Roku vs AppleTV vs ?

[Mike Farley]

There's a lot more via Netflix streaming than you can see scrolling through the app--at least on the PS3. I've noticed that if I put something in my Queue on my computer, it brings up a whole list of suggestions, many of which don't appear in the app.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I don't find the suggestions very helpful because I pretty much know what I want to watch, so the suggestions are just a list of things that don't interest me. Oh well.

I just saw an ad for Roku wn this thread, which I haven't seen from other threads. Are they matching content?

 

[Warp Coil]

If Hulu offered an ad free option, I'd subscribe. But since they don't, I'll wait for Netflix.

I signed up for the free month of Hulu Plus for the sole reason of watching "Community." Once I'd caught up with the series, I didn't have any rational reason for keeping the service. What was the point of paying for it? Suffice to say, I canceled my Hulu Plus subscription. I'll still watch stuff that's free but that's it.

 

[brian577]

Even if Hulu Plus was ad free you'd still have to contend with the fact that a lot of the programming doesn't play on a Roku anyways. Alot of the content is PC only even with the subscription.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Well, that certainly turns me off of even thinking about paying for Hulu Plus.

 

[Amaris]

Yeah, I signed up for the free month, and went to watch a few favorite shows, where all of them were available on Hulu itself, none of them were available on the Roku box, including The Simpsons. Also, the interface on the Roku box is awful. It's slow, and buggy.

 

[Geckothan]

I use satellite because I actually like to watch TV with high bitrates that allow for clear pictures, rather than the low bitrate artifact-y blockfest that streaming services provide.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

When the AppleTV streams HD content from your computer, it's not low bitrate or block-y. It's full, native 1080p (or 720p, depending on the actual content).

And if you think satellite isn't heavily compressed, think again.

 

[Geckothan]

When the AppleTV streams HD content from your computer, it's not low bitrate or block-y. It's full, native 1080p (or 720p, depending on the actual content).

And if you think satellite isn't heavily compressed, think again.

Some of the big budget HD satellite channels kick out 20 Mbit/s. I've yet to see any internet streaming service do that. It might be overkill for most content, but when watching fast paced sports on a screen that doesn't suck, the difference is clear.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I use satellite because I actually like to watch TV with high bitrates that allow for clear pictures, rather than the low bitrate artifact-y blockfest that streaming services provide.

Streaming video will inevitably look like shit if you have a slow connection. Get fiber.

 

[Geckothan]

I use satellite because I actually like to watch TV with high bitrates that allow for clear pictures, rather than the low bitrate artifact-y blockfest that streaming services provide.

Streaming video will inevitably look like shit if you have a slow connection. Get fiber.

...and think of the contention and bandwidth issues if everybody with satellite or cable TV switched to one of the usual unicast streaming services over fibre connections; everybody would be watching low bitrate artifact-y blockfests come peak time!

 

[Amaris]

When the AppleTV streams HD content from your computer, it's not low bitrate or block-y. It's full, native 1080p (or 720p, depending on the actual content).

And if you think satellite isn't heavily compressed, think again.

Some of the big budget HD satellite channels kick out 20 Mbit/s. I've yet to see any internet streaming service do that. It might be overkill for most content, but when watching fast paced sports on a screen that doesn't suck, the difference is clear.

I have had no issues watching HD content on my Roku box. It's crisp, clear, and easy to follow with no pixelation. You should probably check your internet service if that's what you're getting.

 

[Geckothan]

I have had no issues watching HD content on my Roku box. It's crisp, clear, and easy to follow with no pixelation. You should probably check your internet service if that's what you're getting.

Show me a streaming service will give 20 Mbit/s. Sure, they adjust the bitrate to your connection speed, but I'm sure most of them have a hard cap well below that of most high-quality satellite channels.

 

[Amaris]

I have had no issues watching HD content on my Roku box. It's crisp, clear, and easy to follow with no pixelation. You should probably check your internet service if that's what you're getting.

Show me a streaming service will give 20 Mbit/s. Sure, they adjust the bitrate to your connection speed, but I'm sure most of them have a hard cap well below that of most high-quality satellite channels.

I'm paying $7 a month for tens of thousands of on demand HD movies and TV shows, that look like they're in HD. The images are crisp, clear, and have no pixelation, no ghosting. If it is delivering all of that at a fraction of the required bandwidth, why does the bit rate need to hit 20 Mbit/s? Should I pay more so that I can say I use more bandwidth?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Reminds me of that old SNL sketch...

"And if you order now, you'll receive this amazing $17,000 coffee pot! It boils, it boils...it even boils! Sure, you can buy better parts for less money. But you can't pay MORE for this kind of quality!"

 

[STR]

I have had no issues watching HD content on my Roku box. It's crisp, clear, and easy to follow with no pixelation. You should probably check your internet service if that's what you're getting.

Show me a streaming service will give 20 Mbit/s. Sure, they adjust the bitrate to your connection speed, but I'm sure most of them have a hard cap well below that of most high-quality satellite channels.

I'm paying $7 a month for tens of thousands of on demand HD movies and TV shows, that look like they're in HD. The images are crisp, clear, and have no pixelation, no ghosting. If it is delivering all of that at a fraction of the required bandwidth, why does the bit rate need to hit 20 Mbit/s? Should I pay more so that I can say I use more bandwidth?

If you can't tell the difference between a highly compressed stream and something like 20Mbps satellite, OTA broadcast, or a Blu-Ray, then great for you. Never watch any of those other sources. Once you see it, you'll be spoiled.

 

[Amaris]

Show me a streaming service will give 20 Mbit/s. Sure, they adjust the bitrate to your connection speed, but I'm sure most of them have a hard cap well below that of most high-quality satellite channels.

I'm paying $7 a month for tens of thousands of on demand HD movies and TV shows, that look like they're in HD. The images are crisp, clear, and have no pixelation, no ghosting. If it is delivering all of that at a fraction of the required bandwidth, why does the bit rate need to hit 20 Mbit/s? Should I pay more so that I can say I use more bandwidth?

If you can't tell the difference between a highly compressed stream and something like 20Mbps satellite, OTA broadcast, or a Blu-Ray, then great for you. Never watch any of those other sources. Once you see it, you'll be spoiled.

I don't expect caviar for $7 a month.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

For $7 a month, I'm happy with hamburger. Saving money is the best caviar around.