I'm trying to find something for my Mom. Something like AppleTV just seems way too pricey and while I know little about the 2 products I've listed, they seem to have good reviews and aren't super expensive. She's terrible with all tech, and I want to find something that shouldn't be too hard for her to get the handle of with a little coaching from myself lol. I suppose the main thing for her would be a user interface that is very easy to navigate.
I set my 70 year old mom up with Roku and she handled that just fine. I think Firestick might even be ok because she likes to talk to Alexa. Overall I think the Roku ecosystem works for her though. I personally own Roku, AppleTV, FireStick and Chromecast and I do find Roku and AppleTV the easiest but ATV is still so expensive.
This sub is for Android TV only, so recommended Android TV boxes are as follows:
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE UNITED STATES ONLY:
- AirTV Mini (More info at airtv.net/products)
- AT&T TV (More info at http://att.com/tv/device-features )
- Tivo Stream 4K (More info at http://tivo.com/products/stream-4k )
- T-Mobile TVision HUB (More info at http://t-mobile.com/tvision/services/hub )
- Verizon Stream TV (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://verizon.com/products/verizon-stream-tv-gen-2 )
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:
- Chromecast with Google TV (more info at http://tv.google )
- Dynalink TV dongle (More info at http://dynalink.life )
- Homatics Box Q (More info at http://homatics.tv/products/homatics-box-q )
- Homatics Dongle Q (More info at http://homatics.tv/products/homatics-dongle-q )
- JBL Link Bar (More info at http://jbl.com/refurbished-home-speakers/JBL+LINK+BAR-.html )
- Mecool KM2 (More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Nvidia Shield TV (The most expensive but powerful, recommended for gaming. More info at http://shield.nvidia.com )
- Walmart Onn (More info at http://walmart.com )
CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH ONLY PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:
- Formuler GTV (Gigabit ethernet. Exclusive MYTVOnline2 app for IPTV. More info at http://formuler.tv/gtv )
- Mecool KM6 Classic Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KM6 Deluxe Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. Gigabit ethernet. WiFi 6. 4GB of RAM. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KT1 (AV1 hardware decoding. DVB-T2/S2/C tuner built-in. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool Now (An Android TV device with a built-in camera and microphone, suitable for videoconferencing. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
- Mecool KD1 TV Stick (More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)
CERTIFIED ANDROID TV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO CERTIFICATIONS THAT USE THE NOW OLD AMLOGIC S905X SoC:
- Xiaomi Mi Box S (More info at http://mi.com/global/mi-box-s )
- Ematic Jetstream (More info at http://androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/ematic-jetstream-tv-box )
For more info about all certified Android TV devices, head over to www.androidtv-guide.com website.
I am a Roku fan. That said, I would not bother with the Express. Instead get the Stick+ (Plus is for 4K). There are several reasons why.
(Edit- Might be slightly dated. Haven't gone below Roku Stick in a long while but I own an Express from Walmart, too.) Express has an IR remote, Stick+ uses WiDi. This lets the signal be carried over WiFi instead of trying to and failing at aiming the infrared beam to the receiver. Among other things, you'll change batteries less often. But also, it comes with a remote with volume and TV-power buttons built in. A game-changer!
The stick dangles from the TV, even behind. As long as it has good airflow, it should be fine. But request the free-by-request-only 3" dongle extension anyway. It helps by moving its heat away from the set. It also bends where the Stick+ does not.
The other reasons boil down to 'it has a better motor'. Each piece is constructed for the medium grade consumer, where as the Express seemed to be an afterthought that suited a need, but is hardly the Honor of Roku. Basically, for the same reasons Amazon products are crap-- they can meet criteria on paper, but in order to produce them so cheaply, and just for budget buyers, they sacrifice some the rest of the innovative parts. Long story short-- much more lag and disconnect. Response from the remote is slower. It is not the true experience the Roku offers. It was developed after to fill a niche.
This year I got the 2020 Roku Ultra ($100 but do not buy for more than $80, it goes on sale often!). Bells and whistles galore. This is the best bang for your buck! It is their top tier device. This balances economics and the experience Roku wants its customers to have. It is not perfect but it is very dam good. Its remote adds an earphones port (might help an older person hear - All Rokus can do "Private Listening" via the app). The Ultra also has an Ethernet port, so WiFi and its signal strength fluctuations can be eliminated.
You get what you pay for! It is an excellent use of $80 over a frustratingly slow $30.
I love my Roku Ultra for its quick responsiveness and excellent playback. But, to run a Plex Media Server, I just bought this month, a Nvidia Shield ($200). She does not need this, but maybe you do. That way you can help alleviate changing from app to app for her by curating new shows and movies, then putting them on your Plex server. Thereafter, she (all your invited users, really) can watch your curated content from one place. [Plex Pass comes with DVR. They sell a Lifetime Pass. I got mine for $75. DVR can be automated, so she can run her shows at any time. I have set this up for family. -- You aren't ready now, but this might be something for you, for later.]
PS- Electronics from Amazon Basics and Walmart can often be later-produced, lesser-quality reproductions that appear to offer modern features, but those features receive minimum support from other aspects of the device that were sacrificed in order to afford to make that device with [licensed, snappy-tech-named feature]. Definitely something to be aware of. One example, they do things like create a bunk version TV to sell on Black Friday. You'll get 4K but you won't get backlighting on the set, as an example. So you think you got a deal, but you bought under-potential crap. Its worth its price, but not what you expected, and it won't be upgradeable. Jfyi.
PPS- Ultra also has a find my remote button on the box. Some people really need that feature.
Apple TV is by far the easiest (and best) streaming device.
Would get one of the new Google TV Chromecasts. We now have three of them and they are excellent.
Will also be more peppy than the Roku and Amazon
I'd never ever recommend a FireTV device to anyone, the UX is just that bad, it's an horrible experience in my opinion.
Easily Roku here although personally I'd probably be getting the new Chromecast.
My two cents: Roku wins this one. The interface is cleaner, there are less unpleasant surprises (e.g. clicking on stuff on Fire TV and finding it's going to cost you $13 to watch it), and the remote is more user friendly, with little quick launch buttons for Netflix, Hulu, etc. (I'm pretty sure you can install apps remotely on her Roku through the web interface as long as you have her password, as well, but I may just be thinking of the initial setup we went through with my daughter's Roku TV.)