2 words. HBO. Go. Nuff said.

wasserkapf wrote:Those aren't SD cards. Some models do have a USB port, but I don't see one in this model. You can always stream media from a PC using the MyMedia channel, and corresponding app on your PC.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the helpful info.
Since I have no time to sit by the computer today, I just pulled the trigger, thinking hey, if it doesn't work out, it's the thought that counts!

kboy2k wrote:someone please explain how the tivo works. How can you "record" over the air channels without a cable service to proivide them (like abc, cbs, nbc) and what about channels like vh1 classic, espn, amc, etc--- without cable or direct-- can u still watch their shows??

Tivo is a DVR that can record from a variety of sources, including over the air. If you can get sufficient reception via an antenna to allow you to view these channels on your HDTV, then the Tivo can record them. It will scan to see what channels you receive, and then provide you with a customized program guide based on your channels. You have to pay a service charge to use a Tivo, either monthly or up front. Opinion varies widely (understatement of the year), but for me it's worth every penny.

As for exclusively cable channels, that's another story. They don't come in over the air, but the Roku box can receive much of that programming through one or another of its channels. But as for specific shows or stations, you'll have to check out Roku's site (or ask the gang here).

Just checked out the world of alternatives . . . I'm in. Woot! Woot!

rattmobbins wrote:2 words. HBO. Go. Nuff said.

You first must have HBO on your cable provider. If you have cable, you don't need HBO GO!

'nuff said!!

My first Woot!!

I fired my cable company a year ago when I signed up for Netflix via the Wii and have not looked back. At the same time, I also gave up local stations. I haven't missed them a bit.
I'm really looking forward to getting this!

Happy camper again!

wasserkapf wrote:I have three from a previous woot. If you don't pay for the premium channels, there isn't much to watch. Just old TV shows/movies and public domain movies.

The picture quality on many streaming channels is horrible, and the stream selection is limited.

I have found it is better to hook a PC to your TV. You can find many more streams online. Also you can then watch ESPN3 online.

Hold on. I've got the cheapest, 1st ROKU. Works like a charm, and the 780p is as good as 1060p on any but a 50" or bigger flat screen. But only the ROKU, not the Apple TV, will give you thousands of free videos if you're an Amazon Prime customer.

watusi wrote:My first Woot!!

I fired my cable company a year ago when I signed up for Netflix via the Wii and have not looked back. At the same time, I also gave up local stations. I haven't missed them a bit.
I'm really looking forward to getting this!

I'd LOVE to fire Time Warner, whose service is spotty at best (despite this being one of the most expensive neighborhoods of Manhattan). BUt being a news addict, I need my local channels. And no, I can't get them off the air because I live on the 4th fl and there are plenty of tall buildings surrounding me. Despite using a highly rated amplified antenna, I can get ZERO channels off the air. If someone can give me a way to get local channels without cable (or FIOS), I'd appreciate it. Even satellite services are out of the question because of the buildings.

caponsacchi wrote:But only the ROKU, not the Apple TV, will give you thousands of free videos if you're an Amazon Prime customer.

That's a big "if". I may be wrong, but isn't Amazon Prime something that you have to pay for? If you have to pay for all of the premium content, you really aren't "cutting the cable".

sdc100 wrote: If someone can give me a way to get local channels without cable (or FIOS), I'd appreciate it. Even satellite services are out of the question because of the buildings.

Can't you get the signals as they "bounce" off of a neighboring building? You can get the locations of transmission towers at AntennaWeb.org. From that try to find where they may bounce from.

Good luck.

wasserkapf wrote:Can't you get the signals as they "bounce" off of a neighboring building? You can get the locations of transmission towers at AntennaWeb.org. From that try to find where they may bounce from.

Good luck.

Thanks ... Nope. One major problem is all the concrete and steel in NYC buildings. It's almost like living in a Faraday Cage. Another major problem with NYC is that broadcast stations are literally spread in a 360 degree circle! So unless you have a rotating antenna on the roof, you won't be able to get every station. Before the official DTV switchover, I was able to get 2 stations (ABC and WOR). After the switchover -- which was supposed to be an improvement -- I get ZERO stations. And I do check once a month or so, rescanning and such. DTV has been a massive failure for most Manhattanites.

sdc100 wrote:I'd LOVE to fire Time Warner, whose service is spotty at best (despite this being one of the most expensive neighborhoods of Manhattan). BUt being a news addict, I need my local channels. And no, I can't get them off the air because I live on the 4th fl and there are plenty of tall buildings surrounding me. Despite using a highly rated amplified antenna, I can get ZERO channels off the air. If someone can give me a way to get local channels without cable (or FIOS), I'd appreciate it. Even satellite services are out of the question because of the buildings.

I had Time Warner too. Dropped the cable and phone and kept the internet.

If I want to see local news, I just go the the station's website and get what I need without the Plastic AnchorPersons feigning shock and genuine concern.

glaicius wrote:What's the benefit of getting a Roku with only 90 warranty and let's say a Blue ray player with Netflix and HuluPlus streaming capable. just asking cuz I can get one for $75

I recently asked myself this same question and did some math. It turned out that the CHEAP BD play I have (The LG BD-550) and the Roku I got on woot months are were quite a bit cheaper than any other option out there.

Plus, the Roku gives you a lot more channels and the menus are, for the most part, the easiest menus out there. Sure, a couple players may have one or two nicer menus in one or two cases. Amazon on the Panasonic was a little better, but the over-all menu system was a giant pain in the backside. Also, the load times for the videos in all cases (I tried a Sony, Panasonic, Vizio, and an upgraded LG) were quite a bit longer than on the first gen Roku. In fact, the same Star Trek episode on my roku took 13 seconds to start playing, but almost a minute on the Sony.

Even LISTING TV episodes on Amazon took the roku like none seconds. But the Sony took 30 seconds just to LIST the series, and another 20 to list the episodes. So, from turn on to watching Star Trek was over three minutes TOTAL on the Sony...but abut one minute on the Roku.

I haven't tested Hulu on the Roku yet. But I can tell you that the Vizio wouldn't even play a singe Hulu sample vid, and the Sony and Panasonic both had problems with the HD sample (the DC Zoo video).


All of this does add up as does frustration. The one and ONLY bit of frustration I have with the First Gen roku is that once in a while, when watching a video, it just kinda ignores the remote until I get about three feet away.


So it's not just the dollars and cents you want to think about here. For me, the far better deal was to go with a cheapo BD player that isn't on the network and the Roku.


Just my thoughts on this, anyway.

There is a woot! channel for the Roku. To add it, go to your Roku account page and click the "Add a Private Channel" link. Then enter this code:

BPPIM

The woot! channel will eventualy appear on your Roku. It has these woot! streams:

kids.woot!
wine.woot!
woot!
shirt.woot!
sellout.woot!
WootCast

El Marko wrote:Had one and it worked fine for the few days I kept it.

Here's the problem for me and a few million others: No CLOSED CAPTIONING.

Not offered, not available from any of the streaming sites, including Netflix. I need it due to lousy hearing, and I'm hardly the only one.

So if you are buying this for yourself or someone who needs CC, it's useless.

Someone else had declared that this would be a good thing for old people, so I was ready to pop on this one. sigh

So, I guess it's OK for little kids, but not old people UNLESS they have good hearing.

For Doctor Who fans, there is a channel that is streamed over JustinTV. Just open the JustinTV channel and search for "doctor who".

http://tardisblue.net/

photobobk wrote:Someone else had declared that this would be a good thing for old people, so I was ready to pop on this one. sigh

So, I guess it's OK for little kids, but not old people UNLESS they have good hearing.

I was going to give one to my elderly mother. The method of finding movies or programs to play is rather complex, for someone that is used to looking in TVGuide to see what is on. I decided against giving it to her.

We love our Roku, however this is a newer unit with no Coax or optical audio out.. Product Fail for me.

I'll wait for another Boxee to pop up or one of the older gen Roku's

Is there any good reason to get this if my computer is already hooked up to my TV? Its tempting just because I like gadgets but I'm just not sure if its worth it or not.

Is there an app solution that provides you with similar "channels?" I see Boxee has a free app you can put on your computer.

How would this Roku player compare to the Boxee app or XBMC or something else?

Just about everything that can be said about the Roku has been said at this point.

I'll just chime in and say my Mom loves the one I got for Mothers day earlier this year. Its one of the techie gadgets that she has no problem using. As far as streaming internet devices, the Roku is hard to beat when it comes to ease of use and price vs performance..

How do I cancel order before it ships?


35701558 order number

Frankly, I'm surprised that this hasn't sold out yet. If my memory is correct, Rokus ave always sold out around this time. If true then its failure to sell out might be due to:

1) Aging technology (this model has been discontinued although CNET states that many of the newer features aren't that important).

2) Distraction from Black Friday; most people are out shopping and not by their computers.

3) A concentration on gift buying. This is refurbished, which may be unsuitable for gifting.

4) Poverty ... bad economy made worse by gift and airline spending

howardgluck132 wrote:How do I cancel order before it ships?


35701558 order number

Forward your confirmation email to service@woot.com, adding a note that you want to cancel.

How do I cancel order before it ships?


35701558 order number

considering getting this as a gift for a movie fanatic dad...

how well would this work for watching movies? i know you can get netfix and hulu, but what are other services that are available?

also, will this work in addition to the tv service that my dad already has, or is it either or?

any help would be greatly appreciated

jdpman wrote:Is there any good reason to get this if my computer is already hooked up to my TV? Its tempting just because I like gadgets but I'm just not sure if its worth it or not.

Is there an app solution that provides you with similar "channels?" I see Boxee has a free app you can put on your computer.

How would this Roku player compare to the Boxee app or XBMC or something else?

I have been building my own HTPC computers for about a decade. I usually use Linux with MythTV, also adding a HDTV capture card/tuner. I thought that the Roku may be a way to get some streaming content that I couldn't get with a Linux HTPC. The only thing this is good for is streaming Netflix, as that won't work on Linux.

Everything else is available on a regular PC (and More).

Vegan wrote:Damn. It's HDMI or composite; no component. My old TV is getting turned into The Bedroom TV and it pre-dates HDMI. Would have been nice to have a way to get our Netflix etc. in there.

Get the WD TV Live PLUS and. It can even be hacked if you like to experiment with different software!
It has composite, hdmi, AND component outputs.
It has Ethernet built in, and you can get WiFi with a adapter you can get from meritline for under $20. You can play ALMOST any format with it through the network OR directly into the USB ports, and it even supports plugging in a USB hub. I have a wireless mini wireless keyboard i carry around with mine to make typing in passwords easier.
It is also DLNA 1.5 certified. So you can stream vidio from any DLNA server to the box without having to set anything up.
If you ungh, food coma to use DLNA you can access network shares of course.
i got mine off of WOOT last year, and have been caring it around with me when we have a movie night, because it can bu attached to almost any TV or video device. I have moved much of my movie collection onto 2TB Samsung HDs that I could get on sale for less than $70 and assembled a case to hold the WD TV Live, HD dock, keyboard, power strip, and HDs with military style MOLLE gear that straps together into one solid bag. Works great and keeps everything together. I am going on to FIVE of the 2TB drives now(sigh).

THANKS AND THANKS TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO ANSWERED...i STILL DO NOT SEE mlb ON THEIR CHANNEL PAGE BUT MAYBE THATS BECAUSE ITS NOT BASEBALL SEASON YET?

kamnet wrote:I bought a refurb Roku N1001 from Woot several months ago. No issues at all. National Geographic channel, History Channel and Military Network programming is available. I can't say if all shows are available, or if they're available immediately after broadcast, since I no longer have cable and don't know what their broadcast schedules are, but new content is added regularly.

Just get an HDMI to component adapter!

jamesraykenney wrote:Get the WD TV Live PLUS and. It can even be hacked if you like to experiment with different software!
It has composite, hdmi, AND component outputs.
It has Ethernet built in, and you can get WiFi with a adapter you can get from meritline for under $20. You can play ALMOST any format with it through the network OR directly into the USB ports, and it even supports plugging in a USB hub. I have a wireless mini wireless keyboard i carry around with mine to make typing in passwords easier.
It is also DLNA 1.5 certified. So you can stream vidio from any DLNA server to the box without having to set anything up.
If you ungh, food coma to use DLNA you can access network shares of course.
i got mine off of WOOT last year, and have been caring it around with me when we have a movie night, because it can bu attached to almost any TV or video device. I have moved much of my movie collection onto 2TB Samsung HDs that I could get on sale for less than $70 and assembled a case to hold the WD TV Live, HD dock, keyboard, power strip, and HDs with military style MOLLE gear that straps together into one solid bag. Works great and keeps everything together. I am going on to FIVE of the 2TB drives now(sigh).

bumblebri wrote:considering getting this as a gift for a movie fanatic dad...

how well would this work for watching movies? i know you can get netfix and hulu, but what are other services that are available?

There is the Sony Crackle Channel that has lots of older movies and TV shows. There also is the Pub-D-Hub channel that has a lot of really old movies.

bumblebri wrote:also, will this work in addition to the tv service that my dad already has, or is it either or?

You need to be able to hook this into a separate input on the TV. This way it won't interfere with any other TV service, you just need to switch inputs (usually can be done from the remote).

xxooss wrote:THANKS AND THANKS TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO ANSWERED...i STILL DO NOT SEE mlb ON THEIR CHANNEL PAGE BUT MAYBE THATS BECAUSE ITS NOT BASEBALL SEASON YET?

Check here:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/index.jsp?product=roku

Be aware that you cannot watch any local teams live. Here in Milwaukee, not only can I not watch any Brewers games, I also cannot watch any Chicago Cubs or White Sox games.

I wanted to point out that this Roku and the PS3 are one of, if not the only, devices that will stream Netflix in 1080p. Others only offer lower resolutions.

I bought this Roku to power my Netflix on my home theater screen.

steverrific wrote:I wanted to point out that this Roku and the PS3 are one of, if not the only, devices that will stream Netflix in 1080p. Others only offer lower resolutions.

I bought this Roku to power my Netflix on my home theater screen.

Do you honestly believe that streaming media is actually 1080p?

http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html

QUOTE:

The highest bitrate encodes are fit into 720x480 non-square pixels

Can this stream 1080p mkv files from my home server like Boxee can?

bryan1436 wrote:Do these work as media center extenders?

Nope

NemoMac wrote:I was wondering about this too!

Also, it says it will play your iTunes music, but what about your (non-DRM) videos?

---

Yes, it can stream video off your home network. It doesn't work as seamlessly as with the Apple TV, but will work with Plex media Server (formerly XBMC). I use my current Roku with this, and the Plex software running on my Windows 7 machine loaded with videos, and it works very well.

(After you register it with Roku, you have to go to their website and add Plex as a private channel in addition to installing the Plex server on your computer).

I've been looking to get my Mom a Roku player for Xmas... but her internet isn't exactly the best. Roku suggests that you need high-speed internet service with a speed of at least 1.2 Mbps (such as mid-level DSL). (5 Mbps is suggested for HD video. But that's ok, Mom doesn't have HD tv.) After checking Mom's speed on http://www.speedtest.net/, she's only getting about .56 Mbps. *sadface* She's in a very rural area.

Does anyone have experience with a Roku on a slower connection? Think Mom could still benefit from the Roku?

wasserkapf wrote:
Do you honestly believe that streaming media is actually 1080p?

http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html

The highest bitrate encodes are fit into 720x480 non-square pixels

Um, you should read more paragraphs. That is in the SD section, and 720x480 is the maximum available for standard NTSC TV shows. Netflix HD is a separate story. Granted, it isn't 1080, but it is HD, although reduced to 30fps instead of 60.

gigi116 wrote:Can I use this on an old tv with just a coax cable and a/v inputs? I also just bought a set top box if that can help matters. I haven't opened it yet because I'm canceling my cable in a few days. I'm also interested in paying a subscription to Hulu or somewhere and maybe hooking this up through my computer if possible. Can any of this be done on my old tv? Thanks in advance for the help!

Yes, you can. If you have rca input jacks on your tv, you can run the output from the roku box into it. You simply switch to alternate input, in the same way you would if you were attaching a game console or dvd player, and you will get internet content fine. That is what I am doing with an old set and the same unit. Then hook up your broadcast antenna with the cable input.