Talk to me Goose! Which is better and why? What's the difference between the two?
I'm thinking of dropping cable and just going with internet and maybe subscribing to one of these two for the occasional movie and shows. Also if anyone knows which offers the most kid friendly programming? Is there another service I should look into besides these two?
My father-in-law got mother-in-law a NetFlix streaming sub for Christmas, and we've been taking advantage of it at our place, too. Works like a charm on our TV (we've got a "smart" TV w/ an ethernet jack and built in NetFlix app). So far have watched first 3 seasons of Walking Dead, and a bunch of kids' movies for our 3-year-old
I have both Netflix and Hulu Plus, as well as Amazon Prime. No single service does it all and having all three is still cheaper than cable. Hulu has commercials but lots of great TV shows (often only the last 5 or 10 most recent episodes), Netflix has a lot of (relatively) older good movies and all complete seasons of things like Star Trek DS9, and Amazon Prime often has the first few seasons of things like 'Justified' and 'Grimm' for free but the latest season for $1.99 an episode, as well as selected late-run movies free, others still in the Theaters for $9.99-$14.99, and free second day shipping on all your amazon (and select affiliates) book/dvd/cd/otherstuff shipments.
Well what I'd like to be able to do is stream from the iPad to the TV, which I think is going to require an apple tv thingy. Although I think my bluray player has Netflix on it, but not sure if it's Wi-Fi enabled. Sad I know, but I know nothing about this stuff.
iPad to TV requires an AppleTV device ($99). AFA wifi, does your Bluray player need an adapter or does it have one built in? Check the specs or google the model number to find an owners' manual PDF.
Wii can do Netflix.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 10, 2014, 10:49:53 PM
Wii can do Netflix.
Yes it can. Just the thing for the kid-friendly Netflix version.
The PS3 can do Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and a few others. Redbox has a new app as well.
Well I just checked the bluray player it needs a wire to connect to the internet which is an issue because the wire goes to the gaming rig downstairs so I might have to plug the ps3 to the family tv for the wifi or I might have to look into an apple tv box.
PS3 should have built in wifi if it's fairly new.
The key here is we want to cut the cable cord, because frankly it's too damned expensive for the amount we watch in time and number of channels. Something with some good kids programing and the occasional movie/show for the wife and I.
Yeah the PS3 does, but I think the wife wants to be able to use the ipad.
I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Between the two I am usually able to find whatever I want. I do have to pay for my very favorite programs, such as Sons, Justified and The Walking Dead, but a season worth of favorite shows at $1.79 per episode versus cable is a money saver. Besides the occasional first run movie, there are perhaps a dozen shows I pay for in a year, everything else I wait until it's free on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Oh, and I have a portable tv antenna I bought at Best Buy for $79 three years ago. With it I can pick up another dozen channels or so and catch my NFL and news.
Cool. I think I'll just go with Netflix. Now just need to figure out how I want to stream it to the tv. What's the device limit on Netflix?
They are in the process of changing their plans in order to let you select how many streaming devices you want. I think I have two or three. Mainly they are doing this to give the single folks a couple of dollars discount for a single stream.
I cut the cable almost four years ago and I'm doing fine without it 8)
Quote from: Steelgrave on January 10, 2014, 11:05:23 PM
I cut the cable almost four years ago and I'm doing fine without it 8)
a buddy said the same thing when his son turned 18.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 10, 2014, 11:08:15 PM
Quote from: Steelgrave on January 10, 2014, 11:05:23 PM
I cut the cable almost four years ago and I'm doing fine without it 8)
a buddy said the same thing when his son turned 18.
Heh,
that cable has been cut a lot longer than four years ;D
Just make sure you get an HD antenna for over-the-air broadcasts so you can still get your local news. And you'd be amazed what you get on the HD stations in your area, too.
Ok. I'll need to look into an HD antenna too then for news and some sports.
.
fwiw Ive never been a fan of Hulu.
60% of that is because of their setup. 40% is because of an unfortunate hula hoop accident involving one of my best men at my bachelor party at Cheetah Ft. Lauderdale.
I'm a Netflix fan.... and like steam as long as I have a net connection it goes with me... I've used my account in hotels, at my parents and on the iPad
Quote from: Bison on January 10, 2014, 11:21:22 PM
Ok. I'll need to look into an HD antenna too then for news and some sports.
You can make a DYI version that works just as well as one you have to pay $100 for.
Has Amazon improved their video player? I did a trial Prime membership a year or so ago to try the streaming service and I thought the video player was far inferior to the Netflix player. Also the search sucked. The free and pay video options were lumped together so it felt like I had to wade through a bunch of stuff I didn't need or want.
Netflix is a little more per month and you don't get the other benefits of a Prime Membership, but it's far easier to use when it comes to just watching movies and programs.
Quote from: Bison on January 10, 2014, 11:03:42 PM
Cool. I think I'll just go with Netflix. Now just need to figure out how I want to stream it to the tv. What's the device limit on Netflix?
Pick up a Chromecast. Only $35. Plugs into an HDMI port on the TV. Streams Netflix, Youtube, some other stuff.
Damn. Chromecast is only $30 on Amzaon. Time for me to get one!
Bison, this will give you a better idea of what a Chromecast does, beyond streaming Netflix to your TV.
http://gigaom.com/2013/12/21/chromecast-tips-tricks/
Interesting. I'll look into it.
If you have an MHL-enabled HDMI port on your HDTV you can also get the Roku Stick, eliminating a box and power cord from your TV cabinet. It costs more than the Chromecast but comes with a remote.
http://www.amazon.com/Roku-3400R-Streaming-Stick-Purple/dp/B009CL6DUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389460486&sr=8-2&keywords=roku+streaming+stick
Quote from: Bison on January 11, 2014, 12:03:13 PM
Interesting. I'll look into it.
I have one on the way now. I can give you a review in a few days.
I'll need to look at my TV again, but it's 6 years old or so. I'm pretty sure I'll need to go with something like the apple tv that uses an HDMI cable to connect and provide the WiFi connectivity.
The Roku Stick won't work unless the HDMI port is MHL-compatible since the port powers the device. You can get adapters that have a power cord but that kind of defeats the purpose of getting a stick-device. Note that the Chromecast uses a power cord of some kind and that Amazon Prime isn't yet available on it without some fiddling and disabling Silverlight.
Quote from: mirth on January 11, 2014, 11:43:50 AM
Has Amazon improved their video player? I did a trial Prime membership a year or so ago to try the streaming service and I thought the video player was far inferior to the Netflix player. Also the search sucked. The free and pay video options were lumped together so it felt like I had to wade through a bunch of stuff I didn't need or want.
Netflix is a little more per month and you don't get the other benefits of a Prime Membership, but it's far easier to use when it comes to just watching movies and programs.
I have an Amazon Prime membership because we buy a lot from Amazon and the free shipping pays for the subscription price pretty damn quickly. As for their video streaming, I don't have any problem with it at all. The search could definitely be improved, but the videos themselves play fine on my iPad, TV and computer. What I have found is that a lot of times Netflix won't have a title I'm interested in but Amazon does, with the caveat that if it's not on Amazon Prime you will have to part with a few bucks for it. Anytime I see a "movies you should have seen" list or "best horror movies you missed" list, I go to Amazon and tag them, then go to Netflix to see if they are there.
Netflix
is starting to produce some good, original shows and that's another point in their favor.
Netflix is poised to become more of a searchable 'USA Network/FX Channel' than an 'HBO/On Demand' entity such as Amazon is currently.
Quote from: Staggerwing on January 11, 2014, 02:54:24 PM
Netflix is poised to become more of a searchable 'USA Network/FX Channel' than an 'HBO/On Demand' entity such as Amazon is currently.
Yeah, agreed. Amazon is more my "gotta see it now" choice where I know I may have to part with a few bucks, whereas Netflix is where I go when I'm undecided and just want to watch something. Both have their virtues.
Good thread.
At this point I'm probably just going to keep our current cable set up, but I already told the wife that when we move to our next duty station we're going to try the Netflix/Amazon thing instead of cable. I mean seriously, our cable bill is something like $160/month right now and I know that I personally don't watch nearly enough TV to justify that kind of money.
It's the internet thing that's the problem, because it seems like the cable companies bundle the internet with the TV package so that it's almost not cost-effective to cut the cable and still require internet. I'll have to research my options wherever I go next. There just aren't as many options out here as there likely are on the mainland.
We've also toyed with ditching cable and keeping Netflix streaming, which we're very happy with. Our fee of 8.00/month is also awesome for the amount of content available at Netflix. Never tried Hulu but we hate commercials so I don't think we ever will.
Quote from: Gusington on January 12, 2014, 03:51:15 PM
We've also toyed with ditching cable and keeping Netflix streaming, which we're very happy with. Our fee of 8.00/month is also awesome for the amount of content available at Netflix. Never tried Hulu but we hate commercials so I don't think we ever will.
Hulu never seems to have what I want, or if it does, not an entire season. I've subscribed to Hulu Prime twice and cancelled within three months each time. Just not enough quality there and entirely too much crap for filler.
Do any of them carry USA or History channel programing like the Vikings?
I'm not a fan of the Hulu-plus model. The idea of a paid subscription and still having to watch commercials doesn't work for me. If I have to watch advertising, the content should be free.
I paid for Vikings on Amazon. Don't know if it was on Hulu or not, I didn't bother to look. Frankly, since I don't pay for cable, paying $25 bucks or so for the occasional "can't miss" show doesn't bother me, especially since I can go back and watch all the episodes whenever I like.
Netflix has a ton of older History Channel programs and it also had The Vikings, that's how I got caught up.
Quote from: Gusington on January 13, 2014, 08:42:17 AM
Netflix has a ton of older History Channel programs and it also had The Vikings, that's how I got caught up.
Don't correct me. So I can watch History Channel's
Vikings on Netflix, I suspect it's just a few months delayed. That's fine with me. I only watch TV about one a month or two.
^It's also how I watch The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy and almost every movie since I am antisocial and hate movie theaters. Beware though that it is longer for releases of big series and films, but it doesn't matter to me.
One key missing link from Netflix is HBO programming but I have HBO so it's a moot point for me. For others that might matter.
That's cool. I don't watch hbo.
All this may be moot when Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu will have to jack up their subscriptions to cover bandwidth costs that the ISPs are about to slam them with:
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=8985.0
Yeah I saw that...:/
Speaking of internet ISP. What are the ranges you guys are using for upload/download speeds?
Quote from: Bison on January 15, 2014, 09:26:34 AM
Speaking of internet ISP. What are the ranges you guys are using for upload/download speeds?
3mbps down/1.5 up. Those are the ideal top ends for the plan I pay for. I get somewhat less. I use Fairpoint which took over for Verizon when it sold its phone and internet service in Maine.
My service is okay for video streaming and playing games online. I'd prefer something better for large file downloads, but I don't do a lot of those anyway.
Almost identical service with me...even on wireless sites like Netflix, Pandora, etc work well, but downloading a game from Steam typically has to be done overnight.
If I had a choice, I'd dump our cable channels and just stick with the best/fastest Internet service I could get and have Netflix.
I've not messed much with Hulu except a few years ago, and it annoyed me since it showed commercials. I know I was watching for free, but I could care absolutely less for commercials.
My Internet speed is 20.43 Mbps down, 1.47 Mbps up. We use AT&T for the moment, though I'm contemplating switching to Comcast to save some money for a 12-month period.