Tablet for Netflix

[skaertus]

I currently have a 9.7-inch iPad Pro that I bought in 2016. I have the full set, including the pencil and the keyboard. Since I bought it, however, I have rarely used it. It is a great device, but it is simply not for me. It does not have a proper keyboard and mouse, and it does not run the full-featured Microsoft Office, with everything it has to offer. And, yes, I need these tools, and sometimes even Office for Mac will not cut it. Everything my iPad Pro does that is of any interest to me, my iPhone X can also do, and it is far more portable.

There is only one thing I use the iPad Pro for: watching Netflix, since the screen on my iPhone X is somewhat small for that. It is really good for it, but it is overkill.

So, I was thinking about of buying an additional tablet, so I can have it in my bedroom to watch Netflix, and HBO Go, and something else. What I am wondering is that I do not need a USD 650 10.5-inch iPad Pro to watch videos. Of course there is still the 9.7-inch iPad at USD 330, but I am wondering if there are better alternatives.

Then I found the Galaxy Tab A, with a 10.1-inch 1920x1200 screen, for USD 250. But what really called my attention was the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 10, with a 10.1-inch 1920x1200 screen, and stereo speakers, for only USD 150. That is cheap.

The iPad screen may be better and with a better resolution. However, I wonder whether the 16:10 1920x1200 10.1-inch screen of the Tab A and the Kindle Fire are more suitable for watching 16:9 videos than the 4:3 2048x1536 9.7-inch screen of the iPad.

The iPad is certainly a better product, I have no doubt of it. But the Kindle Fire costs half as much and has a larger viewing area for widescreen videos. Is there any reason why I should skip the Kindle Fire and buy an iPad instead, if the purpose of having the tablet is just this one?

 

[0970373]

Sounds like you should just get a Surface Go and be done with it. I'm not trying to be snarky but I have no idea why people keep thinking that an iPad is a replacement for a full fledged laptop that can run full programs. It can do lots of things. It can do lots of things awesomely. And it works for some if your needs are simple but def not most if you're looking to run full Office programs, use a mouse & external keyboard.

Get what fits your actual needs rather than trying to piecemeal a bunch of devices together. Or not, up to you. Your $.

 

[Michael Goff]

If you're just consuming media, the Kindle Fire is probably the better option.
[doublepost=1532480863][/doublepost]

Sounds like you should just get a Surface Go and be done with it. I'm not trying to be snarky but I have no idea why people keep thinking that an iPad is a replacement for a full fledged laptop that can run full programs. It can do lots of things. It can do lots of things awesomely. And it works for some if your needs are simple but def not most if you're looking to run full Office programs, use a mouse & external keyboard.

Get what fits your actual needs rather than trying to piecemeal a bunch of devices together. Or not, up to you. Your $.

I was going to say that, but assumed they didn't like Windows.

 

[mi7chy]

You're on the right track. The latest Amazon HD 10 with Alexa is the highest quality tablet for the lowest price. Amazon frequently puts the 32GB version on sale for $99. Price aside the Amazon tablet is way more capable and versatile than the iPad. For example, I just bought FPse app which allows me to play PlayStation games, watch World Cup Soccer with Ace Stream torrent app without interruption plus a lot more that you can't do on iPad. l don't even touch my iPad anymore since getting two of these Amazon tablets.

 

[skaertus]

Sounds like you should just get a Surface Go and be done with it. I'm not trying to be snarky but I have no idea why people keep thinking that an iPad is a replacement for a full fledged laptop that can run full programs. It can do lots of things. It can do lots of things awesomely. And it works for some if your needs are simple but def not most if you're looking to run full Office programs, use a mouse & external keyboard.

Get what fits your actual needs rather than trying to piecemeal a bunch of devices together. Or not, up to you. Your $.

Well, I already have two laptops, and I do not need the tablet form factor. That is not the point.

I was thinking of buying an additional tablet to watch Netflix/HBO Go on my bed, and I was wondering whether a cheaper tablet would do it.

 

[0970373]

Well, I already have two laptops, and I do not need the tablet form factor. That is not the point.

I was thinking of buying an additional tablet to watch Netflix/HBO Go on my bed, and I was wondering whether a cheaper tablet would do it.

Fair enough. You mentioned as a negative that the iPad doesn't run full Office, have a keyboard & mouse, etc so it seemed to be something you were looking for in a tablet like device.

But if it's just media consumption, an Amazon tablet will more than suffice.

 

[skaertus]

You're on the right track. The latest Amazon HD 10 with Alexa is the highest quality tablet for the lowest price. Amazon frequently puts the 32GB version on sale for $99. Price aside the Amazon tablet is way more capable and versatile than the iPad. For example, I just bought FPse app which allows me to play PlayStation games, watch World Cup Soccer with Ace Stream torrent app without interruption plus a lot more that you can't do on iPad. l don't even touch my iPad anymore since getting two of these Amazon tablets.

Thanks. Well, I do not really need anything else. I am not really fond of Android devices, but I am not willing to pay double the price for the same function.
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If you're just consuming media, the Kindle Fire is probably the better option.
[doublepost=1532480863][/doublepost]

I was going to say that, but assumed they didn't like Windows.

Thanks.

 

[sunking101]

Am I missing something here? You say that the only thing you use your iPad for is watching Netflix and that it is really good for it...but you also say that it is overkill for such a device. So you want to put it in a closet, not use it at all and buy a different product?

Or are you going to sell the 2016 iPad and buy sonething with the proceeds? I wouldn't have thought that was a financially astute route to go down.

 

[mi7chy]

Am I missing something here? You say that the only thing you use your iPad for is watching Netflix and that it is really good for it...but you also say that it is overkill for such a device. So you want to put it in a closet, not use it at all and buy a different product?

Or are you going to sell the 2016 iPad and buy sonething with the proceeds? I wouldn't have thought that was a financially astute route to go down.

No, he's saying it underperforms as a laptop replacement and overpriced for a consumption device. Guessing he'll probably dump it on the secondary market and recoup some of the cost.

 

[sunking101]

No, he's saying it underperforms as a laptop replacement and overpriced for a consumption device. Guessing he'll probably dump it on the secondary market and recoup some of the cost.

Beyond that he is wanting advice on a consumption device for watching Netflix in bed. That is the point of his post. I am querying why not use the iPad seeing how he uses it for nothing else and states that the iPad is great for watching Netflix. He seems to have a problem with it being overkill and the iPad being too good for that but what are the alternatives? A 2016 iPad won't fetch a fortune on the used market and most of the proceeds would be then spent on a consumption device. Ergo just use the iPad?

 

[sracer]

Another vote for the Fire HD 10. It is terrific for media consumption. Adding Google Play (if you're inclined) is straightforward and doesn't require rooting the device. It also supports external mouse and keyboard. That works extremely well with it. I have the Motorola bluetooth keyboard with trackpoint that I've been using with it. Out of the box it doesn't support screencasting but by adding Google Home (after adding the Play store), it adds that capability.

 

[SteveJUAE]

If that's all the OP needs then nothing wrong with the Fire

 

[Shanghaichica]

Beyond that he is wanting advice on a consumption device for watching Netflix in bed. That is the point of his post. I am querying why not use the iPad seeing how he uses it for nothing else and states that the iPad is great for watching Netflix. He seems to have a problem with it being overkill and the iPad being too good for that but what are the alternatives? A 2016 iPad won't fetch a fortune on the used market and most of the proceeds would be then spent on a consumption device. Ergo just use the iPad?

I checked the resale value. It was about £200. Obviously if they sell privately they could get more. The fire HD is £150. So I really don't see the point in selling the iPad and getting a fire HD 10. The iPad still does what they want. I'd rather keep a more capable device than a less capable one, especially if I already own the device. No point in loosing money if theres nothing to gain.

 

[sracer]

I checked the resale value. It was about £200. Obviously if they sell privately they could get more. The fire HD is £150. So I really don't see the point in selling the iPad and getting a fire HD 10. The iPad still does what they want. I'd rather keep a more capable device than a less capable one, especially if I already own the device. No point in loosing money if theres nothing to gain.

I agree....

unless one is looking for an opportunity to explore a difference ecosystem/experience. (granted the OP didn't say that was a factor)

Also, "more capable" is subjective. Depends upon what the "capable" part is.

Use a mouse... nope.
Use removable media...nope.
Use USB peripherals (in addition to keyboards, camera connector, and some mics)... nope.
Run emulators...nope. (couple that with support for USB game controllers)
A true, system-wide accessible file system... nope.
...just to name a few.

But having said that, I'm not advocating that the Fire HD 10 is on-par with the iPad. But the Fire HD 10 does offer some features that are exclusive to it (compared to the iPad) that could give reason for some to consider it...not as a replacement for an iPad, but as an additional option. Amazon regularly has them on sale, (I bought mine a few months ago for $85 USD), so there is never a reason one should pay the full $150 for it.

My 2018 iPad is still my every day go-to portable device. But I'm also using the Fire HD 10 nearly every day because of some of those unique capabilities.

 

[mi7chy]

Apple devices are suppose to hold their value unless it's convenient to low-ball?

The last iPad Pro 9.7 32GB WIFI sold on Swappa for $325. He also has a pencil and keyboard so that's at least another $100 so altogether $425 or £324. That's equivalent to four to five Amazon Fire HD 10s for the whole family.

 

[MarkX]

I was thinking of buying an additional tablet to watch Netflix/HBO Go on my bed, and I was wondering whether a cheaper tablet would do it.

Why would you waste money on an additional tablet when your current iPad does what you're wanting very well .

Unless you're planning on selling your iPad Pro 2016 for say 300 odd bucks and buying a cheaper tablet and pocketing the change.

The most sensible thing to do would be keep what you have for Netflix and sell the keyboard etc that you don't use.

 

[ActionableMango]

The iPad is certainly a better product, I have no doubt of it. But the Kindle Fire costs half as much and has a larger viewing area for widescreen videos. Is there any reason why I should skip the Kindle Fire and buy an iPad instead, if the purpose of having the tablet is just this one?

Alright. So I've had or have the following tablets (that I can remember):

iPad Mini gen 1, 2, and 4
iPad Pro 12.9 gen 1 and 2
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro
Dell Venue Pro (Windows 8.1 and 10)
Chuwi Surtab (basically a MS Surface clone)
HP TouchPad
Amazon Fire HD 8

So that's nine dedicated tablets and one Surface-ish device, running 6 different operating systems, in various different sizes.

In my experience using them for the mobile video streamer use case you mention, most of them suck for various reasons, but almost always its the speakers. The only tablets I've felt satisfied with the audio were the 12.9" iPads. For any other tablet the speakers were typically mono (coming out one side), tinny, too quiet, or too distorted at usable volume. Even the slightest amount of background noise made the other tablets hard to hear.

So really most of them (other than the 12.9) would IMHO need to be paired with a bluetooth speaker or headphones, and I'm sure the same would hold true for any other small or cheap tablet you get. Unless you standards for audio are very low.

The Windows tablets were constantly a problem. Windows updating just really F's up the tablet experience IMHO. The updates are frequent, huge, and disruptive. With all non-Windows tablets you just turn it on, use it, turn it off. Windows seemed like 1/3 the time I was maintaining it. Every once in a blue moon there's also a mega update that takes hours and multiple reboots.

Amazon Fire tablet is okay for the price, but everything is bottom of the barrel. They get by with absolute minimum everything. There's a reason its so cheap. Also if you want to use the normal app store you have to do workarounds, but I guess that won't matter for a Netflix-only tablet.

As for iPads, frankly they are kind of expensive to use just for a "Netflix" screen and nothing else.

In 2016 Samsung made a "Galaxy View" tablet specifically for video consumption. It has a large screen (18 some inches), has good speakers, and a built-in stand. They aren't cheap, but they are purpose-built for your specific use case, so would be the most suitable, and there are plenty of used ones on Ebay.

 

[mi7chy]

He's looking at the Amazon Fire HD 10 which is a high end and specced tablet than the other models. It has stereo speakers that sound great, higher end ARM A72 SoC, 2GB DRAM, etc.

The iPad Pro 12.9 1st gen distorts at higher volume and doesn't sound as good. Not even worth 2x let alone 8x the cost.

If you're going to spend $800, price of iPad Pro 12.9, just get a new Samsung 65" 4K TV with built in Netflix instead which offers a superior experience than tablet. Or, ~$60 for an Amazon Fire TV 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra to play 4K Netflix on your existing 4K TV.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Interesting points about the Fire 10HD. Because of the 16:10 aspect ratio it seems to be a very eligible consumption device. The price is so good that you can probably pick up a used one in mint condition for little money.