Roku users, I gawt a kweshtun.

[CaseyJ955]

It was not that many years ago that I cut cords down to stand alone internet and OOMA (no cell reception at home). When I watch TV it's streaming from Netflix or maybe Prime, I plan to nix prime soon for some glaring annoyances that Netflix has so far not inflicted on it's customers.

 

The real issue I'm having is streaming from my Samsung K8500 55" TV. It works but I do have to unplug it a couple times a week to reset the apps to function again. I can live with that but the deal breaker with this smart set is a "Sponsored" Samsung news link I cant get rid of, cant hide it, cant move it. I own the TV outright and wont accept monetization attempts by the mfr.

 

Being the privacy conscious guy that I am I'm obviously not a Google or Apple customer, I have an Android phone but it's rooted and completely de-Googled with an aftermarket OS. I wish I could do that to this damn TV! Can I do that to the TV? I think I'm through with Amazon too after using Prime for awhile. It leaves the Roku and not much else that I know of. I have sort of a two part question before I can decide on this route.

 

1. Does Roku have any sponsored links, forced content or any monetization attempts beyond the sale of the device itself? I'm looking at a Roku Premiere 2019 as it seems to have what I need and not the stuff I wont use. I ask because this discussion is not readily available with a search. I want nothing with voice features, just 4k streaming capability.

 

2. Are there any other good services like Netflix that I can get on Roku, I've read that many apps are available. I dislike Prime due to the forced trailers before a feature and the rows of added cost viewing that almost obscures the included content. I like Netflix because there is none of that crap, making it a bargain even at the recently raised prices. Any other advert/annoyance free services like that that you guys personally like. I have read about 97% of them have some adverts so any that dont I'm interested in, even at a cost.

 

Thanks folks!!

[t_hole]

I recently switched from a FireTV Stick to a Roku Streaming Stick+. It does come with some apps/channels pre-installed but I just removed them and added the things I use (Prime Videos, YouTube TV, Plexus) and it seems to work fine for me. I get what you're saying about the forced trailers on Prime, but there's usually a skip option to bypass them. I don't watch too much on there but do enjoy some of the shows they offer (Grand Tour). I figure since I'm already paying the subscription for the other Prime benefits I might as well keep it as a viewing option even if I don't use it much.

 

As for other apps/services for the Roku, there's tons available. Some are free/sponsored and others are subscription based like Netflix. You'll have to do your homework to figure out what best fits your budget & needs and what nuances each may have that you're willing or not to tolerate.

[DanielM]

I'm a big fan of Google Chromecast. Have on on every tv in my house. Basically can stream anything to it with no extra commercials etc.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

[mlgower]

I don't use a Roku, but I am a big user of Android TV boxes and am a big fan of the M8s Pro L with the S912 chip. Its a fast box and since it is android has access to the play store. I get apps from there as well as can sideload other apps that can get you whatever you want. May be an option if you are looking to switch it up a bit. There is a Youtube channel called Electrical MD that has a ton of info on this subject. Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

[camos]

I give a Plus 1 to Android boxes running Kodi and Exodus. A decent one on Amazon will run $60 - $70. As mlgower said, the S912 chip is supposed to be better for running Kodi, however I have been successfully using a couple with the S905 chip for about 7 years and don't have any complaints. The amount of RAM memory is probably just as important. Mine has 2 GB but these days there are boxes with 4 GB available.

 

I have two of them, one is plugged directly into my network and the other is connected by WiFi and both work about the same. You will need a minimum 7 MB/S internet connection and to get that reliably it takes a 15 MB/S account. Otherwise buffering becomes a headache. The down side to getting your video entertainment off the internet is the amount of bandwidth that gets used. Haven't looked lately but I seem to recall using about 300 GB/month.

[CaseyJ955]

I don't use a Roku, but I am a big user of Android TV boxes and am a big fan of the M8s Pro L with the S912 chip. Its a fast box and since it is android has access to the play store. I get apps from there as well as can sideload other apps that can get you whatever you want. May be an option if you are looking to switch it up a bit. There is a Youtube channel called Electrical MD that has a ton of info on this subject. Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

...

 

I have two of them, one is plugged directly into my network and the other is connected by WiFi and both work about the same. You will need a minimum 7 MB/S internet connection and to get that reliably it takes a 15 MB/S account. Otherwise buffering becomes a headache. The down side to getting your video entertainment off the internet is the amount of bandwidth that gets used. Haven't looked lately but I seem to recall using about 300 GB/month.

 

Thank you, I was searching best streaming devices and reading many reviews, but somehow the existence of this M8s eluded my attention altogether until it was brought up here. I like it, like it quite a bit. The thought of a streaming device that gives me more control is fantastic. It sounds like the sad part is that it wont work with my painfully slow rural internet. Although DSL it might crack 1.5 on a good day, usually half of that. I can still stream Netflix and Prime without buffering usually, rather than buffering it will go a little grainy from time to time. I've only used the TVs smart functions to stream, before the Smart TV I used the PC directly since it's plugged into the same monitor.

 

Sounds like my bandwidth is well under what is required for an M8s but I'm not done with the idea. It's too cool.

 

From all else that I have read, the Roku might be the best choice for cheap and workable with my ultra-slow internet, so I'll do that for now but the M8s is on my short list as soon as I get moved. I wont expect one to work with my speeds, but I'm not going to be able to resist getting one and playing with it. It should be usable after I get moved.

 

Thanks! I now know what I must do.

[camos]

Sounds like my bandwidth is well under what is required for an M8s but I'm not done with the idea. It's too cool.

 

From all else that I have read, the Roku might be the best choice for cheap and workable with my ultra-slow internet, so I'll do that for now but the M8s is on my short list as soon as I get moved. I wont expect one to work with my speeds, but I'm not going to be able to resist getting one and playing with it. It should be usable after I get moved.

The M8S is just one brand of Android box and there is not that much difference between all of them. Roku is most likely just another version of an Android box that has been specifically set up to run the Roku app. It will also run the Netflix app and it has other video apps including a YouTube app that is very good. Not a lot different from what comes with a Smart TV. Android boxes come with a bunch of apps built in and other apps available from Google Play, just like for Android phones. I put Chrome on my Android box and use that to watch the news streaming in HD.

 

The good thing about having a Roku or a plain Android box is that it is not tied into the TV so if there is a problem with that end of things it is not necessary to throw away a perfectly good TV to get video streaming back. These video boxes are not much different from a PC in the way they can provide video streaming. The big advantage over the PC is the cost is so much less. A decent graphic card for a PC costs about twice what the whole Android box costs with all the necessities such as Wifi, good graphics and a decent processor built into a 5" square package.

 

For a few years I ran Linux on an old obsolescent PC that eventually needed a new graphics card because the resolution of the videos available kept increasing. A new graphics card was going to cost twice what an Android box could be purchased for. So it's not cost effective to upgrade old PC hardware to run video.

 

A friend of mine started with Roku and had a Roku account for a couple of years. It worked great until she had watched all the videos they had that she liked. Then she got a Netflix account and the same thing happened after a year. There is new stuff getting put up but not that much and even less when filtered through what you like to watch. She uses the Android with Exodus the most for movies and only uses the YouTube app on the Roku because it is better than the one on the Android box.

 

Buffering is totally related to the amount of data being streamed and that is mostly affected by the resolution of the video and the speed of your connection. If you can stream video over your PC then you can also stream it over either a Roku or an Android box.

[CaseyJ955]

The M8S is just one brand of Android box and there is not that much difference between all of them. Roku is most likely just another version of an Android box that has been specifically set up to run the Roku app. It will also run the Netflix app and it has other video apps including a YouTube app that is very good. Not a lot different from what comes with a Smart TV. Android boxes come with a bunch of apps built in and other apps available from Google Play, just like for Android phones. I put Chrome on my Android box and use that to watch the news streaming in HD.

 

The good thing about having a Roku or a plain Android box is that it is not tied into the TV so if there is a problem with that end of things it is not necessary to throw away a perfectly good TV to get video streaming back. These video boxes are not much different from a PC in the way they can provide video streaming. The big advantage over the PC is the cost is so much less. A decent graphic card for a PC costs about twice what the whole Android box costs with all the necessities such as Wifi, good graphics and a decent processor built into a 5" square package.

 

For a few years I ran Linux on an old obsolescent PC that eventually needed a new graphics card because the resolution of the videos available kept increasing. A new graphics card was going to cost twice what an Android box could be purchased for. So it's not cost effective to upgrade old PC hardware to run video.

 

A friend of mine started with Roku and had a Roku account for a couple of years. It worked great until she had watched all the videos they had that she liked. Then she got a Netflix account and the same thing happened after a year. There is new stuff getting put up but not that much and even less when filtered through what you like to watch. She uses the Android with Exodus the most for movies and only uses the YouTube app on the Roku because it is better than the one on the Android box.

 

Buffering is totally related to the amount of data being streamed and that is mostly affected by the resolution of the video and the speed of your connection. If you can stream video over your PC then you can also stream it over either a Roku or an Android box.

 

I'm glad to know this, I was out just this morning and picking up a Roku was on my list. I usually get overwhelmed in town before I get to the end of any list of more than about 2 items so no Roku yet. So I'll skip the Roku and try out the M8s box if it might work just as well. Do you have a recommended source for these boxes? I see plenty on Ebay and the range of quality looks pretty vast.

 

Can these boxes be rooted or will already be able to remove Google play and Google services from it?

 

Thanks! I'm actually happy to go the M8 route.

[camos]

I'm glad to know this, I was out just this morning and picking up a Roku was on my list. I usually get overwhelmed in town before I get to the end of any list of more than about 2 items so no Roku yet. So I'll skip the Roku and try out the M8s box if it might work just as well. Do you have a recommended source for these boxes? I see plenty on Ebay and the range of quality looks pretty vast.

 

Can these boxes be rooted or will already be able to remove Google play and Google services from it?

 

Thanks! I'm actually happy to go the M8 route.

My preferred source for these things is amazon.ca mostly because shipping is free with no border hassles.

 

I was checking out Android boxes for a friend a couple of weeks ago and found what I thought was a pretty good one for about $70 CDN. Prices are probably lower on amazon.com but I can dig up a link or two if you would like.

 

I don't think Android boxes have Google Services installed. Google Play is a good place to get a browser for them and it is also easier to get the Kodi app there than installing it from the Kodi site. These boxes are generally not geo-located so you can watch videos from other countries without getting blocked. I'm guessing that means they don't need to be rooted like a phone might be.

[CaseyJ955]

My preferred source for these things is amazon.ca mostly because shipping is free with no border hassles.

 

I was checking out Android boxes for a friend a couple of weeks ago and found what I thought was a pretty good one for about $70 CDN. Prices are probably lower on amazon.com but I can dig up a link or two if you would like.

 

I don't think Android boxes have Google Services installed. Google Play is a good place to get a browser for them and it is also easier to get the Kodi app there than installing it from the Kodi site. These boxes are generally not geo-located so you can watch videos from other countries without getting blocked. I'm guessing that means they don't need to be rooted like a phone might be.

 

My phone is rooted and degoogled so to install an app I have to snag it in API form and install manually, or use Fdroid.

If you have a link, or even a brand of box that you recommend that would be great. Heavy tilt towards any brands made outside China, if any are. It actually sounds like it has a lot of headroom for when my viewing habits change. Do these things work with satellite internet? Thats what I'll have after I move.

 

Thanks!

[camos]

My phone is rooted and degoogled so to install an app I have to snag it in API form and install manually, or use Fdroid.

Is rooting very difficult/hazardous? I have a low end Motorola that does not have much storage space. I put in a memory card formatted for internal storage but very little gets put on it and I keep running low on space for apps. Most of the apps I have on the phone are google crap that I never use so it would be helpful to get rid of them.

If you have a link, or even a brand of box that you recommend that would be great. Heavy tilt towards any brands made outside China, if any are. It actually sounds like it has a lot of headroom for when my viewing habits change. Do these things work with satellite internet? Thats what I'll have after I move.

 

Thanks!

I would venture to say there are no Android boxes that are not made in China. There are a few Like the Rasberry that appear to be not built in China but have Chinese parts so is there really any difference? My personal opinion is that because electronics for the most part will break in 90 days of use or work more or less forever, just take your chances and go for the feature/price point that seems to be the best bang for the buck.

 

This unit has every feature I want with a medium price. It's made in China. It has more RAM and more storage than than the two boxes I currently have.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07PVY6M8P/?coliid=I26XJ7FQT1YX7L&colid=1V9QZKMJ2NJ2L&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

This one has the Amlogic S905 chip rather than the Amlogic S912. I've read that the S912 is the better choice but have never seen a reason why. My first Android box had the S905 and it worked just fine for 5 or 6 or 7 years, can't remember, it was retired because Kodi was upgraded over time and needed a newer version of Android to work. I regard these things as cheap enough to be considered throw away items.

 

Do get a Bluetooth or similar keyboard to use along with the supplied remote. My preference is one with a backlit keyboard and uses batteries rather than a built in battery and charger. Makes for one less thing to wear out and I use rechargeable AA batteries instead.

 

I've never had satellite internet but would expect the various supply methods would work transparently to your home network devices. I have cable broadband internet with a dual wifi capable modem upstairs and have a separate dual wifi router connected by cable downstairs to widen the range. My phone can connect anywhere on my lot. Cable is faster than wifi but the Android box upstairs is connected by wifi and the one downstairs is connected by cable and they both work the same so they are well within the parameters of the Android boxes.