Sunday, September 5, 2021

New Roku? So what?

There has been speculation that Roku is about to introduce new devices to their lineup. Roku has most of their streaming players on sale -- all except the Roku Express and the Streambar Pro -- and it's September.

Roku has traditionally released new devices in September or October. In fact, except for 2014, they've release at least one new device in September or October of each year beginning in 2012. So, with almost their entire lineup on sale from $10 to $30 off, speculation is that new devices will be released.

Do I care? Well, not really. Not yet anyway.

Lately, Roku has updated devices with newer processors and more memory and storage, but nothing has been a big enough of an update to warrant my upgrading my devices.

In the past, I would upgrade, because there was often a noticeable improvement in performance or features. The first time I skipped an upgrade was in 2015, when the Roku 4 was released. I saw early reports of issues with the device, and decided to wait on that one. The issues continued to be reported, and I never got one of those. 

Oh, and while there was no September/October 2014 update, there was a new Stick released in March 2014. I got one of those. I wasn't impressed. That disappointment with the responsiveness of the model 3500 Stick may be part of the reason I waited on the Roku 4. The reviews were the reason I didn't just wait, but never bought one.

But, about this year. I can't speak as to what may be coming down the pike. I don't know. If I was participating in a hardware beta release program, I'd know, but I'd keep my mouth shut. In fact, I wouldn't even be writing this post. Which tell you that I have no knowledge about upcoming devices. I'm as in the dark as anyone.

So, what do I think will happen? I expect all of the items on sale will be impacted. They'll either be dropped entirely or upgraded. That's a shocker, right? In other words, the same thing that happens every year.

Even though I'm a huge fan of Roku, I'm not going to automatically run out and get a new device just because there is a new device. But, I am expecting new devices to be released, and I will be looking at the reviews of them, deciding if I want to replace any of my current lineup.

If I find something intriguing about a new device, then sure, I'll get one. But if not, I'll stick with what I have. After all, my current lineup of devices supports my Streaming Life just fine.

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Ad-supported TV

I'm a fan of free TV. Whether that means over the air (OTA) channels you watch via an antenna, or streaming services such as Pluto TV or others, I like the fact that I can watch TV without paying a monthly fee to a cable or satellite service.

This is how I used to watch TV when I was younger. It was how everyone watched TV back then. When I was young, there was no cable TV service, at least, not in my area. There was cable in the U.S. as far back as the late 1940s, but cable didn't really catch on big until the 1970s. That's how Ted Turner made his fame, when he made his Atlanta TV station WTCG (later, WTBS) and his baseball team (the Atlanta Braves) available to cable systems across the country.

Cable became a big deal, and many people switched to cable because of the extra programming available that wasn't available from the local stations via antenna. Of course, you went from watching free TV with commercials to paying for TV and still getting commercials.

I won't go into all the history of cable and changes in TV over the years, but as more and more people are cutting free of cable and satellite services, many are putting antennae up to watch local stations. It only took 50+ years, but some of us are back where we were five decades ago. We're getting TV for free, and still getting commercials.

Streaming services such as Pluto TV (along with many others) offer live streaming television that includes ads. Just like with an antenna.

Many services, including Vudu, Crackle, Plex, IMDB TV, The Roku Channel, and many many more offer on-demand movies and TV with ads.

This is a good thing. Some people hate commercials, and I get that. I have a super power. I can ignore stuff I don't like. But you know what? Some commercials are actually helpful. I may find something advertised that I actually care about. And, if it's something I don't care about, I'm cable of ignoring it. Comes from being an adult.

Watching commercials doesn't bother me. Watching TV for free is something I like. Sure, if I have to pay for a service to watch something specific, I'll do that if I want to watch it bad enough. But most stuff I want to watch, I can find, or find something comparable, on a free TV service. That's why these free TV services are, and will continue to be, part of my Streaming Life.

Friday, September 3, 2021

The Locast ruling

I'm not in an area served by Locast. Well, actually, nobody is anymore. But Locast was offering service to around 55% of the people in the United States. The service ran in 35 markets, including the 22 largest in the U.S. But that was before a court ruling earlier this week that effectively shut the system down.

So, I'm not impacted, but maybe you are. And, if you are, what do you do to get local channels? Well, you gotta do the same thing the rest of us do.

I use an antenna. Now, since I'm some distance from the major four network affiliates, I had to spend more than most on a large antenna, and have a decent antenna pole, but not a tower. I may add a tower later, but for now, I'm good. It works.

But what if you're in a situation where an antenna isn't feasible for you? If you're waning live local channels, you gotta subscribe to a service that carries it.

For CBS, you do have the $10/month plan from Paramount+, which skips commercials from on-demand content, as well as getting you a live feed of your local CBS station.

For ABC, Fox, and NBC, you have to subscribe to a more expensive live streaming service. ABC can be viewed with Vidgo ($55/month), while ABC, Fox, and NBC can be viewed with Hulu+Live TV ($65), YouTube TV ($65), Fubo ($65), and DirecTV Stream ($70).

If you're looking for content from the networks but don't need to watch live, then Hulu carries many of the TV episodes from ABC, Fox, and NBC within hours of the live broadcast. CBS shows, as mentioned, can be viewed with Paramount+.

If you go the antenna route, as I did, you can add local channels to all your streaming devices with Tablo or Air TV, as they work with all the major streaming platforms: Roku, Google/Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV. You can also use Fire TV Recast if you have Fire TV devices.

The shutdown of Locast doesn't impact me. I was hoping they were staying within the law with their actions, but if the judge's ruling is correct, they weren't. That's a shame. I would like to see a quality legal means of watching live local TV via streaming devices, without having to put up an antenna. Until that day comes, we'll have to make the best of thing with the current options for including local TV in our Streaming Life.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Watching college football, 2nd weekend

I've posted a couple of times recently about watching college football, including my choice for a streaming service to get me the services I want, plus what I'd need to do if I wanted to watch all of the games from last weekend's opening of the season.

As you may know, there are a lot more options for watching football -- insofar as services are concerned -- and it's not all that easy to watch everything you want. But, it is possible. And, since there are a lot more games this weekend, more sports channels are necessary.

Here are the different services you'll need to watch the games this weekend. Note that this is for national broadcasts, not small regional sports networks. Always check your favorite team's Website or other information, regarding where it might air.

ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN3

The self-proclaimed world wide leader in sports is actually the service/channel that carries the most games. Well, kind of. Many of the big games will be on ESPN during the season. If you're going to watch a lot of college football, you'll need ESPN. I've included ESPN2 in this, but there is only one game on ESPN2 this weekend. Note that all services that include ESPN also include ESPN2. They are essentially a package deal. You get one, you get the other.

ESPN3 is an odd duck. You may have it for no additional cost, or you may have to subscribe to a service to get it. This weekend, there are FBS/1-A, FCS/1-AA, and Division II games (including a game with an NAIA team).

With ESPN & ESPN2, you'll get access to FBS/1-A and FCS/1-AA games this weekend. So, how do you get ESPN & ESPN2? Through one of these live streaming services:

  • Sling Orange ($35)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream ($70)

Getting one of those also gets you ESPN3, but your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may also get you ESPN3 without needing an ESPN subscription. Not all ISPs are that way, but some are. And, since there are so many ISPs, it would be a near impossible task to list them all. Well, I'm not even going to try. To find out if you can get ESPN3 without an ESPN subscription, meaning your ISP get you the service, the way to find out is to try. If you get it, great. If not, you know what you need to do.

ESPNU/ESPNews

ESPNU carries several games this weekend, including FBS/1-A games, involving both Power 5 and G5 conferences. There are no FCS/1-AA games, but there is a Division II game. ESPNews caries few games. None are scheduled this weekend, but depending on how games go, particularly involving overtime games, some may be shifted to ESPNews at the last minute. I'm including the two services together since every service that carries ESPNU also carries ESPNews. To watch ESPNU or ESPNews, its almost the same as ESPN, except for Sling TV, which includes ESPNU and ESPNews in an add-on package, and DirecTV Stream, which requires a larger package:

  • Sling Orange with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream Choice ($85)

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a standalone service that is designed as a supplement to ESPN. You don't need to subscribe to ESPN in order to subscribe to ESPN+.

One thing that some people still don't get after all this time is that ESPN+ does not include ESPN. It's not the same thing. Subscribing to ESPN+ does not get you ESPN, or any other ESPN service. Perhaps some of the confusion comes from the fact that the ESPN app is used to access all ESPN content, but it only lets you watch the content to which you are subscribed. How do you get ESPN+? Easy:

  • Standalone subscription ($7)

Fox

Some games are available from your local Fox affiliate. If you have an antenna, you're covered. If not, and you decide to go with a streaming service, you have some options:

  • Antenna (free)
  • Sling Orange, select markets only ($35)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream, formerly AT&T TV ($70)

ABC

Some games are available from your local Fox affiliate. If you have an antenna, you're covered. If not, and you decide to go with a streaming service, you have some options, including more than Fox:

  • Antenna (free)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream, formerly AT&T TV ($70)

Fox Sports 1 (FS1)

Fox Sports 1, also known as FS1, carries a number of games, all involving FBS/1-A teams. Some of the teams playing this weekend will be FCS/1-AA teams, but they're playing FBS/1-A teams. I'm listing two Sling TV packages, since many of the teams carried by FS1 will be carried by ESPN channels later in the season. If you only care about FS1, the smaller Sling TV package is the one to consider.

  • Sling Blue with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Sling Orange+Blue with Sports Extra ($65)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)

SEC Network

This could have been included with ESPNU and ESPNews, as the same services apply. However, as this is one of the major conference networks, I'm listing it separately.

  • Sling Orange with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream Choice ($85)

ACC Network

Like the SEC Network, the ACC Network is included with the same package as ESPNU and ESPNews. And, like the SEC Network, I'm listing the ACC Network separately because it's a major conference network.

  • Sling Orange with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream Choice ($85)

Big Ten Network

I was surprised to find that not all of the major live streaming services carry the Big Ten Network. Specifically, DirecTV Stream doesn't offer it in any package. I'm listing two different packages of Sling TV, but the larger package is only needed if you want ESPN channel services as well. Many Big Ten teams will play on ESPN, so listing both packages seems the thing to do.

  • Sling Blue with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Sling Orange+Blue with Sports Extra ($65)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)

Pac-12 Network

The Pac-12 Network is available on some of the live streaming services. This channel carries many Pac-12 games that are not on one of the major broadcast networks or on a major sports service such as ESPN or FS1.

  • Sling Blue with Sports Extra ($46)
  • Vidgo ($55)
  • Fubo Elite ($80)

CBS Sports Network

  • Hulu+Live TV ($65)
  • YouTube TV ($65)
  • Fubo ($65)
  • DirecTV Stream Ultimate ($95)

The Kitchen Sink

If you want to be able to watch everything, there are some ways to do that. The simplest and cheapest way to watch everything is Fubo Elite ($80/month) and ESPN+ ($7/month). There are other ways to combine services and get it all, but the $87 for Fubo and ESPN+ gets you everything.

That actually surprised me. I thought it would require several services, but it turns out that if you want to watch college football, Fubo is the one live streaming service that gets you the most big games. Adding ESPN+ gets you everything. Well, everything that's available streaming.

There may be a cheaper way to get what you want, depending on what games you want. But if you want everything, this is the way to go. If college football is a part of your Streaming Life, Fubo may need to be as well.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Apple TV Siri Remote

I have the new Apple TV 4K device. I use to use Apple TV all the time. It was my go-to streaming device.

I've been a fan of Roku since I bought my first one in 2010. I bought an Apple TV device for the first time in 2010 also, just days after purchasing a Roku device. Back then, there was stuff one did that the other didn't. That's still true to a small degree, but today, essentially, they do the same thing.

Back then, Apple TV was intended to play music through the sound system that was connected to the TV. Since all the music was in iTunes, that was the easiest way to play that content through that system. It worked well. And, though I normally used Roku for streaming, I would use the Apple TV device -- a second generation Apple TV -- to stream on occasion.

Apple TV took over when I began using iTunes and Apple TV for playing local content. I ripped my DVDs into iTunes to go along with iTunes purchases that I downloaded, and iTunes was the server that, well, served them up.

What frustrated me the most about Apple TV was the remote. The touch remote was frustrating. I could use it, I just really didn't like using it. Eventually, Roku went from sharing time with the Apple TV to taking over completely from the Apple TV, solely due to the remote.

The new Apple TV 4K comes with the new Siri remote, which is a hybrid of sorts. It still has some touch capability, but the button pad works a lot like the older silver Apple TV remote, which I liked. The remote is, in my mind, a huge improvement, getting back to an easier to use remote, but still offering some touch capabilities for that that want such a thing. I don't.

There is still some frustration to be had with the touch capabilities. I never want to use them, but it is easy to accidentally activate the functionality. So, it's not perfect, but it is an improvement.

By the way, when I went to set up the new Apple TV, it wouldn't let me use my iPhone to speed up the process. That's the first time I couldn't use my iPhone to set up an Apple TV. I have no idea why, but a manual setup isn't that difficult, so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. It was frustrating, though.

Apple TV won't replace Roku as my go-to device, but the new Siri remote makes it a device that I will use on occasion. I like having it back into my Streaming Life.