Ask Slashdot: Video Streaming For the Elderly? 165
First time accepted submitter ChrisC1234 writes "My grandparents are getting older and don't get out much anymore, and with the demise of video stores (and not even understanding what a RedBox is), they don't see movies anymore. They've got internet access, so I'm thinking of getting them a streaming appliance and a Netflix account. So I'm wondering what device is the easiest for elderly people to use. I'm thinking either a Roku or Apple TV, but open to other options. It just needs to be easy to navigate and support closed captioning. Has anyone else done this successfully?"
Apple TV (Score:5, Interesting)
The Apple TV setup is simple and straightforward. Minimal controls mean less things to mess up. My grandparents are getting up there, and they rarely mess it up with Netflix Streaming.
Re:Apple TV (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Apple TV (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Apple TV (Score:5, Insightful)
Sounds like the kind of "secret handshake" that no senior citizen would be able to cope with.
This sort of nonsense is why a "simple" interface really isn't.
This should be a global option in any video interface. If you find yourself fumbling to control this on a per video basis then the interface design is crap.
It doesn't matter how much you want to add to the mindless hype.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Movies and music... yes, once they were a big part of my life. Now they are not. I have other things I would rather do than mess with pre-recorded "entertainment". I would much rather roll my own.
Once AM radio ( and its DJ, which I considered a personal friend ) was almost my god. The DJ is gone, replaced by a pre-recorded script. I would not even think of asking him to play anything for me - he can't - he is owned by the media ( clear-channel
Re: (Score:2)
Oh come on, you of all people should have snuck in a "now get off my damned lawn" in there. ;-)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not sure what you're talking about here. Are you talking about watching movies on *commercial TV*? If so, then you should be watching the movies via other means (HBO, DVD/BluRay, streaming services), so they're without commercials. Plus, you're not seeing the ENTIRE movie if you watch it on a commercial channel. (1) It's edited for time, to make it fit (wit
Re: (Score:3)
Note that only newer Rokus do subtitles. The first gen Rokus do not support them.
I was going to suggest a smart television - it doesn't get much easier than that - hit the Netflix button, and there you are. Now your grandparents are going to have to figure out how to switch HDMI inputs to watch a movie (depending on how tech savory your grandparents are - mine could hardly figure out how to use a remote).
Sadly, I don't think smart televisions support closed captions.
I think Hulu supports closed captions as
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
The problem with the AppleTV paradigm is that the most prominent placement of "Movies" is the top navigation bar, and that's for the stuff tied into iTunes (either exorbitant pay-once fee, or exorbitant 24-hour rental fee).
I find that those unfamiliar with technology often have difficulty understanding the concept that there are multiple ways to accomplish the same goal, that programs or appliances can do more than one thing, and that the same (or similar) things can be done by multiple programs. OP may win
Re: (Score:3)
(Also....the fuck? Isn't this slashdot? What the hell kind of a question is "which closed source non-free software appliance should I buy to pay for DRMed content?")
While I get what you're saying, I think if the question were "which free, open-source software appliance will my grandparents be able to use and be recognizable enough other people might be able to help them if something goes wrong?" there wouldn't be anything to discuss.
On the plus side, I just learned my Roku can do subtitles. I did not know that, and since we just had a new kid, my wife and I will really want to try that out. whether or not the OP gets what he needs, I just got an immensely beneficial pi
Re: (Score:1)
The question should never be "which solution should i pick" but simply "which solution should i pick, given these requirements..."
Theres certainly open source software out there that solves problems just as/better than the closed source counterparts - and vice versa. Saying that all open software requires someone technical to help is kinda just as naive as saying all open source software just works for grandma. Ofcourse one can be politically/morally against one or the other type (or certain companies/open
Re: (Score:2)
Congrats on the new baby! A moses basket with a sheepskin liner worked really well for us for family movie time.... baby sleeping peacefully while we watched. Happy memories. I can also strongly recommend this excellent book which meant we had a wonderful, calm time with our baby, completely unlike what we had been told to expect.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Your-Cries-Deborah-Jackson/dp/0340830212 [amazon.co.uk]
Re: (Score:3)
Until movie production becomes dirt cheap (Score:2)
What the hell kind of a question is "which closed source non-free software appliance should I buy to pay for DRMed content?"
The cost of recording a music album with quality comparable to commercial releases has fallen to a "prosumer" level, which allows a dedicated hobbyist to record an album without "how am I going to recoup the cost of production?" necessarily hanging over his head. Until the same happens to the writing, directing, cinematography, acting, and set and prop design of feature films, there won't be any viable alternative to the MPAA, and MPAA studios have made a business decision to apply digital restrictions mana
Re: (Score:2)
Either that, or crowdfunding. Even for $200 million dollar blockbusters, enough people would go ahead and kick in $10 for, I don't know, Iron Man 4 or whatever, and once it's done, it's made freely available to everyone.
Re: (Score:2)
What the hell kind of a question is "which closed source non-free software appliance should I buy to pay for DRMed content?"
The cost of recording a music album with quality comparable to commercial releases has fallen to a "prosumer" level, which allows a dedicated hobbyist to record an album without "how am I going to recoup the cost of production?" necessarily hanging over his head. Until the same happens to the writing, directing, cinematography, acting, and set and prop design of feature films, there won't be any viable alternative to the MPAA, and MPAA studios have made a business decision to apply digital restrictions management to their works.
Well given Hollywood's creative accounting [wikipedia.org] ways that may never [creativemo...unting.com] happen.
Re: (Score:1)
Perhaps Hulu Plus instead? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I think that, generally, Netflix still has tons more content (and no commercials)[0], but the good news is that pretty much every major device these days will support both -- so really, you can separate the device choice from the service choice (and the service is month-to-month anyway). Consider sitting with them and surfing the respective websites for the two services, and seeing where they find more interesting stuff to watch.
[0] I'm biased, given my employer
Re:Perhaps Hulu Plus instead? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm watching The Andy Griffith Show on Netflix right now. Eight seasons with 30+ episodes per. I saw Leave it to Beaver too. Netflix library is getting bigger all the time. They just added Antiques Roadshow and lots of other PBS content.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Uh, I don't ever remember having to climb on the roof and twiddle the antenna to change channel.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
50s TV will be butchered on a broadcast station.
You would be better off buying DVDs and ripping them.
At least streaming services don't have to conform to some artificial notion of a schedule.
SciFi once tried running the uncut versions of Old Trek. That experiment seemed to end quickly as 60 minute shows turned into 90 minute shows. That's just how long the old episodes were once you took the original material added the modern amount of commercials to it.
Any prime time shows will be butchered to run in a non
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
1. Ask a question that will likely result in lots of comments featuring buzzwords and brand names and personal anecdotes.
2. Get good page rank.
3. Leverage that page rank with advertisers.
4. $
Something built into the TV? Samsung? (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps get them a TV with Netflix already built into it? Something like a Samsung?
I think the key is to set up the remote properly so they can access everything using a minimal number of remote controls, preferably just one. I think that's what confuses most people.. hell it even confuses me.
Re: (Score:3)
Yup, if my 3 year old can start her cartoons in Netflix on our Samsung TV, I'm sure your parents can do it.
Re: (Score:1)
I would not be so sure - they might, but 3 year olds are a lot more interrested in learning how to get things "their way" than old people, most old people will just yell and complain till they get their way (and there is nothing wrong with that, most old people are not as adventorous and want to learn new stuff as a 3yo) ofcourse you also have 3y olds who will just yell and complain, and you will have old people who are interrested in learning and/or using tech.
Re: (Score:2)
You understand the description following that was one that applies to the general
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Something built into the TV? Samsung? (Score:4, Insightful)
My kid loved MythTV when he was 3 years old. The young are not the users you have to worry about. Even the old aren't necessarily a problem.
It's the lazy/helpless types that are a problem and these come in all age groups. You may find an 80 year old that's much more adaptable to modern computing tech than some 60 year old.
The assumption that Granny can't handle tech is a stupid incorrect stereotype.
what my parents use (Score:4, Interesting)
Perfect? (Score:2)
That is, if they don't mind holding their screen. If they really really want to use their large-screen TV an iPad may not be the best option, or maybe there's some iPad + Apple TV setup for Netflix?
Re: (Score:2)
Air Sharing works great with AppleTV. Use the iPad to pick the movie then share it to the TV. Drains the iPad but works fine.
Re: (Score:2)
You take pensioners and give them a solution that really could be implemented for $100 but instead force them to spend $700 or $1300. That's just retarded. NO ONE here should be making excuses for Apple.
Re: (Score:2)
That's a good one. For a little cheaper, the Kindle Fire can also do Netflix. Smaller screen, I think. Also, either we're having some bad luck or it's a little buggy. The Netflix app crashes on us now and then when we're browsing and we've got to reopen it. Once streaming starts it's generally solid, it's the search interface that causes problems.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
I second to that. Exact same situation and solution. My parents, both born in 40s, have iPads with netflix installed. Yes, high cost one time. But that one device gives them all, weather, newspapers, TV, video chat, pictures of whole family, games. They were not that computer literate and were not fond of computers before. But now love their iPads.
Re:what my parents use (Score:5, Funny)
Married for 40 years and he sill has an opinion on what he wants to watch?
Re: (Score:2)
Your comment is alarmist.
One could use the same kind of argument to say that TV was stopping communication between them in the first place. "In my time grandma and grandpa sat by the fireplace and talked while she knat, that TV thing keeps both of them from talking to each other, watching images move, like mindless zombies!"
Sony BD-S3100 (Score:1)
BigLauncher for Android (Score:1)
Roku (Score:2)
I have Roku and use it with Amazon Video (among other stuff).
It's pretty easy to use. Just make sure their TV is set to the right video input source and that it stays there. You don't want a late night phone call trying to explain how to switch between HDMI1, HDMI2, AV, TV ...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Get a Harmony Remote and it will switch the inputs for you.
A Smart TV (Score:2)
A smart TV is what I would get them. It is completely self contained, no extra box, no extra remote. They have Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix and even Vudu I believe.
nice grandchild you are (Score:1)
In the time of their lives when their faculties are declining, you're going to hook them to a brain-rotting spigot of drivel. Why not get them Kindles?
Re: (Score:2)
Same reason it's hard to get opiates until you're terminal.
Re: (Score:2)
my kindle doesn't advertise, no one else's has to either. oh wait, you bought the $10 cheaper model with forced advertising? you got what you paid for...
Re: (Score:2)
for the marketing department at Amazon, sure, at times. if I have the wifi going
if you mean tracking what you read, relax, no one but book sellers give a shit
Get them a used Wii (Score:1)
A used Wii ($99 at your local GameStop) loaded up with NetFlix and Hulu will do everything you need.
My three-year-olds can use it, and they can't even read.
It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than any of the other solutions, too, and it's totally zero-maintenance. And if/when they break it, it's a tiny cost
to just get a new one.
Re: (Score:2)
who gives a shit when granny is going to hook it up to a 1990 floor model zenith
Re: (Score:2)
Sony also makes some Blu-Ray players like the BDP-S3100 which is cheaper than a used PS3, but plays Blu-Ray discs (obviously) and streams Netflix (along with all the other on-line streaming services that PS3 handles).
Re: (Score:2)
Does it have built in storage? If so, how much?
Re: (Score:2)
Have you considered a Tivo instead? (Score:1)
Least troublesome would be a Tivo. We gave the grandparents one 10 years ago and they took to it with absolutely no trouble at all. Including using Netflix for viewing. The menu structure just never gets them lost. And the remote it likewise straightforward to use. Sure, there's a monthly subscription for it, but the convenience and lack of support calls back to me is totally worth it (for both me and them).
They use an iPad for just about everything else. They could use that for Netflix viewing but pr
Re: (Score:2)
No. The least troublesome would be something that doesn't even try to be a PVR anymore.
A streamer is even simpler. Less useless cruft to get in the way.
Consider WD TV Play (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm in my mid-twenties and recently moved from a linux HTPC to a WD TV Live (slightly larger and more expensive as the Play). My kids use it for Netflix and I use it to stream my 2TB Media collection off my primary workstation over the network via NFS.
It has its quirks, but it does work majority of the time. My biggest issue is that HDMI-CEC doesnt seem to work. That may be my 6+ year old Samsung TV being tempermental, though. For the $100 I paid I really cannot complain.
Re: (Score:3)
I intend no offense to you personally feugo451, but taking a few of your words out of context:
strikes me as a rather good recursive definition of elderly in its own right. :)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Roku 3 (Score:3)
Not age but speed the limiting factor. (Score:1)
PS3 is a safe bet (Score:1)
A PS3 is your best bet and offers the biggest bang for the buck. You can download and install Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, plus it has a text and if you add on a web cam, you can access the AV Chat feature.
While they may not be interested in games, the built in Blue Ray DVD player is top of the line so it can double as their DVD player for movies as well.
Myth TV (Score:5, Funny)
MythTV. A rule of thumb in setting up any system is to put yourself in the place of the user.
By the time you get it working, you'll be as old as they are now. (drrrTISH!!!)
Re: (Score:2)
MythTV is no less of a fail than any other PVR.
It's also much more than a PVR which is helpful if you are interested in consuming your own media. Streamers are still bad at this.
Streaming suggestion (Score:1)
iPad -- Nufsed (Score:4, Interesting)
If you are interested in no fuss, get your elderly parent an iPad. They will love it with Netflix streaming because they can make it as close to their eyes as necessary for them, and they -- and they can get a good quality pair of headphones (with inductive coupling to the hearing aid, possibly) to make it eaisier for them to hear. And yes, the ipad app has captioning.
When they are more comfortable, they will download books and recipies, and love it because the paper won't take up much space in their home and they can enlarge the text to exactly what they want. They will be delighted when they figure out how best to do video chat with you (whether that might be Facetime or otherwise) for "free."
And for you, once her internet connection is up and running, the purchase will be a "painless" one for support... no need to configure the device for her, no need to "set the clock on the DVD player" or what have you... You will be free to have conversations about more important things for your life.
This is from a long time Linux geek whose 70+ year old mom is pleased as punch with her iPad. Even though I am a die-hard Linux guy & would rather have myself on the latest and greatest Linux-ish device -- her happiness & piece of mind is worth a lot to me. This makes her happy.
Raspberry Pi? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
yea netflix doesnt work on linux, and no one wants to fuck with a website to change the tv
Re: (Score:2)
Netflix works fine on Ubuntu.
Re: (Score:3)
For not much more than the cost of a Pi (plus all the required accessories), if not the same cost, there are plenty of alternatives on the market that do a far better job.
I love tinkering with hardware and software as much as the next guy, but when I come home from work I enjoy the ease of use my WDTV Live provides. It's simple to use and supports Netflix along with various other streaming services. And the OP could even provide USB sticks now and again loaded with MKVs for his grandparents to view.
I'd favor a Roku (Score:2)
Lots of channel options, the new UI is pretty simple and it should integrate well with an HD TV.
I don't like the Ipad for this - 10" screen is too small to share watching a film with a spouse.
Another good option would be a smart TV.
This is a commodity item (Score:2)
Any Android tablet will do everything you mentioned. For $200 you can get a Nook HD 9+ with an HDMI adapter.
Check, DVD players. (Score:2)
My library has a pile of DVDs even music CDs to loan.
This technology changes so quick that a smart player, even X-box can prove better than a smart TV.
Unlimited net access (Score:2)
I have an Apple TV and a DVD player with streaming, and I have hit 25gig cap easily each month. My iPad streams nonATV streams via AirPlay so I don't miss anything.
Wii or Transformer? (Score:2)
I use a Wii to watch netflix. It connects to the TV just fine. The controller is a litte bouncy, though, when you're too far from the TV. My wife has Parkinson's, so this is a bit of an issue, but she can still manage to use it from the opposite corner of the room, where she likes to sit.
And an added benefit is that she uses WiiFit and similar games. Some of them are excellent balance exercises. Others involve the large body movements that seem to be good as slowing the progression of the disease.
I've
WDTV/Roku, Android Tablet/PC, and more (Score:2)
It really depends on exactly what the people in question are looking to do and what they are comfortable with. For instance, do they pretty much want to watch "Something", or do they have particular tastes and will request access to different media from multiple sources.
The first major decision basically comes down to form-factor - will they best enjoy a tablet that they can carry around with them (possibly usable for other things like acting as an e-reader), and generally keep close by? Or do they have a
Get'em one of these (Score:3)
Video on Demand? (Score:2)
Here in Canada, you just push the 'On Demand' button on your cable company's remote and presto there's a video store, with both free and rental content, available for you. I assume it must be the same in the USA? Why don't you start them with that?
There's even free telephone technical support.
What is old? (Score:2)
Just how old is "old" in everybody's mind? I know this is
I am 70, and I am the technical guru for my family and friends, who are mostly younger.
..and this is the thanks they get for... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have found the Netflix app to be best thing going on my BD player and on par with the version on the Roku. On the other hand, the other apps like Amazon Prime lag behind their Roku counterparts.
Both Amazon and Walmart are very liberal about returns. So if you find that a particular option doesn't work out, it's not such a great tragedy.
You can return stuff. Been that way since the age of the Dinosaurs.
Re: (Score:2)
You can return stuff. Been that way since the age of the Dinosaurs.
The blueray player was great though, it was just the Netflix app that felt tacked on. My unit was a low end one about a year ago though, so maybe the contemporary experience will vary. Granted, it has served as an excellent backup to the Roku when we lost the remote.
Re: (Score:2)
We ran out of batteries for the Wiimotes today so my kids are now watching YouTube, Netflix and Hulu on the Equiso I bought at Walmart for $79. It's an Android stick with dual core, Android 4.0, 1GB RAM, uSDHC. It's paired with a proper controller I bought on Amazon for $20 delivered. Sometimes I browse the Internet with it, for training films. It does YouTube, Netflix and Hulu just fine, and you can browse the Internet with it.
We have Samsung smart TVs and media centers and BluRay players of course th
Re:Netflix Button (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm not a big fan of CE devices' approach to Netflix, not so much because of the Netflix angle but because of their firmware update angle. I still have a Samsung BD player with Netflix, but they don't update the firmware on it (at least, not the part that deals with Netflix) and so its capabilities are extremely limited.
I've got a PS3, XBox, AppleTV, Wii, the aforementioned Samsung BD player, and a Roku at home; through work, I have access to pretty much every other device that plays Netflix. I prefer (and, more importantly given who we're talking about here, my non-tech wife prefers) the AppleTV as a streaming device.
Re: (Score:2)
I use an LG - no big red button, works as well as the Sony with a bonus of not being Sony.
If they have good coordination may I suggest a Wii? It's got a point and click interface that work rather well and isn't all that hard to operate.
Re: (Score:2)
Got a Logitech Harmony and set it up for AppleTV, same thing, one button to start TV and aTV.
Re: (Score:2)
Not HD quality, however.
Re: (Score:2)
I get books on my kobo ereader. The local libraries will lend ebooks for it, too. And I can adjust the print size as large as I want.
-- hendrik
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah. Why do something simple like an interface that allows you to watch what you want when you want. Instead subject them to shoddy equipment that may or may not even allow them to time shift properly. Give them something THEY have to PROGRAM. Give them something where what they want to watch might not even be one of the choices for "demand".
No. A "video jukebox" is much simpler.
In fact, this is generally what you are trying to achieve with a non-crap PVR.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree with all this. I am well past 60 and Roku was drop dead easy, helped me kill cable too.