Recommendations on Streaming Devices- Apple TV etc.

[DisneyMandC]

Anyone have good recommendations on streaming devices for your TV and prices for me? DH and I have never had Netflix or anything like that due to very limited internet at our house, but now that you can download from Netflix to your computer, we will have a lot more opportunities to watch shows on Netflix (and maybe cut back on the cable bill!). We have never used anything to connect to our TV before and I've heard of people using Apple TV/Roku/etc. but didn't know what the best options were and any pros or cons. We have Mac computers if that makes any difference at all. User-friendly setup would be helpful as well since I'm not very advanced with this stuff

 

[supersnoop]

It all depends ...

Personally, I have a TiVo with an antenna to pick up local stations, so I was able to cancel cable. The TiVo has apps for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO.

My wife has an AppleTV which has a lot more apps, but doesn't do anything for over the air or live sports. It also doesn't have an Amazon app, but you can use the app on you iPhone and then "throw" the video to the TV.

There may be other/better options, but these work for us.

 

[scrapquitler]

We have a Chromecast, which allows us to stream from Netflix, YouTube, etc. We pay monthly for Netflix, HBO and CBS All Access (total is somewhere around $40, I think) and we ditched cable. We also borrow lots of DVDs from our local library.

 

[scard192]

Amazon Fire Stick.

 

[havaneselover]

I am trying the roku streaming stick. Will try it with Hulu but thinking of ultimately ditching cable and going to play station vue. Reviews are very good.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I don't think you can go wrong. We have an Apple TV for our upstairs TV and I got an Amazon Fire TV Stick on a deal ($19) when they first came out. We use that on our downstairs TV. They both work well.

If you live in the Mac ecosystem, I'd get an Apple TV. It makes it easier to "throw" whatever you have on your Mac or iPhone onto the TV via AirPlay. Otherwise, I'd look at the Fire TV Stick or a Roku. I haven't done anything with a Roku but from what I read the ability to customize makes it interesting.

 

[FirstDown]

Amazon Fire Stick.

Hi, just bought 3 fire sticks for 3 TVs in our house. Can they all be registered to one Amazon Prime account we have? Brand new to streaming.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I don't think you can go wrong. We have an Apple TV for our upstairs TV and I got an Amazon Fire TV Stick on a deal ($19) when they first came out. We use that on our downstairs TV. They both work well.

If you live in the Mac ecosystem, I'd get an Apple TV. It makes it easier to "throw" whatever you have on your Mac or iPhone onto the TV via AirPlay. Otherwise, I'd look at the Fire TV Stick or a Roku. I haven't done anything with a Roku but from what I read the ability to customize makes it interesting.

I guess my issue is, if I download a show from Netflix to my Mac, can I still "throw" that on to the TV? Or do I have to be streaming something in order for it to work with Apple TV?

 

[Praying Colonel]

I guess my issue is, if I download a show from Netflix to my Mac, can I still "throw" that on to the TV? Or do I have to be streaming something in order for it to work with Apple TV?

The Netflix downloading thing is new so I'm not sure exactly how that works, but generally, you can "throw" or "mirror" what's on your Mac onto your TV via an Apple TV. The AirPlay function allows you to do that.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201343

Unless there's some copy protection or something Netflix has on their downloads that thwarts that functionality, you should be able to do it via an Apple TV.

 

[DisneyMandC]

The Netflix downloading thing is new so I'm not sure exactly how that works, but generally, you can "throw" or "mirror" what's on your Mac onto your TV via an Apple TV. The AirPlay function allows you to do that. Unless there's some copy protection or something Netflix has on their downloads that thwarts that functionality, you should be able to do it via an Apple TV.

Thanks! Yeah, I know that's a new functionality. I'm thinking maybe Apple TV would be good for a Christmas present for DH so this may work!

 

[Praying Colonel]

Thanks! Yeah, I know that's a new functionality. I'm thinking maybe Apple TV would be good for a Christmas present for DH so this may work!

I have an older-generation Apple TV and like it. I'd love to get one of the current generation ones that has the ability to add apps, Siri control, better remote, etc. If you have a Mac already I think you'll like it.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Our household of 2 has; 1 Amazon Fire Stick and 3 Apple TV's. If you are a mac house as a PP mentioned, stick with AppleTV. It is so nice when people come over and if we want to show pictures form our main computer it just syncs to any TV the AppleTV is on. We also mirror our iPad to the TV through the AppleTV. I have never used the mirroring to watch actual shows, as no purpose for that. But we use it to bring up stuff online.

The only reason we have one of the fire sticks is because it is for a TV that is rarely used and the only purpose on that tv would be to do netflix, not connect to our computer.

With the netflix download and watch offline, I am not sure though if you have limited internet if that is going to do anything for using a streaming device (such as roku, Apple TV or fire stick). I think that is only to a tablet device or PC. I'm not sure if you mean limited as in not high speed to stream or just that you don't have a lot of data per month.

 

[perditax]

Quick and dirty solution: download the shows to Netflix on your tablet or laptop, and get the proper kind of cable to connect the device to your television. Unless you have a VERY old television, it should have an HDMI input, and a cable for most tablets or laptops these days should run you about ten dollars on Amazon.

Can you tell us more about what devices you already own?

 

[scard192]

Hi, just bought 3 fire sticks for 3 TVs in our house. Can they all be registered to one Amazon Prime account we have? Brand new to streaming.

I only have 1 so don't know on that. I have a Kindle e-reader and am on my second Kindle Fire and Amazon numbers the Kindle Fire's "XXX's 2nd Kindle, 3rd Kindle" and they are registered to my Amazon Prime/Amazon Account. you might want to set up a PIN to use the Fire Sticks, I set mine up at least to require a PIN so no one in the house "buys" a movie without me knowing about it.

 

[perditax]

I guess my issue is, if I download a show from Netflix to my Mac, can I still "throw" that on to the TV? Or do I have to be streaming something in order for it to work with Apple TV?

Oh, I missed this.

Yes, you can "airplay" downloaded media from a Mac to an Apple TV.