wyreless wrote:JW, your PlayOn license goes with the software that runs oin your Homes Server. What connects to that is up to you. Change PCs, simply load PlayOn on the new PC and let the devices find your PlayOn server running on the new PC and your off and running. Remeber, with the PlayOn software you are able to watch TV, Home Videos on every PC in the home network (as well as many mobile devices as have listed)

Please accept my apologies for so many response posts. But I do want to answer any questions my fellow Wooters have. The PlayOn server software does lend itself to creating questions, no doubt. I am fairly knowledgeable about PlayOn as I had been a tester many many moons ago, so I do know a fair amount about PlayOn as well as ROKU.

U ROK-u!
Thanks a lot! Very helpful.

I bought one of these XD's several months back and the unit has yet to update. It's still a few patch updates BEHIND what ROKU says is supposed to be on these units. Why is that?

vkapadia wrote:For only $15 more you can get a brand new not refurbished one directly from Roku!

Woot has $50 plus $5 shipping, $55 total.

Roku has a sale on right now $80 minus $10 discount plus free shipping, $70 total.

Refurbs are great and all, but I'd say $15 is worth it to get a brand new one.

Not only that, but you would be buying the current model, not the previous generation hardware they are wooting here.

briansmac wrote:I bought one of these XD's several months back and the unit has yet to update. It's still a few patch updates BEHIND what ROKU says is supposed to be on these units. Why is that?

Because Roku is known to quickly abandon old models. And this unit is an old model.

I'm pretty sure neither Playon nor Plex have any agreement with the content providers they stream (or facilitate the streaming of, more accurately), so there could come a day when some of it is not available, either through changes made to the way they are streamed or through lawyers. Or nothing may happen.

They are hacks, and I just won't count on them working forever.

deagle50ae wrote:I got one of these the last time around.
It was a poorly "refurbished" unit.
scratches all over it and the former owner's email address was still stored on the unit.

Bad business.

But it works and I glued it to the back of a 24" 1080P monitor for a mobile media device.

Well, somewhat from my belief that w00t refurbs were "good as new." Forewarned is forearmed. Or unless this is rubbish. Anybody else have an opinion?

Da5id wrote:Well, somewhat from my belief that w00t refurbs were "good as new." Forewarned is forearmed. Or unless this is rubbish. Anybody else have an opinion?

It is hit and miss, I think. I did get 'recycled' golf balls from Woot once. They were rubbish. Cant speak for a refurbished Roku as I haven't purchased one, but this unit is already an old generation unit, so I wouldn't even entertain it.

craigthom wrote:I'm pretty sure neither Playon nor Plex have any agreement with the content providers they stream (or facilitate the streaming of, more accurately), so there could come a day when some of it is not available, either through changes made to the way they are streamed or through lawyers. Or nothing may happen.

They are hacks, and I just won't count on them working forever.

True but even the lifetime subscription pays for itself quickly. I was paying $115 mo with the DVR, HD and HBO. I was also having technical problems Cox was unable to fix.

FWIW, PlayOn didn't work for me when I tested it late last year. I'm running it on a new Mini with XP on Parallels which they don't support...but they do point you to someone's instructions. After a few updates in the past months it runs very nicely now.

TVlinks is the PlayOn channel to install, I may even cut Netflix...

Just curious, how much of PlayOn is in HD?

Cultjam wrote:True but even the lifetime subscription pays for itself quickly. I was paying $115 mo with the DVR, HD and HBO. I was also having technical problems Cox was unable to fix.

FWIW, PlayOn didn't work for me when I tested it late last year. I'm running it on a new Mini with XP on Parallels which they don't support...but they do point you to someone's instructions. After a few updates in the past months it runs very nicely now.

TVlinks is the PlayOn channel to install, I may even cut Netflix...

RenoDavid wrote:Just curious, how much of PlayOn is in HD?

They have the available "channels" listed on their website but note that some actually don't work at all. Others can be quite compressed. The reality is that cutting the cord from the cable company is not for everyone. Furthermore, streaming full 1080p from a source outside your house requires a clean fast Internet connection. Depending on codecs and containers, figure 4-8 Mbps per stream. The technology and devices are mature and there are dozens of ways to skin this cat. For my money, I have a QNAP on my network to hold content, a dedicated Plex Media Server to present the content, and a variety of devices both on and off my network running Plex clients to view the content. Anything that actually involves streaming from a third party is ultimately going to be subject to the Network Neutrality debate, and Big Telco and Big Cableco are not about to let all their subscribers abandon their bread-and-butter services without a fight. One day you could simply find PlayOn (or YouTube or Netflix for that matter) inaccessible because they wouldn't sacrifice a pound of flesh to your ISP. Just know that going in.

According to the graph on Roku's site, only the XS model is wired. The popup on the specs confirm this.

http://www.roku.com/roku-products#3

According to Woot:
1 Roku XD 2050X 1080p Streaming Player, 802.11n/g, Ethernet Port, Enhanced Remote with Instant Replay

Also:
■Built-in wireless (extended-range Wireless-N) and wired Internet connectivity

----------------------------------
I want to buy this, but I don't want it to be wireless and I don't know what to beleive.

glenncol wrote:According to the graph on Roku's site, only the XS model is wired. The popup on the specs confirm this.

http://www.roku.com/roku-products#3

According to Woot:
1 Roku XD 2050X 1080p Streaming Player, 802.11n/g, Ethernet Port, Enhanced Remote with Instant Replay

Also:
■Built-in wireless (extended-range Wireless-N) and wired Internet connectivity

----------------------------------
I want to buy this, but I don't want it to be wireless and I don't know what to beleive.

This model IS NOT the current model. None of the four different units on Roku's website are this unit. This unit is an outdated previous generation. Spend the extra few dollars and get the new model from Roku's website, where they are on sale and ship free.

That is if you are convinced to buy a Roku at all.

Does anyone know if you can use this with an old tv, uverse box, and a series 1 tivo?

tm501 wrote:Does anyone know if you can use this with an old tv, uverse box, and a series 1 tivo?

In what capacity? This is simply a media streaming set-top box and should be considered a "source" device, in the same way that your satellite receiver, cable box, or DVD player are source units.

tm501 wrote:Does anyone know if you can use this with an old tv, uverse box, and a series 1 tivo?

You'll need to have an open input on your TV or a switch so you can select between them.

You'll use the composite video, probably, so you'll need an open set of red/white/yellow jacks.

We LOVE our Roku player! You can get more channels that what are shown on your Roku menu by going through the Roku website. I already had Amazon Prime and never used the video benefits, but now we are taking full advantage. I just finished watching 7 seasons of Captain Jean-Luke Piccard kick alien arse.

Don't do it! I wooted a refurb Roku. Never worked right. Woot's customer service was truly atrocious. One of my most frustrating cs experiences. At least in my case, their guarantee was worse than worthless.

nnssandman wrote:This model IS NOT the current model. None of the four different units on Roku's website are this unit. This unit is an outdated previous generation. Spend the extra few dollars and get the new model from Roku's website, where they are on sale and ship free.

That is if you are convinced to buy a Roku at all.

Wow, thanks. I didn't catch that at all.

Glad I'm not the only one to notice the big glaring error about playing WoW on a console. Not possible. WoW has never been on a console. Get your facts straight, people.

Glad I'm not the only one to notice the big glaring error about playing WoW on a console. Not possible. WoW has never been on a console. Get your facts straight, people.

Do the plex network channels (CBS, NBC, ABC) stream live or is it similar content to whats on their website? Can I watch the network shows in realtime?

Thanks

Zerxer wrote:Not sure if anyone here has mentioned this yet, but Plex does even more than give you access to local media on your network. It also has its own channels, similar to Roku channels. One of the channels is a YouTube channel, which means you can actually get access to YouTube on your Roku. Of course, you have to first open the Plex app, and then open the YouTube channel from within it, adding an extra step, but that's it.

Plex also has a Hulu and Netflix channel of its own. The way the Hulu channel works is Plex loads the stream up on your server PC, transcodes it, and then sends it to your Roku (or other device using the Plex app). What this means is you can get access to the free version of Hulu, rather than needing Hulu Plus. It also means if you're in a country that doesn't have access to Hulu, you could find a friend in a country that does and have them set up Plex on their computer with the Hulu channel and have them share their Plex server with you (you can add multiple remote servers to Plex). This means you can now watch Hulu, even without having access to it in your country, because it's the Plex server in the other country that's loading the initial stream, not you.

Anyways, when in the Plex app on your Roku, go all the way down to the bottom row of icons (where the Settings icon is), and go to the arrow on the far right; click this to load the Channels store. Note that certain channels, like the Hulu and Netflix one, require your Windows computer to be running Windows 7 or 8 (no XP), or your Mac to have installed a certain plugin (from the Plex preferences panel on your Mac). They're not available through a Linux server, though. This is because those channels use Flash or Silverlight, and it needs to be able to access the video and audio streams within them. YouTube will always work though because they provide their videos in HTML5 as well as Flash.

ALSO, another way to get access to YouTube videos (and some other ones) through Plex is by adding the bookmarklet script to your browser (or the extension to Chrome). When on a video page in your browser, you'd click on the extension/bookmark and it'll add the video to your myPlex Queue. Make sure you have a myPlex account, and that your Roku is logged in to it through the Plex settings. Your queue will then show up on the Plex main page, and you can watch the video from there.

tjc2418 wrote:Do the plex network channels (CBS, NBC, ABC) stream live or is it similar content to whats on their website? Can I watch the network shows in realtime?

This is an ongoing debate, really.

http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php/topic/39159-can-i-dump-windows-media-center-and-watch-ota-tv-through-plex/

The easy answer is this: If you can stream any particular network live from your PC (directly; not from some shady third-party rebroadcast), then chances are there is a Plex plugin available. The functionality of these plugins is subject to the whims of that TV network, however, and could be disabled without warning by changes made by the TV Network Internet feed.

Let's be honest here. The networks want to get paid, whether by subscriptions or advertising (commercials), usually both, so realize that is the yin and the yang of it.

There is an free phone app for roku remote emergencies :-)

vinylpvc wrote:Wooters, my head is swimming! I am very excited to get in on this "dump my monthly cable bill" group of smarties, but I have a couple of questions before I drop $129.99 for a lifetime license.
1. How will this work w/2 televisions? Do I need to buy 2 bundles?
2. If one of my TVs dies, will I be able to 'connect' this subscription to my new set(s)?

Thanks oh wise ones!

There is a site to walk you through the cable cutting process step by step. Check out www.cablecutterguys.com

ReginaFilangee wrote:Can someone please help me make sure I'm understanding this correctly?

1. Streaming depends upon signal (wifi) strength---if it's weak, it'll constantly stop for buffering just like when playing youtube or TV shows on my computer, yes? So if that happens a lot on my computer (it does), it will drive me insane trying to watch programming on my TV thru this?
2. Since it's wifi, and I have a "mifi" personal wifi hotspot as my main Internet connection, and that has a limit of 10gb/month (overage costs per mb or gb, I'm not sure b/c I never go over)----this wouldn't make financial sense as I would probably start going over my limit regularly? (Verizon does not offer an "unlimited" option where I live.)
3. Unrelated to the above concerns, is there any way to record programming with this? (I can currently only receive free OTA programming where I live, and would LOVE to be able to record shows from the Discovery Channel, HBO, etc.) If I'm reading this right, it doesn't sound like this device would do that.....unless maybe I went thru a complex hookup between my TV and laptop (could probably figure it out, but just really don't wanna) and used a large external hard drive to hold the shows? Have I got that right?

1. Always go with hard wired connections when possible!
3. No. But you can order OTA shows with stuff you probably already own. Check out www.cablecutterguys.com


So, as cool as this sounds, I shouldn't spend the $ on it....or should I?

I got two Rokus last summer, even earlier model than these, refurbs, and have had no problem whatsoever. If I have one near my router, I hardwire it, if not, I use wifi. I use them for Netflix, Huluplus, Pandora, and Crackle. I tried Playon, but my computer is too lightweight to handle it, I only have an inexpensive laptop, not enough CPU & RAM to use as a server, and not a computer I'd want to leave on all the time. I didn't have cable for awhile, and was mostly too far to pickup dependable broadcast channel signals, which is why I looked into Playon.

I did find another option, USTVNow.com. USTVNow has a Roku channel. You signup for an account, there are tiers, on the free one you get what is the equivalent of basic basic cable, that is just what would be the channels below 15 or 16 or so on your cable lineup. The content is distributed from a cable tv source in Pennsylvania. You can pay actual money and get Syfy and most of the other cable channels. It's not perfect, but you can watch current tv. Gets confusing when you see a commercial for something you'd like to check out and then think, oh yeah, that's in Pennsylvania. lol Something to look into if you're interested,

I'd buy two of these if I wasn't happy with the two I have. I guess just cuz I had such good luck with the first two.

deagle50ae wrote:Not an answer. I am at a Hilton right now (and have been for 2 weeks) I can only get 1mb/s if I am lucky over their network (wired OR wireless)
Which means I can't stream anything but pandora to my Roku... which I brought along thinking it would be fine. I'v used it all of 20-minutes so far this trip. Ended up just buying an adapter for my laptop to connect to the TV for $6 so I can get my Dr. Who fix.

Why not just watch on the laptop? Why bother running it through the TV at all?

tm501 wrote:Does anyone know if you can use this with an old tv, uverse box, and a series 1 tivo?

It comes with a red/white/yellow output cable.

shesjo wrote:I did find another option, USTVNow.com. USTVNow has a Roku channel.

"According to the USTVNow Terms of Service, it is only available for U.S. citizens living outside the U.S. Here are the Terms you have to agree to before using it)"

How long do you think these guys are going to be around?

cdeviney wrote:It comes with a red/white/yellow output cable.

An outdated Roku for an outdated TV. Match made in technogy heaven. (Or hell, depending on where you stand.)

nnssandman wrote:An outdated Roku for an outdated TV. Match made in technogy heaven. (Or hell, depending on where you stand.)

You sure spread sunshine wherever you go!

shesjo wrote:You sure spread sunshine wherever you go!

I'm a realist. My recent Woot purchase of Adams Idea irons was great! But this old Roku is not a deal. Not by a longshot.

Kandralla wrote:Since there is some confusion Hulu is only free when you watch it in a browser (or something that can make Hulu think you're using a browser such as Playon but that also has a monthly fee). The Roku does not have a web browser thus there currently is no free way to stream Hulu content to a Roku (I have one, I looked).

If you are purchasing this solely to watch free Hulu you will be disappointed. FWIW I'm using the newer Roku2 XS and I think it's probably the best streaming box for your TV short of an HTPC. Currently I use mine for Netflix, and Plex (to stream stuff from my local network) and the Crackle channel sometimes has some decent older stuff. My biggest complaint is that the device can't stream stuff from your local network on it's own which quite frankly is a ridiculous artificial limitation but what it does do it's pretty good at.

I watch free hulu on this model using the Playon software. Yes, it cost a little extra, ($30 a year) but for me that is cheap compared to cable or satellite.

Playon also streams anything you can see on your computer. It really is a great addition to the Roku.

If you have Direct tv or Comcast. HBO go won't work with this device. It only works on my xbox 360. Kind of disappointing.

In for one.

Ringo4422 wrote:In for one.

Vizio 32” 720p LCD HDTV (2 of them), Seagate 750GB SATA/300 7200RPM Hard Drive, SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual Digital HDTV Tuner, Kodak Theater HD Player, Acer Aspire One 10.1” Netbook, Philips Prestigo 8-Device Universal Remote, Asus Eee PC 900 Netbook with 1.6GHz Atom Processor, Philips Upconverting DVD Player with DivX and HDMI, Ashley Rock Axe Full Size Rockband and Guitar Hero Controller for PS2 and PS3, Philips Icon 5 Device Universal Remote, and a bunch of other carp.

You have too much carp.

minkusdominkus wrote:Can I stream content from my PC wirelessly through the Roku? Or do I need a Slingbox or something like that to do it?

Nope. Go with the latest WD live.

I would just like to second the already mentioned plex. I have two HPN40G microclient servers running unRaid and Plex. I have over 10TB of divx, 720p, 1080i, movies and tv and have stumbled over one audio issue which was quickly fixed with a quick google. Since then I now have the app on my ThunderBolt and my tablet. I also encouraged a friend of mine to get a RoKu to which I setup alittle Dell Optiplex with a unRaid+Plex setup as well.

While Plex provides the listings of several web channels I want to also mention your local files. I found I had to settle on a name and filing scheme for all my media.. This made it so Plex could properly identify the show+episode with accurate summaries. Stability wise it has been pleasant and I really have no complaints. Quite honestly with all the data I have it is nice to finally have a setup I am able to browse ALL my media. Sorry for the long post just wanted to give an accurate explanation!

vinylpvc wrote:Wooters, my head is swimming! I am very excited to get in on this "dump my monthly cable bill" group of smarties, but I have a couple of questions before I drop $129.99 for a lifetime license.
1. How will this work w/2 televisions? Do I need to buy 2 bundles?
2. If one of my TVs dies, will I be able to 'connect' this subscription to my new set(s)?

Thanks oh wise ones!

Sounds like you're talking about PlayOn...

Re: 2 tv's: each tv really should have it's own Roku. BUT, you only need a single instance of PlayOn. It will still show up on each Roku. You cannot, however, have different Roku or PlayOn channels on each Roku. All the Roku's in the network will get the same Roku and Playon channels.

Re: if my tv dies: PlayOn is not tied to and device or TV. It's tied to *your* PC, and to whatever other devices are networked in... I have had Tivo, Logitec Revue, and Roku all "served" by PlayOn at the same time...

Re: 2 bundles: PlayOn will work on any number of devices without having to have more than 1 subscription. (you would, however, need a 2nd subscription if you were using 2 pc's as servers...)

PlayOn can be confusing and a bit frustrating. Before you spend for a lifetime subscription, use the trial or pay for a month and try it out. It's not for everyone.

Plex, on the other hand, is free and does much of what PlayOn does - in a much better interface.

Compare the 2 and see which you like best...

(BTW, both PlayOn and Plex will work with Windows Media Center as well...)

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Dave Barry once said "There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness."
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Does this thing offer streaming Prn?