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thanks to these posts, i've started seriously checking into Roku 3 and Amazon Prime. i have three cheap hdtv's, a few cheap pc/laptop's, hdmi cables, one cheap tablet and dumb phone, but very hi-speed internet and basic cable. always looking for better and cheaper ways to access all that internet content with simpler home connections. so far, wifi router, laptop(s), hdmi cables, and hdtv w/free tv/movie sites works pretty well. the one thing i haven't figured out yet is how to access BBC european content. some of it is on recorded on Amazon Prime, but nothing live. has anyone figured out how to get BBC shows live in America?
Okay, that was simple. I just watched a wonderful documentary from the History International Channel for free on You Tube. HDMI cable --and the tricky part for me was that I was trying to use the cable remote rather than the tv remote. All set. Hope this helps somebody.
It sounds to me that you're playing YouTubes on your TV via the wired HDMI connection.
I can't do it that way because my computer doesn't have an HDMI port. OTOH - I can do it wirelessly with the new TV following some different steps.
First - the TV has to find the wireless network and you make the connection after you input the security code. Easy (kind of like having a computer find a wireless connection).
Then you go to this YouTube page on your computer:
When you click on YouTube on the TV - you'll get the pairing code that you need to enter on the YouTube website. Enter the code - click - and you'll "pair" the TV with your computer. Then you can select YouTubes on your computer for viewing (which - at least for me - is faster than finding them on the TV) - click on the "TV with streaming" icon and the YouTube will play on the TV.
IOW - there's more than one way to skin a cat with all of this stuff . Depending on what equipment you already own - what you might consider buying - what kind of content you're looking for - where you like to watch - etc. In my case - if I like the content from a website like Amazon - I'd consider getting a new wireless DVD player for the living room TV so I can watch the content there (the TV is sufficiently large and bulky that it would be awkward to plug/unplug devices using an HDMI port on a regular basis).
BTW - in terms of international content (which others have mentioned) - I haven't explored it a lot yet. A few weeks ago I was looking for Anthony Bourdain's show on Singapore. Couldn't find a US version. But there's a YouTube of the show from Japanese TV (it's chopped up into small segments - the picture isn't great quality - and all the commercials are in Japanese ). But it was the show I was looking for (and I played it on my computer)! Robyn
Just FWIW - I bought my TV on Amazon. My mailbox this morning had an offer to try Amazon Prime for a free 30 day trial. The same as the Netflix free trial offer. Think I will try both and see what I think of them.
An additional note - we already have one Amazon Prime account (in my husband's name). I - as a secondary household user (a free option) - can take advantage of his shipping benefits - but not his lending library or video benefits. To use the last 2 - I have to get my own account (although I could use his "lending library" benefit by downloading books onto his Kindle instead of mine). Robyn
Well, I've got two Roku's - mainly watch British and American TV series on Netflix plus movies here and there. Very fond of Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders. Cures my middle of the night insomnia in a flash.
Also have TWC cable service w/over 100 channels, but not premium channels like HBO etc. and whole-house wi-fi. Off and on think about getting Tennis Channel. Can also stream from TWC instead of using TV, not sure why I'd want to do that. Suppose this is for a device when you're away from home??
Will never give up cable. TV is on all day - primarily CNBC, C-Span - and the shopping channels (I never, ever go to the mall - for anything). Buy virtually everything online after I've seen the demo on a shopping channel. Then search for best price. Sometimes end up buying from the shopping channel itself, most times it's eBay and occasionally Amazon.
Briefly considered using laptop to hookup to TV - could only do it upstairs, anyway. No HDMI in LR. Seems like a lot of bother - would have to connect laptop to a different electrical outlet, and HDMI from laptop to TV. I can see all kinds of configuration problems - like someone upthread said - use TV remote, not cable remote. Plus, I'm on the laptop all the time. I'd need another laptop just for streaming.
Not bothering. Happy enough with the setup I have.
Did buy son a blue-ray dvd/wifi streaming device a few years ago. First one didn't last too long. He says he now streams through his X-box??
The only thing I've wondered about the Roku portability is do you need to reconnect to Roku site when traveling? The answer would be yes, because you're using a different internet connection when away from home. So, you'd always need a laptop/iPhone or similar whenever you wanted to reconnect the Roku to a different TV when traveling. For me, that means laptop, b/c I have no need whatsoever for an iPhone-type device.
I think Rokus are neat. Not expensive. I've had no trouble with mine in the over two years I've had them. Very easy to use. Great streaming quality, imo. Good money spent, there. $75 each as I recall.
Robyn, for your older plasma TV, Roku might work well you. Rokus does offer a ton of channels. I've explored very few. There are only so many hours in the day.
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. Except our LR TV has 2 HDMI inputs. One is connected to cable/DVR - the other to a DVD player. So the best way for us to get streaming content through our LR TV would probably be a new DVD player - like this one:
The only thing I've wondered about the Roku portability is do you need to reconnect to Roku site when traveling? The answer would be yes, because you're using a different internet connection when away from home. So, you'd always need a laptop/iPhone or similar whenever you wanted to reconnect the Roku to a different TV when traveling. For me, that means laptop, b/c I have no need whatsoever for an iPhone-type device.
We travel with a tiny pocket travel router that plugs into the ethernet connection in the hotel room. Picked one up for under $25.
We travel with a tiny pocket travel router that plugs into the ethernet connection in the hotel room. Picked one up for under $25.
Didn't know such a thing existed. Don't you still have to "pair" the Roku with your new internet connection. I'm not ever doing this, just curious. Thx.
Guess it's a good reminder why one shouldn't invest a lot in hardware that might be obsolete a year from now because it's "hard wired" - and/or expensive content subscriptions that aren't more than month to month.
FWIW - my husband bought a cheap Chromebook (about $200) as a Christmas present for himself in December. He loves it. And I was super surprised to find out that Chromebook now has 20%+ of the laptop/desktop computer market! Robyn
I have a novel idea: if you are strapped for cash, and don't watch that much tv anyway, go to your public library. Most libraries have HUNDREDS of fiction and non fiction DVDs you can use for free. You can also request what you want and it will be sent from another library in the system for free. If the libary system doesnt have it, you can ask the librarian to purchase it. You can watch them via a DVD player or on your computer. Dump cable and avoid lots of new devices which will be extinct in a couple of years. You can always add Netflix if the weather or your health keeps you from getting to the library and you have no one to pick them up and return them.
This for me. I can't afford cable so I dumped it two years ago. I have an old analog TV so I need a digital converter box that takes up the connectors that any Roku or like device would use. The other connectors on the TV are used for my DVD player. So I cannot stream. I had an expert in these matter check this out for me.
If your local libraries support it, some are now offering streaming to your home systems just like Netflix and the rest.
So I subscribe to Nerflix for DVD's to rent and I just started Amazon Prime to stream to my computer as well as the other deals you get being on it. I don't really enjoy watching movies on my desktop, I would rather sit in my comfy chair or sofa for that but I will watch a TV show on it.
I watch OTA shows with an indoor antenna which picks up a lot of the old TV shows from the 50's and all the network shows.
Roku and like devices are supposed to be great. From what I understand, they are far better than cable.
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. Depending on what equipment you already own - what you might consider buying - what kind of content you're looking for - where you like to watch - etc. In my case - if I like the content from a website like Amazon - I'd consider getting a new wireless DVD player for the living room TV so I can watch the content there (the TV is sufficiently large and bulky that it would be awkward to plug/unplug devices using an HDMI port on a regular basis).
). But it was the show I was looking for (and I played it on my computer)! Robyn
