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steveh · 03-12-2014, 08:34

Finally gave into temptation and got a Fire TV box and it really is a lovely little unit.

Upsides: iPlayer loads almost instantaneously and is the new adaptive bandwidth version, so no stuttering and buffering plus not having to select the HD option every time. Netflix loads and is responsive in under ten seconds compared to the three minutes of three load indicators, blank screens, slow-loading images and initial sluggishness of the TiVo version. Still light on other apps but Vimeo is a good addition and Viewster has improved lately. Picture is crisper than the TiVo too.

Downside: the refresh rate is locked to either 50Hz or 60Hz across the whole device. That means there currently isn't the option for smooth 24fps movies like the TiVo offers or to show 60Hz US / 50Hz UK TV shows in their native rates. Hopefully they can fix that but as it's an Android system limitation that isn't exactly straightforward to do.

Think Virgin Media need to up their game if they're going to retain people for more than broadband.

03-12-2014, 08:34	#1070
steveh Inactive Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 272	Re: Netflix/Streaming Services Finally gave into temptation and got a Fire TV box and it really is a lovely little unit. Upsides: iPlayer loads almost instantaneously and is the new adaptive bandwidth version, so no stuttering and buffering plus not having to select the HD option every time. Netflix loads and is responsive in under ten seconds compared to the three minutes of three load indicators, blank screens, slow-loading images and initial sluggishness of the TiVo version. Still light on other apps but Vimeo is a good addition and Viewster has improved lately. Picture is crisper than the TiVo too. Downside: the refresh rate is locked to either 50Hz or 60Hz across the whole device. That means there currently isn't the option for smooth 24fps movies like the TiVo offers or to show 60Hz US / 50Hz UK TV shows in their native rates. Hopefully they can fix that but as it's an Android system limitation that isn't exactly straightforward to do. Think Virgin Media need to up their game if they're going to retain people for more than broadband.