Well, even though the email that I got from Woot (yesterday) claimed my order had already shipped, my tracking number has just now shown up in the FedEx system. FedEx says it was picked-up in TX today. Just wow, so Woot has had my money for almost 2 weeks and it's just now been shipped? Come on Woot, I've never had this kind of problem before, what's the story? Amazon doesn't treat me like this so you can't blame them. Being a business owner myself, I know that I don't take a customer's money for a product until I can deliver it. Even Amazon won't charge your card until the product ships. I would really appreciate a public (or even PM) explanation of this situation. Right now, you have one pretty pissed customer. The shipping of my purchase was unreasonably delayed, you took my money immediately and your customer service department outright lied in saying that it had already been shipped. Wut The Phuk?

PS: A non-reply within the next 24 hours or any editing of my post or other nonsense will be met with a post on Facebook for all to see. Yes, I'm f'ing pissed! I can take just about anything, but being lied to is not in that group. Can you say Unethical?

I'm one of the 1% who ordered 3 Roku boxes after hearing from my friends how nifty they are. Only one of my three Roku boxes came with a remote!

Woot instructed me to contact Roku at 1-888-600-7658, but they're PST and I'm EST, so have to wait... I was checking the forum to see if this happened to anyone else, but mostly people were just complaining about how long it took for the units to ship.

Ha. Just got the "Best" Roku and now they release new models! Oh well I love the one I got. Maybe there will be room for expansion in the future!

dreamvision500 wrote:I ordered 2 Rokus. One did not come with the remote control.I read some earlier comments they were always missing parts. Why can't they get it right ?? This is frustrating. I hope Roku would send me the replacement remote.

Dah! So I'm not the only one. I ordered 3 and only 1 came with a remote.

My Roku player was delivered yesterday. Everything was in the box. Setup went smoothly and no problems thus far.

Hmm...now that they released new Roku players will they still update this one to support 1080p?

mattheinzel wrote:Ha. Just got the "Best" Roku and now they release new models! Oh well I love the one I got. Maybe there will be room for expansion in the future!

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/671496/review/xds_2100x.html

From this you're not missing much.

{Sigh}

This is my 33rd Woot and the first one where I drew the short straw on functionality.

Got my Roku on the 21st. Started setting it up and ran into the problem of the HDMI output being dead - TV didn't see it as an input source. At this point I wasn't sure if it was the box or the HDMI cable that was borked. So, I went ahead with setup using the included cable and my TV recognized it, no problem. Setup finished smoothly, I'm loving the possibilities. Except for the lack of HDMI. I mentioned this to my daughter and she said she would bring her PlayStation over and we could test the HDMI/Roku using my cable with her PlayStation and her cable with my Roku (her cable was functional with the PlayStation and worked on my TV). Didn't work. Not only that, but now the Roku is only showing fuzzy black & white on my TV with the A/V cable. Grrrr.

I called Roku support (THAT was fun) the night I was running setup and they gave me a Case # and told me to fax my Woot receipt then call them back. I faxed the receipt the next day at work but I haven't had a chance to call back. The reason for my rambling tale here is that I was wondering if Woot could/would be able to do something or am I left with Roku support? It's not that I *mind* their support, but the young man I spoke to seemed more clueless than I was and I have precious little time to spend repeating myself over and over...

Anyhow, it appears that my Roku box is now buttafuocoing completely and it makes me sad.

buttafuocoing

I had to laugh!

grandmoo wrote:{Sigh}

This is my 33rd Woot and the first one where I drew the short straw on functionality.

Got my Roku on the 21st. Started setting it up and ran into the problem of the HDMI output being dead - TV didn't see it as an input source. At this point I wasn't sure if it was the box or the HDMI cable that was borked. So, I went ahead with setup using the included cable and my TV recognized it, no problem. Setup finished smoothly, I'm loving the possibilities. Except for the lack of HDMI. I mentioned this to my daughter and she said she would bring her PlayStation over and we could test the HDMI/Roku using my cable with her PlayStation and her cable with my Roku (her cable was functional with the PlayStation and worked on my TV). Didn't work. Not only that, but now the Roku is only showing fuzzy black & white on my TV with the A/V cable. Grrrr.

I called Roku support (THAT was fun) the night I was running setup and they gave me a Case # and told me to fax my Woot receipt then call them back. I faxed the receipt the next day at work but I haven't had a chance to call back. The reason for my rambling tale here is that I was wondering if Woot could/would be able to do something or am I left with Roku support? It's not that I *mind* their support, but the young man I spoke to seemed more clueless than I was and I have precious little time to spend repeating myself over and over...

Anyhow, it appears that my Roku box is now buttafuocoing completely and it makes me sad.

My Roku box has a loose connection on the component input jacks- whenever you touch, move or jiggle the cords while connected, the picture on screen goes blank. Everything's okay for now as long as I do not try to move the box. I'm thinking about returning it but hate to have to deal with the C/S @ Roku like you did...

Directly from the woot FAQ webpage:
How do I return a defective product?
Unless we specifically tell you not to, call the manufacturer of the product you bought. You will likely get a replacement of a new model or better item from them. If we still haven't dissuaded you, email rma@woot.com with your woot order number, the name of the product you are returning, and the detailed problem with the item. We will respond with return authorization by the next business day. Because we aren't likely to have a replacement in stock, you should be prepared for a refund-only option if that's all we can do. Know that return freight will be at your expense. Again, you will probably get a better deal from the manufacturer, or whoever else handling member service for that product.

mattheinzel wrote:Ha. Just got the "Best" Roku and now they release new models! Oh well I love the one I got.

coastertux wrote:Hmm...now that they released new Roku players will they still update this one to support 1080p?

I'll believe it when I see it. The initial announcement only said we (current XR owners) could expect to see the USB channel activated. No mention of 1080p. (see the last sentence below). That said, they will be streaming 1080p over HDMI in the new XD model so we may be in luck.
_______________________________________________

Roku is pleased to announce three new Roku models:

• The new $59.99 Roku HD streams video in high-definition at up to 720p. It features built-in wireless and Ethernet An HDMI port enables HD playback on HDTVs.

• The new Roku XD ($79.99) delivers the next level of streaming performance, with 1080p HD support (delivered over HDMI) and extended-range Wireless-N.

• At the top of the lineup, the new Roku XDS ($99.99) model features dual-band Wireless-N technology, component video output, digital optical audio output, and a USB port. Over USB, customers will be able to play stored music, photos and video through a USB playback channel app, expected to be available as a free upgrade to XDS (and current HD-XR) owners this November.
_______________________________________________

I received my Roku just a couple of days ago but it's been otterific!!!! Lots of negative comments from others but the only gripe I had it that it took a couple weeks to get to me. Good luck to you guys with missing parts, etc.

I have Vizio 1080p and I was curious of HDMI Cords. If anyone knows about them can you please respond to this. Is it necessary to have the HDMI cords to get your Roku to stream the channels in HD? I have my Roku hooked up wirelessly but want to get my Netflix and MLB Network in HD. If I need these HDMI cords, does it matter which brand of HDMI cords I get or do any of you have a recomendation?

Thanks,

Matt

Still waiting to receive my Roku. I did, however get this reply from woot staff:

"We apologize for the delay in shipping your order. Seems that a pallet of orders was inadvertently left behind by Fedex. Once this was discovered, we did all that we could to get those orders on the road. I know this is not what you've come to expect from Woot.".

So according to woot, this was FedEx's fault. It's too bad that woot can't afford to have someone in shipping present when a shipper picks up outgoing orders.

If my Roku ever actually shows up, I'm going to be epically pissed if it's missing pieces or doesn't work. I really can't express just how disappointed I am with woot's handling of my order.

revtaim wrote:I have Vizio 1080p and I was curious of HDMI Cords. If anyone knows about them can you please respond to this. Is it necessary to have the HDMI cords to get your Roku to stream the channels in HD? I have my Roku hooked up wirelessly but want to get my Netflix and MLB Network in HD. If I need these HDMI cords, does it matter which brand of HDMI cords I get or do any of you have a recomendation?

Thanks,

Matt

I take it that you mean streaming via a wireless router. The quality of the picture that appears depends on 3 main factors. First is the source of the signal. To watch a show in HD it has to broadcast in HD. Netflix has thousands of movies in its system available for streaming, some are HD and some are not.

From the Netflix website: "Certain titles are available to watch in HD on your Netflix-ready device. To watch in HD you need:
•An HD TV and component or HDMI connection from your Netflix-ready device to your TV
•A high-speed Internet connection at time of playback (typically 5 Mbps or higher)."

MLB network has a HD version available from cable networks. Not sure whether the signal they stream to Roku is HD or not.

The second factor affecting your picture quality is your internet connection speed. The device (Roku) will need to be connected to a high speed Internet connection such as a broadband. The faster your internet speed, the better the picture quality. Woot's product note says Note: High-speed Internet connection with a speed of at least 1.2 Mbps is required to use this product. 5 Mbps is recommended for HD streaming. Since you are connected wirelessly, your router and Roku must be within a reasonable distance and not blocked or interfered by other devices. You can test your bandwidth at one of these sites: speakeasy.net/speedtest or www.speedtest.net.
If you are getting less bandwidth than expected, you should contact your ISP to troubleshoot.

Finally, the Roku box must be connected to your TV via some type of cable. The type of cable/connection you use also determines the output quality. The Roku HD-XR has 4 different ways to output the signal (listed in order of quality from low-high): RCA/composite, S-Video, component and HDMI. Component and HDMI are HD compatible, the other 2 are not. Using a HDMI cable will give you the best quality video, all other factors considered. No, the brand of cable does not matter, a decent cable can easily be bought for under $10 (monoprice.com is my favorite), do not spend more unless you like to throw money away.

Currently the best you can get out of the Roku is 720P until the software upgrade is available sometime later...

Mine came on Wednesday. I do not mind waiting for the great deals that I get from Woot. I find that I can buy more toys if I am willing to delay gratification. My Roku came with everything and works perfectly.I have a Netgear N wireless router and although my internet connection is only 1.5Mbps I get a 3 out of 4 rating. Anyone waiting will be glad they got their order in before they sold out. I am really loving Pandora. Too bad the weather in Brooklyn is so beautiful, because I could stay in all day and night and use my roku. I am upset that Netflix charges $2.00 a month for Blu-ray. Do people find that streaming provides good blu-ray with Netflix and Amazon?

Thanks a bunch. I know nothing about HDMI cords and was about to buy a Monster one because I heard it was the best one.

revtaim wrote:Thanks a bunch. I know nothing about HDMI cords and was about to buy a Monster one because I heard it was the best one.

The only thing Monster is good at is ripping you off.

EltonNoway wrote:My 6 year old Sony CRT started acting up earlier this year. I snagged (and you can too) a really good deal on a 50" 720p Plasma. Yes... 720p is not 1080p but at 10 feet away from the screen you can't tell the difference. If you sit 3 feet from the screen you can see the pixels on the 720p and not on the 1080p... but I never sit that close. Anyway, if you shop around you can find top performing Panasonic 720p plasmas for less that $800. Do yourself a big favor and don't spend any money on fixing your CRT... its time to move up to HD.

Thanks EltonNoway, that's good advice. However, the CRT is an HD set. Frankly, I don't think any current television can beat the picture of the old unit, but I probably will upgrade. I'm probably going to go 1080p though, because I only sit around six feet away from the screen. I only want 42" or 46" which should help reduce the cost a bit. Might make a trip to Best Buy tomorrow... ;-)

grandmoo wrote:{Sigh}

I called Roku support (THAT was fun) the night I was running setup and they gave me a Case # and told me to fax my Woot receipt then call them back. I faxed the receipt the next day at work but I haven't had a chance to call back. The reason for my rambling tale here is that I was wondering if Woot could/would be able to do something or am I left with Roku support? It's not that I *mind* their support, but the young man I spoke to seemed more clueless than I was and I have precious little time to spend repeating myself over and over...

Yours is the second post I've seen stating that Roku needs to get an actual fax to verify the purchase. In this day and age that seems pretty darn harshing my mellow.

RenoDavid wrote:... this is the second post I've seen stating that Roku needs to get an actual fax to verify the purchase. In this day and age that seems pretty darn harshing my mellow.

Or .... maybe its part of their strategy to reduce the number of returns & replacements. (thinking some people won't go through the hassle of faxing documentation)

Just got mine in the mail and set it up quickly and easily.

A little disappointed it didn't come with HDMI or component cables (I know I could've checked in advance, now I just need to wait a couple extra days for them to come in the mail). It just seemed silly for an HD product to come without any sort of HD cables, especially since an SD-only version also exists.

Oh well. Still a great product so far.

Powered it on after connecting it to my tv, using a wired network connection. The setup errors out when trying to connect to the network...wired and wireless.

I am using known good Ethernet cables[s] and wireless network has no issues connecting my other wireless or wired devices. I have tried resetting the Roku...no luck..overall a bad experience. I am a veteran wooter and this is a third time in last year or so that I have been shipped a defective item via woot...so I think I am done with woot.

novastarj wrote:
A little disappointed it didn't come with HDMI or component cables (I know I could've checked in advance, now I just need to wait a couple extra days for them to come in the mail). It just seemed silly for an HD product to come without any sort of HD cables, especially since an SD-only version also exists.

Does anyone include HDMI cables? Maybe the retailers prefer it that way. How else can they push some over-priced Monster cables? I just bought a Western Digital HD Media Player and it only came with a composite cable.

RenoDavid wrote:Does anyone include HDMI cables? Maybe the retailers prefer it that way. How else can they push some over-priced Monster cables? I just bought a Western Digital HD Media Player and it only came with a composite cable.

PS3 does now, and many (most?) Blu-Ray players. Generally you're right though.

Roku gets no profit from Best Buy selling cables. Put a composite cable in with the SD model, and a component or HDMI cable in with the HD model. The additional cost is so small there's no reason to keep them out anymore.

It's just silly. Hopefully this trend will change soon.

Finally received this late last week and set it up. Works beautifully.

setup:
HDMI from Roku to Onkyo receiver. HDMI from receiver to Samsung television. Speakers turned off on the tv and sound comes from B&W speakers connected to the reciever. Streaming wirelessly from my Apple Extreme wireless router (which about 10 feet away). Didn't hook it directly to the router because I didn't have any ports available. Haven't had any streaming issues. Note: I purchased a switch to extend the ports on the router. I haven't hooked that up yet.

Movies from Netflix are great. I tried watching the "news" channel on the Roku but apparently they stream in less than desirable quality - far from HD.

RenoDavid wrote:Yours is the second post I've seen stating that Roku needs to get an actual fax to verify the purchase. In this day and age that seems pretty darn harshing my mellow.

I offered to scan and email but they said they didn't have that capability??? Oh well, no big deal, I just had to print my pdf receipt and take it to work to fax it.

I finally was able to catch up with customer support this evening and now I have an RMA number and everything. As soon as they receive my defective unit they will ship out a replacement within 2-3 business days. I've waited this long, I can wait a wee bit longer, especially if it will work right!

Thanks for all of y'alls help, I probably would have just let it go back via Woot if not for the poster who recommended sticking it out with Roku CS 'cause I might actually get a new model to replace my old one. Wouldn't THAT be fantastic!

I'll let you know how it goes when I get my replacement unit.

Thanks!

Well, 19 days after ordering and paying for it, the FedEx man finally brought me my Roku today. Everything appears to be in the box so I'll see if it actually works when I get home this evening.

grandmoo wrote:

Thanks for all of y'alls help, I probably would have just let it go back via Woot if not for the poster who recommended sticking it out with Roku CS 'cause I might actually get a new model to replace my old one. Wouldn't THAT be fantastic!

I'll let you know how it goes when I get my replacement unit.

Thanks!

Yep... I once got a defective refurbished coffee maker. I sent it back with a RMA after working with the companies customer service dept. To my surprise they sent me a "BRAND NEW" one "and"... it was the current model!(actually a newer model than the refurb unit I originally purchased.) Turned out to be a sweet deal. Let us know how your story ends.

My Roku XR arrived last week, and I was able to try it out today. Or attempt to. It is dead as a doornail. The adapter from the new box powers my old one (that I was going to gift), and the old adapter doesn't do anything to the new. Called Roku, they will (eventually) RMA this one. Sigh. Why I hate refurbs.

My Roku player kicks booty, I haven't turned on my cable box for a week and a half.
I just may have to down grade my service or do away with it.

WilfBrim wrote:My Roku XR arrived last week, and I was able to try it out today. Or attempt to. It is dead as a doornail. The adapter from the new box powers my old one (that I was going to gift), and the old adapter doesn't do anything to the new. Called Roku, they will (eventually) RMA this one. Sigh. Why I hate refurbs.

Don't hate refurbs please. After all, a refurb is merely a new device that buttafuocoed even tho it was new. Your new unit is just as unlikely to buttafuoco as a new one. Design flaws generally get fixed when they go back to the factory the first time.

BTW, my Roku seems to be buttafuocoing to retrieve Netflix content. This after about a week's use.

ok... I did the RMA thingy with the ROKU folks, after spending a total of 1.5 hours with different people from south india (they actually called me a few times) I sent the Roku player back to Soquel CA (home of Roku)
I placed a nice note in the box and asked if I could get one of the newer boxes. Today Fedex delivered another refurbed XR player (bummer) didnt hurt to ask...

The replacement Refurb works much better, the original problem linking wirelessly has been fixed, getting excellent connections now.
Positive overall experience even though I had to suffer the roku call center and spent some coin sending back the box for another refurb.

for now I will keep on wooting!

Looks like Roku has begun to close on a deal to bring Hulu+ to their customers. There's been no announcement, but based on the new info on the Roku homepage it looks like we're gonna get Hulu!

Linky: http://www.roku.com/hulu

Screencap: http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/5348/rokuhulu.jpg

Hulu Plus
This fall, Roku will bring Hulu Plus to the biggest screen in the house. Watch full current seasons of Glee, Modern Family, House, and dozens of other popular TV shows whenever you want. It's a match made in HD heaven.

kenbuzz wrote:Here's the rundown of all of the private channel codes I am presently aware of:

71B0Y = American Movie Classics
XM7EG = AnomaliesTV
WSW1P = Archive Classic Movies
NMJS5 = Archive.org
EXPEL = Chaneru 0.4 (home media browser)
NXFBW = Google Voice
9OFQX = Hubblecast HD
X0MCZ = Last.FM
TMLJW = LDS Video Podcasts (LDS/BYU videos)
HIBMX = Nasa TV
9MQBZ = Phoenix-area Traffic Cam demo
NEJXJ = Picasa Web
H9DWC = Pod TV (podcasts and RSS feeds)
ZFJB5 = Pub-D-Hub (public domain films, TV and cartoons)
G8VAR = Re/Max
P1KWQ = Roksbox (media streamer)
IFUIN = Simple Weather
KGULU = USB Media Browser (movies/music/photos via the USB port)
IN4DN = Ustream
BPPIM = Woot
B8VVK = Youtube

Here are a few more new ones, just made available in the past 2 weeks:

FPRSE = PlayOn (see below)
JUSTINTV = Watch Justin.TV via Roku, including full search, browse, and favorites capability
QVC = QVC Channel
HSN = Home Shopping Network

PlayOn is a for-pay service that involves software on a networked PC that kinda turns your PC into a Roku. While redundant for people who actually HAVE a Roku, the one big thing PlayOn adds is access to Hulu and CBS, and the ability to cross-stream the video from the PC to your Roku via your home network. In a nutshell, you can use the PlayOn Media Server and your Roku to play Hulu on your TV.

PlayOn's channel line up currently includes:
Pandora
Hulu
Comedy Central
NHL (subscription)
CBS
ESPN
TV.com
SpikeTV
PBS / PBS Kids

Plus the Netflix and MLB.tv channels we already have on Roku.

The SW is free for 2 weeks, then $40 for the first year and $20/year after, or $80 for a "lifetime" license.

I've been getting the complete run around from Roku technical support. After spending 45 minutes on the phone with South Asia, I was told to send in the receipt. Did that. Got no response in 2 business days. Sent an email. Got no response again in 48 hours. Sent a third email, asking to look into it. Got an autoresponder with a new case saying they would give me a reply in 48 hours. Guess what? No reply. I'm going to try Woot now, but I don't think I'm going to get anywhere.

I'm really, really mad at Amazon (sent a broken TV twice, and refuse to refund after 6 weeks), so why not add Woot to the black list.

grandmoo wrote:I offered to scan and email but they said they didn't have that capability??? Oh well, no big deal, I just had to print my pdf receipt and take it to work to fax it.

I finally was able to catch up with customer support this evening and now I have an RMA number and everything. As soon as they receive my defective unit they will ship out a replacement within 2-3 business days. I've waited this long, I can wait a wee bit longer, especially if it will work right!

Thanks for all of y'alls help, I probably would have just let it go back via Woot if not for the poster who recommended sticking it out with Roku CS 'cause I might actually get a new model to replace my old one. Wouldn't THAT be fantastic!

I'll let you know how it goes when I get my replacement unit.

Thanks!

Alrighty then. I said I would let you know how it went with the replacement unit. I received it earlier this week (didn't come back sooner 'cause I've been busy playing with my new phone-lol, gadget freak to the bitter end) and hooked it up right away with the HDMI cable and everything worked like a dream. Quite possibly one of the better things was to discover that "My Channels" were still there. Must be associated with my Roku account rather than the box itself. Anyhow, it's all good now. I don't know if the "new" box is actually new or another refurb, but as long as it works I don't really care as I've got SquareTrade on it and can get it replaced/fixed again in the next two years if need be.

Thanks for listening and helping. I'm once again a satisfied customer (never was an unsatisfied customer really, I realize that you can't have 100% success with refurbs all the time, heck, you can't have 100% success with NEW items all the time).

Woot on.

WilfBrim wrote:I've been getting the complete run around from Roku technical support. After spending 45 minutes on the phone with South Asia, I was told to send in the receipt. Did that. Got no response in 2 business days. Sent an email. Got no response again in 48 hours. Sent a third email, asking to look into it. Got an autoresponder with a new case saying they would give me a reply in 48 hours. Guess what? No reply. I'm going to try Woot now, but I don't think I'm going to get anywhere.

I'm really, really mad at Amazon (sent a broken TV twice, and refuse to refund after 6 weeks), so why not add Woot to the black list.

Hope you have some better luck coming your way. And if you have ever gotten a Case ID number to give that to them first thing, it cuts a LOT of BS time. Just remember to try and stay calm and polite, I have found out the hard way that you catch a whole lot more flies with honey than with vinegar. I'm not saying you weren't, but I always try to remember to stay calm and keep my voice calm even if I'm seething inside (I'm a redhead with a quick quick temper, so it's a constant struggle for me!)

\\just sayin'

Did anybody who ordered this receive a Roku HD instead of a Roku HD-XR... after using it as a Netflix box I decided I would try to maximize use and see what this thing could do. Read that it had a USB port on the back, but once I removed it from my entertainment center to check it out, it appears I received the lesser model.

It is way late by now, just checking if I am the only one.