Roku?

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Discussion

Huntsman

Original Poster:

8,054 posts

250 months

Saturday 20th February 2021
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I'm not sure if this should be in this section, or the council or 1WP threads.

We have a Phillips TV, 2008, 32" and a Youview box, the Youview box/service does not have Disney plus.

We do have wifi.

We have a Disney account, £5.99 a month, so we can watch it on our tablet or phones, but not on the TV.

If we buy https://www.roku.com/en-gb/products/roku-express Can we then log onto the Disney channel on the TV and watch the Disney films on the TV?

Is that right?

(WTF is chromecast?)

When it says 'stream from your device to your TV', does it mean my phone is downloading a film, then wifi'ing it to the TV? Is that right? Can my phone do that? We've got Samsung Tab, an iphone 11 and a Samsung galaxy something or other.

vladcjelli

2,967 posts

158 months

Saturday 20th February 2021
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Don’t know about the streaming aspect of your post, don’t really know what you’re asking.

But we have a roku and watch Disney plus through it if that’s what you want to know.

Chimune

3,179 posts

223 months

Saturday 20th February 2021
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We have Roku. It means you can stream pretty much anything from a mobile to the roku via the roku phone app or via usual casting tech.
But yes as above, if there is a Disney app available on the roku, you can sign in to it and watch content.

NewNameNeeded

2,560 posts

225 months

Saturday 20th February 2021
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Streaming from your device to the TV would allow anything you play or look at on your phone/tablet to be viewed/listened to on your TV, via Roku.

The bit I think you're interested in is this bit: https://www.roku.com/en-gb/whats-on these are the channels/apps available directly via Roku. So if you already have a subscription to them you can play them on your TV via your Roku without your phone/tablet involved.

Disney+ is listed and so you'd boot up your TV and Roku, navigate to the Disney+ app with the Roku remote, log in (first time) and you're away!

Hub

6,434 posts

198 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Huntsman said:
If we buy https://www.roku.com/en-gb/products/roku-express Can we then log onto the Disney channel on the TV and watch the Disney films on the TV?

Is that right?
In a nutshell, yes.

I have a Roku express as my TV isn't 'smart' and it is great - has all the usual streaming channels etc.

Over over under steer

663 posts

123 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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For a PH review as an owner of a Roku, they’re fab. Much better than a chrome cast imho, as you don’t have to mess with your phone. It supports Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV etc as you’d expect plus loads more.

You can also play the tv sound through headphones connected to your phone if you want to watch quietly. Useful for me when everyone is asleep

sociopath

3,433 posts

66 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Roku connects to your wifi and has apps for nowtv, disney+, youtube, netflix etc

So you dont need to connect your phone to watch those streams.

Huntsman

Original Poster:

8,054 posts

250 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
quotequote all
Thank you chaps, very helpful, I'll get one ordered.

Just one more question.

I could put the £30 towards a smart TV? That would get us to the same place right?


Silver Smudger

3,299 posts

167 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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I think the Roku might well be a better buy than a smart TV.

I bought a 'smart' Sony Blu-ray player with apps for several services that I wanted. However, the apps were not provided by Sony, but via a third party and once the model was out of production there was no support from anyone. Services moved on, the apps were not updated and eventually became obsolete and clunky and some stopped working completely.

In a - not inexpensive - major-brand unit a little over 2 years old!

If it only lasts 2-3 years, my little £30 Roku box will still be a bargain compared to that Sony, which now has none of the extras I paid extra for!

The little Roku performs much better than its size and price would suggest - Mine is hooked up to home cinema amp and projector and gives perfect picture and Dolby digital surround from Netflix, Prime, Disney, Plex etc without a hitch. Bought another one for the TV in the kids room too. Recommended !

sociopath

3,433 posts

66 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Huntsman said:
Thank you chaps, very helpful, I'll get one ordered.

Just one more question.

I could put the £30 towards a smart TV? That would get us to the same place right?
I have a few smart tvs, only one of them still works properly as the other suppliers have stopped updating the apps, all my roku devices are still working.

Get a Roku

Hub

6,434 posts

198 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Yes, the Roku is very easy to use. Smart TVs can be quite clunky and laggy, and as said become defunct quite quickly, so I wouldn't get a new TV especially.

dontfollowme

1,158 posts

233 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Would add my support for a Roku. I use for it for Iplayer and Amazon Prime.

BigBen

11,639 posts

230 months

Sunday 21st February 2021
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Over over under steer said:
For a PH review as an owner of a Roku, they’re fab. Much better than a chrome cast imho, as you don’t have to mess with your phone. It supports Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV etc as you’d expect plus loads more.

You can also play the tv sound through headphones connected to your phone if you want to watch quietly. Useful for me when everyone is asleep
The latest chromecast with Google TV has its own remote so is not reliant on the phone. But cost quite a bit more than previous chromecasts.

Miserablegit

4,021 posts

109 months

Monday 22nd February 2021
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Huntsman said:
Thank you chaps, very helpful, I'll get one ordered.

Just one more question.

I could put the £30 towards a smart TV? That would get us to the same place right?
As others have said, not all smart TVs will have a Disney app. Even if they do it might not be supported in a few years.

I had a few Sony Blu-ray players that were used for Prime Video- Sony stopped supporting it a few years ago and so I had to replace the players to get Prime again.

One thing about the Roku is that whilst it is great for streaming from its apps I’ve found it is not very good streaming from a phone- I tried to use it with zoom on a projector screen over Christmas but it kept dropping out. Not going to complain for £30

Huntsman

Original Poster:

8,054 posts

250 months

Monday 22nd February 2021
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We are installing it now...

Huntsman

Original Poster:

8,054 posts

250 months

Monday 22nd February 2021
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A very excited 5 year old is watching the Disney channel.

Thank you.


BERGS2

2,801 posts

248 months

Sunday 28th March 2021
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One this front - is there a lightweight 4k streamer?

We have a roku express and sky q box in the kids tv room - but neither do 4k

Is there a means of multi rooming sky & keeping the 4k ness of the content?

Annoyingly - we’ve got a bunch of UHD films downloaded, which cant play on the sky q box.

Thinking a roku 4k type thing should do the job?

Any ideas?

Hub

6,434 posts

198 months

Sunday 28th March 2021
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Roku Premiere?

eccles

13,733 posts

222 months

Sunday 28th March 2021
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BERGS2 said:
One this front - is there a lightweight 4k streamer?

We have a roku express and sky q box in the kids tv room - but neither do 4k

Is there a means of multi rooming sky & keeping the 4k ness of the content?

Annoyingly - we’ve got a bunch of UHD films downloaded, which cant play on the sky q box.

Thinking a roku 4k type thing should do the job?

Any ideas?
I've got a Roku stick in my little telly upstairs and that does 4K. It plugs into a HDMI port and powered by a USB port on the TV.

I also have downstairs on the main TV a Roku Streambar as my soundbar and streamer all in one. Great little soundbar with amazing sound for it's size and loads of other features as well.

BERGS2

2,801 posts

248 months

Sunday 28th March 2021
quotequote all
Cheers -

I went and got a 4k stick today

work well into the projector - but gives me issues plugged into my AV amp

will pop another thread on it...

i'd occasionally go on the AV forums for advice - but its way to in depth for my simple head!

hehe