Quote:
Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed
We are considering cutting the cord (again?). I often turn on the TV and find nothing I want to watch. My wife watches lots of Netflix, for which we have changed DNS settings to get access to the US version. I would still like to be able to watch Flames & Stamps, but I'm not too worried about other NHL games ( I suppose my wife would like oilers games).
I'm familiar with Apple TV, but I'm not familiar with Roku, Plex, etc. can someone give me a quick summary of those services and others, so that I can figure out what would be best for us?
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Will try and make this as short as possible. Check out these links and in Google for more info:
http://lifehacker.com/5834909/ditch-...ing-your-shows
http://lifehacker.com/5946193/how-to...ce-and-for-all
Part 1: Devices
To cut the cord, you obviously need another device at your TV to get the content there. Assume all of these devices have Netflix, and also realize that this list is not comprehensive, and only includes the most recent devices, just giving a basic idea of whats available. Also note that any MLB/NHL apps listed require an external subcription at minimum, plus likely a VPN/Proxy to get what you are looking for.
Most of these devices support 1080p as far as I know, at least the most current version.
Apple TV 3:
-Stuck in Apples Ecosystem unless you jailbreak. This means if you have your own content, you might need to convert it (or use the Plex workaround - see below)
-Able to Airplay (stream) video/audio from the last few generations of Apple phones and tablets.
- Can buy/rent content from iTunes
- can play content from iTunes Match
- Has NHL, MLB apps
- Can use iOS device as remote
Roku 3:
- Can stream from many types of server setups, including Plex or other DLNA servers
- Has games, with controller built into the remote
- Has most popular music services available - Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, Tunein etc
- Supports multiple video services like HBO, Hulu, Vudu, Crackle, Disney, etc (Note: Most of these are US based only, and require a VPN/Proxy type service and a faked US Roku account)
- Headphone jack built into remote.
- Can use iOS, Androind, Windows clients as remotes
- Can stream from any of those devices as well.
- No 'built in' content service, like iTunes, but many choices.
Other Media Players
Most of these have Netflex, Plex, some support XBMC. I won't go into detail, but you can look it up. Most are fairly open in terms of what they support.
- WDTV
- Chromecast
- Smart TVs
- Boxee Box
- Most new DVD/Blu-ray players (At least Netflix, sometimes others as well)
- Google TV - This isn't in many devices and is kind of abandoned as this point I think, especially with Chomecast just being released
- Any laptop/PC
- Wii, Xbox (might require XBox Gold), PS3.
Part 2: Content Services
Netflix - A key component of any cord cutters life. Canadian content is limited, but not terrible. Can use VPN/Proxy type service to get around that.
Plex - Plex is a way for you to agregate content from many places, including your computer, or really anywhere on the internet (see
http://leapbit.com/2013/02/24/16-ess...plex-channels/). Plex won't work natively on an AppleTV, but there is a
workaround in PlexConnect, or you can jailbreak.
Hulu - US only service, but gives you access to many current TV shows. Free and Paid options for this.
XBMC - Does much of what Plex does, but is more of a DIY Home Theater PC thing instead. It apparently has a ton of pirated content available on it very easily, but I have very limited experience with it.
Shaw VOD/HBO Go/other cable services- If you were to maintain your cable account, you can get apps for some of these services, some you need to stream from your tablet or phone. Really not relevant to cutting the cord, so won't go into detail.
NHL - Requires Gamecentre subscription and only works with Out of Market games. You can get around this with a VPN/Proxy type service.
Pirated Content - Although I consider it pretty much irrelevant for the majority of things today due to the wide availability of things like Netflix. Obviously you can pirate content and show it on these devices. If this is your thing, don't choose a device that has you locked in to a certain media format without understanding that you will need to convert some (or all) of your stuff before you watch it.
Part 3: Accessing US content:
Bottom line is you need (at minimum) a service which convinces the provider that you are in the US. There are a few ways to do this, like a proxy server or VPN service. You might also need a seperate US account for your device and/or content. For example, Netflix works with the same account and a Roku needs to be setup with a US address to have access to the channels.
Unblock US - Probably the easiest and among the cheap options ($5 a month) it works with most devices, or you can just route all your traffic through a router configured to use it. This is really geared towards media consumption. I don't know if this work with Gamecenter though.
A regular VPN service, like ProXVN or Hidemyass VPN. The benefit to this is for a similar (or slightly increased) cost to Unblock US, you get the ability to gain more web anonymity. ProXVN has a coupon code (SN20) which gives you a yearly price of $60 for the life of your account. HMA is a about $10 a month, or you can get it for $60 a year as well. The downside is they are typically a bit more complex to setup for some media devices, and a few might not support certain services/devices at all. Do your research before you buy, if this is something that you are going to want for sure.