On demand TV streaming device

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 Simon Harlow 17 Jan 2021

I'm looking to tap into the knowledge of Ukclimbing but this is my first post so be gentle please....

I'm looking for advice for an on demand tv streaming device for my Mother.  She is a technophobe and has limited skills when it comes to the online world.  She has an old smart TV but the apps have now started to to stop working so I want to get her something that will allow her TV to access on demand TV.  She has only just got the internet in her flat so does not have amazon accounts or the like so we can be reasonably flexible.  

I was tempted by an amazon firestick but as she does not have an amazon account would it work?  not suite sure what is out there.  I suppose one further thing would be for her to get a new smart TV with this built in which would solve the problem but money is limited so keen to see if there is anything that we can do with her current TV.

All thoughts appreciated.

 elsewhere 17 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

 Check if 40 quid (non recording) digiboxes  support apps she needs and connect to internet.

 Pingboy 17 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

I'd recommend a Roku Express for £30. It has a simple remote and you can just install the apps you want. All of the main ones are on there, Netflix, Now TV, Amazon, BBC, All4 etc. 

1
 Route Adjuster 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

We have a firestick and you can get access to BBC, ITV, Channel 4, 5 etc without any subscription or payment.  You need to have an amazon account to set it up but that does not require any payment.  Easy to use.  Limited choice of films to buy / rent without subscribing to Prime, but there are plenty to choose from.  

 Philip 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Pingboy:

Another vote for Roku.

Supports Amazon, Netflix, BBC/ITV/C4, Now TV, Google and doesn't require any payments (subscriptions still needed for individual apps).

You can configure remotely, so your mum just needs to use the remote. Only downside, the remote will turn on but not off the TV and doesn't do the volume.

 Neil Williams 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

The Fire stick is very intuitive and costs next to nothing.  If she hasn't got an Amazon account, er, create one for her?

 arch 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

Get a Firestick, then look into a IPTV subscription for her. Then just use that to watch things she wants. 

 oldie 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Pingboy:

I've just been helping a neighbour in her 80s to start using broadband, email, internet shopping (I'm the last person that should be teaching tech but we're getting there). One of the extra pluses is they can get free on demand programs. I got them a Roku Premiere (my son advised it over Express, can't remember reasons), click and collect from Currys abt £35. They have old non-Smart TVs and the Roku is fine on all except "I player" (which is arguably the most useful as well as" 4"). The problem is apparently a known and insoluble one with some old TVs and Rokus......one can only see about a quarter of the full screen, its possible to use but navigation is challenging. Incidentally the Roku Chanel contains quite a lot of old programs and films.

The top Roku player apparently has a possibly of voice control (I'm told) though it would have the same problem with old TVs.  We have got her set up on Amazon which I think she'll use a lot in the future. A main problem is getting her an cheap interface that works well, she's borrowed my Hudl tablet (Android 4.2),,,,,,Leonovo Tab M!0 would have slightly bigger screen but still be challenging with her poor eyesight (cataract op cancelled due to 1st lockdown).

Post edited at 11:14
 Luke90 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

My experience of Fire TV sticks is limited and a little out of date but I reckon Amazon's adverts for their own content could potentially be a bit confusing and unhelpful for a technophobe. When I last used one a few years ago, Amazon weren't very good at making clear which tiles on the home screen were for content you already had access to and which were pushing you towards extra payments. Perhaps they've improved on that front, but I reckon Roku probably has a clearer and more stable interface for a technophobe.

 Neil Williams 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Luke90:

I've not used a Roku, to be fair.  But the Fire Stick doesn't do anything that takes a payment without you confirming it.  I suspect you can probably require some sort of PIN for that, too, to stop kids buying every TV show under the sun, though I've not tried as I don't have kids.

Post edited at 11:20
 oldie 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

I'm not tech knowledgeable but the problem with our Smart TV is the manufacturer does not keep it fully updated. A Roku stick was necessary to get all on demand stuff. I imagine this may still be a problem, especially after a couple of years. If buying again I'd consider a non-Smart (if they exist?) which would also avoid the warm up time of the Smart befoe one can change programs, use Roku etc.

 Neil Williams 18 Jan 2021
In reply to oldie:

I suspect quite a lot of people basically use Smart TVs as monitors (with an external device like a Roku, Fire Stick or Sky box for programming, and an external speaker as all TV speakers are crap) so it does surprise me that more manufacturers don't just sell large-screen HDMI monitors without the rest of the junk, to some extent.

I guess "the rest of the junk" costs next to nowt and you can just ignore it.

Post edited at 11:23
 Luke90 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

> I've not used a Roku, to be fair.  But the Fire Stick doesn't do anything that takes a payment without you confirming it.  I suspect you can probably require some sort of PIN for that, too, to stop kids buying every TV show under the sun, though I've not tried as I don't have kids.

Yeah, but I'm still not sure that's very helpful to a confused older person. Amazon are specifically trying to entice you into spending money on their services and that's gonna get pretty frustrating to someone who doesn't have a Prime account and isn't necessarily going to be able to distinguish between the content they do and don't have access to. They might get turned back by a pin before actually spending money but it's still added confusion.

Roku are trying to get into the content business to some extent but their main business is still devices, so they have more interest in keeping a clean interface without confusing ads.

 Luke90 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

> I suspect quite a lot of people basically use Smart TVs as monitors (with an external device like a Roku, Fire Stick or Sky box for programming, and an external speaker as all TV speakers are crap) so it does surprise me that more manufacturers don't just sell large-screen HDMI monitors without the rest of the junk, to some extent.

Yep, I've currently got an old TV with no smart features at all. Really wish that was still available in an upgrade.

> I guess "the rest of the junk" costs next to nowt and you can just ignore it.

I don't think it just costs hardly anything, the junk is actually an extra opportunity for the TV manufacturers to make money. That's why it's so ubiquitous. You would probably have to pay a premium to get a dumb TV to balance the lost revenue.

 Neil Williams 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Luke90:

> I don't think it just costs hardly anything, the junk is actually an extra opportunity for the TV manufacturers to make money. That's why it's so ubiquitous. You would probably have to pay a premium to get a dumb TV to balance the lost revenue.

That's a fair point.  I wonder if we will see many manufacturers building "Fire TVs" or "Roku TVs" or even "Sky TVs"?  If they had the same hardware (just built-in) as the box/stick, then the updates wouldn't be an issue.

 Luke90 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

> That's a fair point.  I wonder if we will see many manufacturers building "Fire TVs" or "Roku TVs" or even "Sky TVs"?  If they had the same hardware (just built-in) as the box/stick, then the updates wouldn't be an issue.

You're not wrong to ponder, it's already a thing. TVs based on Android are common and Roku have one or two manufacturers using their software (certainly in the US but I think some recently reached the UK as well). Not sure about Amazon.

In any case, that normally still leaves the manufacturer as a gatekeeper for any updates, so it's no golden bullet. Rolling out updates will always involve at least some effort on the part of the manufacturer. Your level of cynicism will determine the reasons why you think they might not bother.

Having said that, I think the Roku-based TVs might be quite close to the ideal you're envisioning. Apparently they do get pretty regular updates.

 arch 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

Lots of things on a Firestick you can turn off.

youtube.com/watch?v=8_yY1Ol8IY0&

 Martin W 18 Jan 2021
In reply to arch:

Another vote for Roku here - the Express in my case ('coz at the end of the day it's only telly).  I got it so I could watch a particular series on Amazon Prime when they offered me a free trial.  It was cheaper than the equivalent Fire Stick and gave me the added satisfaction of watching the show I wanted without paying anything to Amazon.  Take that Jeff.

Roku do seem to have the most well-developed and mature 'ecosystem' - there's certainly screeds of apps available for it.  That kind of thing looks likely to become increasingly important  the way the streaming market seems to be going, with more and more providers offering content in smaller and smaller niches.

 Snyggapa 18 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

another one for Roku. bought for my 80 year old father as his "smart" TV became less smart, seemed to work fine until he, er, no longer required it any more. 

I have it in a drawer waiting it's next happy outing. I think it cost twenty or thirty quid which gave (once setup by someone that could do the tedious account creation and email verification process) a good selection of free TV players

OP Simon Harlow 20 Jan 2021
In reply to Simon Harlow:

Thank you all for the replies.  I think a Roku is the way forward as an amazon heavy interface might confuse my mother if she is unable to use it.


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