To Roku, or not to Roku?

hybernia

Advice from any Roku owners appreciated -- thanks.

Having cancelled Sky satellite on grounds of cost, we're now looking for the best way to pay a much smaller sum for its "Entertainment" package via Sky-owned NOW TV.

We already enjoy a streaming service via an Amazon Firestick (Alexa voice version) provided at less than half price as former subscribers to that company's now defunct DVD-by-Post service, LoveFilms. And yes: we're very happy with Amazon Prime / Amazon video; the FireStick works unfailingly well.

Amazon, however, doesn't like Sky, nor Sky, Amazon. So there's no way to receive NOW TV on the Firestick or Amazon Video on a NOW stick.

The immediate solution seems to be to purchase a Roku stick, either the "Express" or "Plus" version, because the Roku device allows access to both NOW TV and Amazon Prime / Amazon Video.

However, we're told that though the "plus" version has superior wifi reception to the "Express", it actually uses its own wifi to allow the "Plus" remote to work anywhere, rather than the Express's strictly directional IR remote.

I don't understand these things, so won't pretend to, but am concerned to read posts elsewhere from Roku "Plus" users who say the "bizarre" Roku wifi arrangement (for the remote) actually interferes with their home network wifi.

As the "Plus" is much more expensive than the "Express" (which doesn't have reported wi-fi interference problems) then it would seem to be a better choice. . . Except:

The NOW TV stick is, I'm told, a Roku stick anyway (probably an earlier version) which works just fine nevertheless.



And as we have another spare HDMI port on our standard HD TV (no 4K, or whatever it is, no Ultra, just HD) then why not leave the Amazon stick where it is and insert the NOW stick in the empty HDMI port above it -- the two cannot interfere with each other, they're just different inputs which the TV will utilise.

Quandary is then -- which OH has, so far, not yet resolved -- whether to have

(a) a Roku "Plus" stick that's the most expensive but is said to work well, other than the fact that its remote's wifi has also been criticised for interfering with your home wifi or:

(b) a Roku Express stick which maybe isn't as good but at least it won't mess up your home wifi; or:

(c) just buy a NOW TV stick and slot it into the side of your TV above the existing Firestick.

Help appreciated, as ever.

System

Is your TV not a smart TV that has NowTV and Amazon apps? If you have a games console like a Xbox One or PS4 they have apps for both those too.

I'm for keeping things simple and having one device, not multiple. I think I'd be going for the Roku.

hybernia

Tarambor wrote: »

Is your TV not a smart TV that has NowTV and Amazon apps? If you have a games console like a Xbox One or PS4 they have apps for both those too. I'm for keeping things simple and having one device, not multiple. I think I'd be going for the Roku.

Thanks, Tarambor. 42" Sony Bravia TV, September, 2009. Works perfectly, beautiful picture, but is definitely not "Smart". Is not 4K. Is not UHD. Has no apps of any kind. No wi-fi capability. Can be Etherneted to router but location of TV makes that impossible. Streaming works fine via Amazon FireStick's own wi-fi.

As this TV is equipped with 4 x HDMI, two of which are spare, we are left with the choice of adding a NOW TV stick alongside the FireStick, or a Roku as an all-in-one solution.

As mentioned above though, we do not know which is better for our needs. The Roku Express is comparatively cheap and ideal for our non-4K, non-UHD needs, but we're told its wi-fi range is inferior to the Roku Plus.

The Roku Plus is said to have better wi-fi and is obviously future-proof but is comparatively expensive and the unusual method it uses for its non-IR remote is reported to cause home network wi-fi interference.

Sadly, keeping it simple is not an option for us. . It looks like the best thing to do is go ahead and buy a NOW TV stick with promotional pack and if it doesn't work, return it for a refund.

grumpycrab

Yes, no obvious deals on Roku+ .This Now TV one (cannot keep up with all the different models) is £20 from Currrys.
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-home-entertainment/digital-and-smart-tv/set-top-boxes/now-tv-smart-stick-with-hd-voice-search-3-month-entertainment-pass-1-day-sky-sports-pass-10185736-pdt.html

Farway

I've just recently bought a Roku express to replace an older, dearer, Roku that has failed

I've had no problems with Wi Fi interference at all, it just works, but maybe my set up is not too demanding as I'm not on phone etc when watch TV?

The only downside is the Express does not auto shut down to standby when not in use, the dear ones do
I just pull the USB out to disconnect power once I've done but depends on your set up & convenience

PS if you buy from somewhere like Argos, Amazon etc you can always return if it is of no use in your situation

hybernia

Thanks grumpycrab and Farway. Your posts are helpful and appreciated.

It is now the case that OH has taken matters into his own hands and gone shopping in our town centre B&M. Neither of us has ever been inside any B&M store before so he had no idea, until a friend told him, that it is actually a Sky "Official Re-seller".

So this afternoon, he has bought the NOW Stick HD + Voice + 3 Months' Entertainment pack for £14.99.

That seems to me to be about as low a price as it can get.

Presumably Sky is now urgently targeting what it regards as a cost-conscious demographic in hope of mitigating declining satellite subscription income; we seem to be anything but alone in terminating the satellite service.

The total of £14.99 spent today on Sky's NOW compared with the £81.00 we would have spent over the next three months on Sky satellite is quite a contrast (applicable in our case because we've only ever watched Sky 1, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts; everything else is Freeview HD or Amazon Prime. Others' viewing preferences won't necessarily be the same.)

B&M says if it doesn't work or OH doesn't like it, bring it back within 30 days for a full refund. With less than £15 at risk then, we'll see how we go on. If things don't work out then Farway's Roku Express recommendation will be the next step!

Thanks again then, everyone. :T

grumpycrab

hybernia wrote: »

compared with the £81.00 we would have spent over the next three months on Sky satellite

I won't ask you how much you've spent in total on Sky :eek:
Better to start saving money later than never...

hybernia

When we told Sky we were leaving after more than 20 years with them, the CS people said we were "Valued Customers" and even "Sky VIPS". Oh. After a lot of palaver, the call handler came up with what he said was a truly generous offer which reflected the fact that Sky valued our custom as such loyal subscribers. The amazingly generous offer was £22 a month for the Entertainment pack and £5 a month to have it in HD. Cost for 3 months, that's £81.

OH rang back next day to say we had long, long been out of contract and that he had checked their website and discovered that Sky was actually offering that same £27 a month deal to every new subscriber (on a minimum 18-month contract during which Sky might ' almost very definitely would) raise the price anyway.)



So how come we were being treated so specially for all our loyalty and in recognition of our mysterious "Sky VIP" status??

They had no answer to that so he thanked them for wasting his time. And said goodbye.

[Deleted User]

Well done Hybernia - I did much the same thing when I ditched Sky about 14 months ago.

Couple of things that might prove useful:

1) If you do get any wifi disruption (doesn't happen to me, and I've got two Roku-based devices that use the "wifi-direct" remote!) then you can always try switching the channels used by your router. There are lots of free scanner tools that will help you pick the least used channel in your locale. Just Google for "how to scan wifi channels" for more info. It's usually a good idea to do this any way to get the best possible signal strength through your house.

2) Keep an eye out on eBay for short shelf-life entertainment pass vouchers when your current 3 month pass runs out. You need to question the sellers carefully to make sure that these can be applied to an existing subscription, but you can get some great deals if you're careful. Over the last 6 months I bought two 3 month vouchers for £6 a pop that brought my monthly payments down to only £1.60, ie. got six months' viewing for less than half price. The closer the vouchers are to their final use date, the better the deal.

3) The Roku Express appears good value for money - I was considering it when buying a 3rd streamer recently. However as a matter of due diligence I always Google enthusiast forums for warnings of design / production issues with any hardware I'm considering, and it seems that overheating issues are common with the Roku Express. Quite commonly the wifi components within it start to die after 3 months or so of regular use, killed by excess heat generation. The sticks and the older rounded-corner boxes seem OK however.

hybernia

Legacoid: Can't thank you enough for your post -- you've managed to cover so many points: wonderful! Your news certainly takes the sting out of concerns re wifi interference, and even though I truly am stunningly incompetent in regard to matters IT, I'll certainly follow your advice about scanning and switching. Fingers crossed, I'll at that stage have figured out exactly how to go about it.

Fascinating info about eBay . . I wouldn't normally risk going there for that kind of item, but, but, but: there's great fun (I think) to be had in doing what you've done: reducing Sky TV viewing down to so minimal a sum, just for the sheer heck of it. (The Sky "long-time customer VIP £27-a-month-and-we-can-still-attempt-to-charge-you-more-whenever-we-feel-like-it offer" still insults the intelligence. . .)

Finally: thanks so-oo much for info about the Roku Express stick. It really has saved us a lot of time on any further exploration of which Roku model to choose (if the £14.99p NOW TV stick doesn't work out.)

Welcome, then, to MSE; the post you've so kindly taken the time and trouble to put through is constructive help at its best. Many thanks again! :T