I'm getting a Roku

[QuiteSure]

We have the hardest time getting Netflix to work on our 2nd and 3rd Gen AppleTVs on a Verizon Fios network. Takes a long time to load, we get interruptions constantly in the streaming/buffering, or error messages saying "This content failed to load". We installed a Roku 3 box last night and Netflix worked perfectly.

Oddly enough, the Roku box saw 2 versions of my home wifi network (set up with an Airport extreme router bridging from Verizon's router), while the Apple TV sees only one.

Anyway, we're giving up the Apple TV and switching to Roku, unless someone on this forum can tell me what they think I'm doing wrong with the Apple TV.

 

[d21mike]

We have the hardest time getting Netflix to work on our 2nd and 3rd Gen AppleTVs on a Verizon Fios network. Takes a long time to load, we get interruptions constantly in the streaming/buffering, or error messages saying "This content failed to load". We installed a Roku 3 box last night and Netflix worked perfectly.

Oddly enough, the Roku box saw 2 versions of my home wifi network (set up with an Airport extreme router bridging from Verizon's router), while the Apple TV sees only one.

Anyway, we're giving up the Apple TV and switching to Roku, unless someone on this forum can tell me what they think I'm doing wrong with the Apple TV.

This is strange since it is my setup (almost exactly). FIOS 75/75 and Extreme Bridged. I have 7 ATV's in my house (5 br +++) and use Netflix all the time without any issues. Also, use Airplay for some things like Amazon Prime. I also have the A1469 (latest ATV) in 3 locations for better Airplay support (direct to ATV). But just the wife and I most of the time and normally only 1 Netflix at a time. My goal is internet only and all streaming. Just not there yet. My son had my same setup and just switched to TWC 200/20 Internet Only (better price and working great so far). He never has Netflix problems. His wife uses Airplay for Amazon frequently on a older ATV 2 (all ethernet). However, I do not use WiFi for anything but "mobile" devices. Anything that does not move I use Ethernet or MOCA. Since the FIOS Router is a MOCA Router it is very easy to add MOCA Adapters anywhere you have a CABLE outlet (Ethernet over COAX). Below is a link to Amazon for the MOCA Adapter. The Twin Pack is a better deal if you have multiple locations. Regarding 2 Extremes. Maybe you did not change the name of the 5ghz and for some reason the Roku see's both. I use SSID's AP-EXTREME AND AP-EXTREME-5GHZ (something like that).

http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Eth...UTF8&qid=1438010871&sr=8-2&keywords=FIOS+MOCA

 

[QuiteSure]

This is strange since it is my setup (almost exactly). FIOS 75/75 and Extreme Bridged. I have 7 ATV's in my house (5 br +++) and use Netflix all the time without any issues. Also, use Airplay for some things like Amazon Prime. I also have the A1469 (latest ATV) in 3 locations for better Airplay support (direct to ATV). But just the wife and I most of the time and normally only 1 Netflix at a time. My goal is internet only and all streaming. Just not there yet. My son had my same setup and just switched to TWC 200/20 Internet Only (better price and working great so far). He never has Netflix problems. His wife uses Airplay for Amazon frequently on a older ATV 2 (all ethernet). However, I do not use WiFi for anything but "mobile" devices. Anything that does not move I use Ethernet or MOCA. Since the FIOS Router is a MOCA Router it is very easy to add MOCA Adapters anywhere you have a CABLE outlet (Ethernet over COAX). Below is a link to Amazon for the MOCA Adapter. The Twin Pack is a better deal if you have multiple locations. Regarding 2 Extremes. Maybe you did not change the name of the 5ghz and for some reason the Roku see's both. I use SSID's AP-EXTREME AND AP-EXTREME-5GHZ (something like that).

http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Eth...UTF8&qid=1438010871&sr=8-2&keywords=FIOS+MOCA

Thanks for your reply you give me hope! (Although I just bought a 2nd Roku 3 at the wife's request today). Do you change the SSID's from the Airport Extreme? Maybe I should have a 5 ghz and a 2.5 ghz network?

 

[d21mike]

Thanks for your reply you give me hope! (Although I just bought a 2nd Roku 3 at the wife's request today). Do you change the SSID's from the Airport Extreme? Maybe I should have a 5 ghz and a 2.5 ghz network?

Jut thought maybe we do not have the same Extreme. I have the very latest and it is TALL. In the AirPort Utility you will see Wireless. On that page you see Wireless Network Name (SSID) for 2.4. At the bottom you see Wireless Options and on that page you see 5GHz Network Name (SSID for 5GHz). I use 2 unique names so I know which one I am connecting to. Best to use 5GHz for short distances without walls (fastest). 2.4 works better when you have walls in-between. But you can do various test to see what is best. Not all devices support all wireless standards. The TALL Extreme also support 802.11ac (gb wireless on 5GHz - not that you get that fast). iPhone 6 supports 802.11ac. Current ATV only supports 802.11n. I believe latest Roku dos not support 801.11ac either. Of course I recommend ethernet and no wireless for the boxes.

 

[QuiteSure]

Jut thought maybe we do not have the same Extreme. I have the very latest and it is TALL. In the AirPort Utility you will see Wireless. On that page you see Wireless Network Name (SSID) for 2.4. At the bottom you see Wireless Options and on that page you see 5GHz Network Name (SSID for 5GHz). I use 2 unique names so I know which one I am connecting to. Best to use 5GHz for short distances without walls (fastest). 2.4 works better when you have walls in-between. But you can do various test to see what is best. Not all devices support all wireless standards. The TALL Extreme also support 802.11ac (gb wireless on 5GHz - not that you get that fast). iPhone 6 supports 802.11ac. Current ATV only supports 802.11n. I believe latest Roku dos not support 801.11ac either. Of course I recommend ethernet and no wireless for the boxes.

Thanks for your information, it's very helpful. I ordered that MOCA adapter and will give it a shot. I also bought another Roku box for our home gym. The first box gives us a Netflix experience that I never thought was possible. On the Roku (using wifi) Netflix loads almost instantly. There is never an interruption in the streaming/buffering. When we pause a show the Netflix will never drop the content and will pick up immediately where we left off. So far, we're very happy with the switch.

 

[DarwinOSX]

I have an Apple TV, Roku 3, Fire Stick, and my Yamaha receiver does Spotify, Airplay, Pandora, and bluetooth. I never use bluetooth because it sounds like crp compared to Airplay. I also Airplay to multiple speakers throughout my house playing the same music at the same time.
Hopefully the new Apple TV with apps will replace the Roku and Amazon Fire.

 

[thepixelpusher]

Roku is a nice device, but I think that the Amazon Fire TV and the new Apple TV 4 will be the ones to beat.

Why? Voice control for one and secondly Amazon is creating their own content in movies and TV. Apple already has launched exclusive music and digital movie releases the same time the movies released to theater. Not to mention Apple might be creating original content like Netflix and Amazon too. Apple already bid to get "Top Gear" guys with Jeremy Clarkson but Amazon won the bid.

Amazon also has a game studio creating games for the Fire TV and Apple TV will soon have thousands of games ported to the new Apple TV.

Roku has no chance to keep up. Specs don't mean a thing when Amazon and Apple have such deep content reach.

 

[TallManNY]

Jut thought maybe we do not have the same Extreme. I have the very latest and it is TALL. In the AirPort Utility you will see Wireless. On that page you see Wireless Network Name (SSID) for 2.4. At the bottom you see Wireless Options and on that page you see 5GHz Network Name (SSID for 5GHz). I use 2 unique names so I know which one I am connecting to. Best to use 5GHz for short distances without walls (fastest). 2.4 works better when you have walls in-between. But you can do various test to see what is best. Not all devices support all wireless standards. The TALL Extreme also support 802.11ac (gb wireless on 5GHz - not that you get that fast). iPhone 6 supports 802.11ac. Current ATV only supports 802.11n. I believe latest Roku dos not support 801.11ac either. Of course I recommend ethernet and no wireless for the boxes.

I've got the tall extreme and it is both frustrating and amazing to see the speedtest results on my iPhone 6 when I'm in the same room with the device. I've no need for that level of speed on a cell phone. But I almost want to update my iMac just to get a computer with ac wifi so my main web surfing becomes blazing fast. But I'm going to hold off at least until Skylake processors are available on the iMac. Then I will have gotten five years out of the computer. The upgrade will be sweet.

One of the things that has stopped me from buying the current Apple TV is that it does not have ac wifi. And I suspect that I'm going to see a nice performance boost when I get the new Apple TV which will have ac wifi.