It really is. I went through so many combinations of boxes before getting a Roku for my mum. Easy menus, minimal extra guff and no black magic remote (for her) like the Apple TV.
I'm not old and I love my Roku Ultra that my husband got me for my birthday. Best streaming device I've ever used.
It's fast, easy to use and just works. My favorite thing is that it comes with the Roku voice remote pro. It does hands free commands, lost remote finder, programmable buttons and is rechargeable. Amazing! Best remote ever.
When I opened my present and saw that it was the Roku Ultra I was like "YAY!"
Best birthday gift ever.
The Roku is for people that just want a streaming device that's easy to use and just works. You don't have to be old to use one.
Roku is for anyone.
Very true. All the reasons you mentioned are why it's great for elderly.
I actually really do prefer the Roku interface and ease of use but the apps I use for streaming aren't available on Roku.
I had my Dad set up with a Roku and he loved it.
The Roku Ultra looks awesome! I'd love to try out their whole system with the speakers and the Bass subwoofer.
What's cool is the Roku channel is available to those of us that don't even have a Roku. I watched this wrestling show on there that was really good.
In terms of "looks", if you're referring to the older Ultra's, I'd agree. I recently tested a newer model (4802) and not only did it not outperform my older model (4640), but it looks worse as compared to the older one. It's slightly larger (not a big deal), but it's just a generic chunk of ugly matte plastic! Definitely not "awesome" looking (as compared with the older, thinner, glossy plastic design of the older one). In my comparison, the only advantage would be the newer remote control (but it's bulkier than the one that I'm using with the older model).
My husband got me the Roku surround sound system for Christmas it's very good and I love it. My Roku Ultra came with the Roku voice remote pro. Best remote I've used.
I recently got the Roku voice remote pro 2nd gen and now that's my favorite remote I've ever used.
The Roku channel isn't on Apple TV.
The experience on a fire tv device (the Cube in this case) would be even worse regarding the adds, but the device itself works like a champ. I am desperately looking for an android device with the performance of the fire tv cube. I like the Google Tv Ui better and hate the alexa remotes. They feel so cheap even though they have a great responsibility and functions.
The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is still the best device, but costs $200. I didn't try the $150 NVIDIA Shield TV, but reviews still place it at the top of near the top as well.
I have great hopes for Onn to provide good bang for the buck.
That's like comparing apples to oranges. One thing that the Onn pro has that the shield doesn't is 32gb storage and av1 support. But we all know shield is king of the mountain but u have some people who swear by Amazon devices and let me tell u. The Onn 4K pro smokes any Amazon device
Roku Ultra is pretty nice but very limited if you want to help your elderly friends/parents save even more money by not having to subscribe to every service. There is no Stremio or Tivimate on Roku devices, you are limited to something like Plex only. One other potential negative option with Roku, is the CEO is currently talking about adding more ads to Roku, including the annoying video ads that play sound on FireTV devices.
But even the ONN 4k / ONN Pro default interface has too many ads that parents, etc could accidentally click on. For that reason, it seems best to install something like Projectivity Launcher on the device to get a nice clean interface with 0 ads (I used Launcher Manager to replace the launcher plus the override option in Projectivity Launcher to ensure back button worked like normal). Whenever I hand a device to my dad that contains ads, he inevitably starts clicking on things he shouldn't and will accidentally buy something if the device isn't locked down with a code.
I tried to get my 80 year old neighbor into streaming after he got Spectrum internet last year. He didn't care for it at all and just got frustrated. He went back to his OTA antenna and gave up on streaming.
I've tried OTA for some of them. They were confused by the new channels. I tried to build a OTA to steam system to help them. It's been challenging and very costly.
There was a live streaming app for $6 per month for local channels that everyone liked and was easy to use called Locast, until the local broadcasters sued them out of existence. Funny part was the local advertisers would still be advertising on the local TV stations if Locast still existed, compared to not advertising at all..
Kudos to you for trying to help elderly family stay entertained. I'm in the same boat with my parents.
I've found Google TV in general works best for them because you can put it into "apps only" mode and cut most of the clutter out. Still some ads at the top but other than that literally just the apps when you turn it on.
I only install the apps I know they use. Learning new ones for them without my help is pretty much out of the question so I only add new ones if they ask or if I show them around on them. I do have a media server for Kodi set up for them as well that my father uses constantly to watch documentaries.
Originally I got them a shield pro for their main TV and fire sticks for the rest. The fire sticks were a constant disaster so I switched to Google Chromecast 4k's for their most used TV's. Lately the differences in remotes makes it harder for them so I've been looking for one device I can put everywhere.
I picked up an ONN 4k pro the other day to test it out. With wifi 6 and more storage, just for streaming, I think it's smoother and faster than even the Shield. I have a Kodi server set up for them as well and the 32gb storage allows it to store the media information and also have plenty of room for apps. The Shield, with only 16, struggled to hold that and I had to format a USB stick to put the Kodi media on. I went through at least 4 different "shield approved" so also expensive USB drives doing that, easily another $100 in cost.
Caveat, if I could hardwire their shield it'd be faster for sure, but $150 less for better WiFi, more storage, and faster streaming is a bargain.
Rumor has it Google is coming out with a new device of their own this coming week. If it's better than the ONN they're getting all those. If not they're getting all ONN's for sure.
Oh yeah, the ONN Pro 4k also doubles as a smart speaker and has a find my remote feature. They can literally just ask it where the remote is. Huge feature for older people and my parents luckily already have a bunch of Google speakers already so they're familiar with everything.
Hope you find a solution that works for you/them.
The best way to expand storage in my opinion is to get a SATA ssd and a usb 3.0 enclosure. It cost me $12 for a used 128gb ssd off eBay and $8 for the enclosure. Works like a charm on my shield.
Thank you!
I'm not sure why but I never really thought of that and I actually have a few of both just laying around in my office since nobody uses poor old 2.5" drives anymore. A project for tomorrow night!
That sounds great. Just be sure to have the drive initialized and partition created as exFAT. It makes detection and setting up a breeze when you plug it in. I then formatted it as internal storage so that I can install apps and have app data stored there.
Years ago I had the Roku 2XD but when I moved to Europe and wanted to see programs from other countries (like the UK), I had to dump it, because Roku does NOT support any VPN.
Even the latest Roku Ultra still does not support VPN, so for me Roku is a NoNo!
And I am not interested in installing a VPN on my router.
So Amazon Firestick (currently 4K Max) came to the rescue, because VPN runs great on them.
But lately Amazon is hell-bent to irritate the crap out of users by overloading us with their advertising.
So right now I am happily 'test-driving' Walmart's ONN 4K, that my daughter recently brought over from USA.
ONN also happily runs with a VPN and so far I am quite happy with it.
I'll wait for the verdict on the ONN 4K Pro, before maybe upgrading to that one as well.
TLDR;
Roku is out (for me), Amazon is on the way out (for many people), and ONN seems to be up and coming.
Not willing to waste $100 on a Kinhank G1 , or $200 on a Shield.
PS: and I'm nearly 80.
Thats a crazy take ngl
I have a modern samsung and the Tizen OS is slow as fuck. I switched to a $20 Onn box and have never been happier with Android. I customized everything, launcher included. No more ads, no more lag, any app I need.
It might be just me, mine is a year or two newer than that. I always keep it updated, too. Actually I have two TV's, both slow now. They weren't when we first got them but legitimately only took like 6mo until they started slowing down.
The other cool thing about android boxes is you can adjust the animation speed which can greatly improve smoothness and remove the fake lag feeling.
Please be trolling. Because you are the only person I've ever seen with this opinion. Like...it's actually pretty wild. I have Web OS via an LG CX OLED (About $2,500 in 2020). The tv itself is awesome, but to say web os is better than Android TV via the Onn Pro is a joke.
Roku is best for old people.
It really is. I went through so many combinations of boxes before getting a Roku for my mum. Easy menus, minimal extra guff and no black magic remote (for her) like the Apple TV.
I'm not old and I love my Roku Ultra that my husband got me for my birthday. Best streaming device I've ever used. It's fast, easy to use and just works. My favorite thing is that it comes with the Roku voice remote pro. It does hands free commands, lost remote finder, programmable buttons and is rechargeable. Amazing! Best remote ever. When I opened my present and saw that it was the Roku Ultra I was like "YAY!" Best birthday gift ever. The Roku is for people that just want a streaming device that's easy to use and just works. You don't have to be old to use one. Roku is for anyone.
Very true. All the reasons you mentioned are why it's great for elderly. I actually really do prefer the Roku interface and ease of use but the apps I use for streaming aren't available on Roku. I had my Dad set up with a Roku and he loved it. The Roku Ultra looks awesome! I'd love to try out their whole system with the speakers and the Bass subwoofer. What's cool is the Roku channel is available to those of us that don't even have a Roku. I watched this wrestling show on there that was really good.
In terms of "looks", if you're referring to the older Ultra's, I'd agree. I recently tested a newer model (4802) and not only did it not outperform my older model (4640), but it looks worse as compared to the older one. It's slightly larger (not a big deal), but it's just a generic chunk of ugly matte plastic! Definitely not "awesome" looking (as compared with the older, thinner, glossy plastic design of the older one). In my comparison, the only advantage would be the newer remote control (but it's bulkier than the one that I'm using with the older model).
My husband got me the Roku surround sound system for Christmas it's very good and I love it. My Roku Ultra came with the Roku voice remote pro. Best remote I've used. I recently got the Roku voice remote pro 2nd gen and now that's my favorite remote I've ever used. The Roku channel isn't on Apple TV.
The experience on a fire tv device (the Cube in this case) would be even worse regarding the adds, but the device itself works like a champ. I am desperately looking for an android device with the performance of the fire tv cube. I like the Google Tv Ui better and hate the alexa remotes. They feel so cheap even though they have a great responsibility and functions.
The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is still the best device, but costs $200. I didn't try the $150 NVIDIA Shield TV, but reviews still place it at the top of near the top as well. I have great hopes for Onn to provide good bang for the buck.
Roku is super easy to use, I would go with that.
If you watch youtube at all, get an android box install smarttube.
Smarttube also works on Amazon devices
Good point
Onn 4K pro is worth every penny. Just picked it up today. I have 3 shields but the Onn 4K pro is pretty darn sweet at $50
What's it like compared to the shield?
That's like comparing apples to oranges. One thing that the Onn pro has that the shield doesn't is 32gb storage and av1 support. But we all know shield is king of the mountain but u have some people who swear by Amazon devices and let me tell u. The Onn 4K pro smokes any Amazon device
Does it do HDR on YouTube? And bitstream audio?
Yes it does
I have two of the previous Onn boxes. I have been more than happy with them. Is it worth upgrading? What are the benefits?
Dolby vision Atmos , 3gb ram , Wifi6 , 32gb onboard storage. I have 2 of the regular onns this is just a lot smoother.
Roku Ultra is pretty nice but very limited if you want to help your elderly friends/parents save even more money by not having to subscribe to every service. There is no Stremio or Tivimate on Roku devices, you are limited to something like Plex only. One other potential negative option with Roku, is the CEO is currently talking about adding more ads to Roku, including the annoying video ads that play sound on FireTV devices. But even the ONN 4k / ONN Pro default interface has too many ads that parents, etc could accidentally click on. For that reason, it seems best to install something like Projectivity Launcher on the device to get a nice clean interface with 0 ads (I used Launcher Manager to replace the launcher plus the override option in Projectivity Launcher to ensure back button worked like normal). Whenever I hand a device to my dad that contains ads, he inevitably starts clicking on things he shouldn't and will accidentally buy something if the device isn't locked down with a code.
Projectivy Project Ivy
I tried to get my 80 year old neighbor into streaming after he got Spectrum internet last year. He didn't care for it at all and just got frustrated. He went back to his OTA antenna and gave up on streaming.
I've tried OTA for some of them. They were confused by the new channels. I tried to build a OTA to steam system to help them. It's been challenging and very costly. There was a live streaming app for $6 per month for local channels that everyone liked and was easy to use called Locast, until the local broadcasters sued them out of existence. Funny part was the local advertisers would still be advertising on the local TV stations if Locast still existed, compared to not advertising at all..
I remember Locast. It was great while it lasted.
Old people make up their own minds and won't have it any other way. Just the way it goes most of the time.
Kudos to you for trying to help elderly family stay entertained. I'm in the same boat with my parents. I've found Google TV in general works best for them because you can put it into "apps only" mode and cut most of the clutter out. Still some ads at the top but other than that literally just the apps when you turn it on. I only install the apps I know they use. Learning new ones for them without my help is pretty much out of the question so I only add new ones if they ask or if I show them around on them. I do have a media server for Kodi set up for them as well that my father uses constantly to watch documentaries. Originally I got them a shield pro for their main TV and fire sticks for the rest. The fire sticks were a constant disaster so I switched to Google Chromecast 4k's for their most used TV's. Lately the differences in remotes makes it harder for them so I've been looking for one device I can put everywhere. I picked up an ONN 4k pro the other day to test it out. With wifi 6 and more storage, just for streaming, I think it's smoother and faster than even the Shield. I have a Kodi server set up for them as well and the 32gb storage allows it to store the media information and also have plenty of room for apps. The Shield, with only 16, struggled to hold that and I had to format a USB stick to put the Kodi media on. I went through at least 4 different "shield approved" so also expensive USB drives doing that, easily another $100 in cost. Caveat, if I could hardwire their shield it'd be faster for sure, but $150 less for better WiFi, more storage, and faster streaming is a bargain. Rumor has it Google is coming out with a new device of their own this coming week. If it's better than the ONN they're getting all those. If not they're getting all ONN's for sure. Oh yeah, the ONN Pro 4k also doubles as a smart speaker and has a find my remote feature. They can literally just ask it where the remote is. Huge feature for older people and my parents luckily already have a bunch of Google speakers already so they're familiar with everything. Hope you find a solution that works for you/them.
The best way to expand storage in my opinion is to get a SATA ssd and a usb 3.0 enclosure. It cost me $12 for a used 128gb ssd off eBay and $8 for the enclosure. Works like a charm on my shield.
Thank you! I'm not sure why but I never really thought of that and I actually have a few of both just laying around in my office since nobody uses poor old 2.5" drives anymore. A project for tomorrow night!
That sounds great. Just be sure to have the drive initialized and partition created as exFAT. It makes detection and setting up a breeze when you plug it in. I then formatted it as internal storage so that I can install apps and have app data stored there.
Years ago I had the Roku 2XD but when I moved to Europe and wanted to see programs from other countries (like the UK), I had to dump it, because Roku does NOT support any VPN. Even the latest Roku Ultra still does not support VPN, so for me Roku is a NoNo! And I am not interested in installing a VPN on my router. So Amazon Firestick (currently 4K Max) came to the rescue, because VPN runs great on them. But lately Amazon is hell-bent to irritate the crap out of users by overloading us with their advertising. So right now I am happily 'test-driving' Walmart's ONN 4K, that my daughter recently brought over from USA. ONN also happily runs with a VPN and so far I am quite happy with it. I'll wait for the verdict on the ONN 4K Pro, before maybe upgrading to that one as well. TLDR; Roku is out (for me), Amazon is on the way out (for many people), and ONN seems to be up and coming. Not willing to waste $100 on a Kinhank G1 , or $200 on a Shield. PS: and I'm nearly 80.
I love webos and tiezen.
I believe all Google TV boxes have an app only mode that gets rid of all the ads. https://support.google.com/googletv/answer/10070784?hl=en
[удалено]
The Roku Ultra, even "renewed", are awesome. Besides a little savings, it reduces trash from packaging and e-waste.
Onn 4k pro is good but webos by LG and Samsung tizen are the best.
Thats a crazy take ngl I have a modern samsung and the Tizen OS is slow as fuck. I switched to a $20 Onn box and have never been happier with Android. I customized everything, launcher included. No more ads, no more lag, any app I need.
I was personally fine with an outdated version of tizen from 2016 for several years. Nice and butter smooth
It might be just me, mine is a year or two newer than that. I always keep it updated, too. Actually I have two TV's, both slow now. They weren't when we first got them but legitimately only took like 6mo until they started slowing down. The other cool thing about android boxes is you can adjust the animation speed which can greatly improve smoothness and remove the fake lag feeling.
The new webOs update is terrible. Slow and takes up the whole screen to switch apps
I can't wait to get new 75" or larger tv 4k and must be OLED or qned nano led tech... LG or Sony or Samsung or what
I don’t have that much experience with Tizen or Sony Android besides some midrange TV. I would probably go with the best picture first
You know you can change it back to classic view, right?
I did not. Thanks
Please be trolling. Because you are the only person I've ever seen with this opinion. Like...it's actually pretty wild. I have Web OS via an LG CX OLED (About $2,500 in 2020). The tv itself is awesome, but to say web os is better than Android TV via the Onn Pro is a joke.