Netflixx, Hulu et al, What Do You Use?

Rickochet · 2018-12-12T23:26:36+00:00

I have cable TV and use a Firestick for streaming stuff. Being an Amazon Prime member I download some of their stuff but in general their selection of free...

johnnydoom

Netflix and Amazon prime. I actually like YouTube better than both, but it doesn’t stream well to my TV for some reason.

Toulon

johnnydoom

JD...What are you streaming from to your TV with YouTube?

johnnydoom

Toulon Streaming may not be the right word. The smart TV has a YouTube app, but combined with my WiFi and slow internet provider the app crashes while loading far more often than it works. Once loaded, it works fine though. I’m rather ignorant when it comes to understanding why it crashes while Netflix doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s the app, how the content is delivered, or something else.

Toulon

johnnydoom This may sound stupid and you may have already done such a thing, but many of the apps on your TV need updating periodically. I'd go to a screen where you can see status of the app and see if it needs to be updated.

Orlimar1

johnnydoom

What kind of download speeds do you get on your home internet?

We were stuck with Frontier with a max download speed of 1.5mbps for years. I've got the family using unlimited data through either Verizon or AT*T now. So much better.

johnnydoom

Toulon Not stupid at all. I appreciate the suggestion. I’ve updated it a few times with seemingly no change. I think perhaps it may be more related to the hardware in the Panasonic TV, but I really don’t know.

darpar

I've got Dish and we can watch Youtube on it,works great just takes a while
to type something in the search box.

Hammer4413

I have Comcast Triple Cable option with high speed internet, premium cable tv with a lot of add ons like HBO etc in the package and home phone in a contract that expires at the end of January when it will be over $235/month. It's gotten to expensive and with me not working and on a limited budget at this time I need to downsize in that area. The home phone was just a throw in freebie so I took it as I've always had one for emergencies etc.
I'm looking for suggestions from you guys......I definitely need internet. Insofar as tv goes I want local channels, golf channel, USA, etc and of course sport channels. Home phone wouldn't be required.
I'm not familiar with Firesticks, Hula, etc etc etc. so any suggestions, enlightenment would be appreciated.
thanks guys!!

sdandrea1

Don't confuse the YouTube app on your smart TV with the Streaming service offered by YouTubeTV.com. For $40/month, I get all the channels I had on cable, local news, Golf, Weather, ESPN, major networks and cable channels and the account travels with me between VA and Florida and on vacation. I bring up the YoutTubeTV website on my laptop or phone, pick my channel and cast it to the TV via a Chromecast dongle. The shows are DVR'd as well! Love it.

Rickochet

sdandrea1 Don't confuse the YouTube app on your smart TV with the Streaming service offered by YouTubeTV.com. For $40/month, I get all the channels I had on cable, local news, Golf, Weather, ESPN, major networks and cable channels and the account travels with me between VA and Florida and on vacation. I bring up the YoutTubeTV website on my laptop or phone, pick my channel and cast it to the TV via a Chromecast dongle. The shows are DVR'd as well! Love it.

It sounds like the flexibility with locations works well for you. I checked out youtubetv.com and it really offers me less than I have now. I have great cable at home and get 25meg internet from the same company. I was just wanting explore options other than Neflixx. I did watch "Dirty Grandpa" on Netflixx last night.

garyt1957

I have a Chromecast and Netflix. We also have cable and we'll switch every few years to get the introductory offers that keep it reasonable.

KCee

Rickochet I'm pretty much the same. We did try Hulu for awhile, but no one was using it much so we cancelled. I haven't been watching much of anything lately and have left it up to my wife and youngest daughter to figure out what they want.

I didn't really care until just this week I noticed that Sons of Anarchy is no longer free on Prime....I was through about 5 seasons and now I'm supposed to pay them $1.99 an episode to finish? Not going to happen!

Rickochet

KCee I didn't really care until just this week I noticed that Sons of Anarchy is no longer free on Prime....I was through about 5 seasons and now I'm supposed to pay them $1.99 an episode to finish? Not going to happen!

I am disappointed in Prime Video. There just doesn't seem to be much free stuff there that interests me. We are Amazon Prime members for the shipping savings since we place hundreds of orders each year. I added Netflixx to have more options. It seems like Netflixx is adding more buy or rent stuff as well. Bummer. I have been watching Hawaii 5-O and Blue Bloods series on Netflixx and they are free.

KCee

Rickochet I feel the same. We're still grandfathered into Netflix's DVD and we probably watch more of those than we stream. I travel for work regularly so I look for stuff that I can download and watch on the plane, but I feel like it's getting harder to find shows that I don't have to pay for.

mulegolf

I have cable (VAST) for TV, Internet and land line phone. As with all of the cable companies, it costs too much for what you get. About 80% of the channels offered are not watched. The internet is OK but not great and we only have the phone service because it's part of a package deal and is pretty much free. We have netflix but I can't remember the last time we watched it. We used to get the DVD's from them and watched at least one per week but never watched it during warm weather months as we would rather be outside. I used HULU but that was way back when it was free. We spend too much time watching TV but we don't watch together. My wife sits in the living room and watches whatever and I sit in my TV room and watch mostly sports and programs about cars. Gee, we sound kind of pathetic... I guess we spend more time reading than on watching TV lately.

johnnydoom

Orlimar1 We're stuck with CenturyLink and the speed almost never exceeds 2 mbps for any length of time. I don't want to pay for satellite or cable access just to watch YouTube on the TV screen. If the app would just open without crashing, I could play through the cellular, but I need to get the app to open before I can enter the code from the phone.

Rickochet

Orlimar1 What kind of download speeds do you get on your home internet?

We were stuck with Frontier with a max download speed of 1.5mbps for years. I've got the family using unlimited data through either Verizon or AT*T now. So much better.

I had 1meg for years and when I got streaming capability it would often buffer and quit. I upgraded to 10 meg and it was much better but did hang on occasion but a quick reset got it going again. Our ISP which is owned by our city recently upgraded us to 25 meg no charge and absolutely have no issues. That and installing solid state hard drives on my PC's everything moves along nicely.

Orlimar1

johnnydoom

The app on your tv may be so out of date it can't open. Have you tried a Roku or some other type of device?

johnnydoom

Orlimar1 Haven’t tried any other device. I’ve updated the app a few times, including about 3 months ago, but it does seem to make a difference.

johnnydoom

Orlimar1 The app on your tv may be so out of date it can't open. Have you tried a Roku or some other type of device?

Update: through paying closer attention, and a little research, I found out Google stopped supporting these Panasonic models several years ago and the updates I thought I was performing were just re-installing the same old version. I tried joining my phone to the tv through WiFi and that gives me a much higher probability of loading YouTube without crashing. Still not perfect, but much better so far.

Sparky

sdandrea1 Steve, do you get PBS on YouTube.tv? That's the one thing I can't find.

sdandrea1

Sparky
No PBS in Wash DC area. I'll check Tampa when we get back after Christmas.

Sparky

We like Netflix, and also got in on Hulu's $0.99 per month black Friday deal for the next year. Looking to get rid of Cable TV next.

Sparky

sdandrea1
That's what I found when I did the channel search on Youtube.tv for SoCal. We love PBS, so that is a problem. I know the local PBS offers a streaming service, may have to look into that as an option. Thanks for the response!