ROKU 3...the review

[iamwhatiseem]

Roku 3....in a word - brilliant.
Imagine wanting to watch a certain show or movie, and being able to search Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, vudu, Crackle etc, etc, etc....ALL AT THE SAME TIME...introducing Roku 3...it does that.
It also has a USB port for watching content in a variety of formats. Did I mention HDMI with 1080 resolution? All in a device about the size of a deck of cards.
Did I mention the remote is radio and not infrared - so you do not need to be in line of sight?
Or that the REMOTE has an earplug outlet (Roku 3 comes with a pretty good pair of plugs to boot)
The device is both wireless and ethernet ready.

I pay $15 a month for Netflix/HuluPlus and then have a HUUUGE selection of free content - all searchable.
Cable TV...$75 or more for 250 channels you don't want for the 10 you do?
Not me.
P.S. ....DVR?...does it have DVR?...why? Every show is available 24 hrs a day, many in less than 24 hours after it appears on live TV. What do you need DVR for?

 

[AquaAthena]

Roku 3....in a word - brilliant.
Imagine wanting to watch a certain show or movie, and being able to search Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, vudu, Crackle etc, etc, etc....ALL AT THE SAME TIME...introducing Roku 3...it does that.
It also has a USB port for watching content in a variety of formats. Did I mention HDMI with 1080 resolution? All in a device about the size of a deck of cards.
Did I mention the remote is radio and not infrared - so you do not need to be in line of sight?
Or that the REMOTE has an earplug outlet (Roku 3 comes with a pretty good pair of plugs to boot)
The device is both wireless and ethernet ready.

I pay $15 a month for Netflix/HuluPlus and then have a HUUUGE selection of free content - all searchable.
Cable TV...$75 or more for 250 channels you don't want for the 10 you do?
Not me.
P.S. ....DVR?...does it have DVR?...why? Every show is available 24 hrs a day, many in less than 24 hours after it appears on live TV. What do you need DVR for?

I have two Roku devices and used them often when I subscribed to Netflix and others, but now have gone back to cable, with most channels in HD, and I now have a DVR, thus, having little use for my Roku devices. I do love Roku and use it when I want to stream Pandora on a widescreen rather than my Logitech computer speakers, which are stereo, surround sound with sub-woofer.

Roku rocks for those who discontinue cable.

 

[G.T.]

The problem with ditching tv is that at some point, you have to do manual research to find out the new stuff that's out there.

Most brains don't have an encyclopedia of "shit to watch" listed and ready to pop into a search.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The problem with ditching tv is that at some point, you have to do manual research to find out the new stuff that's out there.

Most brains don't have an encyclopedia of "shit to watch" listed and ready to pop into a search.

Granted....but not worth the $50 more a month minimum for that.

 

[Politico]

Does it give me access to regular tv live and in a non PC format? When that happens I'm all in.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Does it give me access to regular tv live and in a non PC format? When that happens I'm all in.

non PC format?
Roku is a device that hooks directly into your TV via HDMI

 

[Moonglow]

You can also hook up a lap top to a TV

 

[iamwhatiseem]

And BTW - anyone using XBox to port Netflix etc. to a TV...holy hell will you like Roku's interface better.
God how I hated the slow and fumbling around trying to control a TV with a game controller.

 

[rightwinger]

Anyone have a Slingbox?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Anyone have a Slingbox?

I loved that movie, man Billy Bob Thorton was grea....oh...SlingBOX...heh.

There has been talk for a year about a supposed development for a Roku app to work with Slingbox.

 

[rightwinger]

Anyone have a Slingbox?

I loved that movie, man Billy Bob Thorton was grea....oh...SlingBOX...heh.

There has been talk for a year about a supposed development for a Roku app to work with Slingbox.

I thought that was a song by "The Who"

Mama has a slingbox she wears on her chest........

 

[Politico]

Does it give me access to regular tv live and in a non PC format? When that happens I'm all in.

non PC format?
Roku is a device that hooks directly into your TV via HDMI

Exactly. You I can't just flip to channel X and watch CNN.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Does it give me access to regular tv live and in a non PC format? When that happens I'm all in.

non PC format?
Roku is a device that hooks directly into your TV via HDMI

Exactly. You I can't just flip to channel X and watch CNN.

Soon.
Mark my words - in 5 years tops you will be able to watch most "cable" stations via broadband. Way overdue. Paying $80 a month for 250 channels to get the 10 you want is highway robbery.

 

[Politico]

Five years lol. They could do it now. But its more profitable to sell people a box that links to content that alreay exists.

 

[Ringel05]

Five years lol. They could do it now. But its more profitable to sell people a box that links to content that alreay exists.

Show distributors currently make more money via cable because of set fees, that's why internet TV hasn't taken off yet. Roku 3 is one step closer to providing the "click on channel X for CNN" and you laugh........ By the way, what do you think you pay cable for?
Oh yeah, "to sell people a box that links to content that already exists."

 

[Politico]

No to actually GET the content you want. And who said I pay for cable?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Five years lol. They could do it now. But its more profitable to sell people a box that links to content that alreay exists.

Show distributors currently make more money via cable because of set fees, that's why internet TV hasn't taken off yet. Roku 3 is one step closer to providing the "click on channel X for CNN" and you laugh........ By the way, what do you think you pay cable for?
Oh yeah, "to sell people a box that links to content that already exists."

Apparently this one is not old enough to have seen the music industry brought to its knees by Naptser/Limewire. They learned fast that eventually people catch on to getting ripped off paying for regurgitated pop music over and over.
Perhaps he hasn't notice the amazing speed in which landline telephones are vanishing.
Cable TV is not just facing the abyss, they are leaning over and can see the darkness below all too well.
Once the mainstream folks start realizing they can get most of what they watch on TV for $60 less a month or more...and they can watch it anytime they want...cable will be a memory.
Right now Xfinity is GIVING basic cable away to people who order braodband only.
It has begun.

 

[Ringel05]

So you're saying I shouldn't start up that telegraph office I've been planning?

 

[Ringel05]

No to actually GET the content you want. And who said I pay for cable?

No, you actually get the content you want within the bundle that includes all the other content you have no use for and will never watch (or listen to).
As for whether you personally pay for cable service or not.... who cares...... it's not germane to the conversation.

 

[DreamBanger]

For just a stand alone streaming media player, the roku 3 is the best, no doubt.