Jeff_T
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Re: Chromecast...what's the advantage?
I realize you guys are on the track of different devices but here is another note about the Roku for anyone else reading that might be interested (and no I don't get royalties from Roku hahaha). Roku needs your WiFi lan and internet to be set up, once that is done then the internet can be removed and the wireless lan side will still operate. As an example I configured an old router I have with the same settings ssid etc. as the router I used to to access the internet, I removed the router with the internet connection and powered up the older router, Roku gave me a warning there was no internet but other than that I could cast just as normal. The purpose was that if my router ever malfunctioned I could at least set up a spare to watch my recordings on the "big set"7.5KViews1like2CommentsRe: Chromecast...what's the advantage?
The devices do work slightly differently, the Roku is connected to your Wifi/Internet and physically connected to your TV. You assign a dedicated Input, usually HDMI but they also support a composite video. It is initially configured over your LAN with a standard set of streaming channels, movies, sports, Youtube and NEWS. You can add or delete channels and configure network settings using the supplied remote control. With Roku there is no need for a laptop or PC to be connected but the Roku will accept a video stream from a computer or smart phone. When you first install your Roku you set it up with a user name and password and then as you add channels that you subscribe to, such as Netflix and Amazon you are asked for additional passwords that you already have for the subscription services, I think these services only allow you to stream to one device at any one time. Which brings me to the idea of using your PC/laptop as a server, the Roku allows the PC server to be added as a channel that is independant of the internet, any pre- recorded video on the server can be viewed by any device connected to your WiFi, a bonus is cloud storage where videos can be saved and viewed when you are away from home. Here is a comparison https://www.geek.com/tech/roku-stick-vs-google-chromecast-tiny-tv-titans-1586865/9.7KViews1like0CommentsRe: Chromecast...what's the advantage?
I guess they are all fairly similar but my favorite is the Roku, I just bought another Roku Express last week for $26 from Wal Mart. I don't know whether the Chromecast does this but apart from the freebie channels Roku also allows you to add channels some of which you may already subscribe to through your Dish/Direct Tv subscription. The advantage of this is if you have a TV in a room with no cable/satellite feed you can still watch things like abc, BBC etc. for no additional cost providing you are connected to your WiFi/Internet. Also certain Roku devices have a USB port enabling you to play your home media if ever you lose your WiFi. I have said a few times before I like to combine the PlayOn server with my Roku devices because of the off peak recording feature, I can watch pre-recorded movies and series on any TV in the house using WiFi (no internet required). I believe PlayOn supports Chromecast https://www.playon.tv/features . Regarding smart phones with Android OS there is an app called Allcast that allows you to cast vids to your streaming device, I don't use that much it's more of a novelty. I bought my first Roku 3 or 4 years ago, zero data leakage that I have seen.12KViews0likes37CommentsRe: It's not a great picture, but...
This thread highlights what most of this community have in common, living in a rural area, it's true there are many things we don't have or can't access but sometimes sitting in your yard watching the wildlife compensates for not living in the city. The quality of the pictures is not important it's the memories of what you saw last year or the year before, my wifes yearly project is feeding the 30 to 50 "hummers" that visit every year, the memory that pops up on her Facebook page is usually a reminder to her that it's time to put out the feeders. I enjoyed looking at the two pics you guys posted and I would like to add my own.8.4KViews3likes6CommentsRe: New customer looking for recommendations, suggestions, and tips
Tberry52 It's possible but just depends on what you consider acceptable and how much time you spend watching television. The key is recording programs and movies during the bonus time, after all the majority of tv we all watch is pre recorded stuff anyway. There are a lot of free channels out there but obviously the free stuff is usually a little dated but thats not to say its not good. When it comes to the latest news I'm like most people and like to watch it broadcast live and with a good anytime data plan thats quite feasable and still have data left for a little browsing over the 30 days. Yes!!! I can do that.....No!! my wife can't , she is queen of the remote and I don't see that changing anytime soon. What you could do is test it out for yourself, record some stuff off peak, watch a little live stream, see how it works out and if you think its working well maybe you can "cut the cord" ... but don't rush it. Check this thread https://community.hughesnet.com/t5/Third-Party-Products/Down-loading-in-bonus-time/td-p/777059.3KViews2likes0CommentsRe: Down loading in bonus time
Mb123 Standard quality is approximately 1GB an hour for me so you can say a regular movie is going to 1 or 2 GB. I noticed you posted twice here is a tip, the three vertical dots in the top right corner of your posts will pull up a menu allowing you to edit your post.10KViews0likes1CommentRe: Downloading vs Streaming data use
Mb123 Hi, I replied to your other post on this subject but did not address what you ask here, PlayOn has an option to select video quality which is directly related to the amount of data a video takes to record. I leave the quality setting at auto and it records at the "standard" quality which uses about 1GB for each hour of recording, you can record at higher quality but auto works just fine and gives you about 50 hours of video a month from the bonus time.8.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Down loading in bonus time
Mb123 Yes I actually added a hard drive specifically for movie storage and playback over HughesNet wifi (internet not required). Another feature of PlayOn is that it saves recorded movies as MP4 video, so if you have the Roku with a USB slot you can transfer a video to a thumb drive and watch without the need for a wireless network. The network is nice though and gives you a library of movies to select from. I did have a recording fail on me last night, it happens occasionally especially with Amazon. PlayOn lets you subscribe to TV series too, so if there is a particular series you like you can batch record, you would have to take care not to go outside the bounds of bonus time. PlayOn is not the only program out there it is just the one that I use.10KViews1like4Comments
