Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
As I understand it, you can now install the youtube tv app on a Roku device. Even when they blocked it, you could still access youtube tv from the youtube app. I don't know of any other apps that are blocked by Roku.
The Firestick, and other Amazon devices, are not a true Android devices. For example, they do not support the Google Play Store app without doing a sideload installation. I once tried to install the Google Play Store app on a Fire 7 tablet, but the installation failed due to an insufficient amount of memory.
Every independent review of streaming devices I have read rank the Roku devices higher than the Firestick. I own several Amazon devices, including tablets and Ereaders. They are good, economical devices. But, for streaming videos and movies, I think the Roku is a better way to go.
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Yes, Roku finally reached an agreement with Google, and you can now load YouTube TV. That doesn't change the fact that they blocked loading it for nearly 8 months.
Yes, you could access YouTube TV for a period of time through the YouTube app. How is it reasonable to expect a user that uses YouTube TV as their primary TV to have to go to YouTube and log in each time through a link buried at the bottom of the app? The only reason this worked is because Google modified their app to provide access when Roku blocked the main app.
Then Roku somehow magically "broke" the YouTube app as well so the workaround didn't work in a new release pushed to all Roku's.
Now the big story is that Roku is in a disagreement with Amazon, and may block all of those channels.
My point here is you are directly at the mercy of Roku, and there is no workaround that an end consumer can do other than to move to a different device than the Roku.
You are correct, the FireStick is not a full OS - but it is an OS and is capable of far more than a Roku. Just the fact that I can sideload an app at any time removes the possibility that I'm left out in the cold due a decision by Amazon.
With regards to reviews, I can find just as many reviews that list the FireStick #1 as reviews that list Roku as #1. The reality is that both work well (far better than the "free" apps included on smart TV's), but Roku has demonstrated to me on multiple occasions that they could care less about their end user.