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+--- Thread: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. (/showthread.php?tid=192622)
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Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Dennis S - 07-07-2016
First, he will get online either through DSL or cable. He has a guy who can do most of the hooking up for him for a fee. Here's a few questions:
1. Will he be able to stream different shows to mutiple TVs? He has 3, none of which are smart TVs - a 50" Panasonic plasma, 40" Samsung LCD, and 30" Sony LED.
2. Does he need his PC laptop on or can the signal go through the router?
3. Which Roku box would be best, #3 or 4?
4. Can he find the Weather Channel live and the RFD channel on the net?
5. What router does he need?
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - John B. - 07-07-2016
I'll take a stab at a few answers:
1. He will need a Roku for each TV, unless he gets into some fancy distribution wiring. And if he goes the distribution route, all TVs would get the same signal/program at the same time.
2. No
3. I recommend that streaming boxes use wired Ethernet, rather than wireless. Others may disagree. Make sure that the Roku matches the TV input (if the TV doesn't have HDMI, that will limit the number of streaming box choices)
4. Don't know
5. Nothing special about the router
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Article Accelerator - 07-07-2016
1. Sure, as long as the ISP provides sufficient bandwidth, and he has a 3 screen license from the the streaming provider, e.g. Netflix, and he has a streaming box for each TV.
2. He doesn't need any computer except possibly for initial setup with the ISP
3. This one: http://www.apple.com/tv/
4. If there's an app for those, then yes.
5. Any good router.
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Dennis S - 07-07-2016
More about #1: One TV is for his mom, who has mild dementia. Is there a simple or basic box she would so better with?
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - space-time - 07-07-2016
if you're gonna get a box for each TV, I recommend boxes from different manufacturers, for example an Apple TV, A Roku and an Amazon fire TV. Many or even most channels are available on all 3 platforms, but there are a few that are available only on one or two platform. None of them covers 100% of what I want
For example, Apple TV does not support Amazon Prime video, but does support PBS Passport.
Amazon and Roku support Amazon video, but not PBS Passport, nor iTunes content.
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Dennis S - 07-07-2016
Will his mom be able to watch Fox News and CNN live?
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - space-time - 07-07-2016
Dennis S wrote:
Will his mom be able to watch Fox News and CNN live?
there are some options, such as SlingTV
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Fritz - 07-07-2016
1. 3 different boxes as others have said
2. no
3. I'd say 3 unless losing a remote is a possibility.
4. dunno about about live WC on the Roku although there is some WC available, but interweb yes.
RFD has very limited distribution. We use to have it on OOL, but not anymore. I'd say no to this one.
5. to hit all 3 boxes with wire he'd have to MoCA the house, which I think is only possible with some
routers and providers. Otherwise, any of the available steam boxes have WiFi, but how well they do
depends on how much interference they get. We have lots of interference here so I have to MoCA the
house. For me it's FiOS gear, so an ActionTec.
6. you din't ask but, if there is gonna be OTA receptions as well, that can be added to a MoCA set-up with
a satellite diplexer. It's a cheap little passive coax box.
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - mikebw - 07-07-2016
Fritz wrote:
5. to hit all 3 boxes with wire he'd have to MoCA the house, which I think is only possible with some
routers and providers. Otherwise, any of the available steam boxes have WiFi, but how well they do
depends on how much interference they get. We have lots of interference here so I have to MoCA the
house. For me it's FiOS gear, so an ActionTec.
Not sure what you mean here- They could just use Ethernet from the router to each box (or wireless as noted), no need to run coax all over.
Re: Friend wants to cut the cable and get a Roku box. He's not on the net and wants me to ask y'all some questions. - Fritz - 07-07-2016
mikebw wrote:
Not sure what you mean here- They could just use Ethernet from the router to each box (or wireless as noted), no need to run coax all over.
sometimes house is wired already for coax, sometimes nothing at all. but yes, either.