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#4334578 - 02/04/17 04:05 AM Best streaming device for TV's?  
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Dart Offline
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Lifer

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So we bought a Sony Blu Ray player with streaming via WiFi, and have been watching stuff on YouTube with it. Pretty neat.

The problem is that while it's a good unit, it will bail out with the dreaded "application too large" error which means the RAM isn't keeping up or cycling properly. The WiFi signal is well above the minimums stated in the specs and is solid.

I'm thinking we need a dedicated streaming box.

Looking at reviews and stuff, I'm not helped much by them. I'm not interested in gaming, HBO, 4K, 3D, perfect audio, etc.; I just want something to stream YouTube on my 1080i TV without crapping out every tenth video, or if I pause or back up slightly.

Any advice or recommendations?


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#4334587 - 02/04/17 04:27 AM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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F4UDash4 Online cool
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Before I bought a smart TV with built in capabilities I was pleased with Roku, and the new Roku boxes are much better than what I had then.


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#4334594 - 02/04/17 05:04 AM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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JimK Offline
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Been using a Apple TV for years and its flawless unless you loose a connection.
Need to upgrade it already since its so old. I take it along on vacation and works
great.


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#4334608 - 02/04/17 07:45 AM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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I have a TCL TV that has ROKU built in to it,which works well. Presumably, the ROKU boxes that F4UDash4 speaks of, work well too. They have some where the remote lets you use ear buds for private listening. The supplied remote for my TCL ROKU TV does not have that... but I have installed the ROKU app on my smart phone, and that lets me use my BlueTooth ear buds for private listening while watching TV. That works particularly well, as the sound via the smartphone App levels the volume out better... with the TV's included sound, I would find myself cranking up the volume to hear dialog, and then getting blasted by loud soundtrack music or effects. That app based private listening goes a long way toward improving 'domestic tranquility'. wink

ChromeCAST has a pretty good reputation AFAIK, but I don't have experience with it.

#4334614 - 02/04/17 01:16 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Khai Offline
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I'd go with the Chromecast for streaming Youtube. mines a first Gen, works perfectly. I just cast from my phone/tablet/PC to the Tv. no fuss. and it's cheap wink
(and it works with play music, BBC Iplayer, Netflix....)

#4334621 - 02/04/17 01:45 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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+1 for Roku. I've got three of them - a Roku streaming stick (device plugs into an HDMI port) and is pretty reasonable price wise. I've also got a Roku 4 Ultra whic has an Ethernet port and can handle 4K resolutions. Rock solid, really nice remote (with headphone jack as mentioned above), good picture and nice selection of streaming channels.


Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
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#4334627 - 02/04/17 02:19 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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JimK Offline
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Next new TV for the living room will be a TCL 55" 4k with built in Roku.
Read few reviews and it would be perfect for us. Use the wife`s phone for
the remote. They have them on sale at Walmart for only $428 right now.

Only bad thing is, would have to upgrade our home auidio system then to work
with our Pioneer surround sound system. Its only 5.1. Would need to go up
to 7.1


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#4334659 - 02/04/17 04:13 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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finlander Offline
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I have 3 Rokus. Recommend Them. Set up is a snap. They work flawlessly. Check out Plex and Playon for streaming server apps, I use both. Lots of free Roku channels, some of them are good. Lots of radio channels like Pandora. They are adding local news channels too. You can get a mid level one for about $50. I got a 1080 for $99 a couple years back.

#4334660 - 02/04/17 04:19 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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finlander Offline
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Oh yeah, memory. You can add a SD card to the Roku, they are cheap. I never bought one. I have 85 channels plugged in and don't get load times for memory. If you run games you may need extra memory, I don't know, I just watch Netflix and TV.

#4334697 - 02/04/17 07:57 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Just run a HDMI cable through the floor or the walls from your desktop to your TV. That way you can block ads on youtube and other sites and enjoy content to the fullest.

#4334707 - 02/04/17 09:21 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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We have a couple of android boxes running Kodi (formerly XBMC). Does everything we need and then some.

#4334753 - 02/05/17 03:06 AM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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We have a 40" large screen tv we bought about 5 years ago. Last month i bought a Chromecast device ($35.00) at Best Buy. I installed it directly to the stereo receiver which makes up our sound system. No problems at all - we like it a lot.


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#4334756 - 02/05/17 03:41 AM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Raw Kryptonite Offline
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MS
We've had smart tv's and enjoyed it, but Sony's for some reason don't always get along with the youtube app, crashing a LOT. The older one had a lot of issues running out of memory etc. The Sharp tv hasn't shown any issues at all, but has few apps.

I passed up the Chromecast and went with an Amazon Fire TV set up. First the small $40 USB one, the Fire Stick, then took it back in favor of the Fire TV box for better video quality and 4K capable. I think I paid $80 at the time, but it's well worth it. Excellent but simple remote, very fast. Wifi works beautifully with it in a spot that sometimes would have issues for other devices. We're on 802.11N, 5 GHz here and still no issues or lag. It's AC capable though.
It has more apps than any other one that I looked at and far more main apps than the Sony tv's. The main ones: Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime but also CW (not on many) and CBS (for upcoming Star Trek show) as well as most other channels I can think of that have an app.
The ONLY thing it's missing that I'd like is a Vudu app for streaming our purchased blu-ray movies that I usually get with a digital code. For Vudu, I go back to the Sharp and Sony TV's apps.

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Fire-TV-St...=amazon+fire+tv


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#4334841 - 02/05/17 05:34 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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David Kennard Offline
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I would highly recommend the nVidia Shield TV but for your criteria the best option, as mentioned by others, is a Roku. Add a memory card to it and you will not be disappointed at all. The Chromecast is great but having a physical remote like the Roku does vs using a phone or tablet to control the Chromecast is worth the bump up.

Last edited by David Kennard; 02/05/17 05:36 PM.

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#4334852 - 02/05/17 06:57 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Khai]  
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Master Offline
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Originally Posted By: Khai
I'd go with the Chromecast for streaming Youtube. mines a first Gen, works perfectly. I just cast from my phone/tablet/PC to the Tv. no fuss. and it's cheap wink
(and it works with play music, BBC Iplayer, Netflix....)


If you mainly want it for streaming youtube then get a Chromecast. You can use your phone to tag videos to watch on the device. In fact everyone in the room can add youtube videos to a list that the device will play. But the chromecast isnt that great for netflix, amazon, hulu etc. Its not exactly the device's strong point.

If you mainly want it for streaming services like netflix etc then get a Roku box.

#4335067 - 02/06/17 03:48 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Fittop Offline
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Another vote for Roku. I now have three of their products.

Started with the model that could handle the old style plug-ins as well as the newer HDMI. Added their at-the-time best model where I could use ear plugs on the remote so I would not disturb anyone.
Added another model, the Roku stick to my PC/TV monitor. Each does their job well. They are versatile.
All the models handle the subscription services I use: Prime, Netflix and Hulu.

Very pleased.
You can catch Roku products on sale at Costco and probably other places.

#4335075 - 02/06/17 04:10 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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ST0RM Offline
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My Samsung Smart TV hates Netflix. I've got to unplug and reset it all the time. No matter as I dumped Netflix after the last price hike and B-movie influx.

I too am looking at cutting the cable. Cable 1 increased their rates this year without any content bump, so I'm done.
Has anyone used SlingTV? They have the channels I like, (History, Travel, NatGeo, etc..) except for Discovery. Do any of these services offer all of the mentioned?

#4335089 - 02/06/17 04:40 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Master]  
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Originally Posted By: Master
Originally Posted By: Khai
I'd go with the Chromecast for streaming Youtube. mines a first Gen, works perfectly. I just cast from my phone/tablet/PC to the Tv. no fuss. and it's cheap wink
(and it works with play music, BBC Iplayer, Netflix....)


If you mainly want it for streaming youtube then get a Chromecast. You can use your phone to tag videos to watch on the device. In fact everyone in the room can add youtube videos to a list that the device will play. But the chromecast isnt that great for netflix, amazon, hulu etc. Its not exactly the device's strong point.

If you mainly want it for streaming services like netflix etc then get a Roku box.


+1

Combine the chromecast with VideoStream for Chome works great. My Vizo already had Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, IHeart, etc.
It's great casting any vid to it, all for $25 on sale. Wish Roku would have better sales.

#4335134 - 02/06/17 06:23 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Hack157th Offline
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Mankato, MN.
I have 3 chromecasts in my house. Very simple to use, and most channel apps are starting to add integration for them. Well worth the low entry fee of 25-35 bucks.

#4335347 - 02/07/17 08:18 PM Re: Best streaming device for TV's? [Re: Dart]  
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Dart Offline
Measured in Llamathrusts
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Lifer

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Alabaster, AL USA
I bought a Roku Ultra because A) I like marketing stuff and it's "ultra," and B) it was on sale and C) I had apparently been given several Best Buy gift cards over several holidays and since my wife has total recall of everything not only knew this but where they were placed that D) meant that I paid just the tax on it, the HDMI cable, and the micro SD card.

This should have put me on notice, as the most expensive thing in the world is a free pet.

The Roku is great and even has a "find remote" feature. It does what it says it will do.

At either 720 or 1080p resolution.

Apparently my 30" flat screen HDTV is an ancient piece of obsolete crap, as it's 1080i, not 1080p, and modern, hip, progressive devices would rather be seen hanging out with a Betamax player in a phone booth than support 1080i resolution.

720 looks pretty good, but on stuff like football games, it will matter this fall. Wife says we could just buy a modern TV that has 1080p, and put this one in our son's room.

So 200 bucks for a bigger TV to allow us to play the "free" streaming device. Life is weird.


The opinions of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

More dumb stuff at http://www.darts-page.com

From Laser:
"The forum is the place where combat (real time) flight simulator fans come to play turn based strategy combat."
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