Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Media Streaming Device?

The network card died on Thelasko's smart TV -- and rather than spend $65 on a new one, they're considering buying a nice, simple streaming box. I am running a Rygel server on my PC, but rarely use it... I primarily only watch Amazon Prime, Netflix, and YouTube for streaming, and am wondering what Slashdot users have found to be the best option. I'm considering Roku or Chromecast because they are well known and supported. However, I have heard a lot of news about Kodi devices being more hackable.
AppleTV? Amazon Fire TV? The Emtec GEM Box? Building your own from a Raspberry Pi? Leave your own thoughts and suggestions in the comments.

What's the best media streaming device?

Comments

AppleTV

[nebur]

AppleTV with MrMC, Infuse or Plex for your media. It has all the streaming services you use. I love it, but on the downside hackability is very low.

Apple TV

[qzzpjs]

It's easy to setup and it just works. No hacking required and simple enough to use for any age.

It supports Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, sport networks, and many other TV sources. And if you want to play your own content, just install the Plex app and Plex on your computer for free. And when you're not using it, the screen savers are beautiful.

Re:Pi 3 you fuckers

[gravewax]

I call myself a nerd, but my wife does not and when she wants to watch something she doesn't want to be debugging why Netflix won't run or why she can't playback her recorded show properly, this inevitably takes me away from doing other nerdy stuff (games, programming, fiddling with my raspberry Pi). This is why I no longer use kodi, I don't want to spend my time maintaining shit that has been implemented far better on cheap devices like Roku, my time and sanity are worth too much for that.

Hi, actual Apple TV owner here

[SuperKendall]

Designers can't seem to get it through their heads that the #1 priority for TV remote is for it to be usable without looking away from the TV

I have not issues with this remote at all. You can tell which way is up by feel, and since you are using the touch surface for most selections you can easily use the remote in the dark, without looking... the battery lasts ages too. The SIRI button is mainly used for searches, and works really well... also if you have an iPhone and a keyboard comes up on the Apple TV, you can just type on your phone.

So touchscreens and touchpads are out

Come on, the control is just swiping across the surface that is like an inch wide, or tapping one of the edges or the center - while you are holding it. Who on earth has such poor motor coordination they cannot manage this? Hint: My three year old niece can use it easily...

You want tactile buttons

They are all tactile. The buttons of course press, but the touchpad ALSO presses, you can feel if you are at an edge to press, you can feel when you are not near an edge to press. Also a touch surface is WAY WAY better for scrolling through lists of things than any buttons, much faster.

Programability near max

[SuperKendall]

I love it, but on the downside hackability is very low.

Sort of true, but programmability is super high and has a great IDE with a simulator. Anyone can register for a free dev account and play with making apps for the AppleTV, that do whatever you like. You can share them with friends via TestFlight...

Re:Roku vs openSUSE Leap 42.3

[BigBlockMopar]

Well sure, a computer can do a lot. But I hate watching TV on my computer, I want to watch TV from my couch.
I never liked Chromecast much, because there's no remote for it. Trying to use a smart phone to control something is amazingly clumsy, especially if you've got the lights dim. Ie, turn on phone, unlock phone (slow if it's a pin), get eyes to adjust to light, push pause about 7 seconds too late.

I hate watching TV on my computer too; that's why wanda (the hostname of my media computer) runs my TV through HDMI.

But all TV sets are computer monitors now, so you may as well get used to a TV with a keyboard. The keyboard sits wirelessly on my coffee table in front of my couch. Glowing keys would be nice but this rig works well enough.

I'm old enough to know what a 1B3GT is and how to tell when I need to replace it. I certainly remember the stack of media equipment I used to have underneath my Sony Trinitron. There was the VCR, the DVD player, the cable box. Now I have wanda under a Samsung HDTV, she plays DVDs and anything else on my home network quite nicely. VHS is gone, I have a really nice Panasonic commercial VCR in my closet in case I ever need it. And, yes, I still have a Sony Betamax SL-HF500 ready to go in case wanda needs to digest anything to digital. I used to work on Quad machines and I'd love to have one, but since my place won't accommodate a forklift truck, I'll have to forgo the 2" tapes of goodness.

Grab an old smartphone, set that up as your remote control with KDE Connect (works AMAZINGLY well), the biggest caveat is that you have to remember to let your remote control charge when it's not in use. Obviously, you can control what the smartphone connects to through your firewall settings on your router.

It's not perfect, but it sure beats the days when "Be Kind, Rewind" stickers were everywhere, TVs took up a lot more space, and your PVR required switching actual cassettes back and forth.

I remember the 6:PM news anchor describing an event and then his usual "Film at 11" - before VCRs and camcorders, TV crews used film, and we'd have to develop the film, dry it, edit it, all before a story could be aired.

Now I can do that from my pocket with a 5-year-old cellphone in my pocket. In 1080p.

Things are a little easier now than doing an A-B roll edit on non-timecoded UMatic. The only thing I really miss is the satisfying clicks and clunks of the VTRs when I was doing it. It was doing something.

Watching a video was far more important when it took effort. Even just going to Blockbuster and renting a videocassette made the whole experience more special.