Roku vs Firestick streamers to supplement Hopper

[PortlandChris]

I have a Roku stick, a regular Roku, a firestick, a chromecast, google TV (dead), and find that the Roku stand alone unit works the best. The Roku stick is OK. I find the Firestick slower than molasses and I hate it.

Content wise, Firestick wins, the slowness kills me.

 

[Juan]

The only problem with Roku is the software upgrades....its almost like they force you to buy a new unit

I have a Roku stick, a regular Roku, a firestick, a chromecast, google TV (dead), and find that the Roku stand alone unit works the best. The Roku stick is OK. I find the Firestick slower than molasses and I hate it.

Content wise, Firestick wins, the slowness kills me.

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[PortlandChris]

What problems? I really don't see any issues with the Roku. I do see that Roku is being squeezed out of the market. The Android Apps can seemingly do more and provide more options. Fire is just so slow.

The only problem with Roku is the software upgrades....its almost like they force you to buy a new unit

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[ncted]

What problems? I really don't see any issues with the Roku. I do see that Roku is being squeezed out of the market. The Android Apps can seemingly do more and provide more options. Fire is just so slow.

How is Roku being squeezed out of the market?

Also, if your Firestick is slow in general, you should maybe try a factory reset. Even the first generation should still be usable. If it is slow to respond to remote inputs, try relocating it to open air. I have one room, where it took me a long time to fine the right location for it to get good remote reception. I've had similar issues with Rokus, and the factory resets and positioning matter for those as well.

 

[Juan]

Roku hasn't been squeezed at all...I had the first box...they continuously upgrade the software..and eventually the hardware in the box can't handle the new software..you get freezes and reboots...then you get the latest greatest...it turns into..rinse, lather and repeat

What problems? I really don't see any issues with the Roku. I do see that Roku is being squeezed out of the market. The Android Apps can seemingly do more and provide more options. Fire is just so slow.

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Bruce]

Roku hasn't been squeezed at all...I had the first box...they continuously upgrade the software..and eventually the hardware in the box can't handle the new software..you get freezes and reboots...then you get the latest greatest...it turns into..rinse, lather and repeat

Which is the same for most electronic equipment, can you use a 5 year old receiver to get Atmos or try to activate a older set top box with Dish.

Why should Roku be different?




Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[ncted]

Which is the same for most electronic equipment, can you use a 5 year old receiver to get Atmos or try to activate a older set top box with Dish.

Why should Roku be different?




Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

Progress marches on...

 

[AntiMoz]

Firestick question. Long time Dish sub at remote cabin. Hopper 3 in living room with a wired Joey in the bedroom. Limited Internet service is provided through a 4G LTE WiFi router. Hopper is connected to the WiFi router. We have spotty 4G LTE service and a very limited data cap so no streaming or on-demand used by any devices. We use the 4G LTE for email and light web surfing only.

Currently I use the Dish Anywhere app on my iPad while connected to the WiFi network to watch content in the garage. This works great even when there is no Internet access. I want to add a TV to the garage instead of watching on the iPad. Will the Firestick work effectively as a Wireless Joey on my local WiFi network even when there is no or limited Internet available?

 

[TheKrell]

After my extremely ponderous Roku SE, my FireTV Sticks are blindingly fast. The only issues I've had I attribute to poor wifi reception. I'm contemplating a mesh network to fix that.

Progress marches on...

You can take my W2K computer when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!

 

[ncted]

After my extremely ponderous Roku SE, my FireTV Sticks are blindingly fast. The only issues I've had I attribute to poor wifi reception. I'm contemplating a mesh network to fix that.


You can take my W2K computer when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!

The SE had the same specs as a Roku 1, which is from 2014. I'm not surprised you found it ponderous.

 

[TheKrell]

The SE had the same specs as a Roku 1

I think you are right but I also think it had hardware even slower (and cheaper) than the Roku 1. But at the time, $15 was the right price for me to test the streaming waters.

 

[PortlandChris]

I am not talking equipment quality and operating system.

I am talking competitors. Let's face it, Android is pushing Roku hard and Roku is not responding well. For instance, DISH has an APP for Android, but not for Roku. That's just one of many. Roku is the little guy in the market, but it is the best quality, its just all these proprietary systems have better content available.

Roku hasn't been squeezed at all...I had the first box...they continuously upgrade the software..and eventually the hardware in the box can't handle the new software..you get freezes and reboots...then you get the latest greatest...it turns into..rinse, lather and repeat

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[PortlandChris]

Points noted, but yes I have interchanged the Roku stick and the Amazon stick in different rooms. Roku stick and it's remote move fast. Amazon stick and its remote are slower than molasses. And yes I have done a factory re-set.

Maybe I have a bum unit, I do not know. I know what I see - all of my other units.....Rokus, Chromecast, Google TV, etc. all work much more fluidly. But the Fire stick just has more content available and is more customized to various channels and content. It's just so friggin slow.

How is Roku being squeezed out of the market?

View attachment 139744

Also, if your Firestick is slow in general, you should maybe try a factory reset. Even the first generation should still be usable. If it is slow to respond to remote inputs, try relocating it to open air. I have one room, where it took me a long time to fine the right location for it to get good remote reception. I've had similar issues with Rokus, and the factory resets and positioning matter for those as well.

 

[osu1991]

My fire sticks ran circles around the Rokus I had including last years model before it got fried in a power surge.

 

[ncted]

My fire sticks ran circles around the Rokus I had including last years model before it got fried in a power surge.

Yeah, I suspect Chris is having similar issues to what I had with my first Firestick. I eventually got it work well, but took time and effort.

 

[ncted]

https://www.multichannel.com/news/roku-and-fire-tv-control-70-percent-of-smp-market

Roku and Amazon both continue to grow market share.

 

[DISH Support]

What if you want to watch more than 2 Sling streams at once?

Watching Anything on DISH Anywhere takes over one tuner in your Hopper with Sling. What this means is that only one person at a time can watch Live TV, Recordings, or even On Demand content one at a time.

However, you can see about joining another tuner by going through DISH Anywhere's Live TV to see if that helps. Check out this link to get the steps: DISH Anywhere | Managing Live TV | MyDISH | DISH Customer Support

Hope this helps!

 

[DishSubLA]

I have bad news for you. The kissing and making up did not extend to the Echo Show. Only Fire Devices so far. BUT, the Show does have Silk and FireFox browsers, so that workaround is still available.

Hi, eddie, I think there's a misunderstanding. When you say the "YouTube app" on your Fire, are you referring to what appears as an app which actually reads "youtube.com" if so, that is not really the YouTube app. I went to my Fire soon after your post and saw the same youtube.com Fire app, but not the true YouTube app.

Amazon's solution to no longer having the real YouTube app was for Amazon to create its own Fire TV app that when launched takes you to YouTube.com website via Amazon's Silk browser or the Firefox browser. The display and experience of the work around youtube.com app is very, very similar to the true YouTube app. In fact, I find it functions just as well as the true YouTube app did. this confusion also explains why there is still no YouTube app on Echo Show products because Amazon and Google have not kissed and made up, yet.

Please be aware that there are other third-party apps that also connect to youtube.com with various names like kids for YouTube as opposed to the official YouTube for kids, or videos for YouTube etc with the same bright red color of the official YouTube app., but none of those are the official YouTube app. instead they are apps from third-party developers Perhaps you saw or downloaded one of those. As far as I know Amazon still does not offer the true official YouTube app from Google's YouTube.

Unless I missed something I can't recall nor find any announcement that Amazon and Google have made up, so Amazon cannot offer the true YouTube app. Am I wrong or was this just confusion of similar looking apps that are not officially from YouTube?

 

[DishSubLA]

Watching Anything on DISH Anywhere takes over one tuner in your Hopper with Sling. What this means is that only one person at a time can watch Live TV, Recordings, or even On Demand content one at a time.

However, you can see about joining another tuner by going through DISH Anywhere's Live TV to see if that helps. Check out this link to get the steps: DISH Anywhere | Managing Live TV | MyDISH | DISH Customer Support

Hope this helps!

A nice reply a nice reply. Thank you for being there for us. However the way that post is phrased it makes it sound like it functions like a Slingbox. I think what you meant was one person viewing live TV etc. streaming via the Dish Anywhere app. I had to read the post a few times before I really understood what you meant. I hope you don't mind my mentioning it. Please do not take it negatively. I look forward to your coming Posts in the future and thank you for contributing to help a poster. A hearty welcome to you, Dish DIRT Team Staff member .

 

[Nominal]

Hi, eddie, I think there's a misunderstanding. When you say the "YouTube app" on your Fire, are you referring to what appears as an app which actually reads "youtube.com" if so, that is not really the YouTube app. I went to my Fire soon after your post and saw the same youtube.com Fire app, but not the true YouTube app.

Amazon's solution to no longer having the real YouTube app was for Amazon to create its own Fire TV app that when launched takes you to YouTube.com website via Amazon's Silk browser or the Firefox browser. The display and experience of the work around youtube.com app is very, very similar to the true YouTube app. In fact, I find it functions just as well as the true YouTube app did. this confusion also explains why there is still no YouTube app on Echo Show products because Amazon and Google have not kissed and made up, yet.

Please be aware that there are other third-party apps that also connect to youtube.com with various names like kids for YouTube as opposed to the official YouTube for kids, or videos for YouTube etc with the same bright red color of the official YouTube app., but none of those are the official YouTube app. instead they are apps from third-party developers Perhaps you saw or downloaded one of those. As far as I know Amazon still does not offer the true official YouTube app from Google's YouTube.

Unless I missed something I can't recall nor find any announcement that Amazon and Google have made up, so Amazon cannot offer the true YouTube app. Am I wrong or was this just confusion of similar looking apps that are not officially from YouTube?

YouTube is Coming Back to The Amazon Fire TV Later Today - Cord Cutters News