# What do you watch on Roku? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305 "2014-10-24T00:23:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/1 "2014-10-24T00:23:27Z")
A couple of years ago I tried a Roku device and there was so little content that I wanted to watch I returned it. I was just reading another thread about devices for watching streaming video and Roku came up several times. Now I have a Netflix streaming account, which I watch on my son’s XBox. I enjoyed House of Cards but the streaming movie selection is pathetic. What do you watch on Roku? Or other video streaming device. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/2 "2014-10-24T00:58:19Z")
I mostly watch downloaded shows through Plex on my Roku. It uses my computer as a media server. Works great. Sometimes we watch Netflix on the Roku, but like you said… Usually just House of Cards. I also have my NHL GameCenter subscription on Roku, but I never actually watch it, I just watch on my computer or iPad. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/3 "2014-10-24T01:12:03Z")
I have a Roku connected to the TV in the basement that never really gets watched (it’s not hooked up to the cable either, it’s my Xbox 360 TV). Sometimes I watch Netflix on it, less often stuff from Amazon Prime (_much_ less often), but mostly I just play games on that TV. I have an Apple TV hooked up to the “main” TV in the living room. We primarily just watch Netflix and stuff streamed from iTunes and other stuff from my Macbook Pro. _Very_ rarely I’ll play DVDs on my computer through it (we don’t have a dedicated DVD player anymore). . ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/4 "2014-10-24T01:47:50Z")
Netflix, if they have what we want. Amazon Prime, ditto. Hulu Plus for all current shows. Vudu for movies and the shows HP doesn’t have. And the inimitable “Chucky Talks to God.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/5 "2014-10-24T03:11:59Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Netflix, if they have what we want. Amazon Prime, ditto. Hulu Plus for all current shows. These three. Sometimes Crackle or FrightPix. Occasionally PBS for Call the Midwife and Lifetime for Witches of East End. I have a few channels that are for movie trailers too. And once in a while Youtube comes in handy as well. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/6 "2014-10-24T04:52:33Z")
Netflix and Amazon here too. And Crackle when there are new Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Roku is the only device we have for streaming. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/7 "2014-10-24T04:56:42Z")
Sky News is pretty good. I also use it for Pandora and SOMA FM. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/8 "2014-10-24T08:27:20Z")
I haven’t used it in a while, but I believe they have an official YouTube app now. I also used Plex and Netflix. (Hulu Plus’s ads make it not worth the money to me.) Lately, I spend enough time at the computer that I don’t really see a need for an extra device to watch Internet video. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/9 "2014-10-24T15:35:58Z")
I recently got an OTA (antenna) DVR and cancelled my DI$H service. I JUST got a Roku - it’s not even connected yet. A quick google of “roku tips” last night lead me to goggle: “roku free private channels” There are so many I don’t know where to start!! I thought I’d get netflix, but now I’m not sure - There are plenty of RedBoxes around for when I want to watch an actual movie, which isn’t very often. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/10 "2014-10-24T15:45:36Z")
Netflix, Amazon, and WWE. I also got some of the free channels but the video rate and quality is usually bad, or in the case of the NASA channel there’s nothing good on. I’m considering signing up for Hulu. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/11 "2014-10-24T18:38:30Z")
Plex is a big part of what we watch. Also Netflix. We just let our Amazon Prime lapse because I forgot to update my card, but we generally watched a few things on there also. If you have an account to link it to – HBOGo and ESPN are nice. I watch the Red Bull channel a lot, and Crackle. I know there are some more channels that I end up on, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head. I’ll try to remember to look this evening. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/12 "2014-10-24T18:47:01Z")
Mostly Netflix and Hulu Plus. I’m catching up on Mad Men now, and watch a few superhero shows like Arrow, SHIELD and plan to see if Flash is any good. The Youtube channel is pretty solid too, but I’m not the biggest YouTube guy to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/13 "2014-10-24T19:23:36Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > I JUST got a Roku - it’s not even connected yet. > A quick google of “roku tips” last night lead me to goggle: “roku free private channels” > There are so many I don’t know where to start!! Grab a couple of cold ones, settle back, and enjoy. Just browsing the channel listings is good for an evening or two’s fun. Adding select ones from the various genres - Bible schools, fringe religions, gun nuts, SuperPatriots, occult - can provide hours of jaw-dropping entertainment. (Every Patriot channel seems to have the same four or five takes on What Freedom Means to Me, and Why It Will to You Too Come the Revolution stuff. Then they run out of ideas and never post anything further.) But honest… if you don’t watch your way through Chucky Talks to God, you’re missing the distilled essence of just how weird and strange people can get with a video channel all to themselves. The one that ends with 30 seconds of silence as a strange ad for his book, pasted up on an old Ronald Reagan cigarette ad, spinning, and then… OMFG. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/14 "2014-10-24T22:05:56Z")
Watched one movie on Crackle and I swear there were commercials every 10 minutes. The same ones. Then it froze and I couldn’t finish the movie. Never again. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/15 "2014-10-24T23:53:51Z")
Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go and Showtime Anytime (to which I have access because I have a cable subscription- but you can’t actually watch them over the cable system). Once in a while, we’ll watch something on one of the Roku channels ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-watch-on-roku/702305/16 "2014-10-25T02:12:00Z")
A few other cool Roku things, in addition to what’s already been mentioned: iTunes Podcasts - I use this to watch the Rachel Maddow show, since I don’t have cable anymore. It’s not in HD, but since it mainly consists of people talking, I don’t mind. TuneIn - live streams of terrestrial radio stations. I listen to classical music stations, since I can’t pick up any with an antenna where I live. > [@BigT](#): > > I haven’t used it in a while, but I believe they have an official YouTube app now. I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the Roku YouTube app at first – why would I want to watch the “I like turtles” kid on my TV? But there is a TON of good stuff to watch there, like public domain movies and many, many _Forensic Files_ episodes (Netflix has some FF episodes now, but YouTube seems to have a lot more). > [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Watched one movie on Crackle and I swear there were commercials every 10 minutes. The same ones. Then it froze and I couldn’t finish the movie. Never again. Yeah, Crackle made me nuts with the ads. I watched one movie on it and haven’t been back. If and when CBS’s new streaming service becomes available on Roku, I might try that.