[ithos]

Has anybody purchased one of these Roku competitors?

Samsung (Tizen OS)
LG (webOS)
Vizio (SmartCast)

These smart TV platforms compete by integrating streaming directly into the TV OS without needing an external device.

I have a Roku TV. It is better then using an external box.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Yesterday our TV and internet service with Quantum and UTube TV was set up with the invaluable help of John (Jrref).

I do not think we could have done this without him. Very different from xfinity and we will have some growing pains but we were able to watch a few programs on Utube last night without much difficulty.

We made this change due to the constant price increases from xfinity. Returned the equipment Tuesday and yesterday received a phone call from xfinity offering a coupon deal to reduce the price.

Typically the coupon lasts a few months and they will hope that the coupon expires and people go back to paying the higher price. After a few minutes told the guy your ship has sailed away and is not coming back.

You’re lucky you can get Quantum where you live. It’s not available to us in DeLuna, so we’re stuck with Spectrum. Hope we can get it eventually.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Dan T

I’ve had cable forever and love all the local channels ABC etc and many of the other non premium channels. What streaming systems are available that meet my needs and what is the cost. I currently spend $180.00 a month for internet and tv on one tv. I have firesticks in 3 others and watch Xfinity streaming on them. Thanks

There have been several other threads on cutting the cord that you might want to take a look at.

In one of the threads, I broke down my costs which come to about $92/month for local channels and many other non-premium channels (basically, YouTubeTV) or about $170/month with several of the premium services.

You might also take a look at suppose.tv where you select all the channels you want to have and it shows you which combination of streaming services you need in order to get them.

[azcindy]

Originally Posted by jrref

Please post your experience and any "tips" you can share.

I started using Roku and YouTube several years ago. It was the prior version of Roku, not the stick. Loved it. When I began the process of selling my house in Arizona a few months ago, I cancelled YouTube as I wasn't happy with the continual price increases (and football season was over). So I survived on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount +, and Max which were 90% of what I watched anyway.

Currently I am in a rental while I wait for my house to close next month. My plan is to buy a new 4K TV and the Roku stick (I like upgrades and need new "furniture" anyway) and I was going to try one of the antennas to get the local stations. I think I can buy the NFL Sunday Ticket without subscribing to YouTube TV - need to check. Also I want to get Quantum Fiber if available in Linden Isle (fingers crossed) as I stream a lot.

Appreciate all the help you give here John!

Cindy

[rsmurano]

If it only was that easy. I’m a techie and a network guy and for many, you have to do the basics right before you can do streaming (cut the cord).
Basics: what are your requirements? What shows do you watch? How many shows can you record at once? How long does your recordings last?
Shows: I try to cut the cord every year and by the time we add up all the services we like (YouTube tv falls way short in content), we are subscribing to many services with a cost equal to what you can get from 1 vendor. The last time we cut the cord, we went with YouTube tv and had to get 3 other services to get the equal we had before. Now, we had to know that to watch this particular event/show, we had to get out of YouTube tv and get into another service. After a while, it’s confusing to know where everything is at. If YouTube tv has everything you want, then that makes it simpler. Some of the extra services didn’t have recording capabilities.
If you take a snapshot during the day, we might have 5 or 6 channels recording simultaneously, how many can your service provide?
My recordings go to 3 different hard drives and they will stay there forever, whereas streaming services offer a couple months online before they delete them. And it’s a fallacy that I had to show 1 vendor, not everything that a channel airs is online forever. I asked some salesman to find if this show or this concert is online so I can see it. Multiple times he didn’t have it available so my recordings on my hard drives attached to our receiver are available forever.

Another basic: networking:
If you’re cutting the cord, your 1 router per house won’t do. You will either need to wire every room or install a mesh network. Don’t fall for that fallacy that you can get a repeater to help. That’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. I have ma y friends that I rebuilt their internal networks (which no isp has knowledge on how to do not the geek squad) with wired and wireless bridge using the latest mesh 6e or newer technology. I use 4 mesh routers in my designer home, my buddies house I just did used 5 mesh routers. If you have a tv in the bedrooms, outside in your lanai, maybe the garage, outdoor cameras, you need more routers to decrease latency and give you Gb bandwidth.

Roku, firestick, chromecast devices are cheap but do ok if all you want to do is stream tv. I use many Apple 4K tv devices that gives me thousands of apps (Netflix, paramount+, etc are apps), streaming music from Apple, Roon, Qobuz, tidal to any system in the house, gives me a pnp popup to show me who is at my front or back door, it is a hub for my whole house automation system, and much more.
If you were to cut the cord and go streaming and your back bedrooms have TVs without a wired network or mesh network, you might want to use the moca technology for lower latency and increased bandwidth. Everybody has an rg6 cable in every room

[Stevela]

Originally Posted by jrref

Most are probably not aware, but in speaking to some of the Quantum Fiber techs recently, they are working "overtime", connecting people to fiber internert. I'm not sure why the significant increase but a lot of it has to do with the new fiber being installed in the Bonita and Liberty Park areas and in new areas outside the Villages and the increase in cable bills and buffering with cable systems.

That said, I thought it would be useful to for those who have moved from traditional cable to streaming, no matter which internet provider they are using to give some experience, good or bad on which streaming service they have tried and are now using and why.

I know everyone likes to talk about the cheapest service but I want to focus on ease of transition and usability. Especially to gain some experience for those only used to using cable and now want to make the transition to streaming.

What I'm finding is "many" Villagers are using YouTube TV. This is all good but I find a lot of Villagers find it a huge transition to go with a service like this even though, at a high level, the interface is similar to what they had with cable. When I help someone "cut the cord" I usually recommend using a Roku 4K streaming stick with Voice and the long range wifi. Yesterday, I discovered while in YouTube TV you can use the Voice Remote on the Roku to search for channels.

Please post your experience and any "tips" you can share.

I have found that the roku stick is too limiting. You can only add apps approved by roku. The Fire stick and the ONN device provides uses a lot more flexibility. The ONN (Walmart) has a faster processor and larger memory

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by ithos

Has anybody purchased one of these Roku competitors?

Samsung (Tizen OS)
LG (webOS)
Vizio (SmartCast)

These smart TV platforms compete by integrating streaming directly into the TV OS without needing an external device.

I have a Roku TV. It is better then using an external box.

I prefer the separate streaming device.

- On a very old Samsung the SmartTV function was very slow
- On a six year old Vizio the SmartTV function is usable but not as flexible or responsive as my firestick
- I don't know if you can add apps to the SmartTV or if you are stuck with the collection of apps it came with
- I was able to upgrade to voice capabilities by purchasing a new $50 firestick rather than a new $1,000 TV
- I have taken my firestick on the road to bring my streaming environment to the hotel or Airbnb where I happen to be staying

The TV manufactures have to design for size, for style, for a great picture, for a great sound, and for a competitive price. To have a SmartTV they also need to design for that environment while not affecting the other features. The Roku or Firestick teams only have to design for the streaming environment, they let the TV manufacturers worry about the rest. In my very limited experience, the Firestick presentation is better than that provided by the TV manufacturers.

Note: I haven't used Roku yet but it seems quite popular with those who chose it.

[Maker]

Originally Posted by azcindy

Also I want to get Quantum Fiber if available in Linden Isle (fingers crossed) as I stream a lot.

Only Spectrum or XFinity available. Plus all the location independent like sat, cell, etc.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by azcindy

I started using Roku and YouTube several years ago. It was the prior version of Roku, not the stick. Loved it. When I began the process of selling my house in Arizona a few months ago, I cancelled YouTube as I wasn't happy with the continual price increases (and football season was over). So I survived on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount +, and Max which were 90% of what I watched anyway.

Currently I am in a rental while I wait for my house to close next month. My plan is to buy a new 4K TV and the Roku stick (I like upgrades and need new "furniture" anyway) and I was going to try one of the antennas to get the local stations. I think I can buy the NFL Sunday Ticket without subscribing to YouTube TV - need to check. Also I want to get Quantum Fiber if available in Linden Isle (fingers crossed) as I stream a lot.

Appreciate all the help you give here John!

Cindy

When you are ready, please reach out to me.

[Katheelee]

I use a firestick on my TV's. For 10.99 a month, I have the Blitzen IPTV app. 6800 channels, all sports and PPV free. It has all premium channels ( HBO, STARZ, etc) as well as movies and series on demand. I pay monthly/ no contract, and have had it several years. I don't think the app downloads onto a smart TV- thus the firestick.

[Buzman]

DirecTV Stream. They sell it at the AT&T Store. You can get it with a set top box and voice remote. Yes, it is the most expensive of the streaming services, but it offers more, like local channels for ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox as well as the sports channels that carry Rays and Marlins baseball games. Using it is very similar to using a cable TV service. I also like the feature that provides access, through the “on-screen” DirecTV Guide, to streaming apps like HBO Max, Peacock, or Paramount+. If you want to drop cable, stop in at the AT&T store. It is definitely worth checking out DirecTV Stream.

[azcindy]

Originally Posted by Maker

Only Spectrum or XFinity available. Plus all the location independent like sat, cell, etc.

Awww, thanks for the info.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

If it only was that easy. I’m a techie and a network guy and for many, you have to do the basics right before you can do streaming (cut the cord).
Basics: what are your requirements? What shows do you watch? How many shows can you record at once? How long does your recordings last?
Shows: I try to cut the cord every year and by the time we add up all the services we like (YouTube tv falls way short in content), we are subscribing to many services with a cost equal to what you can get from 1 vendor. The last time we cut the cord, we went with YouTube tv and had to get 3 other services to get the equal we had before. Now, we had to know that to watch this particular event/show, we had to get out of YouTube tv and get into another service. After a while, it’s confusing to know where everything is at. If YouTube tv has everything you want, then that makes it simpler. Some of the extra services didn’t have recording capabilities.
If you take a snapshot during the day, we might have 5 or 6 channels recording simultaneously, how many can your service provide?
My recordings go to 3 different hard drives and they will stay there forever, whereas streaming services offer a couple months online before they delete them. And it’s a fallacy that I had to show 1 vendor, not everything that a channel airs is online forever. I asked some salesman to find if this show or this concert is online so I can see it. Multiple times he didn’t have it available so my recordings on my hard drives attached to our receiver are available forever.

Another basic: networking:
If you’re cutting the cord, your 1 router per house won’t do. You will either need to wire every room or install a mesh network. Don’t fall for that fallacy that you can get a repeater to help. That’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. I have ma y friends that I rebuilt their internal networks (which no isp has knowledge on how to do not the geek squad) with wired and wireless bridge using the latest mesh 6e or newer technology. I use 4 mesh routers in my designer home, my buddies house I just did used 5 mesh routers. If you have a tv in the bedrooms, outside in your lanai, maybe the garage, outdoor cameras, you need more routers to decrease latency and give you Gb bandwidth.

Roku, firestick, chromecast devices are cheap but do ok if all you want to do is stream tv. I use many Apple 4K tv devices that gives me thousands of apps (Netflix, paramount+, etc are apps), streaming music from Apple, Roon, Qobuz, tidal to any system in the house, gives me a pnp popup to show me who is at my front or back door, it is a hub for my whole house automation system, and much more.
If you were to cut the cord and go streaming and your back bedrooms have TVs without a wired network or mesh network, you might want to use the moca technology for lower latency and increased bandwidth. Everybody has an rg6 cable in every room

You have many specific needs when it comes to watching TV and recording. Most don't have all the requirements you have listed. With YouTube TV recordings are deleted after 9 months and recording is unlimited.

As far as the network is concerned, you are right, if you want full speed internet in all your rooms you will need to set up a good mesh and or hybrid wired mesh system. But most here in the Villages don't know or need that. Most are just concernted about, can I stream and access the internet from all the locations in my home. With streaming all you need is 20-100mbs the most at any one TV. 100mbs tops at a TV even if you are streaming from a local server at the highest resolution you TV can possibly display. I've tried Moca and it does work but with the newer wifi 6 and wifi 7 devices available now, they are not necessary unless you have a very specific need. When I use a mesh system or use the Quantum extenders, I try and hard wire them where I can to maximize performance.

But thanks for all the details of your system.

[biker1]

I have one Wi-Fi router that delivers more than enough Wi-Fi bandwidth for both 1080p (5 megabits per second) and 2160p (20 megabits per second) to every corner of my house. Your suggestion that multiple routers is required is incorrect for most homes ( 2000 sq ft). A larger home might need a mesh router. Most people pay for much more nominal bandwidth than they require.

Originally Posted by rsmurano

If it only was that easy. I’m a techie and a network guy and for many, you have to do the basics right before you can do streaming (cut the cord).
Basics: what are your requirements? What shows do you watch? How many shows can you record at once? How long does your recordings last?
Shows: I try to cut the cord every year and by the time we add up all the services we like (YouTube tv falls way short in content), we are subscribing to many services with a cost equal to what you can get from 1 vendor. The last time we cut the cord, we went with YouTube tv and had to get 3 other services to get the equal we had before. Now, we had to know that to watch this particular event/show, we had to get out of YouTube tv and get into another service. After a while, it’s confusing to know where everything is at. If YouTube tv has everything you want, then that makes it simpler. Some of the extra services didn’t have recording capabilities.
If you take a snapshot during the day, we might have 5 or 6 channels recording simultaneously, how many can your service provide?
My recordings go to 3 different hard drives and they will stay there forever, whereas streaming services offer a couple months online before they delete them. And it’s a fallacy that I had to show 1 vendor, not everything that a channel airs is online forever. I asked some salesman to find if this show or this concert is online so I can see it. Multiple times he didn’t have it available so my recordings on my hard drives attached to our receiver are available forever.

Another basic: networking:
If you’re cutting the cord, your 1 router per house won’t do. You will either need to wire every room or install a mesh network. Don’t fall for that fallacy that you can get a repeater to help. That’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. I have ma y friends that I rebuilt their internal networks (which no isp has knowledge on how to do not the geek squad) with wired and wireless bridge using the latest mesh 6e or newer technology. I use 4 mesh routers in my designer home, my buddies house I just did used 5 mesh routers. If you have a tv in the bedrooms, outside in your lanai, maybe the garage, outdoor cameras, you need more routers to decrease latency and give you Gb bandwidth.

Roku, firestick, chromecast devices are cheap but do ok if all you want to do is stream tv. I use many Apple 4K tv devices that gives me thousands of apps (Netflix, paramount+, etc are apps), streaming music from Apple, Roon, Qobuz, tidal to any system in the house, gives me a pnp popup to show me who is at my front or back door, it is a hub for my whole house automation system, and much more.
If you were to cut the cord and go streaming and your back bedrooms have TVs without a wired network or mesh network, you might want to use the moca technology for lower latency and increased bandwidth. Everybody has an rg6 cable in every room

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Yesterday our TV and internet service with Quantum and UTube TV was set up with the invaluable help of John (Jrref).

I do not think we could have done this without him. Very different from xfinity and we will have some growing pains but we were able to watch a few programs on Utube last night without much difficulty.

We made this change due to the constant price increases from xfinity. Returned the equipment Tuesday and yesterday received a phone call from xfinity offering a coupon deal to reduce the price.

Typically the coupon lasts a few months and they will hope that the coupon expires and people go back to paying the higher price. After a few minutes told the guy your ship has sailed away and is not coming back.

Cable TV and the propane industry are the last two barely-regulated, corruption-infused, scam-farms currently operating as legitimate industries. They should both be RICO'd for price-fixing and price-inflation.