Discussions

[Harvini]

In response to your specific question, I brought the TV up and went to the home page.  I have a number of free services installed, I hardly ever use them.  Given the nature of your issues, I explored them NOW to see if they operate correctly.  And, they appear to be fully functional for me, this afternoon, when I tried them.

Specifically, I brought up Tubi, Stirr, Xumo, Pluto and the Roku channel without a problem.  I could navigate around these channels, and when I brought up free programming at random, it would load, show an ad or two and then commence playing the program.  Both TV shows and movies were tried, with no apparent problems.

I use the YouTube channel on my set regularly without problem.

So, bottom line is, as a single data point, at a single point in time, my free streaming services appear to be functional, at least to the extent I exercised them.

[Visitor45763]

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@ku-sux wrote:

Have you tried to access FREE content from any other providers besides Roku? I'm talking about Filmrise, Plex, Tubi, Stirr or the many others that are available to me on this little box, but that I keep getting frustrated trying to watch. These are not antenna options. Don't you get these?

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Just to clarify, both of my Roku's are factory reset without connecting to the internet. I can't stream anything through Roku's servers (if that's what you were asking me to try. Sorry. In case someone finds this msg through a google search, let me explain further that I did this to improve the now-unusable antenna tv, and also protect my investment in tvs from Roku's obviously untested updates.). 

Now I stream using an inexpensive HDMI-connected Firestick Lite. I just watched something on FiImrise Plex, Tubi & Stirr. Everything worked fine. No buffering or unavailable issues. (3pm MST)

When my tvs were connected to the internet before the Great Update, I rarely watched Roku channel or other fee stuff. Mostly YouTube, when I did watch streaming. So, I can't say how those free streaming channels worked for me then.

[ku-sux]

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@Harvini wrote:

So, bottom line is, as a single data point, at a single point in time, my free streaming services appear to be functional, at least to the extent I exercised them.

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Okay, now we're getting somewhere - I hope. Please try again during prime time hours for another data point.

I can't access any of those. They like to bring up regional as an issue. I'm in smack dab in the middle of Austin. Where are you?

I'm using a Roku Ultra. What device do you use?

Thanks much for feedback. I will compile more data as it becomes available.

[Harvini]

For your reference, my region would be classified as Mid-Atlantic, rural.

[ku-sux]

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@Visitor45763 wrote:
When my tvs were connected to the internet before the Great Update, I rarely watched Roku channel or other fee stuff. Mostly YouTube, when I did watch streaming. So, I can't say how those free streaming channels worked for me then.

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Is that a typo? Didn't you mean free stuff? There is no fee for the Roku Channel or any of the others I'm writing about here.

You for sure needed to clarify. I still don't understand this:

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both of my Roku's are factory reset without connecting to the internet....I did this to improve the now-unusable antenna tv, and also protect my investment in tvs from Roku's obviously untested updates.

Now I stream using an inexpensive HDMI-connected Firestick Lite. I just watched something on FiImrise Plex, Tubi & Stirr. Everything worked fine. No buffering or unavailable issues. (3pm MST)

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So, you're using a Firestick Lite and not a Roku TV (a TV with Roku built in), right? Did you download apps to pick up those services (Plex, etc) and that's how you access them? What do you think is in that Firestick Lite? What do you think it's for exactly? You can get a cheap antenna to pick up antenna TV. You can't get those services on an antenna.

Please try some FREE content during prime time hours to get a second data point.

Also please let me know your location. As previously stated, I'm in Austin. (BTW, the name of the newspaper you quote in your tagline is Austin American-Statesman.)

Thanks. It would be great to get more data from people in other "regions" and using other devices.

[ku-sux]

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@Harvini wrote:

For your reference, my region would be classified as Mid-Atlantic, rural.

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Really. Why so vague? Is that some kind of Roku region or what? Where can I see a map of Roku regions? I'm guessing somewhere in Virginia. How about a nearby big city?

[Visitor45763]

So, you're using a Firestick Lite and not a Roku TV

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I'm using a Firestick Lite on a Roku TV that has been factory reset back to some kind of older, lighter non-network software due to Roku's update breaking antenna tv (and seeing how other people are having other breakages. I cut the cord. Roku seems to be as bad as Comcast, et. al.).

You asked what I think of the Firestick Lite. I like that it doesn't put my tv investment at risk. Not all my eggs in one basket (held by a drunken development team). I'm able to do whatever minimal streaming I was doing through Roku. YouTube mostly.

I'm sure it wouldn't meet the needs of someone. But, just to escape the toxic relationship I found myself in with Roku, I've spent $22 on worse things.

[ku-sux]

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@Visitor45763 wrote:

You asked what I think of the Firestick Lite.

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Actually, I didn't ask that. But I guess you would rather answer that than the questions I did ask.

I think I will give up on this since communications are difficult. You guys aren't having the same issue as me. Maybe I'll just post the technical data that Danny Roku seems to think will help and keep my fingers crossed that something positive comes from it. I've spent too much time on this already. I might send the unit back to Roku because it's pretty useless as it stands. Great design tho.

[ku-sux]

BTW, Anthony Wood, Roku CEO, sold another 300k shares of Roku on 2/8, pocketing a cool $131,454,000.

Business is good.

[Visitor45763]

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@ku-sux wrote: Maybe I'll just post the technical data that Danny Roku seems to think will help and keep my fingers crossed that something positive comes from it. 

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Wouldn't hurt. I don't want to discourage you. The external streaming boxes seem to have a better, more consistent reputation than the marriage of Roku's software to TV.  The threads in this forum (TVs) doesn't offer much hope that you'll get anything more than the canned "thank you, I've passed it along. [moi!]" History says you'll be waiting a very long time (to hear nothing at all). If it was a tv, I'd return it while I can. (Like CEO Wood getting out while the getten's good -- to the tune of $150 million so far this month).

Sorry I didn't answer your questions (about the Firestick) the way you expected. I actually didn't understand the question(s) about whether I know what it's for, or that I could use an antenna (which I've been using, and Roku ruined that experience, leading me to factory reset without internet to get back to the usable version of the software. Then, I added the Firestick Lite to have streaming again.).

I may not be looking at this the same way you are. All I can say is that the $22 Firestick Lite meets my needs. My antenna tv is usable again. And, my investment in two tvs is protected from future untested updates (which have caused far worse problems for others. I feel lucky to have gotten out this way. It could have been worse. One forum member believes the minimal, less-broken network-less software is updated too. I didn't think so. The antenna tv interface looks nothing like the disaster of 9.4. But, that's a concern that this exit won't be available in the future. If an update could wreck it too.).

I hope it works out for you!