Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
  • Do I need an Apple TV or a Fire or a Chromecast?
  • jamesgarbett
    Free Member

    Or something else?

    Basically I want to easily stream stuff from a Macbook or smartphone to the TV – mainly music videos on Youtube

    Anything else is a bonus – not interested in games but could be interested in catch up TV and movies

    I’ve got a Macbook but no iPad or iPhone – everything else is Android if that makes a difference

    Really want to avoid some frustrating on-screen keyboard operated from a remote control when entering search terms

    Xylene
    Free Member

    We have a firetv stick. I like it, but we also got amazon prime to test it out, and I like that as well.

    Stream movies using plex, and casting to it, plus I get the apps.

    Didn’t get apple tv, it was too spendy.

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    I’d say it’s worth getting Apple TV if you are already an Apple house.

    But since you said “Macbook but no iPad or iPhone – everything else is Android” then I’d probably get Chromecast instead.

    Del
    Full Member

    youtube is supported directly on chromecast. youtube on your phone will cast directly to your tv, so you can search on the phone ( or laptop, tablet etc. ), and effectively use it as a youtube remote control. the chromecast does it’s own streaming from your wifi network, so once you’ve told it what to stream, it goes and gets it directly. it’ll also do vimeo through a third party app, should it matter.

    scc999
    Full Member

    I’ve not had great a experience with Chromecast.
    Not too bad on anything with a cast button (youtube etc) but massive lag and stuttering when casting a browser window.

    Again, not great performance from either of the android phones or tablets in our house.

    It’s not a wifi issue but I’ve not done more than a bit of basic troubleshooting to try and resolve it.

    Si

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    youtube is supported directly on chromecast. youtube on your phone will cast directly to your tv, so you can search on the phone ( or laptop, tablet etc. ), and effectively use it as a youtube remote control.

    To be fair I’m pretty sure that’s how it works on Apple TV, Wii, Humax, and probably Playstation/Xbox too.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    I am looking for something that will play/interface with:

    iPlayer
    4OD
    Plex
    Netflix

    Is there a good, off the shelf solution that will cover these services that I can access the IP settings of to use a UK located DNS server ( ViperDNS ) ?

    oldtalent
    Free Member

    The ps4 does all these. Obviously a big bucks option though.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Apple TV (basic model) will work well for you OP and you can access youtube directoy from it including your subscriptions / channels etc. Typing in long search text is a bit slow but you can stream from Mac easily (assuming its a 2012 model or later)

    Cranbery you need somekind of “hacky” solution like rasperrby pi or m8s I think assuming you want it all in one box. If you can get the content on say your phone you can cast it to tv via Chromecast etc

    cranberry
    Free Member

    I don’t want to be paying out for a PS4.

    Basically I have a Dutch TV, and Samsung in their kindness have locked down what apps I can use, so I can’t install iPlayer/4OD etc. Netflix and Plex I can use, but I really do want iPlayer, so I’m prepared to move the smarts away from the TV.

    I am happy to roll my own if needs be by using a Raspberry Pi.

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    As above, Apple TV only worthwhile if you’ve got lots of Apple/iTunes stuff.

    oldtalent
    Free Member

    @cranberry. The chromecast + nexus phone will do iplayer, 4od, netflix, not sure about plex, I dont use it. I dont know if you can mess with dns though.
    My pi/kodi only does iplayer out of your list. Definitely not 4od, or all4 as its called now, or netflix. DOnt know about plex.

    Haven’t found a device that does everything, so I use the ps4, chromecast, pi & smart tv. (the ps4 does the most)

    cranberry
    Free Member

    That’s a shame – I was hoping to find a one-device solution. I might use Kodi on a Pi to at least get iPlayer and continue to use the smart-ish TV for Netflix and Plex.

    batfink
    Free Member

    Is there a good, off the shelf solution that will cover these services that I can access the IP settings of to use a UK located DNS server ( ViperDNS ) ?

    Samsung in their kindness have locked down what apps I can use, so I can’t install iPlayer/4OD etc. Netflix and Plex I can use, but I really do want iPlayer, so I’m prepared to move the smarts away from the TV.

    We’ve got a samsung smart TV in Australia, and use unotelly dns. You basically just change the dns sever address in settings, and you can access all the apps from the UK. Literally takes 30 seconds. I’m sure it would be similar for the various dns services.

    I’ve got an apply TV also, but the samsung has 4OD (not available on the apple TV yet), and iPlayer too, so the apply TV rarely gets switched on.

    It’s also worth noting that Netflix are currently on the rampage over people using VPNs or dns services…. and have blocked them. I’m sure somebody will come up with an effective workaround soon, but at the moment that door seems shut.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    I don’t know if your TV is of a different age, or if it’s just Samsung Holland, but you simply cannot install iPlayer at all, even with a VPN/DNS service.

    I use ViperDNS for Netflix after a recommendation off here, or at least I did until a couple of weeks ago when it stopped working for Netflix – they are working on getting around whatever was done to stop it working.

    batfink
    Free Member

    Have you re-set the country to the uk after changing the dns server?

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    hat’s a shame – I was hoping to find a one-device solution. I might use Kodi on a Pi to at least get iPlayer and continue to use the smart-ish TV for Netflix and Plex.

    I am using Kodi on my Mac now (just got it working) not sure if it runs iPlayer catchup but there is an icon, as above you can buy a m8s box (friend has one) which does a lot. You might try stage 1 of connecting your Mac direct to tv via hdmi out (depends on vintage as to whether sound works – I have to use headphone out as my Mini is 2009 also a dvi out to hdmi adapter). I have an Apple TV and tend to do iPlayer catchup by downloading programms to my iphone / iPad then sending them to Apple TV (older model). Apple TV supports Netflix but not iPlayer.

    You might want to browse this thread

    somouk
    Free Member

    Amazon fire stick and sideload Kodi on to it, best of both worlds then.

    johnx2
    Free Member

    …as above. Chromecast is great for anything with a chromecast button, which in our house means netflix and nowTV, and BBCi player etc and obv anything that’s part of the google empire.

    Amazon Prime casting from a tab is not so good, but we managed to get through vikings with only a degree of irritation (some stuttering now and then, apparently unrelated to anything, if anyone’s got a fix?)

    Don’t feel the need for anything else and have reduced tv channels on ‘normal’ cable to the minimum package.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    Have you re-set the country to the uk after changing the dns server?

    I’ve just done a full re-set of everything but the network settings – still I get dutch stuff, but nothing from the UK. 🙁

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    @cranberry some uk sources are now blocking known VPNs maybe that viperDNS has been blocked ?

    Wires are best. If possible I use an ethernet cable not wifi and a direct hdmi oit beats streaming/casting devices. I have those too but ’tis a fact.

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    I have an Apple TV and tend to do iPlayer catchup by downloading programms to my iphone / iPad then sending them to Apple TV

    You don’t need to download them first, it’ll happily stream them as well. Just start playing on the iphone then hit the cast button. (Just as well because my phone doesn’t have room for 40 odd episodes of “Hey Duggee” 🙂 )

    No use to the OP tho – cos he’s on Android.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    ^^^ ime download best to avoid buffering especially at busy times of the evening

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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