Mercury33 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 So I finally convinced my wife to cut the cord. I think we're going to go with YouTube TV with Philo tv to supplement. We already have Netflix and Prime. I wish I could run everything through my LG TV but Philo isn't supported on it yet nor is it on Xbox or PS. I've read a bunch of reviews on all three but they seem pretty inclusive. Figured I'd turn to the fine ladies and gentlemen of D1P for some advice. I think I'm leaning towards Roku Ultra since I'm not very tied into Apple and I've heard mixed reviews on the performance of the Fire TV. What do you guys think? Experiences with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Apple TV is the way to go for 4k HDR content since it has both HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. There’s a deal on it with DirectTV Now: pay for 3 months (about $100) and you get a free AppleTV 4k ($150-180 normally), and you can cancel the DTVN thing immediately so you don’t get autobilled after three months. Also, moviesanywhere includes iTunes which generally has the highest quality stream for movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I don't think there's really any content that the Roku or the Fire have that isn't also on the Apple TV. For a while you had to choose between iTunes and Amazon, but with that resolved I think the Apple TV is probably the best bet, though it is more expensive (unless you get a deal like Spork mentioned). The one feature of Roku that I do think is worth some consideration is the headphone jack in the remote. You can also use bluetooth headphones through the app, but either way if you are in a position where watching TV with headphones is useful, Roku's solution is pretty good. The Fire TV doesn't really have any stand out features other than being cheap and being able to buy Amazon content through the device (you have to rent movies on the web to watch on the Apple TV). I suppose there's some Alexa integration, but even as a heavy Alexa user that doesn't really appeal to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massdriver Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I have an older Roku 3 in one room and an Apple TV 4K in the other. Either one is fine. I also have YouTube tv and like it, but it will come down to channel selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I am so ready to ditch Verzion and sign up for Direct TV Now. Anyone have experience with Direct TV Now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massdriver Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 14 minutes ago, ManUtdRedDevils said: I am so ready to ditch Verzion and sign up for Direct TV Now. Anyone have experience with Direct TV Now? My brother has it. Picture quality is excellent, but it is buggy and has a crappy DVR. He has it because it has the channels he wants. YouTube tv has a fairly stable app and I like the DVR/on demand, but it is missing some critical channels like History and DIY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 The issue with using a Roku or Fire TV/Cube is the lack of Dolby Vision support, which is noticeably superior to HDR10 IMO. If your TV doesn't support DV, then yea, go with a cheaper option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 2 hours ago, ManUtdRedDevils said: I am so ready to ditch Verzion and sign up for Direct TV Now. Anyone have experience with Direct TV Now? https://www.directvnow.com/appletv Looks like they upped the subscription price and amount, a week ago it was $35/month for the base subscription and you only needed to buy 3 months. Now it's $40/month and 4 months needed. Still, if you're looking to cut the cord and need a good streaming device, $160 is what an Apple TV 4k will run you anyway, plus you're getting to "try out" DTVN. Since movies anywhere is now a thing I don't think you really need to be invested in the Apple ecosystem to justify the ATV, especially since it's the only one that currently has the aforementioned Dolby Vision support. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc0101 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Youtube Tv isn't available in my area so we are on Hulu TV which isn't awful but nothing special. I have a Fire TV and Apple TV and prefer the Apple TV over the Fire by quite a lot. My Fire TV locks up quite a bit and just seems to be more buggy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I use a fire stick and have no complaints. But like somebody else said nothing really stands out about it. It does its job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 How is Comcast as an internet provider? I can’t seem to get a decent internet package with Verizon because I am an existing cusomter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 11 minutes ago, ManUtdRedDevils said: How is Comcast as an internet provider? I can’t seem to get a decent internet package with Verizon because I am an existing cusomter. I have them(have no choice) and they’re decent enough. I stream and play a lot of games and never noticed any slow down. I just got an LD B7 OLED so sounds like Apple TV is the way to go. Does anyone know if you can buy different remotes to work with it? I’ve heard their remote is trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 46 minutes ago, Mercury33 said: I have them(have no choice) and they’re decent enough. I stream and play a lot of games and never noticed any slow down. I just got an LD B7 OLED so sounds like Apple TV is the way to go. Does anyone know if you can buy different remotes to work with it? I’ve heard their remote is trash. I think universal remotes work with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyD Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Shield TV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ort Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Yes, other remotes will work with the Apple TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dre801 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I loved my Roku box when I used it. I was disappointed with my Fire Stick. Maybe I got a flaky one, but it constantly dropped its WiFi connection, so I retired it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 16 hours ago, Mercury33 said: I have them(have no choice) and they’re decent enough. I stream and play a lot of games and never noticed any slow down. Thanks. Verizon, like most IPs, treat existing customers terribly so I have to switch for a year to another service and Comcast is the only other IP available to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 All I know is that Roku is probably the easiest to use in terms of the controller and UI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 1 hour ago, ManUtdRedDevils said: Thanks. Verizon, like most IPs, treat existing customers terribly so I have to switch for a year to another service and Comcast is the only other IP available to me. Yeah I don’t know that they treat me great but I’ve never really had to call them to fix anything in the years I’ve had them so they seem ok haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 39 minutes ago, Mercury33 said: Yeah I don’t know that they treat me great but I’ve never really had to call them to fix anything in the years I’ve had them so they seem ok haha I was just talking about the experience of being an existing customer and trying to get a decent deal after your contract is up. Every decent bundle is for new customers and the existing customers can suck a big dick. Verizon wants me to pay $100 for a package that is extremely inferior to the $80 one new customers get. Insurance companies do the same shit. It’s less annoying with the insurance. Now I will need to schedule a technician to setup Comcast internet for a year until I can go back to Verizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 Is that how long you have to be gone to qualify as a new subscriber? I was wondering if the cord cutting experiment doesn't work out how long i would have to have been gone to get their deals again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Depends on the IP. I was told by Verizon it is 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfit410 Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Shield TV is still better than all of them, but if I had to choose one of those listed I'd go firetv simply because being able to sideload apps is vital as they all lack something. All one needs to load an app onto firetv is to have an android tablet or phone with the Apps2Fire app, was able to put plenty of emulators, Kodi and most importantly the Steam Link Beta app onto my firetv stick and it's a killer little gaming device as a result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSoxFan9 Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 kodi is the only thing I’d miss if I gave up my shield tv I'd go with Apple TV since it looks like they will soon be a major player in streaming/original content market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 On 8/3/2018 at 8:49 AM, misfit410 said: Shield TV is still better than all of them Since when does Shield TV support Dolby Vision? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfit410 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 5 hours ago, Spork3245 said: Since when does Shield TV support Dolby Vision? The Audio features on ATV are so far behind its digusting. No DTS, even with Atmos it's only the crap lossy DD+ version. Shield has full uncompressed Audio support, and fuck having a 4K box that can't handle MKV video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 28 minutes ago, misfit410 said: The Audio features on ATV are so far behind its digusting. No DTS, even with Atmos it's only the crap lossy DD+ version. Shield has full uncompressed Audio support, and fuck having a 4K box that can't handle MKV video. The Dolby features of STV are so far behind it’s disgusting. No Dolby Vision or Atmos, even with “full uncompressed” audio you still don’t get the surround quality of Atmos. Uncompressed audio means absolutely nothing when the OP is focused on internet streaming and not ripping everything to their PC. ATV can stream MKV files through the VLC app, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfit410 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 3 hours ago, Spork3245 said: The Dolby features of STV are so far behind it’s disgusting. No Dolby Vision or Atmos, even with “full uncompressed” audio you still don’t get the surround quality of Atmos. Uncompressed audio means absolutely nothing when the OP is focused on internet streaming and not ripping everything to their PC. ATV can stream MKV files through the VLC app, btw. You are aware Shield has had Atmos since 2016 right? VIsion is only an incremental update to HDR10 which Shield supports, in fact it's little more than just extra information that insures compatibility so it's hardly a killer feature when you're pairing it with less apps, less options, and crappy compressed audio. They had 3 friggen generations since the Shield came out and that's really all you got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CastlevaniaNut18 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 We went from a Fire TV to a Roku for all of our TVs and we've been quite happy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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