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Ask Slashdot: Video Streaming For the Elderly?

Posted by timothy on from the remember-that's-for-not-of dept.

First time accepted submitter ChrisC1234 writes "My grandparents are getting older and don't get out much anymore, and with the demise of video stores (and not even understanding what a RedBox is), they don't see movies anymore. They've got internet access, so I'm thinking of getting them a streaming appliance and a Netflix account. So I'm wondering what device is the easiest for elderly people to use. I'm thinking either a Roku or Apple TV, but open to other options. It just needs to be easy to navigate and support closed captioning. Has anyone else done this successfully?"

5 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Apple TV by iamwhoiamtoday · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Apple TV setup is simple and straightforward. Minimal controls mean less things to mess up. My grandparents are getting up there, and they rarely mess it up with Netflix Streaming.

    1. Re:Apple TV by anubi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I am going to speak as a senior citizen... as I am one.

      Movies and music... yes, once they were a big part of my life. Now they are not. I have other things I would rather do than mess with pre-recorded "entertainment". I would much rather roll my own.

      Once AM radio ( and its DJ, which I considered a personal friend ) was almost my god. The DJ is gone, replaced by a pre-recorded script. I would not even think of asking him to play anything for me - he can't - he is owned by the media ( clear-channel ) and is responsible to them, not pandering to me. He plays what he is ordered to play... me - I feel I am on the receiving end of an audio enema.

      Movies have got so full of terribly boring repetitive ads which make my blood pressure boil upon the relentless pestering and consuming my time. If the ads were at least interesting, it would be OK, but business people have the idea its the "impression count" that matters - as if I am some sort of bolt that can be hammered away at until it opens the wallet. I am not. I end up turning the system off and leaving. Often angry. Its simply not worth it.

      I was in a Carl's Jr restaurant today... the overhead TV was discussing various snippets of news the media saw fit to allow us commoners to see for free. Among the useless drivel was the "Top 10 music". I did not know a one of them. And frankly only one of them sounded the least bit interesting. All you media companies who have control and insisting on pay for every play, I concede defeat. You keep your music. It does not mean anything to me anymore. I would rather go tinker with my Arduino, blog on Slashdot, go tinker with an old oven my neighbor tossed out - and make a little place for me to tinker with lithium battery chargers but not burn the house down should an experiment go awry.

      I guess what I am trying to say is as people get older, their drives change. Things that used to mean a lot no longer mean anything. Conversely, things that used to hold little value to me now mean a lot. Peace, for instance. Having a simple lifestyle. I am trying my best to divorce myself from all these companies who are trying their level best to marry me so they can pester me for the rest of my life with monthly bills.

      Your grandparents may not be interested in this at all.

      Talk to them.

      I can not speak for all senior citizens, but for what its worth, this was one senior citizen's take on this.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]

  2. what my parents use by miowpurr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Both of my parents (born in 1940) have their own iPad with the Netflix app installed. That way they can watch whatever they want, at whatever volume they need, and not fight over what to watch.

  3. Re:Netflix Button by CrankyFool · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm not a big fan of CE devices' approach to Netflix, not so much because of the Netflix angle but because of their firmware update angle. I still have a Samsung BD player with Netflix, but they don't update the firmware on it (at least, not the part that deals with Netflix) and so its capabilities are extremely limited.

    I've got a PS3, XBox, AppleTV, Wii, the aforementioned Samsung BD player, and a Roku at home; through work, I have access to pretty much every other device that plays Netflix. I prefer (and, more importantly given who we're talking about here, my non-tech wife prefers) the AppleTV as a streaming device.

  4. iPad -- Nufsed by m6ack · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you are interested in no fuss, get your elderly parent an iPad. They will love it with Netflix streaming because they can make it as close to their eyes as necessary for them, and they -- and they can get a good quality pair of headphones (with inductive coupling to the hearing aid, possibly) to make it eaisier for them to hear. And yes, the ipad app has captioning.

    When they are more comfortable, they will download books and recipies, and love it because the paper won't take up much space in their home and they can enlarge the text to exactly what they want. They will be delighted when they figure out how best to do video chat with you (whether that might be Facetime or otherwise) for "free."

    And for you, once her internet connection is up and running, the purchase will be a "painless" one for support... no need to configure the device for her, no need to "set the clock on the DVD player" or what have you... You will be free to have conversations about more important things for your life.

    This is from a long time Linux geek whose 70+ year old mom is pleased as punch with her iPad. Even though I am a die-hard Linux guy & would rather have myself on the latest and greatest Linux-ish device -- her happiness & piece of mind is worth a lot to me. This makes her happy.