I am trying to move to an independent device rather than depend on my phone so M can use the device rather than attempt to cast from her phone when I'm not around and her phone is iffy. My Android typically works. Her Apple works sometimes and not other.

So to start off with I got a fire stick. It seems to work as a default device but I don't see login screens for most of the applications. I see screens that tell you to activate via a code from Amazon. So even though the device is registered to M's Amazon account and M it has Amazon prime for video, it's shows us things to buy a subscription, and I never see any logins. It's the same way with most of the streaming applications.

M picks up at TV that has a Roku embedded in it. It behaves the same way. I can't find the logins for most streaming apps. One of them worked, I think Netflix but I'm not sure, but Hulu and prime and HBO on pretty sure all said sign up for your subscription, not giving me a login box.

What the hell am I doing wrong?

I'd put up that with that for one second. I can't handle dubbed either.

So for a device-wise Roku impresses me. I really like the fact that you can plug headphones into the phone, Bluetooth whatever, while having the video go to the TV. That's something I've missed. On the other hand the fire stick has audio leveling. I am constantly upping and lowering volume to handle dialogue versus car chases. Up the dialogue down the car chases. The fire stick has that built in but I've yet to experience it. It's a menu item to me at this point.

It won't matter when I have a 7.1 AV system installed. Center speaker does dialogue and I can control the boost. So I can handle that with any source.

The Roku has many third party casting applications. The Roku has many years of independent developers working on it combined with Roku itself improving it. I think all the competitors are an afterthought designed to sell something else. By default it did not work for me and then I downloaded a couple and I found one that worked but annoyed the hell out of me with the ads so I gave it its $4 one time payment. And it works well. If you have a Roku I'll follow up with specific application, just ask.

It looks like I'll end up with a combination of Roku and Chromecast. I really like the Roku remote with the volume and mute on the side. I wonder if they patented that? The Roku doesn't do seamless casting from the phone even with that application but it does it well enough, as long as I have a Chromecast sitting next to it.