I have a PLEX server at my home and want to provide my parents who live across town the ability to watch shows stored on my server. Their TVs are older and don’t have this ability built in, so I need to buy them a streaming device. I want the device to be simple and reliable so I don’t get tech support calls once I get it set up. They also have a Netflix subscription that they are using on a painfully slow interface on their TV and I’d like to move that over to the streaming device as well.
Would you buy them a Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Amazon Fire Cube, or something else. (I am not well versed in Apple, and they are not an Apple house, so I have already taken Apple TV out of the running).
Thanks!
P.S. In case you’re wondering, I have 500/500Mbit Fiber Internet at my house, so yes, I can support them watching off my server even if they want to watch in 4k.
Based on your list, I’d buy them a Roku Ultra and make sure it’s connected to ethernet, to avoid any WiFi flakiness issues. The overall Roku interface is as simple as it gets, and IMO the FireTV interface is clunky and assumes you want Amazon first, everything else second. The remote is fairly clear and simple, and can control TV volume/power with CEC if you enable it over HDMI.
As for Plex, it isn’t perfect on the Roku, but that basically applies to every product running Plex. HDR runs fine for me, so I assume it would be fine streaming over the internet as well, but I haven’t tested it. Transcoded HDR is bad due to lack of tone-mapping, but that applies to all devices with Plex.
If they have a receiver and surround system, be aware that the Roku will need to transcode audio on anything bigger than EAC3 or basic DTS.
With 3 Roku TV’s and 2 Roku sticks, I’m bias here with the Roku as it’s the same UI across all for the parent issue, with the exception of the layout syncing (the blocks being the same layout across all or certain devices). Mom blew her mind when I showed her that she could direct the audio from any channel coming from her Roku TV to her phone using the Roku app. She now sets the TV to sleep an hour before bed and has the audio go to her phone where its closer to her pillow instead of raising the volume to some deafening level.
What’s the issue with audio exactly? They do have an A/V receiver, but they aren’t too concerned about amazing surround sound. For them, it’s more about getting it loud enough to hear it clearly as their ears get older. I think they are running 3.0 (Left, Center, Right) and that’s it. Unless there’s something I need to be concerned about, I’m thinking they’ll be happy with whatever sound they get. ?
That should be fine, IMO. Plex will simply transcode the audio if it’s not supported by either Roku or their setup. For your parents, the process would be transparent and I really doubt they’d notice.
