I purchased this model(Roku HD) for a friend's birthday and set it up a few hours ago. While I am not going to rush out (yet) and buy one for myself, I admired the design and functionality of this slick little device.
Here are my thoughts:
- Ease of set-up: easy for anyone who can operate a PC, Mac or smart phone. Once you plug it in, power it up and select the video mode to which it's connected the screen will walk you though the process.
I have an extensive technology background so I did not bother to read the manual beforehand and had no problems following what were simple on-screen instructions. And to Roku's credit, there were few of those. To be clear - you absolutely need a wireless internet router (WiFi) and a computing device to perform a few simple steps in order to install and activate the Roku HD. Including date entry and the time to explain some things to my friend for whom I was setting this up, the total time to get it running was less than 15 minutes.
- Establishing your account. You will need some form of computing platform to access the Roku site via the web and complete this step. It's relatively painless.
- Payment options: you can use a credit card or a Paypal account. I believe the latter is a relatively new option that shows that Roku is paying attention to complaints registered in these reviews. The Payment option is there to remove barriers to adding for pay services. Of course, it makes it so easy that you are almost lured into it. Smart move on their part. Just be careful because fees can add up.
- Remote Control - Information that needed to be entered with the remote is a bit awkward at first, but I quickly adapted to it. One note about the remote: it is what we engineering geeks call elegant. Simple, functional with only the essential buttons. I absolutely loved the Netflix, Pandora and Crackle bottoms to quickly get most users to popular services. I would have loved it if Hulu Plus had a button since that is the service my friend plans to use. But that would have detracted from the elegance factor.
- Manual: Although I did not need the manual to set ths device up, I did take the time to read through it afterwards to make sure my non-technical friend could depend on it if a problem arose. I was impressed with the clarity and how well the technical writing team made it simple, friendly and anticipated possible support problems by weaving in information that would preclude those.
The default channels were merely OK, but a good start. The free content, especially from Crackle It, did not excite me nor my friend who would be using it.
A word about economics: the friend for whom I purchased this and set it up wanted this so she could scale back on expenses. At one point she was paying approximately seventy dollars a month for cable service. She scaled that back to local channels that entailed a monthly recurring charge of three times the monthly fee of Hulu Plus. In fact, had she wanted, she could get Hulu Plus and Netflix's unlimited content for two thirds of what she is paying monthly for local cable channels, and nearly a fifth of the cost of her original subscription that did not provide near the content of Hulu Plue and Netflix combined.
It's easy to see that this device pays for itself in very short order if you deem that the content from the services that you can stream via the Roku is as good for your purposes as the content you are currently getting from cable or satellite services. Everyone will have a different breakeven point after which your return on the initial investment is substantial. If you are considering this device do a little analysis. Of course, make sure the services to which you will subscribe with the Roku meet your needs.
There are also services at various price levels that allow you to stream video, music and send photos directly from your PC or Mac to your TV via the service, which sends that content to your Roku. Four such services that you can easily find via a search of the web are: Roksbox, Play on, Chaneru and RoConnect.
This device is so cool that I was tempted to get one for myself. I have not subscribed to any cable or satellite services for nearly a decade, but I do purchase a lot of DVDs and spend far too much time on YouTube. I am still on the fence, but was disappointed in the lack of YouTube support, and was not impressed with the available workarounds and services. The most promising, RateRix, seemed to me to be kludgy and unreliable. I was also put off by Netflix, which wanted me to sign up before I could ascertain that they had the content I was looking for. One part of their FAQ mentioned that their mail service was still available and had vastly more videos than their streaming service. Since I watch a lot of foreign langiage films, as well as jazz performances and concerts I decided that the Roku would not meet my immediate needs. One other (and puzzling) deal breaker for me is the Roku will not stream my music stored on Amazon's cloud. That is odd considering that it will stream music from Pandora and video from Amazon, but not music from Amazon.
UPDATE (JULY 8, 2012): While my friend continues to love her Roku, I found an alternate streaming solution that gives me access to YouTube and even more content:
D-Link MovieNite Plus Streaming Media Player
. See my July 8, 2012 review that compares and contrasts that device with the Roku,
I am an old curmudgeon who is set in my ways. This device certainly met the entertainment and economic needs of my friend, and I am sure that anyone who pays for TV services has the potential to greatly benefit from it. The device is beautifully designed, not only from an engineering perspective, but also from a human-factors perspective. The minute Roku works a deal with Google for a YouTube channel is the minute I purchase one. I have a feeling that will happen sooner than later. In the meantime, the smile on my friend's face when this was up and running is proof of its value.
| Brand Name | Roku |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 0.32 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.9 x 3.9 x 1 inches |
| Item model number | 2500R |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | Wireless |
