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=

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 :-)

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.