Ready to start considering our options. After realizing AT&T had grossly over-stated how much up and down speed we could get, they got fired and we picked up Cox for internet and are getting really good speeds, within 4% of their claimed capability under our plan. I streamed some content on an iPad last night just to get an idea how possible it is to leave DirecTV behind and I’m impressed.
Question for the others:
As far as a “hub” for television, I’ve seen Roku thrown out there, Apple TV, Amazon Fire. Does it boil down to personal preference or are they all about the same?
The primary thing to look for is which devices has all the content you need. For example, the Roku does not have Playstation Vue on it, so if you were to want to use that service you will need an Amazon Fire TV or a PS3 or PS4.
I have used all the streaming boxes and prefer the Amazon Fire TV. The UI is fast, easy to use and I've never had an issue with the box. It is also nice that it has Alexa built in so you can use that functionality to search content or do silly things like ask for the weather forecast just about anywhere, get it to tell you a joke, etc.... Don't get the Fire stick though, it is woefully under-powered and sluggish.
After using the various streaming boxes I rate them the following:
1. Amazon Fire TV (Smooth interface, speedy, has everything I need)
2. Roku (Nice interface, has HDCP handshaking problems on some TV's. Playstation Vue is not available and app interface for Amazon content is clunky and incomplete.)
3. Google Nexus Player or NVidia Shield (Would be #1 if Amazon and Playstation Vue were supported)
4. Apple TV (Typical Apple. It works but isn't anything special. No Amazon content or Playstation Vue)
5. Amazon Fire Stick (Same interface as Amazon Fire TV but is horribly under-powered)
6. Google Chromecast (IMO only good for streaming music)