I just bought a notebook and I’m loving my bedtime Netflix movie.
You can also just watch them on your computer, with the obvious drawbacks. If you’re considering buying new hardware, it might be worth it to see how it works with your internet speed, the selection, etc. before buying.
What are the cheapest devices that can do this?
You can, at least in theory, put together an HTPC that does this (and plays hulu, and other stuff) for under 100.
A Roku starts at $80.
If you just want to add Netflix stream support, the Roku boxes can’t be beat. I love mine. Between Pandora and Netflix it’s on all the time.
If you want Netflix, gaming, Blu-ray, and media streaming then an X-Box 360 or PS3 will work.
For just netflix and a Blu-ray player, there are many combo boxes out there, but make sure they have a built-in wifi adapter and don’t require an external one. Unless you don’t mind buying one. Just don’t buy one without and be surprised when you get home.
Slight nitpick: 360 doesn’t do Blu-Ray.
And how does this talk to my laptop?
I have a Wii and just got my disc yesterday and we have loved it. We already had the Wii for games and Netflix for movies so it was perfect for us. We ordered the CD and had it within 48 hrs. and we ordered on the weekend.
There are limitations on the movies but since we have the $9 deal we can rent the ones we can’t get on the Wii and send them back. I’m also thinking of signing up for Gamefly.com as well if you are into that sort of thing…
it doesn’t. It’s independent.
Gamefly doesn’t work as well as netflix. Think about the difference in cost and amount of time it takes to consume a video game versus movie.
We’d already gotten a Roku before they opened up the streaming to PS3 and Wii (and 360), so having the discs to stream through the consoles is a curiosity, and I haven’t watched more than a single TV episode or so through either console. But as far as quality goes, my PS3 is hooked to the TV via HDMI, and the Wii through Component. So, both can give me 16:9 display. But, unsurprisingly, there is a huge difference because of the hookups.
(Since the Roku is also going in through HDMI, and doesn’t require messing with a disc to play it, it’s remained our default. Streaming Pandora, as somebody else mentioned, also helps make it the winner)
Hey - Dopers have a lot of experience with this! Can I ask a question? We just got a wireless-compatible Blu-Ray and have really enjoying instant streaming. But our wireless router - a Cisco-Linksys e1000 - is far enough away from the Blu-Ray that the connection conks out regularly.
My research has suggested that a logical first step would be to try a Range Expander to boost the signal between the Blu-Ray and the router. I found this Cisco Range Expander (Amazon link) a few places on line. Right brand, but I haven’t found a webpage that lists which router models it is compatible with.
Any ideas on how I can verify that online? And, obviously, if you have any experience addressing this range issue, I would be interested in hearing about it.
Thanks! And back to the OP, what’s cool for us as a family is that we can find a series that the whole family can watch together and then move through a season of shows with a lot more flexibility. Really helpful.
Can you connect the internet to it with wires? I don’t have wireless internet.
The specs for the Roku device mention an RJ-45 port so, yes, you can connect to it using wired Ethernet connection.
And it takes longer to get the games, since Gamefly has only a couple of distribution centers, as opposed to the ones Netflix has all over the country.
Okay, for some reason I’m just not getting it. You say the above, then a couple of posts later, someone mentions connecting to the ethernet. I don’t know why this is all confusing me, as I’m not a techno-dunce, but it is.
Assume I have nothing but an LCD TV with all the necessary input jacks, and a computer in the next room, connected to cable Internet. I buy a Roku device. Now what?
You buy a router, which connects to your cable internet and typically has a four-port switch built-in. You then run cables to your existing computer, your Roku box and up to two other computers in the house.
You connect the TV to the Roku, and then connect the Roku to your cable internet via ethernet cable. You will need to have a router in order to connect this second device (the first being your computer) to the internet.
Running more cables is not going to happen. I was hoping this could be set up as a wireless operation. Maybe I need to call Comcast and ask them for guidance, or perhaps this is all just a waste of time and money.