Netflix streaming for seniors

[awhite2600]

I'm looking to purchase a device to allow my 70+ year old parents to easily stream Netflix. My mother is fairly comfortable with technology. She uses a PC for web surfing and has no trouble with her iPad. My father refuses to learn anything beyond 1980's tech - he dislikes the cable set top box, occasionally listens to CDs and still uses a cassette Walkman. If they borrow a DVD my mother has to play it.

I'd like some recommendations about what devices to consider. A Chromecast wouldn't be suitable as it requires another device to operate the streaming. Apple TV might be a good choice as it is simple to use. As an added benefit my mother could stream content from her iPad. (I mentioned this fact to her but she doesn't think she would ever do it.) I'm not overly familiar with devices from Roku, etc. I don't need a device that can play content from USB.

Being located in Canada excludes things like the Amazon Fire TV. A device that could be controlled by my parent's Harmony remote would be best. Keeping the cost down would help as there is a good chance that the device will end up unused after a month or two if they don't like it.

[usually_quiet]

A Roku might be OK for Netflix. However, if your Mom uses iTunes, it won't provide direct access. She would have to stream it from the iPad. A Harmony remote works with Roku devices according to Harmony's website. A Roku can play some kinds of video files from a USB device, but is primarily for use with streaming video services. Roku requires credit card info during setup. I guess they want to be prepared in case the user decides to subscribe to a new service, but if there are existing accounts with streaming services those can certainly be used. Here is a video review. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMlYn08CrHs

[awhite2600]

Thanks for the reply usually_quiet. My Mom doesn't use iTunes or download any content. I'm not looking for a solution to play files from USB. In a nutshell I'm looking for a device to primarily stream from Netflix. The device needs to be easy to use - simple navigation and nothing technical once the device is setup. (I will do the initial setup and anything technical to get the device operating.)

I was thinking Apple TV only because I am told that they are easy to use. Unfortunately the Apple TV is at the higher price point for streaming devices. I believe that Roku devices are cheaper but offer things like USB connectivity that I don't want.

I DO NOT want a device that requires credit card sign up just to operate it. My Dad has old school paranoia. He refuses to give his credit card number to anyone unless he is there in person to sign a purchase slip. My Mom will likely pay for Netflix with her credit card. If it were up to my Dad he would insist that Netflix send him and invoice every month and he would mail them a check.

[Cornucopia]

What about their TV - is it a "SmartTV"? Many that are have the Netflix app built-in (mine does and it's 3+ years old now). Not much easier than that.

Scott

[awhite2600]

Nope. Not a Smart TV. They have a 60" Panasonic plasma that's about 5 years old.

[Cornucopia]

Netflix itself requires a credit card sign up to operate. There is no getting around that. It's a subscription service. This applies to ALL instances of its use: via PC, SmartTV, SmartPhone/Tablet, etc., whatever. That's just their operating model. Same with Hulu+ and others.

Beyond that, the ROKU, WDTV, AppleTV, SmartTVs, etc. all do not require additional recurring/subscription costs just to use the device. There are a number of ways they can be used and never incur any cost beyond the original outlay to get the equipment. Maybe you were thinking of rented cable/fios/dvr boxes.

**************

The world's changing.
My father-in-law is 77-78 and is the most technically adept of ANY senior I've ever met (I'm envious of some of his devices). It's not too late for yours to lose the paranoia and get on the bandwagon.

BTW, I think you and your folks might find USB connectivity to be beneficial down the road.

Scott

[awhite2600]

I'm fully aware of how Netflix works. I have been a subscriber for a few years myself. While my father won't give out his credit card for a recurring sub, my mother will. I just want to avoid a device that also requires a cc on file - just to operate. Hulu and many other streaming services are not available here in Canada. So a simple Netflix sub is enough.

As for my father getting on the bandwagon...I sadly doubt it will ever happen. I've been a techie since I was a kid. I've tried to get my Dad to try tech. He's stated over and over that he has no interest. His sole use of tech is playing Solitare on Windows XP. I even bought him some other computer card games for a birthday and he refuses to even try them.

Back to my original question. Do you have a recommendation for an easy to use streaming device for Netflix? Apple TV, Roku, WDTV...something else? Just looking for simple and easy to use.

[Cornucopia]

Again, WDTV, Roku, PopcornHour, AppleTV are ALL easy/simple and don't incur additional costs WRT the device if you just want to use Netflix. (I like them in that descending order)

Example: I wanted to use the Netflix app on my Blu-ray player. It directed me to go online (using a PC) to enroll into Netflix. Did so (the only time I needed to give Netflix my CC info). Got a "device activation" # or similar. Input that activation # into the BD player. DONE - worked great. Down the road, I wanted to use the Nf app on my SmartTV and on my phone. Linked those 2 to my same existing account, got the activation #s and DONE. IIRC, you can have up to 3 "devices" activated simultaneously on the same account, in addition to using online PC streaming (not really limited).

So, you could easily activate a Roku using your existing account (assuming you haven't already reached the device limit).

Scott

[awhite2600]

Again, WDTV, Roku, PopcornHour, AppleTV are ALL easy/simple and don't incur additional costs WRT the device if you just want to use Netflix. (I like them in that descending order)

Thank Scott. That's the kind of answer I was looking for. I'm not personally familiar with streaming devices other than Chromecast. I use my PS3, Samsung Smart TV and iPad for Netflix. That's why I'm asking. I'll do my research into WDTV and Roku. I wanted to get some advice here first. I trust the opinions of the regular posters.

[manono]

I second Roku. Easy to set up both the Roku and NetFlix, easier to use. However, Roku does require a credit card. There was a thread here a while back by a fellow that also refused to give out his credit card number. He got through to customer service and eventually received permission to sign up without handing out the CC number. I don't know if you or your mother want to go through the hassle.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for the reply usually_quiet. My Mom doesn't use iTunes or download any content. I'm not looking for a solution to play files from USB. In a nutshell I'm looking for a device to primarily stream from Netflix. The device needs to be easy to use - simple navigation and nothing technical once the device is setup. (I will do the initial setup and anything technical to get the device operating.)

I was thinking Apple TV only because I am told that they are easy to use. Unfortunately the Apple TV is at the higher price point for streaming devices. I believe that Roku devices are cheaper but offer things like USB connectivity that I don't want.

I DO NOT want a device that requires credit card sign up just to operate it. My Dad has old school paranoia. He refuses to give his credit card number to anyone unless he is there in person to sign a purchase slip. My Mom will likely pay for Netflix with her credit card. If it were up to my Dad he would insist that Netflix send him and invoice every month and he would mail them a check.

PayPal is another payment option in the US. I don't know if the same is true in Canada.

A call to customer service might allow someone to get around the credit card issue: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/363298-How-to-strip-Amazon-DRM?p=2310657&viewfull=1#post2310657

[awhite2600]

However, Roku does require a credit card.

Sadly, that fact will knock Roku off the list. My Mom is more open than my Dad but she isn't likely to give out a credit card number just to "use a device".

[awhite2600]

I DO NOT want a device that requires credit card sign up just to operate it. My Dad has old school paranoia. He refuses to give his credit card number to anyone unless he is there in person to sign a purchase slip. My Mom will likely pay for Netflix with her credit card. If it were up to my Dad he would insist that Netflix send him and invoice every month and he would mail them a check.

PayPal is another payment option in the US. I don't know if the same is true in Canada.

A call to customer service might allow someone to get around the credit card issue: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/363298-How-to-strip-Amazon-DRM?p=2310657&viewfull=1#post2310657

PayPal is way too "high tech" for my parents. To fully use PayPal you need to link it to a credit card or a bank account. They would never go for that. They would be convinced that PayPal might drain their account or card and "without paper receipts" the bank would not help them. (Sigh) Gotta love seniors.

[manono]

Sorry, double post.

[manono]

A call to customer service might allow someone to get around the credit card issue: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/363298-How-to-strip-Amazon-DRM?p=2310657&viewfull=1#post2310657

After posting I went looking for that same post, found it, and was about to post again with that same link. Maybe it'll be of some use to awhite2600. I wasn't quite right when writing he got permission to sign up without a CC number - the customer rep had to sign up for him. But it is possible, with some work.

[Cornucopia]

Paypal is fully available in Canada. In fact, when I lived there, I was able to access both my US and my Canadian banks' accounts through my Canadian Paypal account (the US one wouldn't allow that, US snobs that they are, so I had to create a new account).

I stand corrected about Roku. Another notch down the ladder in my book.

Scott

[awhite2600]

PayPal works great with Netflix from Canada. In fact that's how I pay for my subscription.

[usually_quiet]

I found one less expensive device, but it doesn't work nearly as well as a Roku. Other than that and the ChromeCast, every other stand-alone device I found that offers Netflix plays video from a USB device too.

[awhite2600]

I found one less expensive device, but it doesn't work nearly as well as a Roku. Other than that and the ChromeCast, every other stand-alone device I found that offers Netflix plays video from a USB device too.

I'd rather stick with something a bit more "mainstream and reliable". My parents live about an hour away and phone support with them is a nightmare. I ruled out a Chromecast because it isn't controllable with a remote. I don't care if the device has USB support. It just isn't something that is required in this case. I guess I have to compare a WDTV and Apple TV. I don't know if PopcornHour is supported in Canada.

I'm actually starting to think that Apple TV is a good choice. While more expensive it's easy to use. It would also give my mother the option to mirror her iPad...even though she said that she wouldn't want to do that.

[johns0]

Netflix also lets you share your streaming so you can set it up on your parents device without needing them to pay for it,a wifi blu-ray player will do what you need plus play blu-rays.

[awhite2600]

Netflix also lets you share your streaming so you can set it up on your parents device without needing them to pay for it,a wifi blu-ray player will do what you need plus play blu-rays.

A Blu-Ray player with Netflix capability might be a good idea. I could replace their DVD player which would help by keeping things a bit familiar. I wouldn't share my Netflix account. It's often used on two devices at a time already.

[qpskfec]

A credit card is not required to have an account.

Netflix gift cards are sold at places like Best Buy in the US. Article below also says in Canada.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/netflix-gift-cards_n_5607726.html
"Apart from serving as a last-minute gift from the relative who has no idea what to get you, the gift cards will allow people to pay for Netflix without a credit card. Indeed, the picture of gift card in the investor letter shows it emblazoned with the phrase "no credit card required.""

Netflix US page on gift cards - https://help.netflix.com/article/en/node/20830?ba=GSButtonClick&q=gift%20cards

[The old guy]

Netflix also lets you share your streaming so you can set it up on your parents device without needing them to pay for it,a wifi blu-ray player will do what you need plus play blu-rays.

A Blu-Ray player with Netflix capability might be a good idea. I could replace their DVD player which would help by keeping things a bit familiar. I wouldn't share my Netflix account. It's often used on two devices at a time already.

Netflix now has 4 streams pricing at $11.99 USD. Chances are they would only use 1 stream and they wouldn't have to fret over the credit card stuff.

And a Blu-Ray player to replace the DVD player would probably be the easiest avenue to take for them.

[Seeker47]

A Blu-Ray player with Netflix capability might be a good idea. I could replace their DVD player which would help by keeping things a bit familiar. I wouldn't share my Netflix account. It's often used on two devices at a time already.

And a Blu-Ray player to replace the DVD player would probably be the easiest avenue to take for them.

That could well be the best suggestion. The Samsung models (not that I'm a particular fan of Samsung for anything other than their phones, as I'm not) have this, for example. I happen to have a couple of the Panasonic plasma flat screens. The 2009 model has no built-in wireless capability at all, so its earlier incarnation of Vieracast would work via hardwired ethernet only, which is impractical, due to the great distance that tv is from the router, and the fact that the house itself is not wired. Probably wouldn't matter anyway, since I suspect that edition of Vieracast lacks a Netflix app / interface. In contrast, my other Panasonic plasma is either a 2010 or a 2011 model -- not sure, without looking this up -- and it does have some wi-fi capability. I plugged a good "N" USB "NIC-stick" (thumb drive size) into a port on the tv, set it up for the router, and I was in business -- well, sort of. (*) That later edition of Panasonic's Vieracast includes a pretty good Netflix gateway.

This gets to the other -- but important -- part of this post. The degree of learning curve, and the credit card issue discussed above, may be other issues for some. For me, the reliability and performance issues were far more crucial. What I've found is that not all of these routes to NF are equal. Elderly relatives have and have really liked their Tivo, which has a very good NF service gateway. (Or, I should say that they liked it, when it was working.) The problem has been that either the Tivo service itself is flakey, & / or some of their receivers are. Way too much loss-of-all-connection downtime, interrupted viewings, required reboots. They've been through 2 or 3 Tivo receivers thus far, along with various other allied hardware, none of which really fixed the problem, long-term. And since their NF rides on top of the Tivo + Time Warner cable service, when there's no Tivo, there's no Netflix.

(*) My own experience, posted here a number of times, was that NF service at my residence was completely unsatisfactory, despite having a top-notch dual-radio "N" router, and regardless of what other hardware I used to connect to NF. I never tried Tivo myself, but I tried quite a few other sources. No matter what was used, there would be constant buffering, reloading, "Sorry. Try Again Later" errors from NF, rendering it virtually unusable here. I attributed this to major deficiencies in their infrastructure, and tremendous demand overload on their available bandwidth. Reports I got from others in this area (some of whom had given up on streaming services altogether) seemed to support this. But then something must have changed, a couple months or so ago. (I can't pin this down any better, because I had given up any attempts at streaming for quite some time.) There have been reports of NF having to cut a special bandwidth deal with Comcast, for example. I'm not on Comcast, but whatever they've done to clean up their act, it appears to be a gigantic improvement. I've now watched all season 2 of "Orange is the New Black", several movies, etc., without any noteworthy NF issues.

Even the NIC-stick + Viera connection for NF, which had been the weakest venue for performance, has been working O.K. But I have to say that clearly the best performance has come from my 2nd. generation WD Live box.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KOZNBW/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk

There are various competing devices, probably some of them simpler to use, but I would be quite surprised if any of them are as good. This older model is still being sold: get one while you can. In a true 'What Were They Thinking ?!" moment, some dunderhead at WD decided to drop NF from the features roster of their newer "Gen. 3" model. I just bought another of these for the aforementioned relatives, hoping to plug the gap in their problematic Netflix setup. This thing is still far from rocket science, so I hope they will adapt to it, just as they did with the soundbar add-on for their panel tv. You may get objections, like "Oh NO, not another remote !", but press ahead anyway.

[fritzi93]

@ Seeker47: Good post.

Although I've dropped Comcast cable TV, I'm still using their internet service. I'm afraid they're oversubscribed in many places; they certainly are here. At the expected busy times I can see the neighbors' networks start up with inSSIDer Home. (BTW, that was very useful for identifying and avoiding overlaps by changing my own channel, as most folks never change their default channel). At busy times my Speedtest.net results slow to a crawl.

I'm convinced many streaming services are oversubscibed as well. HuluPlus and, perhaps surprisingly, Smithsonian too, just for example. Everything was pretty good when I dropped cable TV, but it seems lots more people are getting into the act.

Anyway, I'd like to put in just one more good word for Roku. It's very simple to use, and the remote could hardly be simpler. It works very well for streaming, and can also stream from a home server using Plex or rarFlix (a free adaptation of Plex). If the OP's folks could get over the aversion to using a credit card, it would do the job.