Community Discussions

[Iona-D]

Geez, The whole lot of you all are definally NOT coming on as anything better than the original post.  I do agree with the accessment that Roku does not offer everything under the sun.  It's not a be all-end all sort of device/OS.

It is only an option as I think and treat it as such.  I have will continue to use all 3 I own for the foreseeable future.  I will be open to other workable portions as they continue to become available.  

My favorite Streaming device always have been Chromecast/Android devices I also have.  The device that actually has "everything" is my DVD player!  So I don't see all this fuss/ attacks are about A real waste of time and bytes IMO.

[Strega]

Well, the original post does often set the tone for the whole thread. 

This is a fairly predictable thread.  Ie: when Roku embarked on this path, they knew a few tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people would be really annoyed.  And once the situation is resolved, when many people will be dancing in the streets, there will always at least a few "too late" threads. And, yes, people complaining like to tell us they are movers and shakers so lots of people will be following them.  But Roku probably feels they got enough out of it to be worth it. Being loved by absolutely everyone is not always the profit-maximizing position.

Last night I was browsing one channel on my Roku and realizing that I would never get time to watch all that stuff, let alone all the other channels on my Roku.  It's a great time for TV.

[Kieran449]

The main reason I have a ROKU, is that I don't have to rent a CABLE TV box from xfinity, for every TV in my house. That's pretty much it.

The ROKUs paid for themselves in 2 months, and that was over a year ago. I save $10.00 each month for each cable box that I used to rent for each TV. Anything else that the ROKU offers is just a bonus for me.

[Iona-D]

You're on the right path to not only saving much $$$$, but additional flexibility in choosing content YOU want from a huge selection rather than some anonymous suit doing it for you.

[C_I]

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@haxxsaw wrote:

Dear Roku,

Earlier this year you broke my trust in the Roku brand, when you decided to be a gatekeeper instead of a streaming device. Shame on you for trying to control what I view. Shame on you for changing the terms of my device.

This experience has shown me several things about Roku.

• I will NEVER purchase a Roku device ever again. as roku service is not going to dictate what I can watch or not watch. HBO Max was ready to run on roku, but you made it NOT available.
• I am quite pleased with Android TV on my Shield device.
• I will never make ANY purchase of any kind of content through roku EVER again for the rest of my life.
• I work in the tech industry. I am in a position to make recommendations to people regarding streaming devices. Roku will not be in any of my recommendations.
• I have since purchased to Nvidia Shield devices, and they are great.

Just too little, too late. Shame on you 

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                     Don't lay the HBO Max on Roku's shoulders alone HBO is also to blame. Also, if you work in the tech industry, then you know that TOS of devices can change with or with out notice, and as a user, you implicitly agree to it. 

[Iona-D]

Another way of being or just becoming "way too little or late" is........that's life.  I don't understand why people make something far more complicated or important than what it really is.unnecessary 

Can't get ________ (fill in your offending missing app)?  I could d not get Peacock TV on Roku for 2 MONTHS after it's debut on my former number 1 streaming device.   And I'm on a paying tier, not the freebie tier.  Solution?  Use Android & Chromecast.  The End of corporate control or possibly dropping down to a WhineFest.

Nothing in life is free or guaranteed.  ADAPT as your distant ancestors did in their time for more vital needs, not unnecessary to maintaining life (like eating, shelter) entertaiment.  Get real!

[fluke]

I considered going the Nvidia Shield TV route at one point.

Here is the results of my research:

Advantages to Roku Ultra 2020:

Services: Roku has Apple TV+ streaming service

USB: Roku Ultra 2020 includes a USB port

Availability: Roku Ultra 2020 is in stock via Amazon Prime in the USA

Price: Roku Ultra 2020 is currently $80 USD

Firmware: Support latest Roku OS 9.4

Disadvantages to Nvidia Shield TV:

Services: Apple TV+ streaming service is not available

USB: Requires buying more expensive Shield TV Pro

Availability: Shield TV Pro is *NOT* available via Amazon Prime, only third party sellers

Price: $150 without USB port, $200 for Shield TV Pro

Firmware: Android 9.0 despite much cheaper Chromecast now comes with Android 10

Most interesting thing about the Nvidia Shield TV was it's ability to play video games.  But the gamepad is no longer bundled with the product and is an additional $60 to get.  Also if someone has a fast enough internet connection, the Nvidia GRID service sounds interesting.

But given the original poster's claim of working in the tech industry, I'm surprised he didn't go with the much cheaper and more flexiable Nvidia Jetson Nano developer kit and created his own media player software from scratch.

Overall, the Roku still seem to provide more bang per buck.  I have also written before why I find Roku to be a much more polish experience than Android TV.

[atc98092]

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@fluke wrote:

I considered going the Nvidia Shield TV route at one point.

Here is the results of my research:

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I use both devices. The Shield is my go-to for playing my local media, as it has a Gigabit network connection and plays all my lossless audio without needing transcoding. I tend to stick with the Shield for most other uses. but I find that HBO Max works much better on the Roku, YouTube has HDR support, and the Roku is generally easier to use. I expect Nvidia to skip Android 10 and go with 11 when it's ready. They tend to skip version levels for some reason.

If you don't need the wide support for local media, there's really not much draw for the Shield. It's way overkill for any online streaming sources. But it can't be beat for local media, as it simply plays everything. 

I moved my AVR capable of Dolby Vision to this set, so I can now test DV on both the Shield and the Roku. Here again, I feel the Roku is as good if not better for those purposes. 

Unfortunately, there simply is no single streaming media player that does "everything". I find the combination of Shield and Roku does everything I could ever need. I have both players on both of my large screen TVs, and will most likely be staying with both. 

[fluke]

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@atc98092 wrote:
The Shield is my go-to for playing my local media, as it has a Gigabit network connection and plays all my lossless audio without needing transcoding.

Transcoding between PCM and FLAC and back again has always been quick and easy for me.  Roku supports both.

[atc98092]

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@fluke wrote:

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@atc98092 wrote:
The Shield is my go-to for playing my local media, as it has a Gigabit network connection and plays all my lossless audio without needing transcoding.

Transcoding between PCM and FLAC and back again has always been quick and easy for me.  Roku supports both.

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Converting to FLAC doesn't provide Atmos or DTS:X height channels. You need the pure lossless audio track for that.