Streaming/TV box/Device.

I have an amazon fire V1 stick and find it slow and clunky and gets hot and it has wifi problems though it's next to the router. Also it requires a power supply - voiding the reason I got it instead of the bigger non stick version that's more powerful. I had to get a wall wart anyway, so it wasn't just a little stick you plug and play as advertised. If I did it again, unless the NEW stick doesn't need the power supply, I'd probably get the actual box that I think is more powerful as it's not compromising to be a little stick.

I've used a Now TV box and it's so cheap its obviously a loss leader - it's sky over the internet. If you have sky maybe not so useful. But I'd maybe get one of them as a starter. It's dirt cheap and I think you get 6 months "sky" subscription, it's obviously to try and hook you in. There is nothing stopping you having more than one, I've considered a now tv box as well as its' so cheap - you'd bet that much and not think about it. And when I used it it seemd fast.  But I like amazon and I like the idea of buying things one at a time so I would also keep the amazon thing. I've also an hdmi cable into TV so I can put computer on it if I want.

Oh the latest Fire TV stick if you get the microphone remote version (and I think my old one will be software upgraded) can do the Amazon "alexa" thing without needing an alexa box, but I've no interest in that.

Thanks JC. Was looking at the Roku 3 which has Now TV loaded on it. Any views?

I thoguht the now tv box WAS the roku 3 but it's not. same manufacturer but a bit cut down.

https://recombu.com/digital/article/roku-3-vs-now-tv-box_M13083.html
https://community.nowtv.com/t5/Roku/Roku-3-versus-NowTV-box/td-p/333550

Says it prevents netflix? I know the fire stick is a cut down android so you can load stuff onto it indirectly if you are a bit geeky even if it's not in the app store.
Can get netflix on the fire stick I'm fairly sure.

A rarer one is chromecast, I don't know much about that.

Oh and then there the whole maybe/maybe not dodgy kodi thing.
You can install that on the fire stick as well I think but I haven't. They might be cracking down on that soon anyway, don't want any hassle!

IT bascially comes down to what you want it for. A bit of catchup? A sky style subscription? Buying the odd film or box set here or there?
Are you on amazon prime already?

Ask yourself that then the choice becomes clearer.

get an android box of some kind, you can load anything you want on it.

Not on Amazon prime, but I probably will be soon. I'm cutting the cord with Virgin (Apart from BB) and trying to fill the gap the best I can.I noticed the Now TV smart ox pauses live TV.As part of my continuing education I've downloaded kodi onto my phone.Films look good but it's a bit of a faff screen mirroring with my TV.Thanks dave, is Roku an android box? I'll be buying 2 boxes, one for my main TV and one for the bedroom.

well unless I've gone totally mental then amazon prime gives you "free stuff" for both kindle and fire, look at what you get if you are going to get it anyway.

My main priorities are access to HD channels(my freeview signal is not that strong) pausing TV, and access to sports events.

T95Z box is excellent, at around £55.
Probably the best you can get is Invidia Shield, around £200
Install Ultimate Media for £75 a year, you'll get just about every channel that exists, lots in HD, all sports channels,
films, the lot.
If you want a 'sky' type channel selector, Ontapp will cost around a tenner a year.

Also download SPMC app to watch any program.. I find it's much better than kodi, far less buffering, but with Ultimatemedia there's hardly any buffering at all.

Thanks John that sounds great, I'll check it out. Just finding my way around kodi, going to watching The Trip on it tomorrow, being with Virgin I could never get Sky Atlantic. I'm learning all the time here,much appreciated .

T95Z box arrived today. It's the mutz nutz.Gradually finding my way around it. Thanks for the pointers guys.

Early evidence suggests I'm going to require a VPN.

Why? I've installed Kodi on a few devices, never had to consider a VPN.

Looks like a couple of the sites are blocked for UK users?

Thanks, I was wondering why I was getting less streams recently, you've gave me something to think about.

The T95Z looks like something The Borg would use to watch streamed TV. Watch you don't become assimilated.

Not having much luck getting the fight.

Whatever you intend to do , if you're planning to watch live sport streams do not waste any more worthless pounds sterling on one of these Amazon Chav sticks!
I bought one with all the bells & whistles on & still haven't managed to watch a football match for any longer than 4 minutes without it buffering & jamming & then being told it's offline!
Yes of course there's tons of other streams you can try .. which you'll need updates .. buffering.. password logins .. online help ... and will still only Fail .. after wasting half the match & betting opportunities trying to get the useless piece of junk to load (blimey Cric free is awful but at least it fking Works!)

You can also chose to Register your 'stick' as a kind of mark of the Devil & online testimony to how fkinggg Stupid & desperate you Actually are!!!

they'll tell you New Apps are coming .. that will also never fkkkingg Work!!!

just more mindless garbage designed by the Illuminati themselves to waste as many manly Hours as they possibly can do from your day

this will become more obvious to anybody a bit more enlightened when you search Latest Movies ... as every other one (apart from Shawshank & Titanic) has a cover of some fkkked up Wierdo Killer kid with an Axe or Knife or Hammer as a cover ... but they're cool you know .. as regressed psychopathic supernatural kid killers are the in thing ... for your kids to watch !

the only thng Fire about it is what it'll do to your mind

Gl with the fight .. I'd rather sit here & punch myself in the head .. probably be less Buffering ....

I know where you're coming from Mc M.

I'm glad somebody does kenbo

Gave up on the fight and listened to it on 5 live. Excellent commentary.Device is good for films and TV programmes,but currently woeful on the sports front.

Ultimatemania...£75 a year.
I watched the fight last night no probs.

http://ultimatemania.rocks/

Thanks john. Definitely going to give that a go.

If you use it, I found in iplayer if I changed settings from HD to a lower resolutino the various issues I had with it went away. Seems a lot of people have to do this.

Thanks JC.Not sure about the T95Z box, seems to getting very hot after an hour or so.

john will that site work on any android box or just that 1 u have mentioned?

Any Android box TB. Just download Kodi and away you go. I've been learning a lot from this site :-
www.hmfckickback.co.uk/index.php?/topic/155841-kodi-again/page-98

i have kodi its terrible for live sports

Isn't that why people pay a subscription to use ultimatemania via kodi?

i suppose so, how relible is this tho?

Apparently it's the "dugs baws".. A little bit of the foreign language I've picked up from the guys on the above linked forum, which although its a footie forum is by far the best I've come across on this particular subject.Being jocks those guys can sniff out a bargain quicker than a pig can find a truffle.

If you use ultimate mania, on the main menu you'll see a 'calendar'... click on that and they show all the matches being played. Select the one you want and it will take you directly to the available links. No more searching for providers. All top quality, HD, SD etc., and in any language lol.
I prefer SPMC over Kodi, but not much between them tbh.
ps. my t95z is hardly ever switched off.... might get a bit warm, but never hot?

Might have to return mine then john.Am I right in thinking you can bypass kodi/spmc  altogether by downloading the ultimatemania app?

if we sign up how do we no sky wont shut the site down months later and im out of more money?

They can't hold back the tide. It's technology.As soon as they close one down another pops up. Best description I've heard is its like "whackamole".You can try 3 months for £25.As for the other stuff, films and TV, kodi is fantastic, been watching Billions and Big little lies over the weekend in fantastic HD.

But if we keep paying for sites to stream and they keep shutting them down were out of pocket, be safer getting sky

Sorry I meant the feeds the sites use, not the sites themselves.They sort out any encryption problems before they get to the end user.

GOT... as far as I'm aware, u/mania works on kodi/browser/android and ios

One week on and I'm yet to find a live sport link that works.I think VM must block access to the popular free kodi sports add ons. Admittedly I haven't tried Ultimatemania yet.

Virmin have a 'web safe' setting. You need to unlock it.

https://my.virginmedia.com/customer-news/articles/online-safety.html

here's another link...

http://kodiuk.tv/2017/04/01/uk-isp-blocking-kodi-content-find-disable/

My Web safe is not on John.Exodus works fine for films etc.Deliverance and Live Mix are the problem.Channel links displayed on both for Sky and BT Sports but nothing happens when I click on the links.

Do sky have some kind of block on kodi ??

I believe

in bettor

They have blocked the dreamboxes as they are known i believe

For those having problems watching live streams, here is why:

https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/15/uk-kodi-block-premier-league-explained/

May 19, 2017 -- 9:58PM, The Bhoys wrote:

They have blocked the dreamboxes as they are known i believe

just move your dreambox to virgin

I don't subscribe to a sports feed. Exodus working fine, currently watching Breaking Bad.

live sports is what folk want not breaking fckin bad lol
card share still going strong **** you sky

pan what is the difference with virgin?

Lets hope the streamers host all the live sports rubbish separate from the tv/movies etc.