Roku video streaming?

[spikester7878]

has anyone used this, I saw it on base and it looks like a good alternative to cable but I wanted to see if anyone has used it or if its actually useful.

[MrAngry]

Roku rocks. Basically it streams web content. Netflix and Hulu, among a ton of others.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[meissen]

Roku is the same concept as the AppleTV box. They're both great products. If it were between the two, in my opinion I'd go with the AppleTV because you have the ability to jailbreak it and then you can add additional apps to it, not to mention the "full force" of the Apple Store to use and add new apps. But then again I like to hack all my stuff :lol: Roku is cheaper, I believe, so if you're content with the content (now doesn't that sound weird? :lol:) that is on the Roku then I'd just go with that.

The main issue you will have with either product is that you're at the mercy of what's available. What I mean is that NetFlix and the like can sometimes be a full season behind, they can be a few episodes behind, or they might not offer the episode at all.

Now if you REALLY want a good alternative to cable and you're comfortable with computers and such, I have the solution for that also. You build your own media PC and install software which has the ability to download TV shows off the internet. Connect the media PC to your TV via HDMI and you now have your own, more custom, Roku or AppleTV and you control what TV shows and such are on it. The best part is that the software is agnostic to stations - meaning it doesn't matter if the TV show you want to watch is on HBO, Starz, Discovery, History, ABC, NBC, Fox, BBC, etc... as long as someone is uploading the TV show then the software can download it and you can watch it. This is what I have done and for my wife and I it has worked excellently. We have not taken the jump to cancel our cable service yet, though, because we still like to watch live TV like the news and such - though all we need for that is the digital tuners and then we can tune into the digital over the air TV stations.


And as you can see -- I watch a lot of TV:
http://trakt.tv/user/meissen/history

[Mystery Bird]

I ditched Directv last year. Sick of paying high prices for soo many channels I don't watch. I now have Netflix and Hulu through multiple devices throughout the house, TV, DVD player, PS3, and Wii that all have internet connection. I also watch TV shows off my laptop with a HDMI cable. I save about $600 a year. You don't need to buy the Roku box, most new electronics are internet ready.

[spikester7878]

I have my laptop set up on my tv already which is why I was alittle iffy on buying Roku, I have been in the army for the last 6 years so seeing every show right as it comes out really doesnt bother me, I ended up watching both the walking dead and SOA for the first time last year haha. I am going to check out Trakt more thanks meissen. I have been wanting to use netflix and hulu just for some reason keep putting it on(i guess since im in a wounded warrior unit and our cable and internet is free)

[meissen]

Ah, misunderstanding -- Trakt.tv is just for tracking the TV you watch. It gives a history. There's nothing to actually watch on their site.

But if you're interested in the Media PC route -- the software you'd want is Sickbeard, SABnzbd, and XBMC. Sickbeard is like a DVR - you add all the shows you want to watch to Sickbeard. Sickbeard finds the shows available to download on Usenet (newsgroups) and then forwards the download information to SABnzbd. SABnzbd downloads all the pieces of the TV show, puts it all back together, and then plops it into your Media folder. XBMC watches your Media folder and when new shows get added it reads the filename, figures out what TV show, season, and episode it's for, and then queries TheTVDB.com to find out that episode's cast, plot summary, air date, etc. XBMC is the front end that you use to watch all your media on -- it's a GREAT program even if you just have a small collection of shows, it really makes it all easy.

Here's a few articles on the process --
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=120406
http://www.howtogeek.com/72267/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-a-supercharged-tivo-with-sick-beard/ (http://www.howtogeek.com/72267/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-a-supercharged-tivo-with-sick-beard/)

[CALL911]

I don't know how much the Roku costs, but from what I've read, its just a means to be able to connect with online video streaming media like Netflix, and Hulu ext.,. FWIW, there are other means of doing the same thing.

My blue ray player uses my wifi and can connect to the internet. I even have a "Netflix" button on my remote. I can load whatever online video streaming website is available. I even can see others like youtube and vimeo.

Here is a link to the model I have; http://reviews.cnet.com/blu-ray-players/panasonic-dmp-bdt220/4505-9991_7-35120314.html?tag=rb_content;contentBody

I think I spent just over $100 somewhere after searching the usual amazon and ebay.

[jaysz2893]

I have 2 roku boxes. One has the angry birds game on it. The other we use on our bedroom TV so we don't have to rent a cable box. The first one is hooked up via Ethernet cable. The other is WiFi. Both work great, the etherneted one a little faster in the streaming. Overall we like them. My mother even got one for the Netflix app and other streaming apps. She is pleased too. Our main TV, 2 blu rays, and Xbox have the Netflix app. The Xbox and roku are way better than the built in Samsung stuff. Only gripes are no YouTube app, web browser, and the home screen interface is a pain. All of those are supposed to be dealt with soon.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

[CALL911]

Did some more research, and you may want to read this before diving into the roku; http://www.holisticmonkey.com/Blog.action?blogId=2

[McCauleyWB]

I did a bunch of research before deciding on the Logitech Revue (basically GoogleTV). It can be controlled from any Harmony type controller, my Android phone or my lady's Apple devices. Has many of the more popular Android apps, but not all are compatible. The things that really sold me was a built in browser and ability to pull music and movies off of the NAS that I have running at home. Definitely the best option just below a full fledged media PC / HTPC.

[jaysz2893]

Did some more research, and you may want to read this before diving into the roku; http://www.holisticmonkey.com/Blog.action?blogId=2
Not fan boy-ing here, but a lot of what that guy is complaining about is in the que to be fixed. I agree with most of it, but for the money I am happy. It was the underdog upstart a few years back so it has some ground to make up over Apple and the others. I looked at Apple TV, but I HATE Apple more than I like thier device, so...

[spikester7878]

Ah, misunderstanding -- Trakt.tv is just for tracking the TV you watch. It gives a history. There's nothing to actually watch on their site.

But if you're interested in the Media PC route -- the software you'd want is Sickbeard, SABnzbd, and XBMC. Sickbeard is like a DVR - you add all the shows you want to watch to Sickbeard. Sickbeard finds the shows available to download on Usenet (newsgroups) and then forwards the download information to SABnzbd. SABnzbd downloads all the pieces of the TV show, puts it all back together, and then plops it into your Media folder. XBMC watches your Media folder and when new shows get added it reads the filename, figures out what TV show, season, and episode it's for, and then queries TheTVDB.com to find out that episode's cast, plot summary, air date, etc. XBMC is the front end that you use to watch all your media on -- it's a GREAT program even if you just have a small collection of shows, it really makes it all easy.

Here's a few articles on the process --
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=120406
http://www.howtogeek.com/72267/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-a-supercharged-tivo-with-sick-beard/ (http://www.howtogeek.com/72267/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-a-supercharged-tivo-with-sick-beard/)


yea i saw that Trakt was for tracking only(i do like it though it gives me ideas for what to watch)

[meissen]

yea i saw that Trakt was for tracking only(i do like it though it gives me ideas for what to watch)

OK cool just wanted to make sure it wasn't a misunderstanding on what Trakt does. In that regard, yes it works great for tracking and also recommending shows that you might like based on previously viewed episodes.

[JCzNova]

Did some more research, and you may want to read this before diving into the roku; http://www.holisticmonkey.com/Blog.action?blogId=2

With this being dated 9.5.2011, and probably referring to the original ROKU. I have been looking around too and haven't found bad reviews on the ROKU 3 as of yet.

[firebird_1995]

With this being dated 9.5.2011, and probably referring to the original ROKU. I haven't been looking around too and haven't found bad reviews on the ROKU 3 as of yet.

I see what you did there with the call411.




Sneaky sneaky

[JCzNova]

I see what you did there with the call411.




Sneaky sneaky

:laugh: