes pick up Portland TV stations). Not yet sure what I will do for Utah games. If most of them end up on ESPN I might pick up SlingTV for the season. Is they are on Fox Sports 1 then I might need to look at other options (stream from phone through Fire TV or similar?).

I subscribe to SlingTV as it is month to month and you get all the ESPNs... that has covered me. Cable company's issues with streaming are bizarre. I don't understand why they'd prefer to show a 'in commercial break' placeholder or the same ad over and over rather than just streaming live TV. I hope somebody can break the TV monopoly.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I ditched Xfinity just in time. I was supposed to get my final bill in the mail, but yesterday I got the regular bill. My monthly charge was set to rise to $274.98 per month, starting June 6.

Forget that.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I subscribe to SlingTV as it is month to month and you get all the ESPNs... that has covered me. Cable company's issues with streaming are bizarre. I don't understand why they'd prefer to show a 'in commercial break' placeholder or the same ad over and over rather than just streaming live TV. I hope somebody can break the TV monopoly.

I assume their advertising contracts separate cable TV content from streaming content. The on-demand content may carry different ads as well.

Google has threatened to get into the streaming market, and I hope they do at some point. They might be waiting until the new threats against the Net Neutrality rules get settled.

Most of Seattle proper now has access to gigabit internet. Several companies offer it for around $80/mo and I can't wait until that gets to my neighborhood.

[LA Ute]

Interesting article. What's everyone else's experience with Sling?

I tried cutting the cord with Sling TV for a month — here's why I returned to cable


http://www.businessinsider.com/sling-tv-vs-cable-tv-i-tried-cutting-the-cord-for-a-month-but-went-back-to-cable-2018-2

[LA Ute]

Sling TV Review: Sling TV’s streaming video service appeals to cord-cutters who don’t mind a little extra work to watch what they want.

https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/sling-tv-review/

[Scorcho]

Interesting article. What's everyone else's experience with Sling?

I tried cutting the cord with Sling TV for a month — here's why I returned to cable




http://www.businessinsider.com/sling-tv-vs-cable-tv-i-tried-cutting-the-cord-for-a-month-but-went-back-to-cable-2018-2

I found Sling glitchy and you could only stream on one device at a time. I do like DirectTV Now and its only $30 per month

[Sullyute]

I used SlingTV last year to watch Utah football. It worked great for me and I was able to cancel after the bowl game. I only watch Utah football and do not want cable for anything else so it has worked out perfect for me. Your mileage may vary.


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[sancho]

I didn't read the article, but YouTubeTV is pretty great. $35/month is much cheaper than cable, and it has all the sports except the Pac-12 Network. The streaming quality is great, and changing the channel is fast and easy. The DVR is a bonus. I wish the DVR would really record what's on TV instead of showing the unedited versions of movies, but that's just the mormon in me.

There's no need for cable in this day. You either care about sports, and you get YouTubeTV/Sling/DirectTVNow, or you don't care about sports, and you get Netflix/Hulu/AmazonPrime.

Of course, TV will find a way to be more expensive again. That's how these things work.

[Mormon Red Death]

Interesting article. What's everyone else's experience with Sling?

I tried cutting the cord with Sling TV for a month — here's why I returned to cable


http://www.businessinsider.com/sling-tv-vs-cable-tv-i-tried-cutting-the-cord-for-a-month-but-went-back-to-cable-2018-2

I split the orange and blue with sport extra with another Utah fan out here. For the locals for everything BUT CBS I use the appropriate app (fox sports, NBC sports, espn etc..) I get to watch every Utah game and I get the NFL Redzone (A must have). CBS wants you to pay $5 a month for their broadcast.