dc3k
Member
i bought my fire tv because it was $25 off and can run netflix and kodi. i dont care about anything else.
Apple TV is terrible and so is Fire TV
- Thread starter osiris3355
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i bought my fire tv because it was $25 off and can run netflix and kodi. i dont care about anything else.
The whole market looks like it's still a mess right now, I'd be into an Apple TV but it doesn't even support Amazon video. Just gonna hang on with my Smart TV's laggy functionality for now.
Yeah, no.
Yeah, no.
Not if you're in the Apple ecosystem, with tons of iTunes movies bought and want them on your TV.
osiris3355
Banned
Android TV supports both GoogleCast and the typical streaming interface. I honestly enjoy using the streaming interface more than casting. However casting still has its time and place.
I played with a bunch of streaming boxes for years and honestly, I've found all of those I tried to be lacking in one way or another.
I eventually just set up wireless video streaming from my laptop and couldn't be happier. Yeah, this only works if you have a place to put the laptop next to you (and if you're okay with doing it), but if you do, I think it's the best solution by far. It can be a bit of a bitch to get it to work, but once you do, you have everything you could possibly want accessible with great UI.
I eventually just set up wireless video streaming from my laptop and couldn't be happier. Yeah, this only works if you have a place to put the laptop next to you (and if you're okay with doing it), but if you do, I think it's the best solution by far. It can be a bit of a bitch to get it to work, but once you do, you have everything you could possibly want accessible with great UI.
IsntChrisL
Member
I have 2 fire TV sticks. For the most part, they are great. I can't speak for the future, but they get the job done well right now.
Marty Chinn
Member
The Fire TV is pretty slick IMO. I liked my first one so much that I bought four more to distribute through the house. I've set them all to run Kodi as the main launcher so I almost never see the Fire TV interface unless I want to use Amazon services. I can launch all the Fire TV apps from with Kodi like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, etc. I also have all of them pointing to a central database so I can start a movie in one room and continue where I leave off in another. I've even setup the Amazon Echo to control Kodi by voice. All of this while the interface runs at 60 fps. The Fire TV Stick sucks, but the standard box is great. It's been by far the best media box I've had and I've tried all sorts of things including a dedicated HTPC.
I liked my Fire TV at first but after a while, theres a few things missing that i would have liked for example i bought Star Wars Force Awakens on Google Play, because i knew if you log into Youtube you can watch your films there.
Well only a few weeks later when i finally Sat down to watch it Amazon has blocked the part of youtube where your own films are stored, i was gutted, like i understand not allowing the Google Play App or the Google Movies App, but seeing that Youtube was on there and it worked i was suprised when they blocked off your movies that you bought.
I tried sideloading it and putting the google play store on but it never worked for me for some reason, i did side load another app market app and that semi worked but was mostly crashed, so i side loaded fire launcher and kodi and that worked.
Well only a few weeks later when i finally Sat down to watch it Amazon has blocked the part of youtube where your own films are stored, i was gutted, like i understand not allowing the Google Play App or the Google Movies App, but seeing that Youtube was on there and it worked i was suprised when they blocked off your movies that you bought.
I tried sideloading it and putting the google play store on but it never worked for me for some reason, i did side load another app market app and that semi worked but was mostly crashed, so i side loaded fire launcher and kodi and that worked.
Isn't the remote also motion sensing? Could they do Sonys method of typing using the gyros? I love that for a virtual keyboard
The thing I hate the most is the swipe on the keyboard. Big swipes are ok, but small ones between letters are horrible, with a nasty feeling resistance between them. I guess it's to avoid accidentally going to another letter while you're pressing or something but it makes the entire experience horrible.
Using an iPhone as remote just takes too long so I never really bother
The thing I hate the most is the swipe on the keyboard. Big swipes are ok, but small ones between letters are horrible, with a nasty feeling resistance between them. I guess it's to avoid accidentally going to another letter while you're pressing or something but it makes the entire experience horrible.
Using an iPhone as remote just takes too long so I never really bother
Langdon Alger
Banned
Nothing beats a computer hooked up to a TV with a wireless keyboard and mouse.
Beer Monkey
Member
I've had a HTPC for like a decade with a wireless keyboard with touchpad. There's nothing like it. It streams everything possible. For many years, there were things on Hulu that you could NOT stream on consoles or settop boxes, only PCs. All the time I'm hearing from my friends about the hoops they jump through with Chromecast and the like and i'm like PC, man.
Marty Chinn
Member
Using services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc tend to lack surround sound when using a PC. Plus the interface tends to be worse too.
StopMakingSense
Member
Just got the Roku Stick 2016 version and it is really wonderful.
Love being able to use headphones via the iPhone app.
Love being able to use headphones via the iPhone app.
Yeah, at least for me, anything that requires me to get out my phone to use it is already at fail before it starts. Its right there next to turning off lights with my phone for me on the list of bad ideas.
osiris3355
Banned
Exactly. Thee use the phone argument is just an excuse imo.
If you need the phone then the product sucks. Apple TV competitors don't need a phone to make them usable.
Brianimaniac
Banned
SIRI SIRI SIRI SIRI SIRI SIRI
And I'm really not getting your aversion to the phone. It is no more inconvenient to pick up a phone than to pick up a remote.
Lol no.
HTPCs were great in 2010, but they are awful in 2016. PC-based streaming apps and websites are far worse than their set-top box counterparts. The interface is horrific and hard to control.
Unless you're primarily using your PC for watching pirated streams, a Plex Server + Roku 3/Roku 4/Xbox One will obliterate an HTPC. Even then, you can just mirror your laptop's screen.
Marty Chinn
Member
Ya, I've moved away from a HTPC because of the interface problems and the surround sound problems too.
osiris3355
Banned
Siri does not navigate through the os and apps for me.
It's worth it on the cheap. However I don't recommend spending much more as it's just a handcuffed version of Android TV.
Brianimaniac
Banned
The included remote works great for navigation. If you have trouble using the remote for navigation, and not just thumb-based text entry, that's you, not the remote.
osiris3355
Banned
The Siri remote is worse at navigation than traditional arrows. Usable or not.
It's worse.
I'm posting about the 4th gen
Brianimaniac
Banned
Not for me it isn't. Not in the least. It is very easy to navigate with.
I don't know what advice to give someone who sucks at TV.
I have a Fire TV 4K and Kodi shows up under "Recent" for me.
osiris3355
Banned
Do you even have a different streaming device that uses the traditional arrows? If you did you wouldn't be saying this.
Real intelligent comment.
Marty Chinn
Member
You guys are doing it wrong. You should at the very least be making Kodi the default, not launching it when you want it.
holygeesus
Banned
I don't even need the ATV remote. I use my TVs. Works fine here.
TechnicPuppet
Nothing! I said nothing!
It has Kodi, Kodi has a Gamepass app.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Are you sure you used the Apple TV? The Apple TV 4? It's a huge leap from the previous hardware for me.
And you seriosuly used the manual keyboard? Lol come on man.
That's the whole point of having Siri now. You don't have to type with a shitty remote. For logins you simply speak every letter of your email/password. I downloaded and logged into Hbo, Netflix, Hulu, all in under 5 minutes. For search, simply speak as well. I got it for my dad for Christmas and messed around with it and was so pleasantly surprised by the fluid experience and ease of use for Siri, it made my Roku 4 look like shit in comparison.
The only reason I chose the Roku 4 over the Apple tv was the 4k support. Otherwise a basic UI is undermined by constant hard crashes, apps that hang, constant remote desyncing, did I mention hard crashes? I don't know how many times I've had to dig my hand into my entertainment center to cut the power to the Roku for a hard reset. It's frustrating as hell. The moment Apple releases hardware with 4k capabilities, the Roku is going straight in the closet.
Now the Apple TVs 1-3 are trash fires yes, so if you used those, I agree with your assessment.
Langdon Alger
Banned
I've never had any problem with the interfaces for Netflix, Hulu or HBO on PC. They all seem better on the PC than on any set top boxes or video game consoles I've used. Just having a real keyboard to be able to search for stuff is a million times easier. The only downside I can see is that for some reason Amazon video won't let you rent stuff in HD on a PC.
osiris3355
Banned
I said in my op that the Roku interface is dated.
Since when did Apple think it was OK to release multiple input methods with one of them being compete shit? Does it say we should ignore it in the instructions?
I use the manual keyboard because not only is voice dictation awesome on my shield Android TV so is the manual keyboard.
I expected this to translate to the Apple TV.
Marty Chinn
Member
I can use a keyboard on a Fire TV if I want to type something in. As far as interfaces go, I find they're not remote friendly usually. Plus there's no easy way to navigate between Kodi, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc with a remote. All of it is simply not user friendly for anyone to pick up and use. Plus there's also still the surround sound problem.
Jezbollah
Member
I have Kodi too. And you are a beautiful person.
Roku 3 + Logitech Harmony Smart Keyboard.
osiris3355
Banned
You may dig Android TV then. They just added the quick app switching like on Android phones. I think Apple TV has it as well.
Sounds like you're using ATV 3rd gen...
Anyway I recently got Roku 2 (for free from ISP) and I compared it against my ATV and the image quality fucking sucks chroma and sharpness of the output is freaking horrible I'm testing on ISF calibrated Pioneer 60" Kuro and I was shocked at how bad the quality is. (It's not the streams not running at 1080p since they buffer to it fine it's just general output quality is horrible of the Roku 2)
One thing that is REALLY annoying about 99% of these streaming boxes is they don't allow you to output 1080p@24Hz -_- My Kuro handles 24Hz motion for movies beautifully so it sucks I have not found a player that supports that output. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A STREAMING BOX THAT SUPPORTS 24P OUTPUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Anyway I recently got Roku 2 (for free from ISP) and I compared it against my ATV and the image quality fucking sucks chroma and sharpness of the output is freaking horrible I'm testing on ISF calibrated Pioneer 60" Kuro and I was shocked at how bad the quality is. (It's not the streams not running at 1080p since they buffer to it fine it's just general output quality is horrible of the Roku 2)
One thing that is REALLY annoying about 99% of these streaming boxes is they don't allow you to output 1080p@24Hz -_- My Kuro handles 24Hz motion for movies beautifully so it sucks I have not found a player that supports that output. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A STREAMING BOX THAT SUPPORTS 24P OUTPUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
If you have an Xbox One, you can watch the games in 60fps. It's the only device that offers it, sadly, due to the five-year deal the NFL made with MS back in 2014 I presume.
Makes a mountain of difference visually compared to the 1080p/30fps streams on Kodi, Apple TV and other devices, higher bitrate and much smoother playback but is arguably the 'premium' option. Then again, an XB1 is barely more expensive than an Apple TV 4 these days.
Marty Chinn
Member
Nah, I'm perfectly happy with my Kodi setup on a Fire TV where Kodi is the main interface and all the apps are linked within. Whenever I hit home, it'll leave an app and go right back to Kodi. It's great and better than my older HTPC setup. I'm still looking for that perfect setup, but this is the closest thing so far.
I don't use Kodi that much. Most of the time I'm watching YouTube. Right now I'm using the Eurosport Player for the US Open. I like separate Apps more than just Kodi that I mostly use for Giant Bomb Premium content anyway.
n0razi
Member
It hasnt done that since an update from a year ago... Kodi shows up in the main page now
Always-honest
Banned
I like Apple products but i never really understood why i should need Apple Tv..
I watched a couple of vids and reviews to see if i was missing something but i see no reason to buy any of those streaming devices.
I watched a couple of vids and reviews to see if i was missing something but i see no reason to buy any of those streaming devices.
They have replaced television for me. I don't watch any channels anymore, YouTube and streaming services is all I need nowadays.
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