Roku

[Pete]

Amazon unveils Fire TV set top streaming device
Published: April 2, 2014


NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is introducing a set top box that allows streaming of online video content to televisions.

The company says its $99 Amazon Fire TV device has better speed, performance and search functions than other streaming services such as Apple TV and Google Chromecast.

The device, about the size of a CD case, runs Google's Android operating system and offers Netflix, Hulu and other streaming channels in addition to Amazon Prime instant video. It comes with a Bluetooth remote, which lets users conduct voice-enabled searches.

Fire TV also offers music channels like Pandora and "Free Time", a customizable interface for children.

The box, which starts shipping today, will also feature thousands of free and paid games like Minecraft and Disney Pixar's Monsters University starting next month. Games can be played using the remote. An optional Fire game controller will be available for $39.99.

Amazon's announcement comes as the online retailer faces increasing pressure to boost its bottom line after years of furious growth. As more Americans shop online, Amazon has spent heavily to expand its business into new areas — from movie streaming to e-readers and groceries — often at the expense of its profit.

Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc. has invested heavily on making TV shows and movies available to customers who pay $99 a year for Amazon Prime. Amazon recently boosted the annual fee to $99 from $79 annually. Members benefit from two-day shipping of certain items and access to videos including original series like "Betas" and "Alpha House."

Currently, the service relies on third-party devices like the Roku box to stream its programs to TVs.

[kelroy55]

Oh sure, right after I get my ROKU all set up *lol* It does look interesting and I may get this for my living room and move my Roku into the bedroom. However I have a bunch of stations set up on the Roku I don't know if they are available for the Fire TV.

Fire TV: Amazon Unveils $99 Competitor to Roku, Apple TV - NBC News

[Chadanth]

Amazon Fire TV – Streaming Media Player – Shop Now

[Pete]

I really like and respect the information and reviews on CNET:

Amazon Fire TV Preview - CNET


They are claiming 3x the speed of Roku or Google and seem to be focusing more on gaming than the other two.

Also features voice search through the remote -- slick!


I would absolutely love to be able to cut cable and I'm getting closer and closer to making that decision.

[trousers]

Once I finish rewatching the last season of Deadwood on HBOGo the box is going back.
Monday I called Cox's retention number, after sitting on hold long enough to watch 2/3rds of an epsiode I decided that they didn't really want to retain me as a customer.

[Pete]

The cable companies are going to meet the same fate as Blockbuster: near monopolies that have terrible customer service, bad pricing and given the first decent alternative (like Netflix) people run away.

At least DirecTV pretty much gets customer service, although their pricing model is pretty bloody expensive.

[Garin]

The cable companies are going to ride it all the way down to the bottom, just like the newspaper and magazine companies. Streaming tv and video is the greatest invention all time.

[Pete]

The whole delivery model has shifted to on-demand versus broadcasting content 24/7 on hundreds of channels. You are effectively paying for tons of crap you will never, ever watch just so you can get ESPN or whatever other limited number of channels and programs you really care about.

The only thing that really matters to me on TV is sports, yet I can't get what I want without having to pay a $100 per month (or more) to get a bunch of reality TV junk and Gilligan's Island re-runs.

It's an industry crying out for a revolution and once it comes, those that have been forcing themselves and their pricing upon the consumer will be rapidly driven into extinction. And most will be delighted to dance on their graves.

[Chadanth]

The whole delivery model has shifted to on-demand versus broadcasting content 24/7 on hundreds of channels. You are effectively paying for tons of crap you will never, ever watch just so you can get ESPN or whatever other limited number of channels and programs you really care about.

The only thing that really matters to me on TV is sports, yet I can't get what I want without having to pay a $100 per month (or more) to get a bunch of reality TV junk and Gilligan's Island re-runs.

It's an industry crying out for a revolution and once it comes, those that have been forcing themselves and their pricing upon the consumer will be rapidly driven into extinction. And most will be delighted to dance on their graves.

Now that amazon and google are in with both feet, I think the demise of the traditional content delivery model is coming even faster. And I welcome it with open arms, as most consumers would.

[Anonymous.]

Cable companies are going to milk it to their television death. But they still have a strangle hold on us for internet.

What needs to happen, is the government needs to step in and claim internet as a basic utility and regulate the rampant cable companies that are charging US consumers stupid high amounts for extremely limited service. If you want to see how jipped we are, look at anywhere in Europe, they have crazy fast internet for cheaper than we have the worst internet speeds.

I recently had to setup with Cox's "essential" internet plan (which is $47 a month for a measily 5mbps). Since I already owned my own modem and router and coaxials, there was no reason to buy or rent equipment or even have it installed 'professionally'. However, they STILL charge you the installation price for "self setup" $30. Thirty bucks for them to do nothing other than get 30 more dollars. That right there is the definition of greed.

[Pete]

Cable companies are going to milk it to their television death. But they still have a strangle hold on us for internet.

Very good point.

I have Verizon FIOS, as they spent millions running fiber optic cable to almost every home in my community. The even tore up the residential streets and then fixed them long before they had a single subscriber here.

Their Internet service is awesome, so I use them for TV as well, because the bundling of the two make it pretty reasonable.

The problem with Internet is that you still have to have a wired back channel; a way of sending signal upstream from you computer. So, you can get a satellite dish but then you have to come up with another way to transmit data back.

For these reasons, cable is here to stay for quite a while, even if you want to ditch the TV service.


Seems like they need to do a better job of deregulating services that can use the existing cable infrastructure to bring more Internet service providers.

[kelroy55]

I think I'll hold off on the Amazon box and either get a Roku or Chromecast stick for the TV in the bedroom. I don't think there's a lot of difference other than I already have a Roku set up for the main TV.

[GoOKC1991]

If I could all my sports and none of the other stuff, I would be very happy, unfortunately, that will never happen.

I have DirecTV and pay way too much just for all the ESPN's, Fox Sports 1/2, NBCSN, etc.

I also have NFL Sunday Ticket. I have subscriptions to MLB, NBA and NHL online.

[trousers]

I'm going to see how well just the Roku + antenna works for me.
Try that for a bit and then see if there are any holes that the Chromecast can fill.

[kelroy55]

What does the Chromecast have that Roku doesn't?

[trousers]

I dont think much except Google Play. One feature that I want is to be able to stream my music to my surround sound, a feature that my ancient system cant support on its own.
I probably spend as much time listening to music as watching TV.

[kelroy55]

I run everything through my receiver and can use Plex to send my music to my receiver.

[trousers]

That may solve my problem then. I still haven't had much time to play with the Roku yet.
Almost done rewatching Deadwood, once its finished the cable box will be gone & will have lots of time to figure this out.

[OKCretro]

I have had an apple tv, and mainly watch ESPN3 on it and an occasional movie.

Here is my question, when I miss a show and watch it online on the CBS website, they show commercials in it every 7 minutes that you cant Fast forward. Is it the same like that on ROKU? or do the channels not have any commercials?

[kelroy55]

I watch most shows on Hulu and some are commercial free. CBS is pretty stingy on letting other sites have their shows though.

[shawnw]

In addition to Google Play for Chromecast, the Chromecast API is open so many more apps will add connectivity to Chromecast over time. They can also establish Roku channels, but what you will find is that over time the fixed hardware of the Roku eventually can't handle newer channels. For example, I have a Roku 1 and two Roku 2s. My Roku 1 can't get all of the channels that my Roku 2 can because of hardware limitations. I don't believe that will ever be the case for the Chromecast since it's just taking the relayed DLNA stream from your device/app combo in most cases. P.S. you can actually get away with not getting a Chromecast if you have a DLNA compatible Blu-Ray player hooked into your home audio setup. There are DLNA streaming apps for Android out there that will stream your music (even Google Play music, you still use the "Cast" button even) to that DLNA device and thus play on your home audio setup. I didn't learn this until after I got a Chromecast, so I put the Chromecast in the bedroom to listen to music (I'm a Google Play Music All-Access subscriber) and listen in the living room via that DLNA setup. Win win.

[kelroy55]

I'm slowly detoxing from my 250 channels and went with the way lower plan and really only lost one channel I liked but I can get that one on the net. I'm sure I'll wean myself off the cord completely soon. I still need how to stream shows from my browser to Roku using Plex.

[shawnw]

I'm under the impression that plex and playon are similar. I have playon. Playon requires an intermediate server, so I have a PC that runs the playon service. That service is the "tranceiver" so to speak. The roku accesses the playon menu from the PC/service. When I select a show, it streams to the PC in its native format, and the playon service converts it to a format the roku playon channel understands and it plays (same if I'm using the mobile playon client instead of the roku client). I suspect the plex setup works the same way...

[kelroy55]

I use the Plex for movies and things like that that are on my PC but not sure if I can send stuff I'm getting streamed into my PC through Plex.

[trousers]

I have had the chord cut for about a week now. Miss the Golf Channel & Game of Thrones but that is about it.