[Electronics-Talk] some success running Sling TV and HULU Live on Fire TV

[Brad Hodges]

Colleagues:


This message is to share some experience I have had this afternoon 
playing with Sling TV and Hulu Live TV on an Amazon Fire TV.


I am pleased to let you know that the Sling TV app for Fire TV appears 
to work well with Voice View. Specifically, it announces channel names 
as you move back and forth across the row of your channels. Moving down 
from a particular channel takes you to the now playing row of info, 
where the current program is highlighted and announced. Press the Select 
button to begin watching either in real time or from the beginning of 
the current program. Moving down one more row places you in an 
alphabetized list of on demand content associated with that channel.


This is the same behavior the app exhibits on ROKU, but the Voice View 
experience using Fire
TV is vastly superior.


I have not checked the current Sling TV app on Apple TV, 4th Gen.


The Hulu Live TV app works reasonably well on Apple TV, 4th gen. It is 
rather verbose, to my years. You can browse the alphabetical list of 
your channels. They are displayed in a 2 column format so as you move 
back and forth from the top your channels can be navigated predictably.


A friend who is also testing Hulu Live TV and I had differing 
experiences using the Fire TV app. For me, it did not read channel names 
as they gained focus. He reported that they did. The layout is the same 
using the double column layout.


So, for what it's worth, if your looking for an accessible way to cut 
the cable or satellite cord, one of these services on Fire TV or Apple 
TV, 4th gen, might be worth exploring.


You can get a 5 day free trial for both services. Navigating the signup 
pages may not be accessible, so having a reader handy may be a good way 
to keep the aggravation level down.


With respect to phone apps, that is a horse of a different color. Last 
time I checked Sling TV didn't announce channel names. Hulu Live will do 
so, but the playback controls defied my best efforts to stop play and 
return to the list of channels. I could do this only by closing and 
reopening the app. The video controls appeared very different from the 
standard Apple controls, according to a knowledgeable visual user I asked.


Of the 2 hardware options, at $39 the Fire TV Stick can't be beat.


This is not a very comprehensive evaluation, I know, but I am glad to 
deliver some modestly good news for once. I'll be playing with Youtube 
TV and perhaps Directv Now next        .


Brad