TubeNet

Do any of you have experience with, or at least informed opinions on, the plethora of streaming players? We gave up cable awhile back trying to cut costs. We have an antenna on the family room TV that picks up a couple of local channels and then we have the Wii hooked up on that TV as well so we can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime.

I'd like to get something for the TV in the bedroom but I am completely at a loss with all of the new technology options. So far, the Roku 2 looks like the best option for me, but I'm still pretty confused. I'm intrigued by Apple TV since I'm a Mac user but I believe it would be a partial waste as my iPhone is a 4 and my iPad is a first generation, plus my wife's laptop is a PC.

Anybody have experience with the new Google Chromecast?

As always, thank you for your assistance, your smart*** remarks and the smiles that usually follow said smart*** remarks

How about a small HTPC (Home Theater PC) which can stream anything that's on the Net?

Heavy_Metal wrote:How about a small HTPC (Home Theater PC) which can stream anything that's on the Net?

I do regularly hook up my Macbook to one of the TV's to watch some stuff (through the HDMI port) but I want something inexpensive and small that I don't have to move around or that won't be in the way.

Get a Roku, its exactly what you need. I bought one about 6 months ago and use it all the time for Amazon video and Neflix, and also Amazon music, iHeart and Tune in radio. I haven't hooked my laptop up to my TV since getting the Roku.

I bought two of the Roku LT's, one for my parents, when they were the cheapest model and they rock. I think one of the newer ones is about the same price now. There are also apps to control it with mobile devices; I use my Note 2 more than the stock remote. The boss has a Wii hooked up at her place, the roku is a much nicer experience for watching stuff.

Two other thoughts --

I don't think you can watch Amazon video on an Apple TV. That was the dealbreaker for me.

Chromecast is neat, but only works with a few apps, and its functionality is pretty narrow. I would expect "Chromecast 2" to be a much better product, whenever that happens.

If you look hard enough, you can often find a blue ray player on sale in the $70 range that will include a wide array of streaming options. That is what I bought 3 years ago to watch Netflix, and I still only have two blue ray discs. It also makes regular DVD's look much nicer on a 720 or 1080 TV through builtin up-scaling.
Netflix + leaf digital antenna = no cable. Also had Hulu for a couple months, but with the limited TV viewing I do it wasn't worth another monthly charge. I have the absolute cheapest Internet option through comcast and it is still adequate for streaming, but I mostly need it for work.

Chromecast is good for when you want to show your family a YouTube video, and it's easier to browse to the video on your phone instead of through the TV streamer.

Until significant improvements are made, not much good for anything else. It was a waste of forty bucks for me.

We have enjoyed using a DVD player that has streaming capabilities. Not quite as cheap as a Roku, but reasonable. Haven't had cable for more than two years, and don't miss it a bit.

the elephant wrote:Apple TV for us. We only use Netflix, iTunes and Hulu on it, though.

Same here.

The Apple TV box is about $100 and Netflix & Hulu subscriptions combined are less than $20/month and itunes allows you to essentially do pay-per-view to watch programming that you can't find on Netflix or Hulu. I have an antenna and get the local stations that way. I currently can only receive ABC (3 channels) that way, but if I had a better antenna or put it in a better place, I expect I'd be able to receive even more. The absolute only thing that I wish I could get via Apple TV is velocity network (lots of interesting automotive programming) but not having it isn't really a big deal considering the money saved by not having cable.

Well, I ended up going with the Roku 3 for the faster processor and the ability to hook it up through wifi or with the ethernet. The TV it is currently hooked up to is two feet from the modem so wired it is for now. After a couple hours of goofing with it, I find it to be all I hoped for, and probably a little more.

I have a Chromecast, and I really like it. Back in December Google added a bunch of apps to it, so it supports a lot more than it used to. I use it for Netflix, YouTube, and HBO Go (yes, Istill have cable). It supports Hulu, though I don't have an account. As of right now, there is no Amazon support, though I suspect that will be coming soon enough. It's a pretty remarkable device, given its low price point ($35).

Since you're already a Mac user, you might consider hooking up a Mac Mini (more expensive, obviously) and have all the streaming capability plus the other functionality.

Since I'm a casual gamer, I use my PlayStation3 to play Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. I also borrow blu-ray movies that can be played on it.
I think you should only be willing to spend hundreds on a gaming console if you like gaming and some online chatting.