To Subscribe Or Not To Subscribe, That Is The Question: Paid Streaming Services

[ABay]

Is Firestick a euphemism?

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

Has he given you a more precise description of "not working"?  (He sounds like some unnamed males I may or may not know. "My internet's not working!")  App doesn't open at all?  Not showing his stuff?  Playback hanging up?  FWIW, I hadn't watched anything lately but I just pulled Disney+ up on my Firestick and didn't see any problems playing something in my "continue watching" list.

Another thought - is his Firestick fairly old?  I had one of the earlier ones and eventually it started having problems with some apps and not others.  I eventually replaced it when Amazon was running a special and things have been fine since.

He just got a new one last year. He said that on Disney+ something will play for maybe a minute and then it’ll just buffer. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

He just got a new one last year. He said that on Disney+ something will play for maybe a minute and then it’ll just buffer. 

Buffering is an internet speed issue.

Googling
     how to check my internet speed on my firestick tv 
has a lot of trouble shooting suggestions.

For Roku, I just needed to go to Settings > Network > About
 

[peachmangosteen]

Don't see how that could be it but thanks! ETA: Unless firesticks need way more internet speed than any other device? Or Disney+ on firestick does for some reason? I feel like that makes no sense but who knows lol.

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Don't see how that could be it but thanks! ETA: Unless firesticks need way more internet speed than any other device? Or Disney+ on firestick does for some reason? I feel like that makes no sense but who knows lol.

When I moved to my current place a year and a half ago, the guy from the internet provider came out and drilled a new hole and sloppily ran a cord from the hole to my TV 2 rooms away. 
The apartment has wires galore throughout that he did not tap into. 
Maybe that was to assure that the connectors were all capable of delivering the speeds I am promised?

[tessaray]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

Don't see how that could be it but thanks! ETA: Unless firesticks need way more internet speed than any other device? Or Disney+ on firestick does for some reason? I feel like that makes no sense but who knows lol.

I'm not a fan of FireTV. The tv in our bedroom is FTV OS and requires rebooting multiple times a day. If there are any updates available it will just dump us out of Hulu or glitch non-stop until we install the update. My theory is that it doesn't have enough memory, since doing a restart from the menu will make things work fine for awhile. (We do use voice input from  Alexa a lot too.) The TCL Roku TV in the living room is rock solid but not as easy to control with Alexa. 

Is it possible that the stick may need updates? 

[Bastet]

My original Fire stick was ancient, possibly even first generation.  It had to be restarted a lot and occasionally I'd have to uninstall/reinstall an app.  The used one I replaced it with when it up and died is a little newer but still quite old, and I don't have any problems with it.  I don't have Disney+, though, to know if there's something specific about that it can't keep up with.  But it's perfectly capable of handling what I do have.  And it worked just fine when I had whatever speed I was getting with regular U-Verse (now I have fiber).

[SunnyBeBe]

Ref. Firesticks.  I have 3 Firesticks and one Fire tv.  The tv is pretty new, works fine and no issues.  My oldest Firestick stopped working and is lying in a drawer.  One, Firestick started requiring me to reboot it several times a day.  After lots of reading, I changed out the cord on it.  It started working fine. No reboots required.  I did have to try 3 cords to find one that worked, even though they were advertised to work with Firesticks. Best Buy rep picked it out in the store and I ordered it to be sent to my home.  The remaining Firestick is working fine.  I need to order some backup cords.  

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Ref. Firesticks.  I have 3 Firesticks and one Fire tv.  The tv is pretty new, works fine and no issues.  My oldest Firestick stopped working and is lying in a drawer.  One, Firestick started requiring me to reboot it several times a day.  After lots of reading, I changed out the cord on it.  It started working fine. No reboots required.  I did have to try 3 cords to find one that worked, even though they were advertised to work with Firesticks. Best Buy rep picked it out in the store and I ordered it to be sent to my home.  The remaining Firestick is working fine.  I need to order some backup cords.  

What cord is it?

And thanks for the info everyone.

I'm thinking it sounds like firestick/tv is kind of just shit lol. I need to tell my dad to just get a roku. I've had some issues with roku too but it seems to be the least glitchy of what I've tried.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m referring to the power cord for the Firestick. I’ve read you can use an adapter instead but I use an outlet.  I also have a Roku tv and it’s much less fussy than the Firestick, (some apps work much better on Roku, especially CBS)  however on my version, navigating with the remote is clumsy.   The tv is about 3 years old.  Perhaps, they have enhanced the experience in the last 3 years.  

[peachmangosteen]

But like what cord did you get? A power cord? HDMI? I mean, the firestick comes with all the cords it needs, doesn't it?

[shapeshifter]

Of possible interest, @peachmangosteen: 

I just did a test (to be sure I was remembering correctly) of turning on the new TV in the bedroom and the old (2017) TV in the living room, both of which are Roku TVs. 
We no longer have a Disney+ subscription, so I then selected the Paramount+ app and selected the Live TV option.
The new TV runs the same program about 3-5 seconds ahead of the old TV, even though the old TV is adjacent to the internet modem and router, whereas the (new, faster) bedroom TV is about 20 ft away.

Neither were buffering. 
I've experienced some buffering in the past, but I think, in my case, is just a temporary local situation coming from the broadcaster.

ETA: Just ran the same test with a free Roku channel (BUZZR) and, again, the old Roku TV next to the modem and router had a several second delay compared to the new Roku TV in the bedroom, 20 feet away.
 

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

And thanks for the info everyone.

I'm thinking it sounds like firestick/tv is kind of just shit lol. I need to tell my dad to just get a roku. I've had some issues with roku too but it seems to be the least glitchy of what I've tried.

Even if you and your Dad decide to switch to Roku, I suggest checking the wifi connection speed first, if possible, but there are so many places where the speed can get interrupted, you may understandably decide to not do that.
Checking connections like that can be fun until it's not.

You can also just buy a Roku stick for about $20-$30. I used one with my little 2009 bedroom TV until I tripped over it in the dark and cracked the screen, LOL.

Final recommendation: 
Save the receipts and packaging in case you decide to return or exchange anything.
If we were neighbors, I'd give you my Roku stick.

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by shapeshifter

[AstridM]

Does anyone else have issues with their Peacock and/or Hulu apps randomly crashing while they’re watching them on Firestick? Seems like it happens at least once during every show. Wish they would get it together. 

[SunnyBeBe]

35 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

But like what cord did you get? A power cord? HDMI? I mean, the firestick comes with all the cords it needs, doesn't it?

Yes, however after a while it started giving me problems, so I discarded it. It has a small micro part that fits into Firestick and a larger piece that fits into power source.  I switched out a cord that came with another Firestick and that worked.  I grew tired of moving the cord around, so I bought one in a store. It didn’t work.  I then ordered one on Amazon that said it worked with Firestick, but it did not!  So, When I went into Best Buy for another reason and discussed it with a sales rep.  He recommended one that they didn’t have in the store (can you believe it!), So I ordered it to be delivered to my home.  It works like a charm and I’m going to order another one as a backup.  I can’t promise this is your problem, but it was mine.  The box it came in is at my country house.  I’ll post the details about it later this  weekend, if you’re interested.  I didn’t see the need to buy yet another Firestick, however, I should have based on the money I wasted on cords.  

[shapeshifter]

8 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Does anyone else have issues with their Peacock and/or Hulu apps randomly crashing while they’re watching them on Firestick? Seems like it happens at least once during every show. Wish they would get it together. 

I happened to see a commercial for my internet provider yesterday (Spectrum) that had a bunch of wifi devices talking to each other (with personalities🙃) claiming if the home owner added one more device to the network, they would all die. (And they did.) Then the home owner switched to the advertised provider, and all the devices were happy again. Kind of silly, but it does beg the question of how many devices are you using? 
For example, both my daughter and her DH work from home in jobs that transfer a lot of data. 
Door cameras, nanny cams, etc. are other data drains to consider. 

Before I moved here, I lived a couple of miles away and had the supposedly superior internet provider and had wifi interruptions frequently that I no longer encounter. 
I don't know if it was a geographic issue or a wiring issue. Maybe both.

Edited March 10, 2023 by shapeshifter

[ABay]

I had issues with Hulu crashing and other glitches when I had the Hulu/Disney+ subscription. But on a Roku TV.

[Guest]

HBO Max saw the awfulness that is the paramount plus with showtime rebrand and thought,

 

They’ve decided to rebrand as Max. 🤣

Warner Bros. Discovery Worried That ‘HBO’ Name Turns Off New Subscribers

[Broderbits]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

They’ve decided to rebrand as Max.

Warner Bros Discovery is doing everything they possibly can to destroy HBO. There is less and less that I am willing to pay for, and I can't be the only one who feels that way. HBO used to be ground-breaking, now it's ground down.

[MissAlmond]

10 hours ago, Dani said:

They’ve decided to rebrand as Max.

HBO was the greatest star of them all.

Edited March 11, 2023 by MissAlmond

[SunnyBeBe]

I just signed up for free trial of Peacock.  I wanted to watch a one show, but ended up liking several so far.  After the 7 days, it’s $4.99 per month.  I probably won’t pay for it.  They didn’t get my card info, so they can’t bill me.  They’ll have to send bill to my email address.  I watched She Said and Tar.  I’m looking forward to watching Puss In Boots The Last Wish.  Lol. It looks really good.  I think $4.99 isn’t bad.  

[Stats Queen]

On 2/26/2023 at 1:53 PM, Irlandesa said:

Huh.  Today I learned Amazon had a Prime video only option.

I’m thing that is new. I have been an Amazon Prime member for years because of the free shipping, then all of the sudden I had prime video and prime music. It makes good business sense for them to have just a Prime Video option - is it worth it? I don’t kno as I’m here for the free shipping

[Stats Queen]

34 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I just signed up for free trial of Peacock.  I wanted to watch a one show, but ended up liking several so far.  After the 7 days, it’s $4.99 per month.  I probably won’t pay for it.  They didn’t get my card info, so they can’t bill me.  They’ll have to send bill to my email address.  I watched She Said and Tar.  I’m looking forward to watching Puss In Boots The Last Wish.  Lol. It looks really good.  I think $4.99 isn’t bad.  

It depends upon what you like to watch. I got the ad version for 2.99 a month and have enjoyed what I watched. That being said, not a lot things sadly , have sparked my interest enough to pay for an ad free version.

4.99 is not bad if they have a lot of content you like.

The awesome thing about streaming is there is no long term contract, so much flexibility 

[SunnyBeBe]

I have Prime too for the shipping, with the tv as a plus, but I’m not impressed with the streaming.  Much of what they offer is for Rent or Buy.  ( I did like Three Pines.) I find it frustrating and don’t watch it often.  I get my money in shipping cost, but I don’t think I’d pay for Prime Video.  Even if it is very cheap.  

[Irlandesa]

Just now, SunnyBeBe said:

Much of what they offer is for Rent or Buy.

That's separate from their Prime video subscription service.  Amazon Prime has a subscription service with provided content they produce or offer via Prime Video.  And then they have things you can rent or buy.  It's like Apple TV and itunes.  Same parent company but different services.

[SunnyBeBe]

40 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

That's separate from their Prime video subscription service.  Amazon Prime has a subscription service with provided content they produce or offer via Prime Video.  And then they have things you can rent or buy.  It's like Apple TV and itunes.  Same parent company but different services.

Right. I do like some of their produced shows, but when I’m on the app, most of what I see is only available if you rent or buy it.  I usually click on the free category, only it’s not that appealing.  

Edited March 20, 2023 by SunnyBeBe

[Guest]

58 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Right. I do like some of their produced shows, but when I’m on the app, most of what I see is only available if you rent or buy it.  I usually click on the free category, only it’s not that appealing.  

In my experience, Prime’s user interface and suggestions do a horrible job of advertising their own shows. For example I’ve seen really positive things about Class of ‘07 but I never would have guessed it based on how it shows up on the app. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

In my experience, Prime’s user interface and suggestions do a horrible job of advertising their own shows. For example I’ve seen really positive things about Class of ‘07 but I never would have guessed it based on how it shows up on the app. 

Yep.  I know Netflix is the devil incarnate but I'm stunned at how we're years into this streaming thing and so many services are terrible at alerting their subscribers about new shows.  Not only does Netflix have their home screen but they have a whole section devoted to advertising what's trending, what's new, what's coming this week, what's coming soon (in a week or so) and  "what's worth the wait" (shows without a start date or coming out in a month or more). They don't advertise everything in the "worth the wait" section but I believe they eventually do in the "coming this week" and "coming soon" lists which is why I check them all. 

I swear, I spend more time on Netflix watching trailers for upcoming shows and movies than I do actually watching content because I love that kind of thing.  Once I add things I'm interested in to my watch list, I'll get a separate email for each show/Movie letting me know once it arrives on the app. 

The best of the other services does a "here's what's coming this month" email but most do a global "here's what we have" email that only highlights a few marquee titles and I don't feel like it's customized to what I watch or is on my watch list.

[proserpina65]

On 3/7/2023 at 5:52 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Speaking of Peacock and annoying - is it just me, or is Peacock the only streamer that doesn’t let you turn off auto play the next episode?  As far as I can tell, if you don’t manage to grab your remote and hit the right buttons within the correct two second window, it’s off to the races!

A friend and I started binging the first season of Grimm on Peacock and damned if this wasn't annoying as hell.  And I had to wait until the episode started before I could pause; it wouldn't do it at the end of the previous one.  Yo, Peacock, sometimes people have to pee!

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I just signed up for free trial of Peacock.  I wanted to watch a one show, but ended up liking several so far.  After the 7 days, it’s $4.99 per month.  I probably won’t pay for it.  They didn’t get my card info, so they can’t bill me.  They’ll have to send bill to my email address.  I watched She Said and Tar.  I’m looking forward to watching Puss In Boots The Last Wish.  Lol. It looks really good.  I think $4.99 isn’t bad.  

They sucked me in with Trigger Point (totally a Ewan Mitchell stan now) and managed to keep me for the time being with Arsenal matches.  So of course I discovered I could rewatch Grimm . . . yeah, they've got me for a couple more months anyway.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’ll have to check those out.  I’ve just started Poker Face.  

[proserpina65]

And now Peacock is just buffering.  I know it's my crappy internet service, but still, it's annoying.  So instead of episode 2 of Vigil, I'm just gonna watch the end of season 2 of Last Kingdom instead since the full series box set arrived today.

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

And now Peacock is just buffering.  I know it's my crappy internet service, but still, it's annoying.  So instead of episode 2 of Vigil, I'm just gonna watch the end of season 2 of Last Kingdom instead since the full series box set arrived today.

Have you tested your internet speed?  I’ve done it before and it always says mine is fine….still, I wonder.  

[possibilities]

If your connection speed is good and things are still loading slowly, try deleting temp files. Sometimes, especially with old systems, there's a speed issue because things get cluttered. You can also see if you have add ons to your browser that might be buggy and slowing things down. Iguess you could also defrag the hard drive.

But I think sometimes Peacock is just slow. My guess is that they have more traffic than their servers are set up for, sometimes.

[proserpina65]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

If your connection speed is good and things are still loading slowly, try deleting temp files. Sometimes, especially with old systems, there's a speed issue because things get cluttered. You can also see if you have add ons to your browser that might be buggy and slowing things down. Iguess you could also defrag the hard drive.

But I think sometimes Peacock is just slow. My guess is that they have more traffic than their servers are set up for, sometimes.

I was watching on my Roku tv - would that still apply?  I confess to be really behind the times about this sort of technology.

[possibilities]

I don't know how Roku works, so I can't say anything about that.

However, the ideas I floated are things you do to a computer, rather than a TV, so I am guessing they wouldn't work. But that's a guess.

One way to test if the problem is your system vs a problem with Peacock itself, is that if Peacock is the only slow site, then it's Peacock. But if other places you stream are also slow, then it's probably your system.

You could also try using a wired connection rather than a wireless one (plug your devices into a cable if you have ports to do that), if you're using wireless. It might be also that too many devices are on your connection at the same time, so even if the speed itself is good, it's struggling with too many things at once. 

Somebody with a Roku help out here, please! I honestly don't know anything about them, so I don't know if anything I'm saying would apply.

 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I was watching on my Roku tv - would that still apply?  I confess to be really behind the times about this sort of technology.

My Roku will frequently have connection issues like being stuck in buffering or saying I have no internet connection. So far restarting it has always fixed the problem. 

[Zella]

Restarting had also tended to address any issues mine was having. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Sometimes, I go into my settings on Firestick and delete my cache on my apps. I’ve read it can slow you down.  I can’t say if it helps.   

[shapeshifter]

21 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't know how Roku works, so I can't say anything about that.

However, the ideas I floated are things you do to a computer, rather than a TV, so I am guessing they wouldn't work. But that's a guess.

One way to test if the problem is your system vs a problem with Peacock itself, is that if Peacock is the only slow site, then it's Peacock. But if other places you stream are also slow, then it's probably your system.

You could also try using a wired connection rather than a wireless one (plug your devices into a cable if you have ports to do that), if you're using wireless. It might be also that too many devices are on your connection at the same time, so even if the speed itself is good, it's struggling with too many things at once. 

Somebody with a Roku help out here, please! I honestly don't know anything about them, so I don't know if anything I'm saying would apply.

 

On 3/20/2023 at 8:48 PM, proserpina65 said:

And now Peacock is just buffering.  I know it's my crappy internet service, but still, it's annoying.  So instead of episode 2 of Vigil, I'm just gonna watch the end of season 2 of Last Kingdom instead since the full series box set arrived today.

I have Roku and Peacock and haven't noticed any buffering or other problems. 
However, I do have great internet. 

What "having great internet" entails, according to shapeshifter:

• Although I live alone, frequently I will have a phone, a laptop, and 2 TVs using the internet with no lag or buffering, except on rare occasions when there is also a notice on the TV that the provider is having troubles.
   
  • But I do not do gaming, and
  • I do not connect remotely to a work server.
    
    Both of these👆 could cause a serious drain on your internet if you are trying to watch TV while those high-speed internet activities are also happening. 
     
• When I moved here less than 2 years ago:
   
  • the Spectrum Internet installer first did a bunch of testing for signals, both inside and outside.
     
  • Then he ignored the bajillion cables running through the walls of my older condo and drilled another hole in the kitchen and ran a new cable from there into the living room.
     
  • I was annoyed at the time that he didn't use what was already there and thought he just didn't want to take the time to test the other cables. But now I am glad he did it his way. Efficient doesn't mean lazy or incompetent. 

 

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Although I live alone, frequently I will have a phone, a laptop, and 2 TVs using the internet with no lag or buffering, except on rare occasions when there is also a notice on the TV that the provider is having troubles.

It might've been a Peacock problem, but last night I connected neither my laptop nor my phone to the internet and the buffering issue didn't happen.  So I'm gonna say it's my crap internet.  (Verizon DSL, ftr.)

[tessaray]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:48 AM, proserpina65 said:

I was watching on my Roku tv - would that still apply?  I confess to be really behind the times about this sort of technology.

The Roku settings menu has a Network entry that you can use to see your signal strength. A Firetv has that too, though it's a much more robust test. 

A smart TV or a media box is just a single purpose computer,  which is why we end up troubleshooting with the usual tech steps. And every internet cable modem and router setup is different, so it can be hard to track down the weak points. 

I have fairly new hardware and decent speeds but on certain holidays and breaking news events, my cable modem (connected to my monopoly cable co) just barely loads Google. 🤷‍♀️ 

[possibilities]

You can do a speed test here:

https://www.speedtest.net/

Though, again, I don't know how a Roku works, and my TV isn't "smart" so I'm referring to a computer speed test-- it will check the internet speed itself. Whether there's a problem with the TV or Roku (or whatever) connectivity, I don't know if it can tell you.

[tessaray]

50 minutes ago, possibilities said:

You can do a speed test here:

https://www.speedtest.net/

Though, again, I don't know how a Roku works, and my TV isn't "smart" so I'm referring to a computer speed test-- it will check the internet speed itself. Whether there's a problem with the TV or Roku (or whatever) connectivity, I don't know if it can tell you.

Testing with the laptop or phone will give you some info. DSL used to be really slow compared to a cable broadband connection but iirc, at least you don't have others on your trunk line, like I do. (Which could have changed in the 15 years since I had to use it.)

In the past, Rokus have been very efficient users of bandwidth and it is a dedicated, proprietary OS that was more stable than Android but these days, who knows? 

You can always try a streaming site on a computer or phone app, just to see if it buffers as badly.

[peachmangosteen]

What kind of speed should someone be looking to have? Like, what is considered good internet speed or whatever?

[SoMuchTV]

33 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

What kind of speed should someone be looking to have? Like, what is considered good internet speed or whatever?

I just tested mine and it's 55 Mbps on my ethernet-connected desktop.  Presumably a little slower for wifi.  That's relatively slow these days but we've had no real problems with two people streaming on different devices or working from home at the same time.  I keep meaning to call Verizon; I keep seeing their deals for new customers are much higher speed (100 or 300) at the same or lower price as I'm paying.   But "it ain't broke" so I haven't bothered yet.

[peachmangosteen]

Mine was 204.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

You can do a speed test here:

https://www.speedtest.net/

44 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

What kind of speed should someone be looking to have? Like, what is considered good internet speed or whatever?

On my phone I’m getting 273.3 Mbps   
On my laptop: 307.4 Mbsp

Under:    
    Settings > Network 
both of my Roku TVs just say Excellent.  
They also say my Bandwidth Saver is “On.”

[Zella]

8.4 for me. 😂

[Guest]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

What kind of speed should someone be looking to have? Like, what is considered good internet speed or whatever?

 

[Guest]

My problem is how busy all the Wi-Fi channels in my neighborhood are. Great speeds at 2 am. At 5pm it’s a very different story. It doesn’t help that my comcast provided router is crap. 

[shapeshifter]

13 minutes ago, Dani said:

It doesn’t help that my comcast provided router is crap. 

Does Comcast still own the routers, or do they make you buy one?
If they own it, they should be happy to replace it, although you might have spend eleventy million hours on hold to reach them.
But most hold times seem to be better these days.