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codydog
join:2001-11-29
Newport, RI

codydog

Member

Roku question

I can get Netflix, Hulu etc through my TV and Blue ray, - what will Roku add for me? I know the Roku 3 is 100 bucks, so, I am trying to see what I get for the 100 or how much Roku actually costs to be usable.

(Just cancelled my STB, so, very curious)

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

1 recommendation

darcilicious

Premium Member

»www.roku.com/now-playing

Some "apps" (known as Channels in Roku-speak) cost money, some are free but access to the content costs money (e.g. netflix requires a subscription, Amazon is pay on demand).

Apps cover audio (Pandora, Spotify, Tunein, etc) and video and more; the range of subjects appears to be unlimited.

An app like Plex will let you play local content once you've set up a Plex server to feed the Plex app on the Roku. Or via a USB stick for supported formats .

Probably a better question for you is: what would you like to do with a Roku?
codydog
join:2001-11-29
Newport, RI

codydog

Member

I'd like it to replace my now returned STB, and save money. I never really watched much TV, but would like occasional access to shows/news/weather without the STB costs. (I saw the HD indoor antenna for local TV so thinking about that too). I'm saving about $35/month on cancelling cable TV, but would like a net savings even if I have to wait 6-12 months to get it

I guess I'm curious if you exclude Netflix and Hulu+ costs, how much do folks spend (or think they save) with a Roku versus what they spent on cable TV.

I have 75/35 Fios, so d/l capacity is fine.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

With the limited description of your use, you'd be better off first trying to access local broadcasts via antenna. Note that you don't need a "special HD" antenna -- antennas that worked before the digital switchover will work now.

»tvfool.com/ and »www.antennaweb.org/ can help give you an estimate of which channels you should be able to receive via antenna based on your location.

After that, a subscription to Hulu+ and Netflix will get you most of the good stuff (but none of the premium channels' stuff from HBO, etc).

So I would start there, try it out for six months and see if you're really missing anything and want more content or not.

(I have a Roku, I spend way more on cable than you do now, and I pay to access additional content so I can't comment on cost savings because that's not my primary driver. Ease of access on my own schedule is and access to live sports, unfortunately)
darcilicious

darcilicious to codydog

Premium Member

to codydog
My advice above regarding OTA broadcasts assumes your TV has an ATSC (digital OTA) tuner. All new TVs do but older (or non HDTVs) may not.
codydog
join:2001-11-29
Newport, RI

codydog

Member

The TV is a 3 year old Sony Bravia, so its fairly new.

Do you get better streaming with Roku?

I'm not against spending the cash, its more about getting something I'll use. I looked at the TV websites mentioned and see a bunch of stations. I saw a HD antenna called Leaf, seemed to have good reviews.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

said by codydog:

Do you get better streaming with Roku?

Better than what?

I bought a powered Leaf early on and I like it fine. My reception can be spotty depending on weather due to distance and hills...
codydog
join:2001-11-29
Newport, RI

codydog

Member

Better than via Bluray or my Sony TV

Thanks for the Leaf comment

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

I couldn't really say (especially without model numbers but even then...) Netflix will adapt the bit rate based primarily on the speed it determines it can stream to your device. Not sure about Hulu.

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
Premium Member
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

1 edit

DownTheShore to codydog

Premium Member

to codydog
Check out Playon, a channel that you can add to Roku.

»www.playon.tv/content-channels

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can watch the Amazon Instant videos through Roku.

Check out what OTA signals you can actually receive, not just what you're supposed to be able to receive; they may be two different things. I couldn't receive WABC, WPIX, and WNET (PBS) and their digital subchannels using an OTA antenna in my location. It was just easier to get Broadcast Basic from Cablevision so that I could at least get the OTA stations in clear.
anti_windoze
join:2001-07-08
Fontana, CA

1 edit

1 recommendation

anti_windoze to codydog

Member

to codydog
/
Expand your moderator at work

carpetshark3
Premium Member
join:2004-02-12
Idledale, CO

carpetshark3 to DownTheShore

Premium Member

to DownTheShore

Re: Roku question

Re PBS:

Sometimes you can't get some content. Instead of the weekend Newshour, our local PBS puts on something we don't watch. During pledge week some shows like This Old House will be on the Roku. So we watch on the Roku. Usually we do OTA. We don't have cable and don't want it. Also subscribed to MLB.
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

1 recommendation

IanR to codydog

Member

to codydog
Roku has an enormous range of free channels and they are listed on their website.
Sky News (UK) has a 24 hour news channel that is excellent. Others have mentioned PBS.
The list is so large that only when ne plays with the device does one see the possibilities.
If you want TV shows Hulu (Free) and Hulu Plus ($8.00 p.m) have a fantastic range of programs.
Of course you do need a broadband service.
codydog
join:2001-11-29
Newport, RI

codydog

Member

Thanks!

After using Roku and a Leaf antenna for a few months, seeing everything we want to. Found the private Roku channels.

Only negative is sometimes Nowheretv gets all garbled and replays every 30 seconds.

So, no real drawbacks so far for me.
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

IanR to codydog

Member

to codydog
You really need to go to the Roku website and check the lists of channels they support and see which of them interest you. Roku also works with programs like PLEX to show everything which is on your computer on your TV.
Everyone's viewpoint of how useful a device like Roku is, is so personal.

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer to codydog

Premium Member

to codydog
And don't forget private channels;
»streamfree.tv/apps/roku- ··· els/all/

Check out the LiveStream Channel. It has dozens of local TV stations. Although they don't carry network shows, many stations carry their local news broadcasts live.

I find it handy to catch our local NBC station's news when we're at the beach house. I also take my Android tablet with local station apps on it. The tablet has an HDMI port, so I just hook up to the TV, bring up the app, select 'watch live' on the station's app and catch the news and even local morning shows. (Of course, you need that video speed internet connection - just sayin')

Sly
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Tennessee

Sly to codydog

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to codydog
I like the layout of the Roku much better than my blu-ray. Besides, whenever I go on vacation I take my Roku and my Laptop with me. I hook up to wi-fi and can watch my Roku in the hotel room. No more pay per view. If the hotel has a gateway, I can hook up to it with my laptop and then share the connection with the roku. So you can take your TV at home on the road with you...
msmag
join:2014-10-21
Chetopa, KS

msmag to codydog

Member

to codydog
Go to »www.rokuguide.com/
It lists pretty much all the channels you can get with Roku for free (and pay) and tells you about them and the websites review on each one..if they are worth getting. If you like old movies and TV shows there are many channels that have them. Some sports, music, movies, kid shows, religious, lots of movie channels, recipe, tv shows from the 70's on back, etc. I spent hours going through everything to decide what to get and only added what I thought I might want. The ones I didn't like, I deleted. They get new shows and channels added every week to the actual Roku website so there's always something.
The Roku Guide (listed above) also list the private channels and what they are about. There are a couple of other websites you can find private Roku channels too..just google Roku private channels.
There are also the pay channels; Amazon Prime, Redbox (going out of business), Netflix, Hulu Plus, Mgo, Crackle, Blockbuster, Vudu etc, plus another channel that costs about 60 a year for nearly all the current shows cable has (and it's legal but not listed on Roku).
I'm not much of a TV watcher either..I like one show on regular TV (got an antenna for that..hooked up my old free standing one outside that is older than Methuselah but it worked great) and 2 cable shows that I pick up on the pay channel, that I can't find free online. All in all, I have now saved 1500 a year on satellite costs and I like having the Roku. I have the stick. I checked out all the different brands of streamers and I felt Roku had the best price, showed the most shows and had the best customer recommendations too.
For any streamer, you'll need to run at least 3mbps broadband, preferably 6 to get good streaming.
I guess it all depends on what YOU want to watch on TV to decide if getting a Roku is a good deal. You can get the stick for under $50.00. And it is as good as the other Roku players. It comes with a remote and you can also get a remote for your smartphone too from the Play Store. Only big difference is the Roku 3 which is a little more powerful and has a headphone jack in the remote plus a USB port, and you can hook it up with an ethernet line instead of wireless like the others. But it runs $100.00 though. I would have gotten that one, but didn't want to spend that much money not knowing if I'd like the Roku or not. $47.00 would only hurt half as bad if I didn't like it. lol
The Chromecast is the least expensive streamer at around $39, but you have no remote..your smartphone is the remote. Plus it doesn't carry near the channels as Roku does either.
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

IanR to codydog

Member

to codydog
Both Newegg and Amazon have recently been selling refurbed Roku 3s for around $70-75.00 including shipping.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

I bought a refurb Roku 3 form Newegg -- doesn't work via wired but wireless is fine -- that took me a couple of hours to figure out Should have returned it but couldn't be bothered.

So be sure to test it thoroughly if you go the refurb route decide if you can keep it with problems or make arrangements to return asap.

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer to codydog

Premium Member

to codydog
I have two TVs without STBs. I noticed that my Time Warner TV Roku channel has been updated. I can now get practically all the channels I get on my one TV with a STB with the exception of local channels and the Weather channel. The interface is strikingly like the one on the STB. To get local programming, I just switch back to the cable connection and use the TV tuner.

Additionally, the TWC TV channel has a subset of on demand programming.

I use Livestream to watch local news when we're at the beach house or in the FL condo, and Youtube has several free channels to view various shows and movies. The number of 'private channels' for Roku is immense.

Oh, and the Roku 3 remote has a Bluetooth earphone port on it - handy for watching shows when noisy kids are around, or when someone else wants to sleep...
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

IanR to codydog

Member

to codydog
Also note that there are several Dish Network offerings via Roku. They have a sports packages for around $10-15.00 per month with another 10 news channels thrown in and discounts on buying a Roku 3.
»www.dishworld.com/sports