Suggest a Netflix device for a tech illiterate person

Situation: I'd like to give my mother access to Netflix downstairs on the main TV. She is pretty bad with even simple tech stuff. Even turning off/on the cable box + TV can be a problem sometimes, but at the same time she has figured out how to roughly use the horrible Comcast OnDemand interface over the past decade.

Relevant Details:

• It's not a Smart TV obviously.
• It does have a spare HDMI and USB input. No ethernet port or anything fancy. Just a basic Samsung LCD.
• The wireless router and modem is at the complete opposite end of the house and on the 2nd floor. Moving it isn't an option.
• Whatever it is, it has to be simple to get access too. It can't be like powering on another box or other extra steps. Hopefully just changing to a different Input Source and maaaaaybe I can teach her that.
• Something maybe $50 or under would be reasonable.

Something I've also wondered is how someone controls these things like Chromecast. Does have it's own remote? That might be a nightmare that can't be avoided for this though since it isn't built into the TV.

And will these things do alright on wireless in terms of quality or buffering? The laptop downstairs in the same room seems to get a Wi-fi signal but it's probably near the limits. Not sure.

Curious what options are out there. Thanks for any information.

UPDATE:

Just wanted to provide a short term update:

Roku 3 arrived and hooked up fine. Quick setup. Works great! Wi-fi signal seems to be solid enough all the way down there.

The tricky part has been getting her to understand how to switch sources on the TV. I explained the steps and she is able to execute them but if anything slightly changes then she panics and calls for help. Like I can tell her the step by step what to do, but she doesn't understand what she is doing. She doesn't understand how a universal remote works and sending signals to TV vs the cable box vs the Roku etc lol It can be rough sometimes. She is overwhelmed and has a bunch of shows to watch on Netflix but unfortunately I still find her watching midget reality shows on TV.. *sigh*

Regardless, I discovered the Plex app and Ive been having a bunch of fun messing with it the past day getting all my media organized.

Amazon Fire TV? That does netflix and you can shout at it. It's cheap and has a good looking non-threatening remote as well as the voice stuff. I don't have one myself though.

I would get her a Roku, they're simple and amazing. Not sure about Chromecast or the Amazon tv thing but I've had a Roku for a few years now and it's the best, has a ton of apps too like Pandora and the remote only has a few buttons. It's wireless and both AV and HD compatable.

The Roku 2 is about $60 so you may be able to find the first one. The 3 is $100 so I'm sure that's a no but the USB stick is only $50 but you have to have the port on your tv.

Roku. It doesn't turn off so it's always on. It uses wireless, so possibly no moving of Internet things. The three most tech challenged people in my life all use it without a hitch.

I got a Fire TV for my mother (who can send emails on a computer has a hell of a time trying to surf the web on her phone) and she loves it. It brings together a bunch of streaming services and the interface is simple enough that she can follow it intuitively. She can't troubleshoot it when something goes wrong but other than that it has been the perfect way to add streaming to the tv without as little tech knowledge as possible.

A side bonus is that the fire tv has a thorough subtitle menu. My mother is hard of hearing and needs subtitles but a few other devices I've tried either didn't have full support or turning it on and off was so cumbersome that it was ignored. It's been a real treat and for 20 bucks was an absolute steal!

Roku 3.

Hmm.. So leaning towards the Roku I guess. If only because Ive heard positive things about the Roku for awhile I guess.

Random detail question that may be nothing.. How come some say Wi-Fi and some (one?) says Wireless? Isn't that the same thing? lol Im just specifically concerned about the quality of the antenna or radius it can do I guess.

Oh other thing I guess: I only expect to use this for Netflix (for the time being) so that is probably all that matters. Maybe HBO or Showtime but we already have cable so not really a point in that. Is there any reason to buy a Roku 2 or 3 over a 1?

Thanks for the help so far.

Nintendo 3DS.

Seriously though- try a Roku.

I have a Fire TV stick, pretty simple to use and stays on all the time. I think that might work for her.

I'm going to say something nobody has said yet and nobody will ever say in this thread for sure.

Roku.

@seikenfreak: I have a 1 (Roku HD) and I would advise getting at least a 2. Mainly because the updated OS does not run all that great on older Rokus.

@xanadu: Hmm. Excellent info. Kinda like how the newer PSN Store runs like complete arse on the PS3 but okay on the PS4? heh

Ordered the Roku 3. Wasn't quite sure between that or the Streaming Stick but... overkill is better than underkill. If it doesn't work down there because of the wireless distance then perhaps I can find some other use for it.

Thanks for the help!

@seikenfreak: Just a little extra advice. If you find out that the wireless signal isn't strong enough, you can always try a range extender. You'll have to set it up first, but then there won't need to be any other input from anyone else in the house. If it doesn't work, as sometimes they don't work very well, just make sure you have a good return policy wherever you get it. Just something to try instead of just giving up on it. Good luck.

Just wanted to provide a short term update:

Roku 3 arrived and hooked up fine. Quick setup. Works great! Wi-fi signal seems to be solid enough all the way down there.

The tricky part has been getting her to understand how to switch sources on the TV. I explained the steps and she is able to execute them but if anything slightly changes then she panics and calls for help. Like I can tell her the step by step what to do, but she doesn't understand what she is doing. She doesn't understand how a universal remote works and sending signals to TV vs the cable box vs the Roku etc lol It can be rough sometimes. She is overwhelmed and has a bunch of shows to watch on Netflix but unfortunately I still find her watching midget reality shows on TV.. *sigh*

Regardless, I discovered the Plex app and Ive been having a bunch of fun messing with it the past day getting all my media organized.

Roku or Apple TV or Fire TV.

The Wii Netflix is braindead simple. Only outputs at 480p obviously, but I've met very few moms who would really care about that. Do you have a Wii kicking around that you're no longer using at this point? I can attest that my mom totally has it figured out on the Wii, and she is similarly helpless when it comes to technology and figuring out cable boxes and so on. The inputs are extremely simple since you basically just point at stuff with the Wii remote and press A, both on the Wii menu and within Netflix. The Netflix UI and everything is super straightforward on the Wii.

It's not under $50, but if you already have a Wii around, or can borrow one long term from another family member or friend, I think it's your best option.

As an aside, since you seem to have resolved your issue:

I attempted the Roku streaming stick with a family friends' TV setup with no success. She had plenty of open ports, but since all the HDMI ports were set low on the TV and the stick had to be inserted up and down versus out the back, I wasn't able to connect the AC power.

Just something to consider.

I guess if there can be something good to be said about the Xbox is it does make changing between things pretty easy since there is no need to change inputs to go from TV to other apps if you have the signal feeding through.

FireTV Stick - $40

• Includes Remote
• Access to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBOgo Coming Soon
• Runs a version of Android so you can potentially play games on it.

Roku Stick - $50

• Includes Remote
• Access to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, & HBOgo

Chromecast - $32 - Weird Price

• NO Remote Included - You send it links from your devices that are on the same network
• Access to anything that includes a Cast to Chromecast button. This is up to developers

Roku. I got one for my tech illiterate sister a few years ago. She and her kids, ages 8 to 3, have no problem using it. You can even use your phone to control it if you misplace the remote.

I have a Roku 3, Apple TV, Fire TV, HTPC, and all of the consoles. I use the Roku 3 the most for Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.

Own both a fire stick and roku and gotta say the fire stick has been a breeze for the $20 dollar price. I'll vouch for plex being a really streamlined media server application for those who want an easy way to set one up.