Recording Netflix

[SWharton]

Our daughter added us to her Netflix subscription and we like a couple of the Netflix series.

We cannot figure out how to record the series. We have Dish, Tivo and laptops but no place can we find an option to record episodes of a series each week automatically. Also, the only way we have figured out to record an episode to look at later is to record onto our laptop via Windows/G and then play it back via an HDMI cable on the TV later.

We must be missing something obvious.

Help and Thanks.

 

[lappir]

I do not think you are able to record from a subscription service. You should be able to watch what ever you like at the time you like. Just because Blue Bloods comes on at 10pm eastern and 9pm central does not mean I cannot watch it the next day since I'm asleep before 9 most nights. ABC is the only major network I have found to require you to wait for the next episode to be run before you can watch the show at a different time than what it's originally broadcasted.  I do not subscribe to Netflix, Dish, Direct or any of the other pay to view sites. I do subscribe to commercial free music since for now it's truly commercial free. None of the pay to view TV I have ever paid for had no commercials. Maybe not during the Movie on HBO or The Movie Channel, but they sure made up for it in between. 

Sorry I'm not really any help. Hopefully someone is able to assist. 

Rod

[SWharton]

Well I made a little progress. I had heard I needed to download an App to my PC but could never find it. I finally stumbled across something called Microsoft Store, I guess it is the equivalent of Google Play but for PCs. I found a Netflix app on and can now download but that is all it seems to do. No scheduling and I would guess I need to download one episode at a time, not sure about that since I am only on my first episode.

I assume to show the program on TV we will need to take out our HDMI cable to view. This is very convoluted and seems so ancient. Netflix has some interesting programing but it is aggravating to record and view.

I wouldn't waste our money on it.

[mptjelgin]

As Rod notes, streaming services pretty much assume that you will sit down to watch the show when you want to watch it. For that reason few folks think in terms of recording from a streaming service to watch later. The point of streaming is that the content is there, when you want it, whenever you want it. 

The only reason that I could think to record it is if you are going to record a bunch of shows while you have a good internet connection, and then take them and watch them in a place where you do not. Is this your situation?

[2gypsies]

I agree with others.  Streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime, etc. doesn't require you to record it for later viewing.  It will always be there for whatever time you want to view it.  All you do is click on your show and it will give you a choice of what Season and what Episode you want to watch.  It's not something you have to watch on a certain day and time.  We have a couple favorites with long Seasons and we've watched every Episode and have gone back to watching Season 1, Episode 1, etc. over again.  Longmire is a favorite, for one.   Mash is another that we've watched the Episodes over again.  It had 11 Seasons.  That's our 'good night story' - ending every day with it. I would guess your daughter could help you with additional questions.

Edited September 24, 2020 by 2gypsies

[SWharton]

We are going camping for a couple weeks where we know internet is very poor so wanted to stockpile some programs. We won't have dish either due to trees.

What we like about recording is that we record all the programs we want to look at and don't need to be concerned when another episode is available, it will just record.

 

 

 

[Chad Heiser]

6 hours ago, SWharton said:

We are going camping for a couple weeks where we know internet is very poor so wanted to stockpile some programs. We won't have dish either due to trees.

What we like about recording is that we record all the programs we want to look at and don't need to be concerned when another episode is available, it will just record.

 

 

 

Netflix doesn't work that way.  When Netflix releases a series (or adds a series to its library) all the episodes are available immediately.  There is nothing to record on an ongoing basis like with broadcast TV or Satellite TV.  Through the Netflix App you can download content to watch later when you do not have internet available.  This is easy to do from the app on an IOS or Android device.  Then if you wish to view that downloaded program on your television, simply cast it from your device to the TV or directly connect your device to the TV.

 

On edit:  Netflix will add seasons to shows on an ongoing (annual or whatever schedule) basis, but again when the new season is available all the episodes for that season will immediately be available.  They don't release them one by one or weekly like broadcast TV or Satellite TV.

Edited September 25, 2020 by Chad Heiser

[SWharton]

Didn't know they did their series like that. The other reason we had wanted to download was so when they take the series away we would still be able to finish viewing it.

We need to download to our PC, no space on our phone and we don't have a tablet.

What is casting from the phone to the TV? In case we ever have a phone with enough extra space to do this.

 

 

[Tom_M]

Check out PlayOn: https://www.playon.tv/

This allows you to save streaming content to your computer.

[SWharton]

Thanks Tom. This sounds interesting. I think I'll try it. This seems to solve some of the problems I have with the whole streaming concept.

[Chalkie]

14 hours ago, SWharton said:

 I found a Netflix app on and can now download but that is all it seems to do. No scheduling and I would guess I need to download one episode at a time, not sure about that since I am only on my first episode.

Once the app is installed you log in so you may need that information. Then you watch and/or download the shows you want. Not all shows are available for download but it seems most are, at least the shows we like to watch. You do need to download one episode at a time but, depending on your internet, that goes quickly. As others have said, it is streaming and therefore you watch what you want when you want so there is no schedule. Pick the show you want and go for it!

 

[SWharton]

I think I have this mastered, ha!! I downloaded Playon and that has simplified things. Now e have a common interface that keeps all the downloads organized and neatly presented. Thanks to Tom for recommending this, it has resolved a lot of our confusion and control issues.

Just another learning curve.

[SWharton]

New challenge: I have Playon, recorded a program and went to send it to the TV. I think the TV is on the same network as the PC but Playon says I don't have a casting device. From Google I gather it is a Roku, Firestick or Chromecast piece of hardware.

We now have Netflix, Prime and Disney+(other daughter working on giving us that), does it make any difference which hardware I buy. Need something with a clean, neat interface.

I keep thinking I am buying redundant hardware and I should be able to "cast" with my Tivo or computer to the TV that also has internet. Or should I just plug in the HDMI cable between the PC and TV. I know that works.`

Learning curves are so steep.

Thanks

[SWharton]

I just found out our TV does not have internet, we are getting Prime etc via Tivo or Dish. I don;t know if that changes anything.

[Chalkie]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

I just found out our TV does not have internet, we are getting Prime etc via Tivo or Dish. I don;t know if that changes anything.

We have a Firestick and it works for everything. Subscription wise we have Prime, Netflix, Disney+ and CBS All Access. You can also use it to cast to your TV from a cell phone. 

[SWharton]

Is there any significant difference between Firestick and Roku?

 

[jbh]

You'll need to get a Roku.

I've been doing Playon for a couple of years now, works fine. A benefit is that it'll cast the recordings to the roku when there's no internet so long as the router is on.

[Chalkie]

49 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Is there any significant difference between Firestick and Roku?

 

They are basically the same. We just like the Firestick in terms of ease of use. Our daughter has Roku and the interface seems a bit clunkier, at least in my opinion. 

[SWharton]

Ok. Thanks. Off I go to research land. I was leaning toward Roku just because it is not made by Amazon. I bought a Fire tablet and Amazon has made so many changes to the operating system several of the apps I want to use don't work.

[Chalkie]

On 9/25/2020 at 11:52 AM, SWharton said:

Ok. Thanks. Off I go to research land. I was leaning toward Roku just because it is not made by Amazon. I bought a Fire tablet and Amazon has made so many changes to the operating system several of the apps I want to use don't work.

The Fire tablets should not be used as an example since they operate off a truncated version of Android and like Apple they push you toward using their own apps.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Chalkie

[RV_]

I use the Fire TV too.

You can do some minor changes and your Amazon can use the Google play store. Here's a search result for how to do that and it's free unless you need a tech to do it: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=Using+the+play+store+on+Fire+tablet&atb=v211-1&ia=web

Edited September 27, 2020 by RV_

[SWharton]

We picked up the Roku and everything is working smoothly so far. Happy household without wires dangling all over.