What cheap / easy to use streaming box?

[integrale_evo]

My Xbox 360 is slowly dying, sometimes takes ages to load up, YouTube etc randomly crash, lots of catch-up to services are no longer supported.

Bought a Roku express the other day for £20 which is ok, but annoying that it won't control the to volume, would consider another for upstairs but the price has gone up and I'm being tight / wondering if there's anything better for similar money.

Only needs to do 1080p

Needs to be able to do the usual uk catch up channels plus amazon prime and YouTube with no fudging around which apparently rules out the fire stick unless things have changed?

Being able to adjust tv volume on the remote would be handy

[Nathan]

cheap android box with a S905X ?

[JLv3.0]

Chromecast?

[Jobbo]

Chromecast?

Won’t do Amazon Prime, but it’s what I’d recommend if you can live with Amazon being done another way.

[Mito Man]

I’m pretty sure I watch YouTube on my fire stick unless I’m just using the inbuilt smart tv function

[integrale_evo]

I thought you could on old ones but new ones were more faff after amazon and googles falling out?

[Jimmy Choo]

I was going to say chromecast until you said Amazon. Smart TV, then.

[Simon]

Chromecast?

Won’t do Amazon Prime, but it’s what I’d recommend if you can live with Amazon being done another way.

It does do Amazon Prime now. Amazon and Google worked out their differences. You can now get the official YT app on the FireStick and the Prime App does Chromecast - I have both and it all works as described.

[mr_jon]

Yep we use fire sticks for all out needs - prime, utube, live tv via apps (bedroom telly has no aerial feed) and streaming tv/films from our NAS using VLC. Used to use a Boxee which you can buy for pennies and are hackable if you like that sort of thing. No manufacturer support any longer.

[Jobbo]

Chromecast?

Won’t do Amazon Prime, but it’s what I’d recommend if you can live with Amazon being done another way.

It does do Amazon Prime now. Amazon and Google worked out their differences. You can now get the official YT app on the FireStick and the Prime App does Chromecast - I have both and it all works as described.

Excellent, I won’t need to use my PS3 and PS4 to play Good Omens through the telly

Why bother with both Firestick and Chromecast though? Either appears to do everything now.

[Simon]

Won’t do Amazon Prime, but it’s what I’d recommend if you can live with Amazon being done another way.

It does do Amazon Prime now. Amazon and Google worked out their differences. You can now get the official YT app on the FireStick and the Prime App does Chromecast - I have both and it all works as described.

Excellent, I won’t need to use my PS3 and PS4 to play Good Omens through the telly

Why bother with both Firestick and Chromecast though? Either appears to do everything now.

Well, CC is in the lounge, Firestick is in the bedroom. CC because I bought it, Firestick because it was a present Although I do also do things like cast from my photos app on my Android phone when showing the family holiday photos etc. And there is no aerial to the TV in the bedroom and I find the Firestick's handling of OTT TV apps like iPlayer and ITV hub a little more robust than CC - that is, sometimes if I was using iPlayer from the phone and the phone would go to sleep it was hard to reconnect it to pause or whatever. Also, I used to use Amazon Prime from my Freeview Play STB in the lounge, and the Firestick was the only way of making it connect in the bedroom. And despite CC coming to the Prime App I always prefer a native app rather than using a phone, so will continue to use the STB.

[RobYob]

You just missed 4k fire sticks at £25 on Prime day.
We picked one up as our four+ year old one had started to bug out at incovenient times with ITV and All4 apps.

Shall get the 4k TV to go with it at some point.

I also use a steam box to stream direct from a pc upstairs.

[mr_jon]

Our samsung tellys have a steam app so that was another external box done away with. I still use an old chromecast stick to stream f1 via eplsite to the telly on full screen. Works well.

[simon_g]

I'm very happy with my Roku Express but I use a Harmony remote to control everything.

You can get either an add-on remote that fits on the side, or a new 3rd party remote that can control the TV side, probably cheaper than buying another streaming stick if you're otherwise happy with the Roku. eg. clicky1 clicky2

The Amazon Fire sticks are OK - not sure if the youtube thing is resolved yet though, I got rid when the native app went and had to use the crappy browser-based one instead. The Fire sticks will do control over HDMI (HDMI-CEC, aka Bravia Link, Viera Link, Anynet+, etc depending on your TV) so you can just use your TV remote rather than the supplied Amazon one.

[Jobbo]

My Sony telly will control the Chromecast attached to it using the TV remote. LG telly in the living room doesn't, or at least not through the HDMI socket the Chromecast is plugged into.

[Simon]

That's HDMI CEC and a lot of manufacturers seem to be lax at implementing it, or at least not implementing it properly. Like you, my Sony controls my CC. It'll also control my Pana STB/Blu-Ray player.

[Richard]

My chromecast has started be a twat. I think it’s because my router is using one SSID over two frequencies, and despite what the router makers say, that’s still shit

Often I try to cast stuff, and the chromecast doesn’t show up. Very annoying

[Swervin_Mervin]

My chromecast has started be a twat. I think it’s because my router is using one SSID over two frequencies, and despite what the router makers say, that’s still shit

Often I try to cast stuff, and the chromecast doesn’t show up. Very annoying

We've had this recently. I might f**k it off and swap the Roku Express over from the main TV, and then get a Roku stick for that