We have a smart TV with YouTube..My internet speed (via router/WiFi) does not let YouTube load as fast as my Roku..
That's interesting, @Ken N Louis, you'd think the two would be the same speed. I got an email from Roku yesterday about Roku televisions that are on sale. I'm not looking to replace any of my TVs right now, but if I were, I'd be very cautious about buying a smart TV. I don't have the money to buy top of the line, which is the only type of smart TV I'd buy, because the last time I bought it, it was only about a year before Google stopped supporting the product, so that's left a bad taste in my mouth. If I had the money I might take advantage of the Sling TV deal, though, because they're giving a free Roku 2 (or half off a Roku 3) with 3 months of prepaid SlingTV service. I like the idea of starting out my cord cutting with Sling, since in addition to the live channels, it would give me A&E, TBS, TNT and HGTV, along with some others, and for $5 I could add an entertainment package that includes DIY and Lifetime, two more of my favorites.
Since our kids grew up and moved on, we deleted cable boxes for the now spare bedrooms. I bought a couple of Rokus to go in those rooms for the occasions that the grandkids come to visit, but I hadn't used them much. Since buying the adjustable bed for one of those rooms and setting it up to use after I have surgery in a couple of months, I've been playing with the Roku and getting used to using it. (This is a Roku device and not a Roku TV.) I also bought an inside antenna from Amazon to get local channels, which scanned and found an amazing number. Yesterday I was looking through Roku Help and found that there are ways to get a channel menu to display of FREE programs. (I'm probably the last to know this. ) If you have a Roku and go to the Roku Channel app, scroll down till you see the "antenna" icon and click it to load the channel menu. It is my understanding that if you have a Roku TV (not a standard TV with the Roku device), that channel listing also includes the channels viewed with the OTA antenna.
We have Roku and like it much better than Firestick. There are all kinds of free things on there. All our British shows, Canadian, etc we like we get thru this. WE pay for Paramount (cbs) because if we miss our shows in the fall and winter we can still see them on that channel. Peacock is free- channel 5 here.. It takes forever to go thru it all but worth it. Explore them all and enjoy
I have a Roku, but since I bought a Roku-ready TV I don't have to use the machine. I have Firestick too, but it's been months since I've clicked into it. In answer to some of the (old) posts above about cheaper smart TVs not being worth the money, I have been using an inexpensive TCL Roku-ready TV for about four years now, and it works just fine.
I have one of those TCL TVs, too. It works great and is a few years old now. My point in bumping this old thread was to mention that Roku has the OTA channel listing now, though it may not be "new" so much as I'm just now catching on. I much prefer scrolling through a channel guide to changing channels to see what's on broadcast TV.
I like old threads being bumped. There is never a need to apologize for that. I only mentioned the old posts so that someone didn't wonder why I was addressing comments that were made half a decade ago. I did catch your OTA post and intend to try it, as I didn't know about that either.
If they ever get fiber run to my house I'll be able to get some of this stuff. Regarding OTA: That's been my sole television for about 5-6 years now. I use an online guide called Zap2It.
We unhooked our Roku when we got tired of watching the same programs on RIDE TV and Roku stopped showing the Wrangler Channel. Was going to give it away as a Christmas present to a relative. Then, we learned that The Cowboy Channel is on Roku, so, got it out of the garage, hooked it up and got a subscription to The Cowboy Channel. We were so happy that we didn't give it away.
I did not know about that, and it works fine here. I'm not sure yet whether I am going to find it easier or go back to the old way of doing things, but it is an option.
I rehooked my antena and rotor. I don't want or need cable and/or roku. But hubby does. He doesn't do much except mow the lawn on a rider and go out for coffee with the boys on Fridays. I wish he enjoyed shoveling manure more When I do watch the roku, I usually fall asleep to it. They have older shows (and movies) like Monk, Heart to Heart, Charmed, Air Wolf that I like. I refuse to pay for more TV but I think hubby does. I still have books I need to read. But I will be left in the dust of progress.
I know next to nothing about those type of devices, so I have a question. I am seeing this thing called TVFIX, that claims to get a bunch of free channels. Does anyone on here know anything about them?