I have really tried it all while I attempt to find the best streaming solution that can hopefully allow me to cut the cord.
I have 3 Rokus running in my house: an Ultra, an Express and a Streaming Stick. I also have a new Apple TV and an Amazon Fire TV Stick (now on the shelf). The Roku Ultra is expensive ($88 on Amazon) but has more powerful and faster hardware. The Ultra also has a wired ethernet port and the ability to attach an external USB drive to use as a DVR. Switching channels and navigating is noticeably faster on the Ultra. The Express and Streaming Stick work fine too but they are more basic and not as robust as the Ultra. The Amazon Fire TV Stick was my least favorite player.
I have tried DTV, Youtube TV and Sling. I have settled on Youtube TV as the best service. Their UI is great and the video quality is fantastic. One test I've used to compare the services and media players is how fast you can "surf" from channel to channel.
I find that the Apple TV is the best media player for Youtube TV. I can switch channels almost instantly on the Apple TV while my other media players show a spinning circle for several seconds between channels. If you like to surf invest in a faster media player! The touchpad remote on the Apple TV is also much better than the others (once you get used to it!).
One area where Youtube TV is superior is the DVR (Library) function. It is unlimited although you can only store programs for 9 months. It is interesting how it works. When you tell it to record an episode it fills in your library with ALL the recent and future episodes. It won't just record a single episode unless it is a one-off show. Also, if you hit record in the middle of a show it automatically looks for a replay of the show and fills in the Library version from the beginning. I've seen complaints about the DVR service on other streaming services. Youtube TV really nailed it.
Starting last weekend I hid the Comcast remotes and we are only using Youtube TV. It's a test to see if it will work for us on a daily basis and to see if my wife can adjust to it and find her beloved HGTV, Lifetime, Sox games, etc. One thing about Youtube TV is that it doesn't have channel numbers. The navigation is more like Netflix and takes some adjusting to. After 3 days we've had no problem navigating Youtube TV, mostly on the Roku Ultra.
My advice is to not go cheap on the media player. A Roku Express is under $30 but if you are going to use it for years it would be best to invest a little more in a premium player like a Roku Ultra or an Apple TV if you can fit it into your budget.
This is just my opinion based on several months of testing various services and media players. Your results may vary.
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