Streaming on TV

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leo0787sx

407 posts

Ultimate Geek

#184100 10-Nov-2015 12:55

Hey guys,

Just wondered whats the best and cheapest way to watch streaming services on my TV? Netflix, Neon, Lightbox TVNZ and TV3.

Was thinking Apple TV but the 3rd gen says it only has Netflix so would need 4th gen for the app store, which is about $160 more. Unless I use Airplay, which would cover the rest. Other benefits would be my iTunes music I could play and it comes with a remote.

I've heard a few others thrown around like Chromecast which seems to have Netflix, Lightbox and Neon and is cheaper. I could also use my computer to stream TVNZ and TV3.

The other is Roku but seems to have only American apps.

What do people recommend? :)

Killerkiwi2005

374 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1424397 10-Nov-2015 13:48

If you want all the NZ apps a samsung blueray player is the easyist

If your happy with netflix, lightbox, fanpass etc then get a chromecast

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

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#1424406 10-Nov-2015 14:20

Note that you can't Airplay from the NZ TV apps, so these are never likely to be available for viewing via a 3rd generation ATV. We can live in hope that TVNZ and TV3 will release apps for the 4th gen ATV.

Also, Airplay via Lightbox isn't working, and apparently is unlikely to be working until next year.

It's quite a common question - ie is there one box to rule/deliver them all? - but in all honesty at the moment the answer appears to be "no". I guess a HTPC could be considered such a device, but personally I'd much prefer a single dedicated media box for all services we use - I'd imagine the new ATV may be that very box for us, given it can run Plex (which would replace the Mac Mini running Kodi), and all other key services are or will hopefully be available on it (for us that's Netflix, BBC, Hulu+, TVNZ and TV3).

mclean

581 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#1424408 10-Nov-2015 14:26

Killerkiwi2005: If you want all the NZ apps a samsung blueray player is the easyist

You need one with Smart Hub capability, like the BD-H6500.

kharris

1209 posts

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#1424427 10-Nov-2015 15:11

leo0787sx: Hey guys,

Just wondered whats the best and cheapest way to watch streaming services on my TV? Netflix, Neon, Lightbox TVNZ and TV3.

Was thinking Apple TV but the 3rd gen says it only has Netflix so would need 4th gen for the app store, which is about $160 more. Unless I use Airplay, which would cover the rest. Other benefits would be my iTunes music I could play and it comes with a remote.

I've heard a few others thrown around like Chromecast which seems to have Netflix, Lightbox and Neon and is cheaper. I could also use my computer to stream TVNZ and TV3.

The other is Roku but seems to have only American apps.

What do people recommend? :)

Playstation has Netflix, Lightbox, and recently TVNZ. I don't know about Neon and TV3. As others have mentioned airplay does not work with TVNZ and TV3 (or SkyGo), and it is currently broken for Lightbox - who say they are going to fix it asap but it's been that way for well over a month now.

Note: whoever redesigned the TVNZ app needs a vision test for colour blindness.... the white on green is almost impossible to make out when entering user and password.

Kirk

semigeek

1606 posts

Uber Geek

#1424431 10-Nov-2015 15:18

Killerkiwi2005: If you want all the NZ apps a samsung blueray player is the easyist

If your happy with netflix, lightbox, fanpass etc then get a chromecast

Netflix isn't on my Samsung, a BD-5300. It used to be, then disappeared.

jonathan18

7413 posts

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#1424455 10-Nov-2015 15:30

kharris: Note: whoever redesigned the TVNZ app needs a vision test for colour blindness.... the white on green is almost impossible to make out when entering user and password.

Tell me about it! I raised it with TVNZ over a month ago, but of course haven't heard back from them. While I don't use the app frequently myself, my parents who are in their 80s have a Freeview + recorder: on a 32" TV the app is rendered virtually useless for them thanks to that colour combination. It astounds me that it could be signed off in that form, and it makes me wonder what kind of brainless idiot was in charge of the design.

kharris

1209 posts

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#1424487 10-Nov-2015 16:04

jonathan18: It astounds me that it could be signed off in that form, and it makes me wonder what kind of brainless idiot was in charge of the design.

Not to mention the development and then the testing... surely someone saw it and thought it was a bad idea?

Kirk

Equinox IT

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littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek

#1424494 10-Nov-2015 16:10

At the moment probably the best bet to get everything on one device would be a small windows media box. I have a Minix Neo Z64 which can get all of the above via the browser or Windows store apps. It's around $230 plus shipping and I also got a wireless media keyboard for it (about $50). Alternatives would be a NUC or Gigabyte Brix or similar, but they are a little more expensive. Going up in price the Minix is cheapest, then the Apple TV4 (which has the potential to be the one box, if the apps are developed for those services), then the barebones units like the NUC (which need an OS as well as RAM, HD, etc).

If you have a PS3 already, that will get TVNZ, Lightbox, Netflix, and you can also geo-unblock for some of the UK/AUS channels. I spent last night watching old seasons of Location, Location, Location on UK Channel 4. Lots of ads but no worse than watching normal broadcast telly. Gives me time to go make my cup of tea :o)

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.