I am looking at Roku units for a friend of mine (no really!!) who has a blu ray player that doesn’t have wi-fi, so they can’t stream Netflix, which they want to do. They don’t have a gaming system either, so it looks to me like it’s Roku or nothing. I don’t have any experience with them, but upon looking I see there are 3 different units.
Is the $99 unit the “best” one to get or will it essentially do the same as the $59? I like that it has a USB port, as it looks like they could take a thumb drive full of photos or videos and play them easily on the TV, which would be great.
Any input? I would really appreciate any guidance. FWIW, they have a Sony BPD s-500 blu ray player and an HD TV (model unknown). No other devices attached as far as I am aware.
I have had a Roku for 2 years now and love it. Mine is very early model, so it doesn’t compare exactly to the current line up - if I were to buy today, I’d get the $99 unit.
Huh - I was going to say whatever model has wireless internet, but I’m really surprised that every model has it, even the $59 one. That’s impressive. You go, Roku!
I’d go with at least the middle model to help future-proof it. 1080p is a nice feature, but I think the big bonus is an “enhanced remote”. I have no idea what that is, but Watch Instantly controls can be laggy and frustrating, and if this helps that out, it’ll be worth it. Also, wireless-n can be a very big upgrade for people with that in their house.
I also have the lower priced model but I don’t have an HDTV and have no desire to own one. I have a projection setup and like it just fine.
The only feature I can see getting the highest priced model for is the USB input if you want an easy way to stream your own content. Although I am able to stream content from my computer via home network with the basic model using Sunimi with minimal setup.
Roku is a great value for the money and none of the other set top boxes does what it can do at any price. There is Netflix if you have an account and there are several other subscription services, but there is a ton of free content as well. Make sure you check out the private channels that are available as well as the official channels in the store. My favorites are Pub-D-Hub (which is a collection of classic content including movies, TV shows, animated shorts, etc) and the YouTube channels. There is also a new channel called Crunchy Roll that has hundreds of episodes of both animated and live action Asian TV shows with sub titles that I have added but haven’t had the time to fully explore.
There are also several music services available including Pandora, which we use a lot.
They keep teasing that Amazon will go with a subscription service. So you may have that to look forward to as well.
I would say match the model to the TV set. If they have an HDTV then go with the pricier model. Otherwise they’ll get what they need for the $60.
The XDS (high end) version is necessary only if you can utilize dual mode 802.11n wireless. In human speak, that is the latest generation of WiFi that uses two separate radio bands for uninterrupted high bandwidth. If your friends have a high end dual band router and a FIOS internet connection then you may consider the XDS; otherwise the XD (which is also capable of high def 1080p display) is adequate if they have a midrange or low end router or just plan to connect by Ethernet cable. I would only get the HD if they have a non-high def television and no plans to upgrade. While the USB capability seems useful, unless your friend really needs to look at pictures on his screen or has a drive full of movie field it will probably see no use.
Aside from Netflix, you can also get Hulu Plus, VuDu, YouTube, and several streaming sports channels, and they’ll no doubt be adding more streaming content as it comes online with firmware updates. It’s definitely a way better value than AppleTV (which is basically an iTunes box).
Also note that the Roku (like most devices) doesn’t come with an HDMI cable. It does come with component out cable, but if your friend does have a high def display go ahead and spend the extra $8 to get an HDMI 1.3 cable. I like the Amazon Basics cables, as they are of good quality and are certified to the standard; I’ve had indifferent luck with some cheaper no-name cables (which often aren’t certified to standard and may not support all 1.3 features), and you don’t need to blow $30+ dollars on a Monster or similarly overpriced cable that doesn’t transmit digital signals with any more clarity.
I’d like to Roku but I’m confused. On the “What Is” panel on the Roku web site it says:
“Roku connects to your high-speed Internet connection wirelessly.”
On the “How It Works” screen it says:
To use Roku, you need a high-speed Internet connection with a speed of at least 1.2 Mbps (such as mid-level DSL). You may also need a wired or wireless router if you are unable to connect the player directly to your cable or DSL modem.
So, which is it? I have to connect the Roku box to my modem or I dont? And the rest of the explanations make it look like the Roku box is connected *to the Television. * If I have to connect it to both the modem and the Television, how do I do that when they’re in separate rooms?
I’m not that tech savvy so I’m sure I’m missing something obvious here but I don’t want to spend the money until I know what I’m in for.
The Roku sits by your television (close enough that you can reach it with an HDMI or component cable). If your cable/DSL modem is close enough that you can reach it with an Ethernet (computer) cable then you can hook it up directly. If not, you need a wireless (WiFi) router or access point with a good enough signal and bandwidth to stream standard or high definition video (depending on which version of Roku). Some cable modems also have wireless access points built in but most do not.
Thanks you. I probably need a wireless router then. Is a wireless router any big deal to pick out and set up? I assume the router will be plugged into the modem and the TV will pick up a signal from the router? Is there any more to it than that? What else might I want to consider about routers? If I had an iPad could it pick up a signal from a wireless router?
No. Yes. No. Consider whether you just need 802.11g WiFi (lower bandwidth, adequate for standard def) or 802.11n (may be necessary for high def streaming). Yes.
I just want to chime in and support Roku. I am a huge fan. I have used a Wii for streaming Netflix, I have used an Apple TV for streaming a variety of media, and while they both have their advantages neither are as solid as Roku in terms of usability.
Get the enhanced remote. I got my Roku before the enhanced remote was available and now I wish I had one. They have (I am told) a superior rewind function as well as a jump back 7 seconds function, which would be nice to have on my Roku. (That’s the only think AppleTV does better than Roku. The rewind is much more friendly if you want to go back a few seconds).
So I went home last night and looked at my DSL modem and it only has two input jacks. One labeled “DSL” and one labeled “data.” One for the line coming from the wall and one with the line going from the modem to the computer. Will I need a different kind of modem to plug the router into or a splitter for one of the jacks, or something else?
Another alternative for connecting to the internet is a powerline ethernet adapter. Just plug the thing into your electrical outlet. You get the reliability of a cabled connection without having to run ethernet cable.
I’ve never used one, though back in the day I did use intercoms that were “wired” through the building power lines, and they were incredibly noisy. Do you have he same bandwidth as a CAT5/6 line using this method?
I can’t speak for the enhanced remote (I’ve had mine to long to have that) but the Harmony handles the basic remote just fine so I would expect it to handle enhanced as well and if it doesn’t the learning functions on the Harmony should be able to work it out.