Movie Streaming Services

kevhed72
kevhed72 Posts: 5,065
edited September 2009 in Music & Movies
We are officially "banning" Blockbuster and looking into the following services to download / stream movies via an internet connect at our house via DSL:

1. DirecTV Movies "On-Demand" (movies can be downloaded to their newer HD DVRs and saved)
2. Netflix has a similiar service using an actual TIVO box or seperate stand alone box.
(side note - DirecTV no longer offers the TIVO service, just their version of DVR)

Anyone have good luck with either of the above? please advise...
Post edited by kevhed72 on
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  • Knucklehead
    Knucklehead Posts: 3,602
    edited September 2009
    IMO, any form of Blockbuster is a rip off. Ive heard good things about Netflix streaming although ive never tried it. Another option for some older movies that are free to stream is hulu.com.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,511
    edited September 2009
    Blake (blakeh) introduced Doug (dkg99) and I onto the Roku box at an RAS get together. We both got one the following week. There are also several threads about it. I didn’t have a Netflix account and set one up. Also set up an account at Amazon to rent/stream movies. You don’t get the latest and greatest movies timely, but that doesn’t bother me. I could revisit Dexter season one and two, but season three is currently still a rental. Everything was in two channel sound, but recently some rentals from Amazon are available in 5.1 sound. I just load up my Netflix queue with what I want to watch that night or weekend and enjoy.

    Netflix lists all the devices you can use here.
    http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevicesList?lnkce=nrd-l&trkid=425738&lnkctr=nrd-l-n
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  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited September 2009
    The Roku box is great! If you have to have the latest and greatest shows and movies, might not be for you. For those of us who can't ever be home when a show we like is on, and a DVR is a wasted effort, being able to drop something in my queue from work, then watch it that night, is just the coolest thing!
    DKG999
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  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 5,065
    edited September 2009
    Thanks for the info. guys. One of the things that caught my eye about DirecTV On Demand is some of the movies are avaiable in 1080p.

    Do your Roku boxes / services offer movies in HD?
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,511
    edited September 2009
    HD yes, but no 1080p with the Roku.


    Roku Video Modes:

    16:9 HD (720p)
    16:9 anamorphic (480p)
    4:3 standard (480i)
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,205
    edited September 2009
    Please note also, the Netflix Roku (or similar device) service allows you to watch the DVD rental version of movies and/or shows. This means there are NO commercials! It's a huge advantage IMO. Just using a DVR records the shows as they are broadcast, including commercials.

    Also worthy of mention, to effectively use Roku (or similar device), you may need to (1) upgrade your internet service to a premium account, for extra speed, and (2) upgrade your wireless router, if you intend to use one, to a higher speed. The latter will not matter if you intend to use a hard wired internet connection.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,511
    edited September 2009
    Good points Kex. I already had high speed DSL and a Linksys WRT54GL in place, and my Roku is via wireless connection. Doug has cable. He was over the other day and said his would load a bit faster, but I haven't experienced any drop outs or hang ups while playing. Even with the wife on the wireless laptop.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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