Roku has a ton of “channels” that are really just apps. Youtube, Netflix, Prime Video, etc. are all on there. There are free channels too, but we haven’t really used it for that. It’s very easy to set up. It plugs into the TV through HDMI, you connect it to the wifi, and you’re ready to go.
Unless FireTV has changed, it’s a streaming device just like Roku. The platform is different and it pushes Prime more than the other apps since it’s an Amazon product, but otherwise it’s pretty similar. The FireTV stick that we had just seemed like it had a slower operating system than the Roku and I thought it was less intuitive to use, but it could just be that we were used to the Roku at that point.
If you are heavily locked into one of the Apple, Amazon, or Google universes you might consider using one of their streaming devices. Otherwise Roku seems to be a good bet for a streaming device.
When I stream I typically do it via my smart TV or my cable provider. I do own a Chromecast, which usually just gets used when I travel.
Okay…getting back to this one…the current TV must be replaced…and soon.
Here’s the bottom-line-question I’m trying to answer: Am I paying $130 more to Costco for essentially the same TV that I can get from Amazon or are there features there that actually make it worth more?
I’ve settled on LG OLED65C2AUA from Costco. It’s a penny under $2,300.
However, I see also that Amazon has OLED65C2PUA for ~$130 cheaper.
Looking at them side by side on the LG website, I only see a few differences:
The Costco one is listed as having “OLED Surround” whereas the Amazon one has a footnote “LG’s latest α9 Gen 5 processor also boosts audio quality via the AI Sound Pro feature, enabling the built-in speakers to produce virtual 7.1.2 surround sound, for a truly immersive viewing or playing experience.”
The Costco one has 802.11ax (Wifi 6) vs 802.11ac…is that helpful for my netgear rax20 Dual-Band AX1800 WiFi 6 Route?
Also, the Costco remote has “Magic Tap” so if my wife is hogging the remote I can literally ask her, “When you gonna’ let me tap dat?”
I’ll get a little more “cash back” for buying from Costco, the customer service there is superior to anything amazon has ever provided, I can pick it up today vs having to wait to order it & hope that I’m at home to receive it. Otherwise, I fear I’m paying $130 for nothing that will benefit me. What are your thoughts?
Having had a few “your order is lost/delayed” with Amazon, I’d definitely go to Costco. Plus much easier to deal with if something goes wrong with the TV.
I’m at Costco now…they don’t have the C2 version in store…they do have the C1 for 1600…I think I’m going to get this one and not think about TVs for another decade or two
No kidding!
The screen is as thin as a potato chip, and I’m not talking about O’Grady’s but your run of the mill Lay’s. I thought it was going to snap in half.
@Tiffany , here’s a SAS mainframe tip: if you’re reading a file that has been backed up to tape, you can HRECALL it first so that it’s ready to go when you RUN your program.
Also, check to see if your TV has been recalled. There were problems at the potato chip factory:
I’m about to get a TV, too. This will be my first large TV (I have one that’s maybe 30" in the den) I have about 4’ of space above a 3’ bookcase, where I want to mount the new TV. I use a Roku in the den, and my default is to get a new Roku for the new TV, which will be in the basement.
I anticipate using it mostly to watch movies, but it would be nice to be able to use it to play video games from a PC or a switch or maybe some other device. I suppose I’ll also want to plug in a DVD/bluray player.
I’m more looking for “hang out with friends and watch TV” than “reproduce a theater experience”, and the sound in movie theaters is typically painfully loud.
What should I be looking for? Any advice? Any advice on mounting the thing?
No advice. Sorry.
I do recommend paying an expert to install.
Could also use the base that comes with the TV and put it on top of the bookshelf, assuming nothing is on the bookshelf.
Find the chart that describes TV size ranges for your viewing distance.
Shoot. That was advice.
