streaming Amazon to TV

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Donald

Donald

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A lot (mine included) Bluray players are wireless and can stream off the internet, many things including Netflix. But not Amazon. I assume there is some deal here among companies, but not sure.

How are people streaming Amazon?
 
Some DVD players do include the option to stream amazon to your TV like Panasonic DMP-BD85K.

Also you could skip the blue ray player and come up with a way to run your PC directly to your TV, I used to run a 25 foot HDMI cable from my PC to my TV for viewing, Id roll it up when I was done.
 
Our Panasonic Blu Ray player AND the Roku3 can both stream Amazon Prime/VOD.
Or like already stated, just connect the laptop via HDMI for full HD (best) or VGA (Meh)
 
I use my Playstation 3 and a Roku box (1st gen 720p HD model). They both work great with excellent (for streaming) video quality.

I'd keep checking for software updates for the bluray player as they may add Amazon VOD at a later date.
 
We stream Amazon with our Roku boxes.

This stuff is still new enough that I made the choice to buy a popular streaming platform instead of an internet-ready DVD player. They (the DVD players) seem to be hit-and-miss in what they offer as far as streaming services, and as Roku is one of the more popular streaming boxes, I find that it offers some of the best channel selections.

As more streaming channels are introduced (maybe ESPN comes out with a subscription streaming service, for example), I have high confidence that they'll be offered on the more popular streaming boxes, like Roku and even Apple TV. Will that channel be available when it comes out on a DVD player I buy today? Perhaps it will, but I have less confidence in that. You're probably pretty safe, though, with a popular major brand like Sony or Samsung.
 
Yep - ROKU is a great way to stream.
Buy the deluxe ROKU 3. It allows you wireless and wired ethernet options. I needed that option the other day. My wireless end took a krappola. All I needed to do is enter a wired connection. Running fine again.
 
We have a Roku 3 and a Roku HD. I definitely recommend the Roku 3, if nothing more than for the faster processor. The Netflix app, for instance, is much more impressive on the 3 (it was updated about a week ago). The Netflix app on the HD is still the older version.

On the other hand, the 3 only supports HDMI connections, so if you want to use component connections or have an older television without HDMI, the 3 wouldn't be appropriate.
 
My Samsung BRD player will not stream any Amazon content. My older Samsung LCD will only stream paid Amazon content, not the free Prime content. My new Samsung LCD streams all Amazon content, Prime and otherwise.

All that said, I use my iPad and stream via Airplay to my Apple TV using the Amazon Instant Video app.
 
I can stream it through our Nintendo WII. Downloaded the "app" from the Nintendo store and I have a Prime account so...

Don't stream it much through the tv as I watch the videos on my Kindle Fire or iPhone.
 
I just bought Roku2 for Amazon streaming. The AppleTV currently does NOT support Amazon and I have a feeling that the feuding between Apple and Amazon will insure that it will never be supported.

On the other hand, Roku does NOT support youtube as there is bad blood between Google and Roku.

You have to pick up your own poison in this streaming device market place!

What I really miss on these streaming devices is the ability to do "channel surf" :-( That is where a TV/Cablebox shines. In 100 seconds or less, I know that there is nothing worthwhile to watch on the TV/Cable but it takes lot longer to come to the same conclusion on Roku/AppleTV as going from one channel to another is extremely painful :-)
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
What I really miss on these streaming devices is the ability to do "channel surf" :-( That is where a TV/Cablebox shines. In 100 seconds or less, I know that there is nothing worthwhile to watch on the TV/Cable but it takes lot longer to come to the same conclusion on Roku/AppleTV as going from one channel to another is extremely painful :-)


Roku has an excellent unified search feature where you can find what you want on ANY of the channels installed on your box. I find it extremely handy.

http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/20...-regardless-app

It does not present you with a menu of "what's on now". That's, of course, because with streaming television, *everything* is on now. You are no longer bound to old habits of sitting down and having to eat what the TV spoon-feeds you. I've found that our family watches TV in a much different way now. We sit down to watch something in particular. Maybe a new episode of The Middle is on Hulu Plus. We know it's there, so we sit down to watch it when it's available. Maybe I want to watch the next Top Gear UK episode on Netflix. I call it up from my queue and watch it.

You are certainly correct that no one device has it all. There are usually acceptable work-arounds, like the one posted about watching Amazon on Apple TV through AirPlay. I watch YouTube on our Roku from our iPad with a third party app. It works. It'd be better if it was an app, but it works.
 
After buying the new TV, I made a pact with myself that I was NOT going to shell out rental fee every month to my service provider for yet another box.

ESPN streams many of the games (almost) live. It is even better than watching it on cable because when it comes to commercial break, they just put few still slides! Unfortunately, it is not easy to switch to the other (almost) live show or the half watched Netflix/Amazon show for the duration of the commercial break. May be that is blessing in disguise??

By the way, I need to hand my remote to my son if I need any searching done. It takes me too long hunt and peck characters one at a time using the supplied remote. The iPhone Roku remote app has too many bugs to be used as replacement remote. So now I have to juggle Roku remote, iPhone and the TV remote and that is just too painful. Incidentally, that is why Apple owns the market because they make using their stuff much less painful than the others. Mind you Apple still has problems but when you compare with the other Lemons, you understand why Apple reigns king.
 
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Originally Posted By: Vikas
After buying the new TV, I made a pact with myself that I was NOT going to shell out rental fee every month to my service provider for yet another box.

ESPN streams many of the games (almost) live. It is even better than watching it on cable because when it comes to commercial break, they just put few still slides!


Don't you have to be a cable TV subscriber and log-in through your provider to watch ESPN live streams? We don't subscribe to cable or satellite; that business model is quickly becoming obsolutely in my opinion. I can see the day coming when broadcasters (like ESPN) see the market for offering a la carte subscriptions for their services. Much like you can buy Netflix for $8/month. I can see ESPN offering their channel for something like $3/month. Then anyone with a streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, etc) could download that channel just like they can download Netflix.

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Incidentally, that is why Apple owns the market because they make using their stuff much less painful than the others. Mind you Apple still has problems but when you compare with the other Lemons, you understand why Apple reigns king.


I think Apple is far from owning the streaming TV market at this point. We are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem (two iMacs, two iPhones, one iPad), but when we bought our Rokus, Apple TV was simply not competitive. They offered a total of (I think) six channels. Netflix and Hulu, plus a few sports channels. Interestingly, despite their war with Google, they offer a YouTube channel. Apple TV is catching up fast I see (http://www.apple.com/appletv/whats-on/). I count 29 channels. That's good, and probably growing each day. Roku has 170 channels in the TV/movie category alone, plus 52 more in news, etc.

Apple TV clearly has the better interface (I have played with my neighbor's unit and like it a lot); Roku clearly has a wider channel selection. I think Apple TV *will* own this market if/when they secure a more comprehensive channel portfolio.

I do want an Apple TV box to supplement our Roku box. I don't care to pay 100 bucks for one, so I do look on Craigslist every now and again for used ones. They're pretty hard to come by.
 
The black Friday price on Apple TV was around $80.

We already subscribe to cable (FIOS) and pay for two boxes and I do not want to add yet another one but if the boss insists, I will have no choice.

ESPN charges lot for than $3 per subscriber to the cable company. Or resident cable expert (and new cars buying expert :-) Nick will confirm this. I suspect if they adopt stand-alone model, the rates will be in the Netflix/HuluPlus range too.

My next streaming device purchase would be Google Chromecast if I can find it in stock. Then I would have all three devices to compare and contrast.
 
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