Roku vs Firestick vs Chromecast

[Pat Barry]

Question 1 - (For those with a Chromecast HDMI device). Can you view Amazon prime videos from the Chromecast? Ie: Is there an Amazon prime app for the Chromecast?

Question 2 - (For those with a newer Roku) Is there a YouTubeTV app for the Roku?

Question 3 - (For those with a Firestick). Can you figure out how to cast to the Firestick?

Thanks

[Art Mann]

Question 1 - The Chromecast I have doesn't use Apps like Roku to distribute content. You have to cast it from your phone or a computer running the Chromecast plugin and the Amazon Prime web page movie player.

Question 2 - The Roku device I have has a Youtube App built in

Question 3 - I don't own a Firestick so I can's answer with any authority

[Stan Calow]

I just got a firestick. If you google "cast to firestick" it turns up many sites with info on this. I am not savvy enough to understand the nuances of this yet.

[Bill Dufour]

I understand you can use any old ,laptop or desktop PC to connect to any of these Kodi TV services. No need for a dedicated single use machine.
Bil lD.

[Pat Barry]

Question 1 - The Chromecast I have doesn't use Apps like Roku to distribute content. You have to cast it from your phone or a computer running the Chromecast plugin and the Amazon Prime web page movie player.

Question 2 - The Roku device I have has a Youtube App built in

Question 3 - I don't own a Firestick so I can's answer with any authority
Hi Art. My old Roku has You Tube app also, but this isn't the same as You Tube TV. You Tube TV is $40 / month and with it I can get local channels, ESPN, TMC, etc. I can access this from my phone with the YouTubeTV app and then cast it to the Roku. I was curious if newer Roku's had the YTTV app built in, like it has the Amazon Prime app.

[Pat Barry]

I think a Roku seems to be the best choice as it can run the Amazon prime app and it can be cast to. From what I see, Google and Amazon have issues with each other and don't actively support the others hardware. I have a Firestick and Google won't recognize the Firestick so I can't cast to it.

Anyone know of another casting service besides Google cast?

[Curt Harms]

There's Miracast but I know absolutely nothing about it beyond the name. We have Tivo that has Amazon Prime & Youtube and others built in. Here's some info about Miracast:

https://www.screenbeam.com/solutions/miracast/

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Question 1 - The Chromecast I have doesn't use Apps like Roku to distribute content. You have to cast it from your phone or a computer running the Chromecast plugin and the Amazon Prime web page movie player.

Question 2 - The Roku device I have has a Youtube App built in

Question 3 - I don't own a Firestick so I can's answer with any authority

Art, how do you get the Chromecast to work with Amazon? I can't get it to work from my phone to a chromecast. The chromecast app is now called Google Home, and it doesn't provide an option to cast from the prime video viewer from my phone. Works fine on Netflix though. Will also work to cast prime video from my computer using the Chrome browser. Chrome browser on the phone doesn't have that option. I'm probably missing something...

[Van Huskey]

Hi Art. My old Roku has You Tube app also, but this isn't the same as You Tube TV. You Tube TV is $40 / month and with it I can get local channels, ESPN, TMC, etc. I can access this from my phone with the YouTubeTV app and then cast it to the Roku. I was curious if newer Roku's had the YTTV app built in, like it has the Amazon Prime app.

Youtube TV is not one of the "built in" Apps on Roku (or I am about 99% sure it was not pre-installed) but you simply download it like any of the other 100s of apps. We have settled on Roku for all our streamers because they simply work exactly like you would expect and we have had zero issues with them.

[Pat Barry]

Youtube TV is not one of the "built in" Apps on Roku (or I am about 99% sure it was not pre-installed) but you simply download it like any of the other 100s of apps. We have settled on Roku for all our streamers because they simply work exactly like you would expect and we have had zero issues with them.
So Van, is it available for download to a Roku? I havent got a clear answer on that yet. Thanks

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I have had Samsung smart TV's for about 5 years now. I can surf the net on them without a computer. I have a wireless keyboard for each. I turn on the TV and go to one of the
preset streaming services (HULU, Amazon Prime, etc) and play movies. I can also go on the internet to hundreds of sites and just play videos. I can cast a video to my TV from my phone. I really don't understand what these devices (Roku, Chromecast, etc) are for or why I would need them.

[Pat Barry]

I have had Samsung smart TV's for about 5 years now. I can surf the net on them without a computer. I have a wireless keyboard for each. I turn on the TV and go to one of the
preset streaming services (HULU, Amazon Prime, etc) and play movies. I can also go on the internet to hundreds of sites and just play videos. I can cast a video to my TV from my phone. I really don't understand what these devices (Roku, Chromecast, etc) are for or why I would need them.
If you don't have a modern smart TV, then these devices give you things like casting , Amazon Prime, You Tube TV, etc

[Van Huskey]

So Van, is it available for download to a Roku? I havent got a clear answer on that yet. Thanks

Yes, I verified that youtubeTV is in the app section for download. I have the standard youtube app since I don't have YTTV but it is right beside it in the list to download.

BTW since you don't have one yet you it is easy to check the apps available at this link, it also shows YTTV.

https://cordcutting.com/roku-channels/

I don't know how up to date it is so there may be ones available that it doesn't list.

I really like the Roku voice search which allows me to search for an actor or movie etc and it shows where they are streaming on the channels I have and when I click on the movie/show it will open the app and take me directly to that media. Another useful site for streaming is justwatch.com You can set up the channels you have and it will show you what was added to each channel every day, it also allows for searching and basic info about the movie/show. I don't know how many things I have been alerted to by justwatch that I would likely have never known I had available.

[Lee DeRaud]

Ok, slightly stupid question: my Microsoft Surface Book came with a widget that plugs into an HDMI port on the TV and lets me replicate whatever is on the laptop's display, downsampled to 1080P, including the audio. I assume it was intended to hook up projectors or huge displays for presentations. Only thing I've ever used it for is a Packer/Redskin game that GF wanted to watch...used the 3-day free preview on NFL GamePass to stream it.

Is there anything the Roku/Firestick/whatever widgets will do that can't be done with that lash-up?