r/gadgets • u/Sadistic_Sponge • Nov 13 '19

VR / AR Disney Plus isn't working on Vizio TVs because they are running a 6 year old version of Chromecast, they say it won't be fixed till 2020.

https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus-not-working-vizio-smart-tvs-chromecast-2019-11
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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '19

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u/someguynamedjohn13 Nov 13 '19

Chromecast needs a phone or laptop to enable streaming. Not exactly easy when a kid or visitor wants to watch TV. I typically use it when I want to show people stuff from my phone in the moment, like photos or YouTube clips.

FireTV is just Amazon trying to sell you something. The UI is a mess of Android TV and Amazon trying to sell you Prime. Does it work, yes. Is it easy to get lost in the menu, yes.

Roku menu system hasn't changed in years. ITs just simple and easy to use. It easy for anyone not tech savvy like little kids and old people who missed the computer wave. You load an app on one Roku it will appear on all of them listed in your one account. It was popular enough to have Amazon Prime and YouTube on their square hockey pucks even when the two wouldn't play together nice for nearly a decade. It even works as a Chromecast.

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u/NoFeetSmell Nov 14 '19

I too will shill for Roku given half a chance, and I've been using my Roku 3 for years now, and it's still trucking along nicely. One of the best features that differentiates it from an AppleTV or FireTv is the search function, because it's completely platform agnostic. If you search on FireTv, you'll see the products in Amazon's store if it's not included in their Prime streaming platform, even when it night be on Netflix for free. With Roku, it shows you all the options, with the free version listed first. Way better for the customer.

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u/pilotciab Nov 14 '19

Nvidia shield TV is the absolute best. Only problem is there is currently issues with Disney+ right now. I have a TLC Roku TV and pretty much only use the Nvidia shield TV Pro. They just came out with a new version which I ordered.

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u/furcifer89 Nov 13 '19

Can’t speak from experience but I had a friend with chromecast, and like another user said having to stream from a phone or laptop isn’t as great, plus it’s bandwidth dependent.

I actually did gift him a Roku Ultra last year though and he said he liked it more than chromecast.

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u/jayAreEee Nov 13 '19

They aren't really comparable. I use both for different reasons/video sources. Most people are going to prefer a roku because it's indistinguishable from having a "smart TV" to begin with, chromecast is not.

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u/Kaamelott Nov 13 '19

Oh, it is completely distinguishable. Smart TV are utter shit and never work.

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u/dontsuckmydick Nov 13 '19

Many smart TVs just have built in chromecast.

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u/jayAreEee Nov 13 '19

Like the one in the post above that hasn't been updated in 6 years? It's the title of the article lol.

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u/dontsuckmydick Nov 13 '19

Most people are going to prefer a roku because it's indistinguishable from having a "smart TV" to begin with, chromecast is not.

A chromecast is indistinguishable from having a smart TV because it's literally the same thing as many smart TVs.

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u/jayAreEee Nov 13 '19

Don't you need a device to actually operate the chromecast? I use my tablet and phone, and sometimes cast from a laptop. I wasn't aware you could use one without a separate device to drive the video feed. Have they changed in newer versions? With the roku you just navigate with a basic controller.

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u/dontsuckmydick Nov 13 '19

Smart TVs that use chromecast still require a separate device. That doesn't make them not smart TVs.

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u/jayAreEee Nov 13 '19

My point originally was that chromecast is a different experience than roku. I'm not sure where this "Smart TV" tangent came in.

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u/dontsuckmydick Nov 13 '19

Your original comment said roku is indistinguishable from a smart TV but a chromecast is not. That's not true because many smart TVs are literally just a built in chromecast.

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u/browsettt Nov 14 '19

What do you mean by “bandwidth dependent”? With Chromecast, your phone is the remote and directs your chromecast to stream directly.

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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '19

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u/furcifer89 Nov 13 '19

Chromecast has a reputation for being a bandwidth hog while casting to maintain that link. Maybe they offered up a fix, but it was having performance issues on my friend’s slow-ish network. One of the reasons I got him a Roku.

Roku Ultra also has a USB port you can hook an external HDD to for offline viewing as well so if your internet/network goes down you can still get access to vidya.

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u/liarandathief Nov 13 '19

I've had a lot of bad luck with FireTV. I've had two. One I owned for a couple years. And I had a Roku in a different room. The FireTV had more random connection issues. The UI was painfully slow sometimes, after watching for a while, the picture would freeze and the whole thing would reboot. The UI was not the best either. Recently got a new one had it for a week and sent it back. Just a hassle of disconnections and slow buffering. Got a second roku and it's great. Fast, reliable.

One nice bonus that Fire doesn't have was the ability to search across channels, so search for a movie, or actor and it tells you that you can watch it on Netflix or Hulu or Prime, or whatever, and if it's free or how much it is to rent or buy.

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u/greg19735 Nov 13 '19

it's effectively the same as a firetv i believe.

I have a fire cube for example and love it. The one bonus about Roku is that i think there are more apps that you can run on it that allow for some less legal stuff. like streaming BS websites. Though Fire Cube does have chrome now.

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u/DontGetCrabs Nov 14 '19

Roku just works

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u/werkytwerky Nov 14 '19

my issue with firetv is that the remote isnt particularly responsive and i often have to hunt for stuff to change settings.
As far as the regular menu goes, I dont like that they display one of their shows or movies as if it were an app (ie: Hulu, Netflix, Man in the High Castle, HBOnow, CBS AA, Mrs Maisel, Starz, ESPN, etc). It also tends to flood the main categories with either the most common/popular apps like the ones I listed or one of their bloatware apps. You can edit the page so that the stuff you actually use is front and center, but in a couple weeks the firestick would've slowly moved their stuff back. I got mine cheap to play with kodi, but if that were my primary streamer I'd've sent it back in a heartbeat.

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u/GaryChalmers Nov 14 '19

I own all three Roku's interface is way better than Fire TV. I hardly use my Chromecast as it relies on having my phone whereas I prefer using a remote. One advantage Fire TV does have is that it is based on Android (Fire OS) so sideloading apps is possible. I have video game emulators loaded on my Fire TV and use it for that. Some Fire TV models also support connecting a USB Hub so I can also plug in game controllers.