Replacing cable TV with Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Kodi?

Ace of Spade said:
Are any of you guys using "Roku"?
Click to expand...

I like it. I run Netflix and Amazon through it. I'm interested in sling TV.

Does sling tv work trough RUKO or do I have to buy another device?
 
Cuzcatlan said:
I like it. I run Netflix and Amazon through it. I'm interested in sling TV.

Does sling tv work trough RUKO or do I have to buy another device?
Click to expand...

Sling runs through just about everything including a web browser.
 
does anyone else have a roku 4? supposedly it up scales to 4k but im not convinced. it really needs the nfl network on there.
 
I pay for cable internet only for $50/month, and just have a dual monitor setup on my pc. I switch between screens depending on what I'm doing. I watch all of my shows via... methods, and I'll just sign up for HBO Now when GoT returns.
 
i have kodi, i have it on my computer no need to buy the box. only difference is apps don't come preloaded you have to manually add them.

if you're a live tv person kodi might not live up to your expectations, it can be difficult at times to find good hd streams.

but its amazing for tv series on demand and movies. you can pretty much find anything.
 
What do you guys think is better... Roku 4 or Amazon Fire TV?
 
Ace of Spade said:
What has your experiences been with using these media players?

How much do you guys pay for cable TV every month?

Is Kodi the cable TV killer?
Click to expand...


I have Uverse and I have a Matricom G-Box Q Quad/Octo Core XBMC/Kodi Android TV Box [2GB/16GB/4K] (Rev 1.2+)

Not sure if I'd say its a complete replacement. But sometimes its good.

I like the matricom over many of the others if for no other reason that it doesn't require a google account or any other account.

kodi takes a level of familiarization before you get beyond the: "this piece of shit" feeling from it. After that it's pretty good.

You need a good internet link, (one that won't start charging you for using too much data etc...)

I haven't planned on totally ditching my Uverse TV just yet.
 
VroomyJeeps said:
i have kodi, i have it on my computer no need to buy the box. only difference is apps don't come preloaded you have to manually add them.

if you're a live tv person kodi might not live up to your expectations, it can be difficult at times to find good hd streams.

but its amazing for tv series on demand and movies. you can pretty much find anything.
Click to expand...

TVMC comes preconfigured with Genesis, Sports Devil, USTVnow Live and more. It's pretty much ready to go.
http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-windows/


Ace of Spade said:
What do you guys think is better... Roku 4 or Amazon Fire TV?
Click to expand...

Fire TV because you can use Kodi.
 
I will copy/paste a review I did on Amazon's site regarding the Fire TV. Keep in mind I still favor Roku 3 and you will see why in the explanation.

Bought this as a bundle with the game controller and the HDMI cable. Can't comment on the HDMI cable for I gave that to the same person I gave away my old/original Roku which this replaced.

Using my existing HDMI cable, and having a Prime account this was a cinch to setup. I also chose to go with wired over wireless for wired is faster and wireless is not 100% reliable.

There are a few aspects to look at this and understand this is coming from a 41 year old male that is a long time user of the Roku and I also and still own the Roku 3 upstairs.

1. In comparison to the Roku or Roku 3 it's better in some aspects and others not so much. If you want to use this strictly for Amazon Prime Movies/Music/Games then it's well worth the money. If you are going to use this just to stream lets say Netflix and that will be your primary reason for this then go elsewhere.

2. Netflix and other services work on this, but in comparison to lets say Roku (any of their versions) navigating to things that aren't Amazon specific takes a bit more effort to locate.

3. Now, if you are utilizing Amazon Movies and Games then this thing is a better choice. I really dove head first into the games and love it. I picked more games than I have played but being a casual gamer that doesn't want to spend hours being good at a game it's the perfect choice. Yes you can get more from XBOX and Playstation, but if you are a casual gamer and have specific things you like and don't want to put hours to develop skill then this is for you. I have played a kick-ass driving game (2 actually) and a shark game. All 3 of those are my favorite. I bought and installed the game of "Life" for my fiance but yet to play it but looks good so far.

4. The voice command SO OVERRATED!!! I tried it twice and I think it's completely lame and totally unnecessary. Hell I barely talk to Siri on my IPhone and now I have this Amazon thing. Pass! Just glad that wasn't their primary selling feature for if it was then I wouldn't have even bothered with this unit.

5. I almost bought the Fire Stick but if you really look at the games and size and other items, the Stick is very limiting. In fact, the Stick is perfect for one particular thing IMHO: traveling. If you are a big traveler especially to hotels that offer WIFI and the ability to plug into their HDMI ports then the stick is a good choice for that. Past that the Fire TV is a better choice.

6. Google compatible Flash Drives for this device for if you download as much as I did you will run out of space quickly. I went with a 128GB PNY Flash Drive USB 3.0 but hasn't arrived it so can't comment on it past that.

So again, it really depends on why you want a streaming device. Amazon specific services this is perfect but for other services not Amazon specific I personally would recommend Roku.

This is one thing I didn't expect but it's not a big deal. I personally own/use a Logitech Harmony Remote and was using that for the Roku before I replaced it with this. The universal remote I own uses infrared where the Amazon Fire TV is bluetooth. Keep that in mind if that is important to you to be able to use your universal remote for this. If that is an issue, the only thing I can tell you is get the bluetooth universal remote OR just use the universal remote to set it to the TV to the correct input.

The choice is yours.

***Update on 6/1/2015***
Since my last review I have received/installed the 128GB PNY USB 3.0 Flash Drive. I also immediately transferred all the games that I downloaded to the device. 2 nights ago from today I played several of the games one being very graphical and large in size. I couldn't tell any difference with the device currently being stored on the USB to when I played it and it was stored on the device itself. So in short whether it's the Flash Drive I chose or how it works there was zero negative results of doing that.

The only thing I didn't like and probably isn't a big deal is now that the flash drive is installed, I can't see the present situation with storage on the local device. I did check the flash drive and it's has a ton of room. Also note while it's a 128GB Flash Drive it does not truly provide 128GB of storage space; but what storage space it does provide is more than sufficient. There is no need to presently concern with yourself on storage. If you do, cut back on how much you download at a time to the device.

Last thing, I also downloaded a new game and it defaulted without prompting me to where to install/download to. So after I did that I transferred it to the flash drive and like all the other transfers that took 5-seconds or less.

To conclude I am pleased with this device and choosing to buy it. With that said, I still prefer Roku in some ways, and other ways I prefer the Amazon. If I could change anything on the Amazon Fire TV it would be two things:
1. Remove the voice command. IMHO it's not a selling point and quite pointless.
2. I would embrace what you have with the Roku 3 and add the ability to plug-in headphones to the remote. Great tool when you want to watch TV and not disturb the person next to you that is sleeping before they go to work that night.

No plans to update this review anymore unless something causes me to do so. Feel free to ask questions if you have any but I feel I pretty much covered everything.
 
HAWTakayama said:
I got a Firestick on Black Friday for $15, quality investment. To my knowledge, the Amazon devices are the most customizable among the main streaming devices since they're android based and you can easily sideload apps (like Kodi) that you can't with the other ones.

With Kodi and the right add-ons, there really is no point of having cable since you have access to just about anything imaginable (I still have cable though). I watched the entire live NYE Rizin Fedor fightcard the other day in HD through Kodi on the firestick (instead of messing around with streams on the computer).... so it's definitely convenient to watch ALL sporting events through a direct stream on your HDTV instead of messing with questionable streams on the computer and dealing with those anti-adblock bullshit things most sites have now.

Some simple searching on the internet will show you how robust Kodi can be from streaming media on your pc, or directly from the thousands of add-ons, etc.
Click to expand...

edit: just saw that I can definitely sideload kodi on my tv. I will likely also use an old laptop and set up a HTPC on the other location which should take care of that.

So with Kodi I can watch any sports in HD? Seems to good to be true.
 
OriginalSpeedy said:
I will copy/paste a review I did on Amazon's site regarding the Fire TV. Keep in mind I still favor Roku 3 and you will see why in the explanation.

Bought this as a bundle with the game controller and the HDMI cable. Can't comment on the HDMI cable for I gave that to the same person I gave away my old/original Roku which this replaced.

Using my existing HDMI cable, and having a Prime account this was a cinch to setup. I also chose to go with wired over wireless for wired is faster and wireless is not 100% reliable.

There are a few aspects to look at this and understand this is coming from a 41 year old male that is a long time user of the Roku and I also and still own the Roku 3 upstairs.

1. In comparison to the Roku or Roku 3 it's better in some aspects and others not so much. If you want to use this strictly for Amazon Prime Movies/Music/Games then it's well worth the money. If you are going to use this just to stream lets say Netflix and that will be your primary reason for this then go elsewhere.

2. Netflix and other services work on this, but in comparison to lets say Roku (any of their versions) navigating to things that aren't Amazon specific takes a bit more effort to locate.

3. Now, if you are utilizing Amazon Movies and Games then this thing is a better choice. I really dove head first into the games and love it. I picked more games than I have played but being a casual gamer that doesn't want to spend hours being good at a game it's the perfect choice. Yes you can get more from XBOX and Playstation, but if you are a casual gamer and have specific things you like and don't want to put hours to develop skill then this is for you. I have played a kick-ass driving game (2 actually) and a shark game. All 3 of those are my favorite. I bought and installed the game of "Life" for my fiance but yet to play it but looks good so far.

4. The voice command SO OVERRATED!!! I tried it twice and I think it's completely lame and totally unnecessary. Hell I barely talk to Siri on my IPhone and now I have this Amazon thing. Pass! Just glad that wasn't their primary selling feature for if it was then I wouldn't have even bothered with this unit.

5. I almost bought the Fire Stick but if you really look at the games and size and other items, the Stick is very limiting. In fact, the Stick is perfect for one particular thing IMHO: traveling. If you are a big traveler especially to hotels that offer WIFI and the ability to plug into their HDMI ports then the stick is a good choice for that. Past that the Fire TV is a better choice.

6. Google compatible Flash Drives for this device for if you download as much as I did you will run out of space quickly. I went with a 128GB PNY Flash Drive USB 3.0 but hasn't arrived it so can't comment on it past that.

So again, it really depends on why you want a streaming device. Amazon specific services this is perfect but for other services not Amazon specific I personally would recommend Roku.

This is one thing I didn't expect but it's not a big deal. I personally own/use a Logitech Harmony Remote and was using that for the Roku before I replaced it with this. The universal remote I own uses infrared where the Amazon Fire TV is bluetooth. Keep that in mind if that is important to you to be able to use your universal remote for this. If that is an issue, the only thing I can tell you is get the bluetooth universal remote OR just use the universal remote to set it to the TV to the correct input.

The choice is yours.

***Update on 6/1/2015***
Since my last review I have received/installed the 128GB PNY USB 3.0 Flash Drive. I also immediately transferred all the games that I downloaded to the device. 2 nights ago from today I played several of the games one being very graphical and large in size. I couldn't tell any difference with the device currently being stored on the USB to when I played it and it was stored on the device itself. So in short whether it's the Flash Drive I chose or how it works there was zero negative results of doing that.

The only thing I didn't like and probably isn't a big deal is now that the flash drive is installed, I can't see the present situation with storage on the local device. I did check the flash drive and it's has a ton of room. Also note while it's a 128GB Flash Drive it does not truly provide 128GB of storage space; but what storage space it does provide is more than sufficient. There is no need to presently concern with yourself on storage. If you do, cut back on how much you download at a time to the device.

Last thing, I also downloaded a new game and it defaulted without prompting me to where to install/download to. So after I did that I transferred it to the flash drive and like all the other transfers that took 5-seconds or less.

To conclude I am pleased with this device and choosing to buy it. With that said, I still prefer Roku in some ways, and other ways I prefer the Amazon. If I could change anything on the Amazon Fire TV it would be two things:
1. Remove the voice command. IMHO it's not a selling point and quite pointless.
2. I would embrace what you have with the Roku 3 and add the ability to plug-in headphones to the remote. Great tool when you want to watch TV and not disturb the person next to you that is sleeping before they go to work that night.

No plans to update this review anymore unless something causes me to do so. Feel free to ask questions if you have any but I feel I pretty much covered everything.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this very detailed review. It seems like you like both... the Roku and Amazon Fire TV. But would you say that the ability to install "Kodi" on the Amazon Fire TV gives it the edge?

Are you using Kodi?
 
jefferz said:
I use Sling Tv. $20 a month gives you ESPN 1 & 2, TNT, TBS, History 1 & 2, and more.
Click to expand...

I've heard you can only stream to one device at a time . . . is that the case?

If not, I'd really consider going with it and dropping DirecTV.
 
spamking said:
I've heard you can only stream to one device at a time . . . is that the case?

If not, I'd really consider going with it and dropping DirecTV.
Click to expand...


Yes, only 1 at a time.
 
jefferz said:
Yes, only 1 at a time.
Click to expand...

Thanks . . . I was looking at Sling's FAQs and it mentioned something about a family plan for $5 extra to stream to more devices . . . but apparently it's international subscribers only?

Can I watch Sling TV on multiple devices at the same time?


Sling TV is compatible on multiple devices, however, one account can only be streamed on one device at a time. If you subscribe to our HBO® extra package, you can stream HBO® content on up to three devices simultaneously! If you are a Sling International subscriber you can stream international content on up to three devices at the same time if you add on the Family Plan extra for $5 per month. To learn more about all of our compatible devices, click here!
Click to expand...
 
Sling TV with sports package: 25
Netflix: 8?
Amazon: 8?
Youtube: 0
Antenna on the roof: 0
(aside from device costs...) 41 bucks a months and I don't miss anything I don't want to. ESPN, network broadcast sports, WatchESPN, International soccer, whatever. I get it. Only bad thing is Universal Sports network just folded, so I don't get Olympic-type sports anymore on Sling. Looking for a replacement on that.
 
lildog said:
Had Kodi for a few months. The remote and the software itself is unreliable as hell. Movies don't load properly, freeze, remote is does weird shit, and sometimes the movie/tv show boots you off and you can never find a stream that actually works without issues. Anyone have an opposite experience with Kodi?
Click to expand...

Never had an issue and I've been using it for over a year now. What addon were you using?
 
Ace of Spade said:
Thanks for this very detailed review. It seems like you like both... the Roku and Amazon Fire TV. But would you say that the ability to install "Kodi" on the Amazon Fire TV gives it the edge?

Are you using Kodi?
Click to expand...
No I am not.
 
We have Roku. Its OK. As a boxing fan, there's a few things missing that keeps me from getting rid of the satellite right now. So far, there's no way to watch PPV and I hate depending on choppy streams for big fights. Right now, thats all thats missing for me. Boxing PPV and a few channels that carry boxing that I can't get with Roku.

Honestly, I think I have waaay more options of what to watch with the Roku than satellite and its a fraction of the cost.
 
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