Rook or fire stick?

[Farmerjonathan]

Thinking this will be a great way without wires, stuff attached to the roof and all the other nonsense, which is better in your opinion? The Roku stick or the Fire Stick? I have not used either at this time. Reading a bunch of reviews and supposed first hand experiences. So,,,,,, decided on asking the general population of people here for their first hand experiences with either of these types of tv viewing options. Have you or do you use either one? What are the good things about them? The bad things about them? Things you didn't consider that have happened good or bad? Really appreciate any of you sharing your firsthand experiences.

 

[txvwnut]

I've got a firestick and like it. I am using the kodi app on it so I'm not paying for amazon service.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Dang gone auto correct, the title is supposed to say Roku or fire stick!

With the fire stick do you get local news? Outdoor/hunting shows?

 

[bigarmzz]

my cousin has the fire stick with kodi app and he says he can watch literally anything, even movies that are still in the theatres ......hell, he claims he even gets **** channels LOL

 

[big_bake]

If you are paying for any services (netflix, hulu, etc) then they are both pretty even. If you want to watch a bunch of movies and tv for free then the firestick has the edge because Kodi can be sideloaded on it.

 

[willf650]

I have a Roku, not the stick, and a Fire Stick. If you don't intend on installing Kodi the Roku is a better device in my opinion. It seems smoother and the interface is slightly better. I don't know if this translates to the stick version. I assume the the interface would be the same on the stick.

If you want to do Kodi then the Fire Stick is your only option as I've never heard of Kodi running on a Roku. I've been having good luck with Kodi tot he point I canceled my cable. It's saving me $135 a month.

I'm close to buying a second Fire Stick add it to my bedroom for Kodi there as well. I find myself wanting to watch stuff when I go to bed that is not available via Netflix or Amazon on the Roku.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Do either of these items actually replace a DISH system? As in, can I quit paying my DISH bill (I own my system) and still watch anything that I can on DISH from either of these "sticks". I am in the preliminary stages of learning on this and decided to utilize the knowledge of those of you who are actually using or have used one of these devices.

So the term "apps" doesn't mean anything to me, I farm with a team of horses, do have a flip phone but don't know how to text or anything of that nature. So understand you are talking to an illiterate tech person.

 

[piker28]

I have the regular roku, apple tv, chromecast, and the firestick w/kodi. My opinion is I prefer my regular roku since I have no experience with their stick. My firestick was nice because the kodi app can get you some of those bootleg streams for movies and shows. Unfortunately it just seems to lag here and there so I get annoyed at using it.

In order to replace something like DISH it will depend on what you do with it. Each device has its benefits and restrictions. I assume you have netflix, hulu, etc etc

 

[willf650]

You can see a lot of stuff with Kodi on a Fire Stick. Only you can decide if it will work for you to replace your Dish. Just remember you aren't going to be able to flick the channels with the device.

The device is only $40. Buy one and try it. Thats what I did and I cut the cable cord within a couple weeks. The money saved will pay for one fishing trip a month for me.

Just remeber you are still teathered some where for high speed internet.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Do either of these items actually replace a DISH system? As in, can I quit paying my DISH bill (I own my system) and still watch anything that I can on DISH from either of these "sticks". I am in the preliminary stages of learning on this and decided to utilize the knowledge of those of you who are actually using or have used one of these devices.

So the term "apps" doesn't mean anything to me, I farm with a team of horses, do have a flip phone but don't know how to text or anything of that nature. So understand you are talking to an illiterate tech person.

Most of the internet based TV watching "things", or Apps, don't give you live tv shows like your local news or sports, or even the big networks like ABC, CBS or NBC. If you watch those shows, then just about any internet tv app is not really going to be good for you.

And a lot of the internet based services that people are talking about, such as Netflix, have a nominal monthly fee attached. They are low fees, but if you have several of them, then the monthly fees can total up to $40 bucks or more, which is basically the same overall fee as having your Dish to watch tv.

I have Verizon Fios, with a triple play package. Each item, phone, internet, and tv, costs 35 dollars each, or just over $100 bucks total, per month. I watch live tv shows like my local news, local sports and also the big networks like ABC, CBS and NBC.

So for me, having Netflix, or any other paid internet service, it not worth it to me. The only thing I might consider is the Fire Stick using the Kodi app. Because Kodi is open source software, it is not really "legal" to watch the stuff it gets because it is basically stealing. So your milage may vary as to whether or not you want to steal tv.

Jim

 

[big_bake]

Most of the internet based TV watching "things", or Apps, don't give you live tv shows like your local news or sports, or even the big networks like ABC, CBS or NBC. If you watch those shows, then just about any internet tv app is not really going to be good for you.

...

You can get the major stations including ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX via Over the Air (OTA) broadcast. Olympics, NFL, NASCAR, local news all Live in HD for free. Just buy an antenna appropriate for your location. TV Fool is a great resource to help you get going.

...


So for me, having Netflix, or any other paid internet service, it not worth it to me. The only thing I might consider is the Fire Stick using the Kodi app. Because Kodi is open source software, it is not really "legal" to watch the stuff it gets because it is basically stealing. So your milage may vary as to whether or not you want to steal tv.

Jim

Kodi itself is just an open source media player. You can watch your legally owned content with it. The Third-Party addons that everyone uses is where the grey area lies.





To Farmerjonathan, neither option will replace DISH. If you want to save money and ditch cable/satellite then the way you consume media will change. You won't necessarily have a guide or be able to just channel surf. Most content from the internet is on demand style. With that said if you use an antenna to supplement your streaming content, you will have a nice mix of watching what you want when it's convenient to you (with no commercials ) and being able to surf the local OTA channels if you want something on in the background.

 

[bdbecker]

We have Roku and have been happy with it. I think it could be a dish/cable replacement if you were willing to spend a little on a service like Sling and hook up an antenna for local OTA channels. Throw in a Prime or Netflix for movies, and that puts you at $40-$50 a month, which is about half of what we were spending on DirecTV for basically the same level of service.

Here is a pretty good article about live TV streaming services:
http://www.hypable.com/best-live-tv-streaming-direct-tv-now-sling-tv-google-tv-vue/

EDIT:
There are also channels on the Roku you can subscribe to related to your particular interests. I think Outdoor channel is on there for around $10 a month. There are some free hunting channels, but they are kind of low budget production... good enough for what your spending I suppose.

 

[Falcon67]

Do either of these items actually replace a DISH system? As in, can I quit paying my DISH bill (I own my system) and still watch anything that I can on DISH from either of these "sticks". I am in the preliminary stages of learning on this and decided to utilize the knowledge of those of you who are actually using or have used one of these devices.

So the term "apps" doesn't mean anything to me, I farm with a team of horses, do have a flip phone but don't know how to text or anything of that nature. So understand you are talking to an illiterate tech person.

Short answer - no. Currently, depending on what you like you can end up with the same bill from a dozen places and still not get everything.For example, Velocity Channel has a streaming service that requires you have a provider, like Dish or Direct. I have the VelocityGo app on the phone, so far it's kinda useless. DiscoveryGo same way - there is a long list of providers, none of which are available here except Dish or Direct.

We are on DirectTV which I consider decent but inferior in almost all respects to Dish with one exception. At the end of our contract, we will not re-up with anyone. It'll be Netflicks, Pandora/Spotify/Amazon for music, OTA antenna for locals and maybe play with a Firestick. All this stuff is somewhat non-trivial to work through. I could set up a media server using one of our older PCs but frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. That is also a highly technical endeavor and since I spend all day/all week in highly technical endeavors - I say screw that for the weekend. Whatever keeps the wife happy with "TV" works for me. I have a cable run + network in the shop and a 42" LCD screen. Mostly it plays Classic Rock. I can't watch Chasing Classic Cars when running the lathe.

 

[texasranger]

I've got two Roku 3 boxes, a fire stick, and a fire TV. If I had to pick just one I'd get the fire TV. It's twice the price of a fire stick and similar price to a Roku 3. The older Rokus and Roku sticks are pretty slow to navigate and start streams, but otherwise the interface is similar if not identical. Roku 3 and Fire TV are on par for speed. The newest Fire Sticks are surprisingly snappy, but noticeably slower than Fire TV navigating around and starting streams. The Fire TV also can stream 4k video if that matters to you. The Roku 4 can as well, however I don't have one to compare.

A lot of this comes down to your internet speed. You will need at least 10 mbit to really enjoy the experience. It can be done with less, but expect more buffering and pixelation.

We have FIOS 100/100 mbit internet without any TV package. We tried Sling TV for a year which was $20/mo for about 20 channels including ESPN which was nice for college football. When Playstation Vue came out we switched to that instead because it includes Big Ten Network. We pay $35/mo for about 60 channels on PS Vue. It includes CBS, but not FOX/NBC/ABC. I installed an antenna on the roof for those, and that works great. This depends on your market and if the local affiliates are independent. We recently tried Directv NOW with their intro 100 channels for $35/mo offer and a free fire stick. It buffered way more than PS Vue, and sometimes just wouldn't work. It allows 2 streams at once rather than Vue's 5, and it doesn't work on Roku yet and no DVR function. We went back to Vue which offers less channels but more features, and is much more reliable. Sling TV only allows 1 stream at any time. One nice benefit of Vue is you can use your Vue login credentials in BTN Go, Watch ESPN, NBC Sports, and other standalone websites/apps that allow you to watch outside your house. I find the PS Vue app on android annoying to use, and if you're outside your house it blocks certain channels. I don't use it much.

All this is on the up-and-up as opposed to Kodi add-ons people talk about. Hulu is supposed to offer a live TV streaming service soon. I will be interested to try that.

I will say that the PS Vue interface on Roku is terrible. There is no channel guide, and you have to drill through 3-4 menus to get a channel or show to start playing. PS Vue interface on Fire TV or Fire Stick is way better and includes a guide, albeit backward from any other guide in that channels are listed across the top and time down the left side.

With all that said, we pay $60/mo for internet (2 year intro offer) plus $35/mo for PS Vue. We also have Amazon Prime, but I consider that paying $99 shipping for 2 day shipping with a free streaming service built in. We watched the Grand Tour series on Prime in 4k which was pretty good, but other than that we might stream a movie once every couple months. We split a Netflix account with friends so my wife can watch previous season TV shows. Any of the boxes and most smart TVs will stream YouTube so I can watch Roadkill, Dirt Everyday, and other Motor Trend shows, plus AVE and several other channels.

Lot of info out there, it's not as simple as Comcast vs FIOS vs Direct TV any more...which is great!

 

[Keel]

Here they have you over a barrel..
mid range cable channels, and internet. is 109.00 (2 year contract, and complain you'll go else where every two years to get that price back).. or internet only at 79.99 .

The comments on 99 for prime to get the 2 day shipping,, is a waste. as they have warehouses everywhere and it get to you in 2 days anyways if they SHIPPED IT.. all they do is hold the orders if you don't click prime or pay the extra 2 day shipping..
What a racket.. If another supplier parked your order for a few days because you didn't buy the extra service. just so you don't get it as fast as those that do pony up. you'd raise holy blue hell.
Amazon gets a pass..

 

[texasranger]

The comments on 99 for prime to get the 2 day shipping,, is a waste. as they have warehouses everywhere and it get to you in 2 days anyways if they SHIPPED IT.. all they do is hold the orders if you don't click prime or pay the extra 2 day shipping..
What a racket.. If another supplier parked your order for a few days because you didn't buy the extra service. just so you don't get it as fast as those that do pony up. you'd raise holy blue hell.
Amazon gets a pass..

Getting off topic but $99 is worth it to me, it averages out to $1-2 per order the last few years. If it bothers you then buy from somebody else.

 

[kbuhagiar]

To your first question, I would choose the FireStick over the Roku stick.

I am a diehard Amazon Prime user and the FireStick integrates nicely with my Amazon account. Also, the FireStick allows me to view my SlingBox, which gives me additional viewing options.

You need to have a WiFi network to use the either the Roku or the FireStick. I only mention this as you suggested that you knowledge of Internet-related technology was limited - no offense intended.

As mentioned before, neither can completely replace a Dish account. I have both Dish service and the FireStick at my vacation home, and it provides me alternate service options should eith my Dish service or the Internet fail (which tends to happen out in the country in the winter).

Good luck!

 

[johninct]

Can you get anything free with a Roku? I had Sling but cancelled when the Baseball season was over?

 

[cheechi]

Part of what I do at work involves pseudo-support for these devices as well as apple tv.

hardware wise, the roku box & apple tv are better than any of the sticks.

interface wise, apple tv is the least bad, followed by roku.

roku 4 can do 4k. Don't think any of the others can.

My info on the sling box 'box' is outdated.

There are a bunch of android settop devices, none of which I have personal experience with, that are all better hardware than the current roku & apple tv, but without name recognition or expectation of regular updates. But when you consider the apple tv is a dumbed down iphone 1 in a different shaped box, and a roku is just a frontend running on android, they can be attractive for the price.

Of all these, I would take your pick of a used Xbox 360 or PS3 for about the same price that can do much more. Most of these are **** boxes made up of leftover parts too big or too outdated for tablets & low end netbooks.

 

[texasranger]

Part of what I do at work involves pseudo-support for these devices as well as apple tv.

hardware wise, the roku box & apple tv are better than any of the sticks.

interface wise, apple tv is the least bad, followed by roku.

roku 4 can do 4k. Don't think any of the others can.

My info on the sling box 'box' is outdated.

There are a bunch of android settop devices, none of which I have personal experience with, that are all better hardware than the current roku & apple tv, but without name recognition or expectation of regular updates. But when you consider the apple tv is a dumbed down iphone 1 in a different shaped box, and a roku is just a frontend running on android, they can be attractive for the price.

Of all these, I would take your pick of a used Xbox 360 or PS3 for about the same price that can do much more. Most of these are **** boxes made up of leftover parts too big or too outdated for tablets & low end netbooks.

Fire TV does 4k. Agree that the older sticks are slow, but the latest fire stick is surprisingly zippy. I would not recommend an Xbox 360 over a Roku box or Fire TV. I have all 3 and the Xbox doesn't support PlayStation Vue, Direct TV Now, watch ESPN, etc. If you want to play games then by all means buy an Xbox or PlayStation, but I wouldn't recommend it if your goal is streaming. My Roku and fire TV are attached to the TV wall mount with Velcro with no cords showing, and they use very little power at idle so you can just leave them on when not being used.

I don't have a apple tv or PlayStation so can't comment there, but like I said previously if I had to pick just one it would be fire TV.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Fire TV Stick2 or a Fire TV.

I have an original Fire TV Stick (preordered in 2014) and it's a bit slow but its still working really well. Someday I will replace it with a newer Fire TV Stick.