|
SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Internet/TV advice requested /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1616931794 Message started by Dave on 03/28/21 at 04:43:14 |
|
Title: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 03/28/21 at 04:43:14 INTERNET We have been using the same internet and TV technology for nearly 20 years, and an upgrade became necessary. Our internet service was provided over our phone lines and had an upload speed of 768 Kbps and a download speed of up to 5 Mbps. It was possible to watch YouTube videos - if I shot a 12 minutes GoPro video it would take 6-7 hours to load it onto YouTube. It was not possible to get TV service over the internet. We got a letter from Cincinnati Bell that stated they would be eliminating the copper lines in our area, and it was necessary for us to "migrate" over to "Fioptics" service that uses fiber optics. They came out on Friday and ran the new service - I just ran a speed test and I found we have a download speed of 15.8 Mbps and an upload speed of 39.1 Mbps. It is evident that our computers are able to access data much quicker than before the change. TELEVISION When we built this house we tried to get cable - but we are located 350 feet from the road and the cable lines. They wanted $ 1,500 to run the cable and install a signal booster - we said never mind and we got a basic service from Direct TV. Our TV is old and it is not a smart TV and it is not HDTV - but is does have HMDI and COAX inputs. We can buy a new TV if it is better than using our current TV with some kind of internet adapter. SATELLITE Our satellite service is the basic and costs $43 a month to get the local stations, and although we have hundreds of shopping channels - there are only about 6 stations that we use. We watch the National Geographic Channel which have very limited programming and mostly broadcasts the Life Below Zero and Port Protection shows, RFD-TV which has some shows we like, MAV-TV which has a pretty limited amount of tractor pulls and dirt track racing and some motorcycle racing now and then, and it has several national news shows....and it gets the local channels. The cable box has the ability to access a combination of 2 channels simultaneously - so we can watch a show and record a show at the same time.....or we can record two shows at the same time. If 2 shows are recording you cannot watch any other channel in real time - however you can watch a recorded show while the 2 shows are recording. My wife uses the record function to tape the PBS programs she likes, then watches them when it is convenient. I generally don't "pre-program" any series - but if I see something I like I will record that one episode to watch later....it is nice to be able to fast forward through the numerous commercials. Deb orders movies from NetFlix and gets DVD's mailed to us. REQUESTED ADVICE We would like to eliminate our satellite service and access television through the internet. Our friends have advised us that the TV Stick would work with our current TV, and we could use it to access the shows using the internet. I know nothing about ROKU or any of the other services available. It would be nice to get a better selection of motorsports.....I would love to be able to watch MotoGP racing. Deb wants to be able to record her PBS shows to watch later (or watch them on demand) - we can install an antenna to get the local PBS channels - but we do not know what kind of technology we need to be able to schedule recording a series. Any advice you can provide us for what kind of internet TV access we can get is appreciated - however we really don't want to spend hundreds of dollars a month for programming. It really isn't that important to me, as I watch TV less than an hour a day. Generally my TV is limited to a short period of time late each day after I have stopped working, taken my bath....and I just need an hour of down time prior to going to bed at 10PM. I haven't watched anything on ABC, CBS, NBC in years - their shows just don't interest me. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/28/21 at 06:56:36 We spent around forty bucks on a roku box at a local Best Buy store. We have so much stuff available, better selection than we had on any monthly service, satellite or cable. I think we had to buy a cable or two, but the SAAVINGS and the Selection are so cool. And if you sit and study, scan through the offerings in the many apps you can load,there are live news, sports and weather channels ,free, but it takes some hunting. I'm sure you are going to be very pleased. The only thing we have that costs is Netflix, and should drop it because it's rare we go hunting something in there. I had no faith in the remote. The switches are doing fine. The thing doesn't just run through batteries and as long as it has a clear path visually to the room box it will tell the TV what you are trying to tell it. We save about $85.00 a month, because Netflix is almost15. I was asking these questions about two years ago. We went to Best Buy, snagged the geekiest looking guy there and started asking questions. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Fast 650 on 03/28/21 at 09:04:45 Roku is about the same thing as a RPi running KODI but with a little less control over things. If you want simplicity get the ROKU. If you are more tech savvy and want more control of things then a RPi with KODI is worth looking into. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Oldfeller--FSO on 03/28/21 at 10:01:07 Wives value simplicity. Get the Roku. Buy the standard, less expensive one as you will buy a new one every 5 years to get some desired new features (or your remote wears out, you take your pick). Roku wins all the awards for "customer preference based design" and they always ask our women who use the things continuously to take these new feature surveys. So, Roku makes good sense to women ---- go figure. Your wife will tell you when she wants a new one. Just buy it, let her install it so she understands all about it and you watch TV (what little you watch) on your laptop or PC upstairs. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by badwolf on 03/28/21 at 10:52:33 I have a ''smart'' tv w/google, and a amazon fire tv stick with a recast dvr for ota tv. I am a prime member and get ALOT of stuff from amazon (documentres mostly), but they have a huge selction of vids and music for free for prime members. I also have several ''smart'' speakers and displays, even a smart alarm clock, with google asst. and prefer ''Her''. Some people cry about the smart devices listening all the time, but I live alone, what are they gonna hear? The smart speakers and displays are nice in the different rooms to tell to play music from Pandora or vids from youtube just by voice or pause and stop, again just by voice. You can hook-up a security cam or doorbell cam and bring it up on a display, or the tv just by voice. I tried the Ruko but prefer the google ''world'' over it or Alexa, but that is just personal perferance. Talk to your friends and neighbors and try the different eco-systems before you dive-in |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Eegore on 03/28/21 at 11:47:51 Since both ROKU and Firestick are about $40, I would buy both and test drive them to see what you like. ROKU is a cheap entry into modern television services that has an easy interface and good customer support. ROKU has a lot of free content and since you have Netflix already you can connect that account and watch it on your TV - if you pay for Netflix streaming and not just DvD. Then you can just browse the apps offered and add channels you like. There are many free channels. As for recording, all the programmed shows are always available so no need to record those, however live events are not always on-demand later on. You can pause live events for up to 90 minutes with a USB plugged in. ROKU is a good service, I however prefer Amazon. ROKU: https://www.roku.com/ If you have Amazon Prime already I would get a Firestick. They have an easy interface as well. As Badwolf said you can use voice to call up shows etc. and most of the content is free on Amazon Video, also there are many purchasable movies etc. Firestick also has free content/channels etc. that you can watch without an Amazon Prime account. Amazon has a device called "Recast" that would be your DVR for live or local channels. Its usually about $299 and is a high quality DVR that can record 2 shows at once etc. similar to what you describe you use now. As for racing channels I just don't know enough to say what is the best service for that. I know with Amazon you can use the MotoGP app, but you need to purchase a "video pass" to access a lot of the content. The amount of content available there however is impressive to me, but again I don't follow the market. Look at their website and see what they offer, I linked it below. MotoGP website https://www.motogp.com/?_ga=2.265105359.1504286342.1616956930-1556900044.1616956930 Recast: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-Recast-over-the-air-DVR-500GB-75-hours/dp/B01J6A6H74/ref=asc_df_B01J6A6H74/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242024728257&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5570722265544783957&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029046&hvtargid=pla-525047228299&psc=1 Fire stick: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C1W5N87?ie=UTF8&*entries*=0&viewID=&*Version*=1 Amazon Device Return policy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201818950 ROKU return policy: https://support.roku.com/article/360009581054 As with anything the costs rise as you add more options, Amazon and ROKU are about the same for the basic devices, however adding a DVR or premium channels (like GPmoto live events) etc. bring up the cost. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by ohiomoto on 03/28/21 at 19:13:19 You need a device, you need programing and you need high-speed internet. We get our high speed internet from our cable company. We use to get our programing and device though them too. Then we dropped the cable tv programing and briefly used Sling TV before moving to YouTube TV. YouTube TV offered the most sports programing and it allowed us to watch programing "out of market" which is great for when we were traveling out of town. It also had the best DVR at the time. We dropped YouTube TV because they kept raising their prices and they briefly dropped coverage of our MLB team in a dispute with the provider. Plus we really didn't watch much TV and the few shows we were watching were on Neflix and Amazon Prime. That said, I would look at YouTube TV first for sports. Even at the higher prices, they might beat the other providers who have a bunch of tiers and packages. As others have pointed out, Rokus are easy to use or if you need a new TV, just buy a Smart-TV. We have a Smart TV and a couple of Roku's. They work great and we use them a lot for watching YouTube and streaming music as well. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by MMRanch on 03/28/21 at 19:47:52 Deb wants to be able to record her PBS shows to watch later Dave , Part of the Roku channel is PBS ... You click on PBS , you click on the show you want You watch it when you want You pause any time you want. You don't need to record anything . The Roku remote has voice command . Next time your here you can play with the remote for hours - there is a "BUNCH-OF-STUFF" on it. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 03/29/21 at 03:29:42 Thanks....I am reading your posts and letting it sink in. We (I) don't watch sports. My wife does occasionallly - but not in a way the local channels can't provide. We really don't want to pay money to watch them. We do watch a few movies a month - Deb orders them from Netflix and they come in the mail. About 1 in 3 are movies I will watch with her - a lot of the movies she orders are a bit too deep or emotional for me. It sounds like we should start with Roku - we will likely wait until after the Texas trips to make any changes. Thanks again for sharing your experiences - of course I understand that with Technology all this good advice could be invalid in 6 months when something new and better comes out. It sure would be nice if you could find a way to order channels "Ala carte" and pay a small monthly fee for each channel you want to watch.....or maybe an even smaller fee for each program you watch - a PPV for normal programing. Currently we have a basic service from Direct TV that provides hundreds of channels - we only watch about 5 of them on a regular basis. Most of the channels are "shopping channels" or dedicated to infomercials selling kitchen equipment or home gyms. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Serowbot on 03/29/21 at 09:46:40 Roku is great... free Tubi, Pluto, Filmwise, YouTube, and more. It's like having cable times 100.... tonnes to watch. If that's not enough... add Netflix Buy a better lazyboy... you'll need it. ;D PS... don't get the Roku Stick... a replacement remote costs more than the unit and it eats batteries. Roku Express works fine for $30... https://www.roku.com/products/roku-express |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 03/29/21 at 18:48:01 2F392E332B3E33285C0 wrote:
That isn't likely to happen anytime soon. I seldom come in from outside or the garage until 9PM......and I am in bed by 10 PM (I get up at 5). I don't idle very well! |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by ohiomoto on 03/29/21 at 20:54:54 By sports I was talking about things like motosports. I don't know that they have motoGP but they seem to pretty comprehensive. Personally, I just watch highlights on YouTube. I think Roku is a good place to start. They do a nice job and you may find enough free content to keep you happy. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by zipidachimp on 03/29/21 at 21:48:44 I bought one of the last plasma tvs. Big mistake, as it became totally addictive. Clarity as I had never before seen. Nature vids and motor racing stop me in my tracks. I am easily amused !!! Cheers! 8-) ps: MOTO GP is available over the internet, watch whenever you want. $140 euros/year. 'motogp.com' |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Oldfeller--FSO on 03/30/21 at 06:59:47 Dave, you are buying this device for your wife. Women like Roku, they will "own the remote" for it, you will never see it unless you ask extra nice and promise cross your heart not to push the red or blue button, ever. She has it set up to suit her and her programs, so don't go messing with perfection. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by ohiomoto on 03/30/21 at 19:52:31 Meh, my wife doesn't give a nuts about the remote or the 75" smart tv we have. She mostly uses her MacBook* with Netflix or Amazon Prime. It just depends on the person I guess. *Her MacBook cost 2-1/2 times and much as our Smart TV. lol |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/31/21 at 02:18:49 My wife watches stuff on her Kindle and glances at what I am watching on TV, unless I find something she likes enough to watch. I'm generally the one with the remote. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 04/01/21 at 04:22:22 Well I have a little bit more knowledge with 5-6 days of use. The little Google Wifi station they installed is in the pantry at the far left corner of our house. I had it installed there as it was easiest to run the wires, it is closest to the porch, it is directly underneath where our upstairs computers are located, and it is nearest to the garage. I ran a speed test on the upstairs computer that is connected using the Wifi. The speed was somewhere around 55 Mbps - a far cry from the claimed 250 Mbps they advertise. I took my phone and sat right next to the Wifi thingy and did a speed test using my phone - I got 264 Mbps! It appears that 10 feet makes a huge difference! (I wonder if the Wifi signal works better horizontally than vertically?) I was able to watch Roku last night at my sister's house. They have a very basic device and no subscriptions that I am aware of. We watched a show called "Better Late than Never" , and the commercials were a big turn off for me. With our current satellite system we record the shows when they are broadcast and they we watch them later - and we can fast forward through the commercials. We can watch most 30 minute shows in 20 minutes! Not being able to fast forward through the commercials on Roku was pretty frustrating. We will likely get Roku once we are back from Texas - then learn more about it as we explore with it and learn our options for subscriptions to channels to eliminate commercials, how to record and watch later, etc. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/01/21 at 07:47:18 The TV remote has a mute button. It's my favorite button. Yeah, they hit pretty regular. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Eegore on 04/01/21 at 08:56:08 PBS as far as I know does not have ads on ROKU. Subscription plans also do not, like Netflix. https://support.roku.com/article/208756038 I'm not a huge fan of ads myself and had to have software developed to auto-skip YouTube ads. The biggest reason I went with Amazon products is the speed, the reduced ad content, and the device convenience. I can just tell it to play something on the garage TV and it happens all on it's own. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Fast 650 on 04/01/21 at 09:15:29 1F24293E2F23383E252D203F4C0 wrote:
That is why I prefer Kodi over Roku. No advertising at all. :) I don't know if it will work with the Roku (I never looked at one to see if DNS is user configurable), but if it is, you may want to look into something called "Pi Hole". It is a Raspberry Pi that sits on your network to block ads. You simply tell your devices to use the Pi Hole as the DNS server and no more ads get through. And it will work for any other devices on your network so web surfing is ad free too. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 04/02/21 at 03:41:15 Yesterday I had a few minutes of solo "seat time" on the Roku - I learned that there is a lot of stuff on there.....and navigating all the options is going to take a while to learn. I found a place where I could watch the Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and a lot of old TV shows commercial free. It was cool since they would start with the very first episode and just keep on playing the episodes in series for as long as you wanted to sit still. I watched the first episode of "My Name is Earl" - you could see the breaks where commercials would be inserted but there were no commercials or pauses. When it comes to this kind of stuff - I am like the motorcycle Noob who can't find the drain plug to change the oil. It is all new to me and it takes a while and a bit of help for me to get it right. After the Texas trip we will cancel our "Cellulite TV" service and get Roku. If Roku cannot satisfy my wife's PBS needs and we can't access the local channels - then we will get an antenna and some form of device that can be programmed to record. I know that the VCR recorders could be programmed to record shows - I bet there is something that can now do that digitally without the need for a tape. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by MMRanch on 04/02/21 at 07:54:13 Heck Dave ;) If ya can watch anytime ya want , then why record ? ................ There is a "TV Guide" icon , and in it I have found a Out-Doors Sports channel with motorbike racing , truck races , etc. ;) ... it might be nice to record some of the things they have sometimes (it runs live). |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by Dave on 04/02/21 at 18:08:05 405240525F4C434E450D0 wrote:
Mostly because you can fast forward through the commercials - if you can't find it broadcast without the commercials. |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by MMRanch on 04/02/21 at 20:15:34 I use the commercials to refill my water jug and such . Maybe I don't hate the commercials enough ? :-? |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by verslagen1 on 04/03/21 at 09:34:16 031103111C0F000D064E0 wrote:
How do you get them in your water jug? :-? |
|
Title: Re: Internet/TV advice requested Post by MMRanch on 04/03/21 at 19:45:31 How do you get them in your water jug? Huh Versey , you know those commercials folks are kin to telemarketers . They can get into anything whether you want them or not ! |
|
SuzukiSavage.com » Powered by YaBB 2.2! YaBB © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. |