amazon tv

[scottrods]

Very cool... I was curious how it was used... That makes sense.

I do not own a Smart TV either, hence the Need for some form of Netflix accommodation... I should say The TV I bought was one of the early "smart TV's" and the software on it died within a couple of months and no support from the Very Big Named manufacturer... Was not impressed... still not impressed. I did buy their model with the most available HDMI inputs and USB ports available as well as Memory card slot. Was a Very nice TV new, but the new wore off very quickly when an automatic update killed EVERY "widget" or App on the TV except one... which is a Pay to view movie widget... Even the Yahoo App quit... Netflix, etc... TheTV is old enough to have a Blockbuster app that's dead as well...

As I said before, I don't buy and store Movies at all... Most of my music is Old stuff I burned from Vinyl and a few CD's back in the day... rarely do I buy any music lately... I like the NAS Server thing and the ability to access and control it through the Kodi OS (whatever it's called)... Just haven't gotten myself into it to that level.

Mike, So far most of your replies to my posts have been very condescending (that means you talk down to me)... I'd appreciate your respect to my being a human with a mind as well. You seem pretty sharp. That doesn't make you better than everyone on the forums... which often times you exude. We all have things to contribute and or questions to have answered. If your input is useful that's one thing... but it would be nice if you were to treat others as you would have them treat you... with a smidgen of respect.

So Far, no one on these forums (that I have experienced) is disrespectful to you... You could think about returning the favor.

[mike27oct]

Whatever I said that offended you; I apologize. Let's just be friends here.

Be sure to stay away from the illegal stuff; the illegal-ness, is one thing, but you can get viruses and even get caught and that is even worse!   

Don't be shy about pointing a finger at the "Very Big Named manufacturer" of your TV. I have a 2010 model Panasonic plasma w/ 4 HDMI plugs that works great, but it was one year later when they put Netflix in it, and there was no way it could be added.  The "internet" channels included were lame, and after an update or two (last was a Russian channel (!) we gave up on this feature.nNo updated for years now.

I soon had to add a 5-port additional HDMI switch box.  Everything is HDMI today.

You said you have not had cable for years; we are quite the opposite, because if one is a baseball and football fan it is essential.  Each year, I call Comcast to renegotiate our long time commitment, and this year I hit the jackpot, because they gave us their best service by adding all premium movie channels (free) for the same price we were paying.  Cable ain't what is used to be.  The companies don't like cable-cutting and are making deals today like never before.


This past year Comcast/Xfinity created a new set top black box with a much larger DVR, plus they now have an app for iOS and Android that enables us streaming of live programs, our DVR recordings and on-Demand material we can watch on iPad at home and when traveling.  I didn't miss any of my favorite "space and universe" shows when on a vacation.  This is the best "feature" of cable TV nowadays, and we feel it added a lot of value to cable TV.

[scottrods]

I do understand the legalities of the items mentioned above. I just don't use that stuff... It is in the build, which actually speeds up and allows more fluid, less buffering video...

As far as TV's... The one I have is an [old as yours]... Toshiba. It's mfr. date is 2012. Built in November, bought in December (for Christmas)... That was the year everyone was starting to sell Smart TV's... Sony Bravia had the biggest marketing campaign, thus their TV's were twice what everyone else's were... The OS on mine is the same as the old WEBOS from Palm... who was bought out by Motorolla a couple of years later... and recently has been purchased by HTC... Just the OS... would be cool if there was some sort of available update for it... This TV has one of the best pictures I could find at the time (better than the Sony even at the time). Still a Very Nice Picture...

Now Cable/Dish... I'm not a sports fan at all, so none of that has any bearing on my viewing choices... Purely for entertainment, and even then not all that *necessary*... I fully understand everyone's fanaticisms... I just don't have much of that "fan" stuff in my blood. I like some things... but never enough to go all out crazy on it like the word FAN suggests one would.

I do love music... but not one type or one group, band, or song... There are some types I avoid... RAP doesn't do it for me and there seems to be a grungy sounding rock type music that has very little ... Music... to it. A lot of the Five Finger Death Punch type stuff... Screaming doesn't sound musical to me very often...

WE have FIOS at the house for internet... so that's our cable option as well. They have a billion little charges they sneak in on any TV or video service, so I just get their best Residential Speeds on Internet and keep the TV's rolling with Netflix and Apple TV and Fire Stick and Chromecast...

[mike27oct]

Just to be sure you know, and so anyone reading this thread knows, no one needs to install Spinz or any like program to put Kodi on a FireTV. Kodi is meant to be installed all by itself; no assist is necessary these other programs, and can likely expose one to malware, etc.

I have a relative who recently bought an OMG android box w/Kodi from a Home Show vendor for close to $400. He got "took" good.  t was pitched as an android box with Kodi, but it is plain and simply a pirate device.

Yep, we have similar TVs, and reason mine can't have built in Netflix is because it never got the Netflix copy protecting chip that came a year or so later.

FireTV as set up, does a good job if playing music (and videos) from my network sources assisted by Kodi.

[scottrods]

Just to be sure you know, and so anyone reading this thread knows, no one needs to install Spinz or any like program to put Kodi on a FireTV. Kodi is meant to be installed all by itself; no assist is necessary these other programs, and can likely expose one to malware, etc.

I completely agree with that statement... except... I actually like the "skin" that is supplied with the SPinzTV build... makes it pretty simple to navigate... where Kodi is *OK*... the layout on the build is much more user friendly to me. But for the sake of discussion, It is truly mostly just a pirate app for an android box... I stick to my original assessment of Android products... so much freedom in the way apps are developed for the Android platforms... it seems almost everything on them works completely different than the other apps and programs on them. I like the Apple way as far as the standardization (although there are some apps that fall short of user friendly)... for the most part. What I got rid of that Android tablet for - EVERY APP had different menu locations and design, to the point it was super frustrating, and made the experience miserable to me. Went and bought the iPad and was instantly in control and understood all the features without having to relearn everything I used to know (As I am iPhone for almost 10 years now... bought onthe second iPhone... stuck with it after that. Had a Palm Treo before that... Hence my admiration for the WEBOS they used on the Toshiba... I think Palm sold toMotorolla almost immediately after I bought the TV, and I was crushed...

We don't really have that much that separates our thinking, for sure... probably mostly that I don't get to enjoy my music in ways you get to due to the in-laws living with us, and of course that sports thing... I was always a Participator, never a Spectator.

[mike27oct]

Wanna listen to music; use headphones!  The audio out of Alexa device is also a headphone input as well.  Just plug a headphone right into it.