I haven't used all 3 but I have fire and really like it. It is super easy to use. They do lean toward promoting amazon products but I have prime and Netflix and can navigate both. The voice search feature on the remote is awesome. Have not gotten one thing wrong yet and it searches all of the apps easily. I had a movie that I had on a watch list a year or so ago that isn't on prime anymore and it found it on the FX app so I could download that and watch the movie free
I am so disappointed with my AppleTV. I have one of the pre-app store gens and the thing is basically a brick besides the ability to stream from my ipad (which isn't always available). Don't know why anyone would pay $100+ for one anymore with the same functionality available from other devices for much much cheaper.
Yeah the older Apple TVs are not going to do too much. However the newer generation is great for me. Does everything any of the others do, I have the ability to stream from my computer. That's big for me because I stream a of sports from my computer.
I thought about the Apple TV as I am pretty loyal to Apple (iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and MacBook) but the lack of amazon prime streaming was a dealbreaker for me. Between fire and Roku it didn't look like there was a bad choice but I went with amazon since I use prime and amazon in general a lot. The ability to go computer to tv had me thinking Apple TV but the only things I watch are on YouTube and the YouTube app on fire works great. I rewatched a short cut the fsu v UF game on the YouTube app on fire and it was good. Apple TV vs amazon fire vs the rest really depends on what steaming services you use and how you will use it. I still haven't cut the cord yet because of sports fears but I already use fire more than my cable and I think I'm going to cut the cord completely sometime over the next year
I use mine for ESPN extensively and also HBO. Then it has Disney and PBS if you want to watch any of that on demand. You obviously need login credentials for a bunch of that (thanks parents). ESPN's streaming quality is essentially the same as a real HD channel. I also stream BTN from my phone over it but the quality is fucking garbage so I wish they had a native BTN app.My only other complaint about the thing is no Prime Video. Well, that and I have to use my phone as a remote if I want to use bluetooth. There's functionality there, although I get that there are definitely better options now for cheaper. There just weren't really when I (or you I imagine) originally got it.
Well we should hate it based on AT&T being all evil and breaking net neutrality to hurt competition, but that depends on how idealistic you are.
My fire stick is showing my network is in range, but its just buffering forever. This means I need a stronger router, doesnt it?
Its brand new. We have been having issues with signal strength with other devices in parts of the house, seems like the signal just doesnt reach. Wife is calling the internet company today, but I would like to get rid of cable all together, so would you guys recommend going with a dual band router?
Their low end device kind of sucks a little. I have connection problems and the remote response to certain apps (Youtube) is so delayed it makes searching a chore.
About a month ago I delved into KODI. I didn't know shit about it and the only way I can describe the program is it makes your TV a smarter TV. I have it running thru a Raspberry Pi, which is a small Linux based motherboard that hooks up like a really small computer. It came with the base for KODI built in. The rest is just research and customization. I've only scratched the surface and I really only wanted it for Movies which it is great at. I can basically watch anything new and some things still in theaters. It's internet based so you get A LOT of soccer but also can find ways to play NHL, NFL, NBA and Austrailian Rules Football. It also serves as an Emulator so I can play retro games. I have it set up for the 8 and 16bit consoles and a bunch of MAME titles which is all arcade games.
I posted a more detailed post about this in the homeowners thread but assuming your internet is sufficiently fast all you might need is a wifi extender. I went with netgear (got on Amazon) and am pretty happy.
Yeah, Kodi is great for movies and tv shows. It's saved us a lot of money. Now, can you point me towards some instructions on how to do the emulator stuff? I looked around awhile ago, but couldn't quite understand it.
I've tried 3 different emulators and I'm sticking with something called RecalBox. Get it and all it's FAQ at recalbox.com. Recalbox is the program and for my setup, everything is on a microSD that plugs into my device (Raspberry Pi3). Google "Canakit" if you are curious to what a RaspberryPi is. I had no idea wtf it was. All the systems are built into the program and they become available when you apply the ROMS (game files). Visually its great and if you're just running retro systems you'll see no issue. Maybe a slight bit of controller lag but that's normal on HDTV. That's the jist of it. Playing around with it is the only way you'll really figure it out.
Just found the ShowBox app for the Android based systems, it needs to be downloaded outside of the Play Store, but is just a great app for cord cutters with tons of shows and movies that stream through AllCast.
Jump on this quick: https://slickdeals.net/f/9330575-as...it-router-59-free-shipping?src=featured-12559
Snagged. Any downfall to leaving the T-Mobile firmware on it? Don't really feel like going through all of that trouble to take it off and reset to default firmware.
I'm pretty sure you won't notice a difference. The flashing seemed like a lot of work and I'm not sure why they care. That deal is ridiculous, the router is one of the best ones out there and costs $150 for the non-tmo version.
Has anyone ever heard of Kodi installing or corrupting your TV because of corrupt files? I just bought a new TV and am hesitant to use it because of this. I have no reason to think is is even possible, was just curious as there is a lot of file sharing that goes on.
Bought a leaf antenna this weekend, but couldn't catch Fox so had to watch the Saints game through a grainy Kodi feed. Was not happy. Time to do some research on attic antennas.
Wut? As far as I am aware, unless your TV is an Android TV, you can't even install Kodi on the TV itsself.
where's your antenna at currently? I've had my Mohu Leaf for about 6 weeks and the one in my bedroom has been amazing for me. I placed it in the window and have had no issues. The one in my living room is a little more iffy because it's in the middle of the house without a window nearby but I'm able to move it around and get Fox, CBS, NBC, etc after a little jiggling. On another note, I've been completely cord free for the last 2 months and I don't miss cable at all. I have a Nvidia Shield with Kodi and the Wookie build and I couldn't be happier. Finding a decent stream for a live event can be time consuming some times but other than that it's been amazing.
It's for the TV in the living room, so same problem as you describe above. I have an old Nexus player for my Kodi because I got it cheap, but I will likely upgrade to a Shield. My bro-in-law has one and loves it.
Only thing that prevents me from cutting the cable is the shitty internet I have. There is no competition in "broadband" internet here and Shentel is a steaming pile of elephant diarrhea. I absolutely hate moving, yet I've considered moving just to get better internet.
I would love to cut the cable but I need my sports in HD. Have you guys just accepted less than optimal sports broadcast as a trade off or do you know something I don't?
PlaystationVue + basic cable covers the majority of the sports I care about. All in HD. I know that's technically not 'cutting the cable', but it has 'cut' our cable bill significantly.
If you have a sufficient internet connection or any antenna connected to an HD TV you'll get it all in HD.
Watchespn, Foxgo, and NBC Sports app are in HD. Not all obviously but that does cover some of your main games.
People can hack into anything these days let alone upload a corrupt file via the internet. Wouldn't quite equate this to a "fake news story".
You will definitely be downgrading when it comes to sports. I've watched full sports games but they are "streaming" quality at best. It's give and take for the most part but I wouldn't rely on it. Plus, I'm using free methods. Now if you are a soccer fan then Kodi is your wet dream.-
I still have cable, but stream a lot of NHL and MLB, being out of market. The quality is good. The worst part, imo is the delay. Streams are usually a good 2-4 plays behind, so it sucks you have to stay off twitter or TMB while watching.
That's not possible. The TV doesn't communicate with the kodi, it only accepts video through the HDMI. Worst case of a corrupted file is probably that Kodi can't play it.
I can't be the only person here that uses paid streaming sites. I have used Sportsaccess in the past, but they were getting DDOS'd so I switched to SmoothStreams. https://www.reddit.com/r/SmoothStreamsTV/ These streaming sites show all US and international sports. They usually have streams in both 540p and 720p. On PPVs they have up to 1080p streams. They are usually a minute or less behind the "live" broadcast and there is no buffering. You can watch via browser, tablet, mobile, or streaming box (kodi). It costs around 13 bucks a month when you buy a quarterly package. I have tried a couple of the free ad-ons for kodi such as sportsdevil and castaway and there is no comparison.
So I went ahead and flashed the router and changed the firmware anyway just to be safe. Thing is super fast. Good looking on the recommendation.
I have this guy in my attic for the last 3 years. Love it. https://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Subu...035&wl11=local&wl12=10828410&wl13=970&veh=sem
Got an Amazon Fire TV and have some set up questions. So, the TV I have has one HDMI port and it is currently connected to my ATT UVerse receiver. But in order to use Fire TV I had to unplug it and connect an HDMI cord from the Fire TV to the TV. Anyone got any pointers so that I can switch back and forth between UVerse and Amazon Fire. Thanks. I'm totally new to this.
Buy a new TV or you can buy a box splitter that lets you have multiple hdmi ports and you just press the button to switch between device inputs