said by geeyore:I haven't had cable/sat/broadcast for almost 2 years. We're 100 percent streaming Netflix/Roku and I just got the ATI Radeon HDMI working with 5.1 audio direct to the HDTV, which works great with YouTube vids, etc.
>>>> 1. It becomes easy to hook up and use.
It took 10 minutes to connect the Roku box to my network and HDTV, and another 5 minutes to get streaming Netflix working on it. It's been working flawlessly for more than 1.5 years. And I almost cannot stand handling DVD disks anymore, they seem archaic. HBO, Showtime, and CNN ... yuck, who cares.
>>>>>2. You can stream 720p up to 1080p over the wire without any delays or buffering. Even on some broadband content, streaming 1080i is a challenge.
Roku selects the stream rate automatically from Netflix, and it's usually 720p and sometimes HD 1080p, but that can get a bit tedious over a 2.4Mb DSL.
>>>>>3. You can get access to all content (such as sports) legally and easily.
All? Even cable doesn't give you "all content."
Cable gives me all local content. I can watch every Red Wings and Tigers game. I can also watch NFL and college games from my area and nationally as well. You are right, I can't get access to everything, but I can get access to everything I want to watch and live and in high def quality without stressing my internet line.
The ease of use is there now for Roku, but until that comes with content you will find on network television, you won't get many cord cutters. It certainly would be nice to watch the last couple episodes of Lost that came on last season without waiting for the DVDs and using netflix. What about content on Discovery channel? What if I want to watch Life After People on the History channel? The whole idea behind Roku is that you are using Netflix, and while that is all good, it doesn't solve the content issue for everyone.
As for the streaming, they need to have faster internet service in order to make it worthwhile. No caps either.