What can’t Netflix do? First, they destroyed weekend trips to Blockbuster with their ubiquitous red envelopes and now they promise to destroy the postal service by totally cutting out the middle man.
The Netflix Player by Roku is the first in what portends to be a long line of devices designed to download and stream movies from Netflix. While in its current incarnation the device is fairly limited, I can firmly recommend it with the expectation that the movie selection will improve.
How does it work? You buy the box for $99 and connect it to your TV via HDMI, composite, or component. You connect the stereo outs to your receiver or run out digital optical.
You must have a Netflix account to make it work, but then you simply connect the box to the Internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, send a request to Netflix, and then type in a code in your Netflix account. The box is paired and you’re ready to add digital movies to the box.
The box itself holds “chapter images” and about four minutes of buffered video — that’s it. When you start playing, it buffers for about a minute and, depending on your connection speed, picks a resolution to display. On most videos the resolution was sufficiently high that it bordered on DVD quality. There was almost no visible pixellation even on our 46-inch rear projection TV.
Approximate image quality
When you add movies in Netflix — you can only add movies that you can play using Netflix streaming — the movies appear immediately on the box. You use a small remote to pick movies and control playback. You cannot search for or add movies directly on the box itself, unfortunately. The movies have to be added in your online Netflix account first.
As you can see, the movies are mostly oldies but goodies. There were very few first-run titles in the mix but there were older seasons of some popular television shows like Weeds and The Office. Right now there are about 10,000 titles in the mix, enough to keep most die-hard movie fans occupied. The only problem is that some of the movies I really wanted to watch from Netflix — which are already available on DVD — weren’t available for streaming. This is not Netflix’s fault, obviously, but if you’re a first-run movie fan I’d stay away from the box until you’re sure the service is for you. At $99, the box isn’t prohibitively expensive and the technology may end up in televisions soon so questions about an external box might be moot.
This is one of the most elegant and surprisingly usable dedicated devices I’ve seen in a long time. Unlike, say, the Kindle, everything here is almost perfect. As the literal incarnation of a web service, the Netflix Player by Roku is a true gem.
Video and Audio Connections· HDMI
· Component Video
· S-Video
· Composite Video
· Digital Optical Audio
· Analog Stereo Audio
Network Connections
· Wired Ethernet
· Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
almost on par with the cnet review. guess the nda/embargo must’ve dropped at midnight since cnet/crunchgear/nytimes all pumping this one from netflix..
What really gets me is that the line between NetFlix and your cable provider is getting all the more blurred. In my opinion, this is bad for NetFlix. If they prove this model works, what’s to stop a cable company from simply offering a service add-on which is unlimited in demand movies? No need for another box, and NetFlix no longer has a product? (I mean seriously, who need ANOTHER box in their living room with MORE HDMI cables running around? Not me…)
Is there some limitation to this? Is there something I’m missing?
I just don’t see the innovation here. Unlimited DVDs in the mail? Ground breaking. Delivering on demand movies to my TV via a set top box? Uh, 10 years ago?
I understand what your sayinig Mike, but I like the simplicity and portability of it. I’m not having to purchase/lease a set-top box for the multitude of PCs in my house. And, this is small enough I can take on the road with me and my family. I’m going to wait about a week to see more reviews and then buy one – for $99 it gives me the catalyst I’ve been looking for to drop the premium channels from Com[edy]cast. Now, I can use just the premium HD channels (with my DVR), Hulu and Netflix to pretty much keep me happy.
“Delivering on demand movies to my TV via a set top box? Uh, 10 years ago?”
The idea may have been 10 years ago, but in practice it has only worked in the past year or so.
The threat of Netflix sitting back and not offering it is eventually a cable company will figure this out, with the slow success of AppleTV and Xbox 360 media center. Then part of Netflix’s service will become redundant anyway. They’d rather get out in front of the coming storm. Additionally while cable could leverage its TV stations to get TV shows fairly easily, it would be harder for them to set up the agreements to offer movies. Cable cos are used to dealing with networks, but few networks own the studios of movies they show. It will also piss off stations when cable companies start providing a similar service because it cuts them out of audience for ad revenue. This may not be great for Netflix, but it’s better than not doing it, and it may reduce their expenses (they are the largest customer to the post office) but their bandwidth costs will go up.
The great thing about this box compared to your cable box is that this is portable! When I can take my cable box on vacation with me and plug it in at my grandmas or in the hotel if it has wi-fi, then I will be really impressed with my cable box!
Great point. If you have cable. I hate most television so I don’t subscribe to any cable TV. I live far enough from town that I don’t get basic TV, so for me this is awesome. The convenience of movies NOW, and TV shows I want to watch NOW, and I still get my 1st run DVDs in the mail. Awesome.. no other TV b.s. that I don’t want to watch. Yay Netflicks!
I’ve already got a set-top box with HDMI that’s connected to the Internet. I call it my X-Box 360. I bet it would buffer more than 4 minutes. And it plays Pac-Man. I bet the Roku won’t play Pac-Man.
So where’s the Netflix XBL integration that was rumored in April?
old busniess models die hard and slow – even when the technology is there just waiting to be put to good use. i see this as a nice little baby step towards the promise of “any movie ever made hd on demand” i saw on tv commercials 10 years ago. now excuse me while i power up my flying car (where are our flying cars! it’s 2008!!!!)
re: Flying Car
Uh, it’s HERE and I want one! (Pilot /Drive)
Terrafugia Redefines the Flying Car—Make That Drivable Airplane
http://www.xconomy.com/2008/05/08/from-the-runway-to-the-road-terrafugia-redefines-the-flying-car-make-that-drivable-airplane/
Guarenteed to make it? No, but it’s the best shot I’ve seen in a long time!
But I really want that ROBOT MAID!
Not everything will fit everyone’s needs, but for people like me, this works just the way it is. I don’t have an X-Box, or a digital cable box. I’m only getting very basic cable as I get most of my entertainment from my Netflix subscription and this is just another added bonus. The biggest issue I’ve had with Netflix lately is that the Instant movie was not available for Mac, so there was no easy way for me to get this service until now. This device is worth the $ just for the access to the kids movies without adjusting my DVD queue.
$99 just by itself is a good selling point. Look at how expensive other services have become (uVerse,DirecTV,DishNetwork, etc…) and the idea of unlimited at a flat fee seems pretty cool…and on demand to boot!
Traditional video services have basically pushed you 500 channels all at once down a proprietary pipe even though you may watch at most a dozen shows a day, and the hardware and subscription costs end up rivaling your monthly food bill.
I expect this to have a lot of rough edges, and it would be nice to see that box have a HD inside to it could “stream to disc” full quality movies and shows, but that seems unlikely at a $99 price point.
Your cable company will hate you for being a bandwidth hog the moment you plug this puppy in. DSL seems to be a better match for such a device because speeds don’t drop like a rock from 5pm-3am.
I love the roku box, but lately the video quality has dropped from four dots to two. Quest says my line is fine, and my ISP says they don’t know what the problem is.
I’ve tried everything. I’m already at a platinum package for quest, do I have to upgrade even more? And if I do, will the video quality still jump around?
Bad idea.
Not all of us can afford high speed internet. This is obviously targeted at the rich brats of the world. What else is new?
What is most nauseating, is seeing one of these elitists claim that $99 isn’t an unreasonable amount of money to spend for this contraption. It is to me! That would soak up two weeks worth of my grocery funds.
DIE RICH ASSHOLES!
WOW! High speed internet is cheap (Verizon DSL for $20/mo). And high speed internet will rule the world in the next 5 years, if it hasn’t already.
You clearly have some internet access. Perhaps it’s time to spend less money on pot and save up for a Roku.
$99 is a one time purchase, and I’m a broke college student. Cut out the pot and Starbucks for a week or two.
How much did the computer you posted this from cost? If you’re furious about people spending $99 on a consumer device, you must be filled with rage every waking hour of every day.
You know what else I hate? Puppies and kittens… they are a privilege of the rich elite!
Trot,
If we needed to size your being an asshole, you are anything divided by zero…
Go and eff yourself.
Trot,
Sounds to me that you should divert a bit of your “grocery funds” by investing in a bit math classes. Might want to start at a elementary school level. My 13y/o son was able to see how much more cost effective this device is versus $30 + a month cable bill. Even my daughter @ the age of 5 would tell me to order her burger @ McD’s w/o cheese because she can put some on @ home.. I also agree with Trotskyite from 8/7/08, this really isn’t a place for the language you are using. If you don’t have anything helpful to write then join myspace or facebook. You will have a better chance of finding people with your same level of education.
I am growing so damn tired of class envy. I am far from rich and chose looking into Netflix, Roku, and High Speed Internet as a way to SAVE money. Internet is a necessity for many reasons, $13.99 a month for Netflix is VERY reasonable, and $99 for a box like this is VERY reasonable as well.
Trot,
It sounds like you lack a lot more than grocery money. I’d say you’re dangerously low on motivation, dedication, and pride. Instead of spewing your envy on websites like this, try Trot-ting towards excelling at a job to earn a promotion, attaining an education to land a better job, or even tackling a second job to get ahead. What has happened to personal responsibility? On the website I founded I raised the question what’s worse, Greed or Envy? Both are dangerous but I stand by my decision, Envy truly is the ulcer of the soul.
Greed vs. Envy – http://www.jealousbrother.com/rivalries/?rivalryID=405
Trot, sorry to hear your troubles, but pls refrain from name calling and personal attacks.
Update:
I switched over to comcast and got a better deal, and so far my movies have been in four dot quality!! I hope it maintains, cause I’m still paranoid waiting for things to go wrong.
I think a coaxial cable just does a better job than a little phone line. Now (for the time being) I can go back to singing the praises of this wonderful little box!! I love it, and I know the future will bring even more features, better quality and perhaps new release movies.
Update:
I switched over to comcast and got a better deal, and so far my movies have been in four dot quality!! I hope it maintains, cause I’m still paranoid waiting for things to go wrong.
I think a coaxial cable just does a better job than a little phone line. Now (for the time being) I can go back to singing the praises of this wonderful little box!! I love it, and I know the future will bring even more features, better quality and perhaps new release movies.
In reality DSL goes faster than cable because it is not shared with 100+ people and has much less latency (cable has over double than DSL). Also coaxial cable is virtually the same “size” as a phone line, it’s deceiving being wrapped up in all that insulation.
John,
In reality DSL goes faster than cable because it is not shared with 100+ people and has much less latency (cable has over double than DSL). Also coaxial cable is virtually the same “size” as a phone line, it’s deceiving being wrapped up in all that insulation.
“Also coaxial cable is virtually the same “size” as a phone line, it’s deceiving being wrapped up in all that insulation.”
While you are right that in practice DSL is usually faster than cable (mostly due to cable oversubscription), and has lower latency, I’m not sure where you were going on this last statement.
First, cable has 1-18 gauge conductor, a phone line has 2-24 gauge conductors, so they are not the same size. But conductor size has absolutely nothing to do with signal capacity (which is really what the parent is speaking about.) Telephone lines use electrical signaling, currently it maxes out in most US residential applications at one 24kbit/sec connection. Cable uses RF signaling and shares that bandwidth with TV. If you were to use it only for internet, you can get I believe 40-38mbit/sec connections. Cable therefore has about 63 times the data carrying capacity of a single telephone connection.
Just got one yesterday and will be sending it back on Monday. Took about 30 tries to connect. Never changed any settings, it just finally connected. I have a good wi-fi signal. The device sits right next to my computer with an 8 year old wireless card. My computer shows a full signal, but Roku cannot stay connected.
The idea is great, but let’s get this thing working properly before we start selling it.
Piece of junk. It is not worth the $15 dollars in shipping you lose to try it out.
AND THE TECH SUPPORT is only available Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm. How the hell are they supposed to help me when I am at work? The internet support is also a waste of time.
Netflix needs to get with Apple. The product may be more expensive, but at least it will work as described.
How does it work with verizon Fios.
It should work better with FIOS than DSL or Cable. If you have wireless with your FIOS, you don’t need to do anything more. If you don’t, you will need to either plug the ROKU into the ethernet port on your FIOS adapter, or you will need to get a wireless router to connect to your FIOS, and use the wireless connection option on the ROKU.
Ok, we’re Netflix Subscribers and have learned how to hook up our PC to the TV to watch Netflix streaming movies. Google/search for the settings to change in your computer according to your Operating System, and buy a cable for about $10.
But this is how I really feel – TV’s show our favorite movies sooner or later, just as cable tv, blockbuster, netflix or rented movies… it’s all the same really. You just buy, rent or watch it when it’s there or when you’re willing to pay someone.
My point is, that all of this technology was made specifically to suck the money out of pockets… and it works for a lot of people!
History of most makers: Let’s make something that people will want, but not include all of the perks. We’ll spread out the perks for the 2nd version and the 3rd, 4th, etc. Let’s see how many fools buy upgrades over and over again and make us rich and richer. (Exactly why we don’t use WinVista, as we waited for XP to grow up)
Think about how many cars have you owned? Radios? DVD, VCR and MP3 players? – I don’t understand why some people buy a new car every year or two, and spend so much money enriching the car manufacturers. We’ve spent about an average of $1000 to $1,500 each year maintaining both a car and a van. Because of our traveling, we alternate buying tires for each vehicle every 3rd or 4th year. We average a car per decade (@ 10 yrs).
Sure, I get fed up when I see simple things over-rated and over-priced… there is so much eye-candy available everyday, so it’s not so hard to give into temptation. Unless you’re tight budgeted (and I know what it means to be stuck on tuna or hamburger helpers for months at dinnertime, as I did in the ’80’s) so it may be more like scraping to buy some toilet paper for some. So, we refrain sometimes from shallow pockets or morals. I get really upset when I see items double over in price (Walmart sold a firepit for $68 last year and it sells for $200 now!) I refuse to buy over-priced items (even lay-a-way just because my hubby wanted it) and I wish others would do the same, for the sake of lowering the price for all. Talk about economy. It’s not all of the governments fault how we spend our money.
I think most of us spend what we make,
and it’s still our choice how we spend it.
Also, I the coaxial cable IS virtually a comparably similar “size” as a phone line WHEN you consider the size of a vacuum hose. (i.e. Kids are kid size and adults are usually bigger.)
Another thought – I want a TV with a hard drive that lets us block the commercials and shows that we don’t want to see or hear — a CompuTv — No more anything gone wild or Billy Mays screaming through the house!!!
You should get a DVR, it lets you do exactly that.
This box, and online, streaming-to-computer usage – according to Netflix (I called and asked) – use about 1gb p/hour at the “3 bar” (highest) streaming speed with SD content. HD will be a much higher rate. This is an issue for the very near future because:
Comcast (our tv and internet isp) has just imposed a 250gb/month limit for users… meaning that if you go over, you get warned, then cut off – for being a “bandwidth hog.” Their reasons are that they want to be able to provide claimed speeds with customers – and that over 250gb p/month usage suggests people pirating movies which must be curtailed.
Fine, but how come regular teevee watching – regardless of the # of sets on, 24/7) doesn’t hog bandwidth? Why is it that a company offering movies on demand, such as Comcast, now puts a bandwidth limit on users of other online movie streaming sources (Netflix, Apple TV, etc.). Sounds a little unfair to me. Especially as more and more HD streaming comes online, households with mutiple users will begin hitting that 250gb wall (and getting disconnected) rather than Comcast upgrading their service to meet expanding demand.
@Respect2Glory said, “that all of this technology was made specifically to suck the money out of pockets”. Well, if you want to be totally cynical, everything is specifically designed to suck money out of your pocket, isn’t it?
I own two twelve-year-old cars but I do like to watch late-release movies without advertising. And, big problem with downloaded movies, I really love the bonus features on DVDs.
I think it’s interesting that you’re willing to wait until movies run on regular TV with advertising and many edits yet then you want a PVR (hard drive) to skip the commercials. Somebody has to pay the freight. Do you work for free? They why to you expect film makers to?
Peace,
Rob:-]
I am considering the ROKU box.I have to to send the signal from the box to the other side of the house where the television is.They tell me to have a very fast wireless router and I was considering:D Link DIR 655 Extra at 300MBbps 802-11n, is this ok?The distance to the TV is approx.50 ft.Tank for your time.Angelo
I bought a Roku box and there was no audio. The Roku tech advised me to return the box for replacement. Then Roku refused to replace the box. I am now out $180 (ask me and I will tell you how that happened). Don’t go near these guys. They are incompetent crooks.
Dispute the charge on your credit card. Hopefully you used a credit card and not a debit card. you have 60 days from date of purchase to dispute it. you should get the charges reversed.
since Roku did their download my Roku doesn’t move past the retrieving screen, many calls to customer service but still not working. very poor customer service..sending my RoKu back and will not intrested in having the player in my house again!!!!
I also bought a Roku and it keeps updating itself and can’t get past that. Customer service was horrible but they are sending another. If this one doesn’t work then no thanks. Not worth bothering with customer service again.
I bought a Roku box for a friend as a Christmas gift and saw how much he liked it so I bought one for myself. I like it because it does nto add another monthly fee to my life. I already had Netflix so this just makes it better. I do wish the movies were a little more current but I think in time the selection will grow. I think it is a great item for $99 to be able to come home browse around and be entertained for a few hours. If you don’t like the movie you select you just go to the home screen and try another one out until you find something that catches your interest.
@Trot
I’m one of those rich assholes you speak of …. and I disagree with you … $99 isn’t unreasonable, it is OUTRAGEOUS! $50 would be pushing it hard IMO.
I didn’t get rich by grossly overpaying for products like this.
Look around at our floundering economy, the root cause is idiots overpaying for everying just like this putting the vast majority of the country’s wealth in the pockets of a very few.
Herb,
I should have directed this to you too:
Property of BDK – August 23rd, 2009 at 12:31 am PDT
Trot,
Sounds to me that you should divert a bit of your “grocery funds” by investing in a bit math classes. Might want to start at a elementary school level. My 13y/o son was able to see how much more cost effective this device is versus $30 + a month cable bill. Even my daughter @ the age of 5 would tell me to order her burger @ McD’s w/o cheese because she can put some on @ home.. I also agree with Trotskyite from 8/7/08, this really isn’t a place for the language you are using. If you don’t have anything helpful to write then join myspace or facebook. You will have a better chance of finding people with your same level of education.
Jeez, 99 dollars is really not a lot of money. I would love to see this device at $50, but I would guess there would be no wireless or HDMI/Component video outputs. Every one of those options costs a little bit of money. So be realistic. How many people here dropped a few hundred for their first DVD player? Or going way back dropped multiple hundreds on their first CD player for a home stereo? I know I did. Bottom line, you want to play you’ve got to pay. If you don’t want it, don’t buy it.
I picked one of these up for my bedroom, have it connected to wireless and HDMI, and couldn’t be more happy. Bring on the HD streaming! Maybe I’m a rich brat by some peoples qualifications (I work for my money) but ultimately the enjoyment I get out of it trumps idiotic opinions.
Our Economy Has Suffered Because Of Overspending!
I remember when 99-CENTS was a dream to have during a long layoff and I walked to work on days it didn’t rain. We ate Tuna Helper dinners several times a week. Welfare paid just enough to cover household bills and some foodstamps. Family Services / Welfare is still this way, except for larger families have enough gas money for trips to the store and doctor’s office. Now they give gas vouchers on the same day for medical appointments.
We struggled to afford toiletpaper and every soap; bath, dish, laundry or shampoo. Even when someone gave us papertowels and paperplates, it was like Christmas in July.
We’re online, so you know we’re doing ok – BUT –
THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN FAMILIES ARE SINKING OR STRUGGLING.
PLEASE remember these precious items when you donate to your local food pantry.
- 1 monthly visit per family – Records kept for 3-years – Network between pantries reduces fraud.
- Food Pantries either collect donated goods or buy food at a deeply discounted rate. But also some of them lack refrigeration for dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables.
- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&rlz=1R2GGLL_en&q=records+Food+Pantry+OR+Bank+discount+food+refrigeration+dairy+products+fresh+fruit&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
got the box because Netflix rating has it at 4 1/2 star (after my service experience from hell I learn that the 4 1/2 isn’t really member rating, BUT a precanned survey conducted by Netflix somehow???) Would have gotten the xbox if it hadn’t been for tht member rating misleading advertisment netflix has. The box stopped connecting to the Internet within a couple of months out of the blue, after having some quality issues. Roku’s first explanation was that they were doing software updates and asked us to call back the following week. And then, next time, they transferred us to DirectTV, TWICE!!@!@@ Reported to Netflix to no avail (they are totally helpless helping their customers who get stuck with Roku…After three desperate attempts finally gave up exchanging the box. No worth the frustration…Their customer service is as bad as DirectTV and Dish…OH, wait, it is the same people…
Got the box for x-mas. Kids love the older cartoons, we love the tv with no commercials. We watched 1 1/2 seasons of Jericho in 2 weeks!!! My hubbie and I watch neflix more than cable! Love this box!
For the most part people seem to be happy with the Roku box. However, no one has really commented on what most interests me, and that is the quality of the picture. I have a 50″ LCD, and from what I have read in some reviews that may not work to well. Reviewers state that 25″ inch screens and under are best. Can anyone who has set this up on screeens larger than 45″ comment on the quakity of the picture ?
I have a Roku on a 43″ TV. The Roku box has the capability for an excellent picture at this size and bigger, as the hardware can display 720p and 1080i (720p is generally superior to 1080i). You can only do better with 1080p, and that is only available with Blu-ray or HDDVD. The video chip in the Roku seems to provide a quality picture when it has good input data.
Having said this, Netflix only encodes at 480p for SD and 720p for HD. Even in HD, the speed of your internet connection which will change the bitrate, and the quality of the Netflix encode varies. This can result in a great picture, or a mediocre picture with macro blocking and lower color depth.
Hey Colin,
The quality of your comments leads me to believe you might be able to help me.
I am planning on getting this device. My internet service is Verizon. (NOT FIOS) I connect to their Broadban svc via a wireless usb modem. How am I going to set up the Roku device with this. Or do I even need the Roku device?
I’m afraid to ask either Verizon or Roku customer svc, because that will most likely try to sell me additional equip.
Thx in advance for any help.
The Roku is only necessary to watch Netflix Watch Instantly movies on your TV without your computer. You might be able to connect your laptop to your TV to watch directly on the Netflix website and not get a Roku, if you have a recent TV with a VGA connector on back. Otherwise you can watch Netflix movies at their website on your laptop.
Is this what you have? http://news.vzw.com/news/2007/02/pr2007-02-01c.html If so, it says the maximum download speed is half what Roku says you need for an acceptable experience. Additionally most people don’t get good enough cellular internet service to watch anything better than youtube quality, which would be pretty annoying to watch a movie that way.
If you really want to try this, and your computer has regular wifi too, you can set up internet connection sharing on your computer, set your wifi to ad-hoc mode, then connect the Roku to the computer over wifi. You could also connect the Roku to the ethernet port, but setting that up might be a little harder.
If I wasn’t clear, or assumed something wrong, let me know.
Thanks Colin,
I’m back on the fence since reading your post. I was falling to the side of not getting it. I agree with what you have said concerning 720P v. 1080i. My LCD will do 1080P which, is a mute point concerning the Roku box. Hopefully some others will post positive things as well concerning picture quality on larger screens :-)
How does one connect the Roku box to the internet? I have a DSL router, but it is connected to my pc in order for it to receive broadband internet service. The Roku, in turn, must also be connected to an internet router via an ethernet cable. To what router do I connect the Roku? The only router I have, as I said, is already connected to my pc. Sorry, I’m technologically challenged in a big way.
Hi Avis,
It sounds like you don’t have a router, you have a DSL modem only. A router is a box that allows multiple computers to communicate. It usually has 4 ethernet ports for local computers, and one ethernet port for connecting to a cable or DSL modem, and generally a router today also offers wireless access.
Suggest getting a router like a Linksys WRT54G2 as easiest and relatively cheap option. Connect it to DSL modem, and then the Roku and computer to the Linksys. There are other options. If you’d like to verify what you have, please post name and model number of your DSL modem.
Good luck.
Thank you, Colin, for the router recommendation. Will check it out. Yes, you are absolutely right in saying that I don’t have a router. I only have a DSL modem. I’m learning each day that passes.
The only caveat to this is if you have cheap DSL you will need to upgrade to something faster since Roku recommends 1.5mbps at a minimal and I also see you need above 4mbps or more in reality for a good picture and etc.
I currently have FastAccess DSL Lite which I got a special rate of $9.95/month (usually $19.95/month) for a short term. 768 Kbps/128 Kbps which is way below the speed requirements.
So I figure I would need the top tear offered in my area is DSL Extreme 6 Mbps/512 Kbps at $42.95/month to be safe, I don’t have a HDTV just a good old 26″ tube tv with analog inputs.
I also read that the rewind/ffwd functions operate differently than what people are use to with DVDs and VHS, so one has to keep that in mind.
The addition of Amazon on Demand is nice, but it’s pricey and more expensive then getting a physical dvd from Netflix.
If it only supported Hulu, it would be even nicer albeit the commercials would suck.
Trot, why don’t you go toke up on your crack pipe some more so hopefully you’ll OD and kill yourself. Then you’ll be one less deadbeat living on those of us who WORK for a living.
When installing ROKU you need a WEP KEY. Where do youget this from?? help Thanks
You only need a WEP or WPA key if you are connecting the Roku by wireless and you have set up wireless security on your router. If you have set it up, you’d need to look in your router’s configuration web page to find out what your key is. If you set up your Roku with a wired internet connection, or a wireless connection without security you don’t need it.
Can anyone advise how many movies, tv shows, etc, the Roku can store?
It can only “store” a few minutes of whatever you are watching. The number of programs on that “channel” are dependent on the website hosting the channel. For example, on the Netflix channel, Netflix can store up to 400 items in your instant play queue I have heard.
I don’t think the Roku stores anything much. It streams the video from servers on the Internet.
Ok, thanks. I just watched a youtube clip on activation. My bad, I thought the Roku would store video and allow the user to play elsewhere. I was thinking I could load movies, etc, then take the Roku to my cabin (no internet available) and watch what I had downloaded. That’s not the case. I’m still interested however. My wife wants to watch programming upstairs in our bedroom at night. With our wireless router, this remains a viable option. Thanks for the quick responses!
I just bought one. It is the first piece of computer equipment that actually worked just fine simply by following the directions. I was quite prepared to speak to someone in India–just as I usually do–but amazingly it worked! And it works just fine. I use Comcast and a Belkin router. What a great deal. sssszzzz
Easy setup and easy to use BUT VERY LIMITED!
1) Wish I had waited to purchase this unit after more sites were added…… I should have done more research before buying this.
2) Many of the sites I thought would be free on Roku were pay sites! Not happy about that either.
3) I can accomplish unlimited internet viewing on my TV with a couple of cables from my laptop to my TV. Even with Roku, I still connect this way most evenings to watch all the internet sites on TV that Roku doesn’t include….70% of the time the Roku player just sits there unused……….
4) Can’t access these on Roku:
> Hulu.com
> TV.com
> ustream.TV