Can Roku Replace Cable TV? - Comments Page 2

Bob, does ROKU require additional internet capacity. I have a Verizon Air Card. 5 Gigabytes per month cost is $60.00. I can't download 10 hours of video in a month without going over my limit. Does ROKU operate independently from my internet service?

EDITOR'S NOTE: No, ROKU uses your existing internet service.

Does anyone know how much bandwidth Roku needs to
work smoothly? Also, can you continue to surf the web while Roku is streaming movies?

It's a nice little box and is a great option for people who want to do internet TV the easiest most convenient way. I have a different system for streaming internet TV. I have a ThinkPad laptop with a 35nm Core i5 that has pretty good integrated graphics, although my old Core 2 duo Dell Latitude also streamed video quite well. We have a subscription to Netflix for 8 bucks a month. I leave an HD video cable plugged in to the TV, so I can just plug it into the laptop I also leave a tiny little Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse transmitter plugged into my laptop. I also have some decent quality powered speakers sitting there ready to go too. I also have an extra AC cable that stays plugged into my surge protector that fits my laptop power adapter. With this configuration, I can have the laptop completely hooked up within about 30 seconds. And disconnect it even faster. I just use the desktop wireless keyboard and Laser mouse. This is very convenient, the laser mouse works on virtually any surface and it has back and forward buttons on its side. I can hit the space bar on the keyboard to pause my video. For anybody who wants to try this it can be done with a desktop or laptop, but when you connect the video cable you have to change the input setting on your TV. Also if it is showing a picture on both your laptop and TV that is no good. This will cause it to display the Television picture at the the same low resolution as your laptop screen. On a Windows 7 machine you just hit the Windows key plus then the P key, this will cause projector options to pop up scroll over to projector only. This will set your output to 1080 HD. Sometimes it will do this automatically but sometimes not. I only had to do it manually on mine once. After I get a motherboard and a graphics card I am going to build a dedicated HTPC.

Roku is just a way to connect a TV to the Internet....buy an Internet ready tv..like the Sony Bravia..One needs to have a HD ready TV anyway...Put your money where it counts.....Then add up the different charges for the services and you will quickly be paying more than Cable or Dish TV for mostly the same content. Have both and limit yourself to maybe just Netflix and you are much better off dollar wise.........Get tired of the garbage on Cable or Satellite TV ...switch to a movie..albeit most new ones are DVD only...and that cost a lot more...cheaper to go to Walgreens and rent a DVD for a dollar!....go figure!

will ROKU work in Canada??

This sounds great but is probably only available in the United States?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Roku is available in Canada. Not sure about other countries...

Bob - I love my Roku - am just getting started on all those Startrek series that I missed - I bought the original Roku and then discovered that as they were adding subtitles I would need Roku 2 - my wife and I both can't hear beans any more so it is worth the extra for the subtitles. Great product. Good article - keep up the good work.

Yes, you can get Roku in Canada. Unfortunately, it would be the ultimate waste of monies.. HULU is not working in Canada at all, and Netflix has a very limited selection available over here… You would be better off with WDTV or PatriotBox..

Gotta have my Live NFL and you can't get it with any of these devices

I have had Roku for about a year now I guess. I did give up cable. I also have Apple TV and an internet ready blu ray disc player. I would say Roku and Apple TV are the best of all the various options out there right now. Especially for the cost. But, things are happening so quickly in this arena, who knows what will be available this time next year.

Giving up cable is definately a personal choice. I don't miss it. I didn't necessarily give it up to save $$. I really got irritated with how the cable companies treat their customers and wanted to play with the new technology. So, giving up the monthly cable bill helped me justify the new equipment. I will say that cable is easier in some ways.

Also, as I do more and more streaming, I have run up against my monthly allowance. :( I really never realized I had one before. It's only happened once. I'm currently with AT&T. I guess I'm going to have to change to Comcast because they give you a higher allowance. I hate Comcast. Of course, I hate AT&T too. Oh well.

Roku sounds like nothing more than a convenience item. I can do all that with my laptop. It's just a little more hassle. There is little to watch on tv anyway so just skip it and go the Internet route. Watch tv on your terms.

I got my Roku several years ago and have always been very happy with the little box. I stream content over my home wireless network to my TV. Sometimes it seems a little slow, but I think that is my internet provider as I live in rural Montana. I use a DSL system and on the whole Roku works great. Mostly I stream via NetFlix but have also use Amazon. I don't think it will replace my cable because in my location I get no TV without cable.

I've had the first iteration of Roku for a couple of years or so, and I love it; here's why. It's easy to set up. It's portable: the model I got has plugs for high def TVs and regular TVs, so if you want to watch something in another room, take your Roku with you. If you want to take your Roku on vacation (to somewhere where there's an Internet connection), it's easy to do: just don't forget all of the plugs and especially the remote! I've used it for Netflix and for an occasional Amazon movie. The quality of audio and video is average and above, and (if I'm remembering correctly) there's a digital audio plug, too. Earlier this year, they were promoting the Roku 2, but the differences (even smaller unit, a more-ambitious remote that can put in subtitles, and a free copy of Angry BIrds) and no TV that needs a Netflix connection at the moment weren't compelling enough for me to buy one. As for reliability, very good, once in awhile Netflix doesn't work, but often if you try again, it works. You also must periodically check to see if there was a software upgrade, for you get no notification. The biggest beef for me is with non-Netflix movie titles, which are a jumbled mess, and the "search" function doesn't seem to work properly. But, since I rarely access those selections, it hasn't been a huge issue for me.

Yes, the Roku2, great, however, it is still not DLNA compliant. Although it has a USB port to attach the HD containing the Movies, Pictures and Music, that attached HD is not directly addressable via a Browser as a direct storage device on the network, therefore, no data can be edited on it. The Roku needs to have a Roku3 to be functioning more like a Boxee but with the Roku interface, Boxee has the most unfriendly UI.

My wife and I are getting ready to cancel our cable? We bought a cheap refurbished compact tower desktop with an HDMI port, plus a wireless keyboard with integrated touch pad (to substitute for the mouse). We can stream all of our regular shows from Canadian network TV 24 hours after original broadcast. Plus do other computer tasks, on the big screen. Still sorting out live streams for sports events.

Will ROKU work with TIVO?
Can I run ROKU to two different TV's with different stations

What happens with the Bandwith? does it stutter, stall and hesitate?

Any free program guides anywhere?

I think internet providers will start charging according to your GB usage. My DSL provider ATT is in bed with Dish. They want to bundle services. These providers will control the cost and therefore future of WIFI streaming..this is why I don't get excited about media streaming.

Two comments to add:

1 - For those asking about access outside the US, one solution is to use a Proxy Service or a VPN Service to redirect your access to Hulu, etc so you are redirected to a US IP address regardless of where you are in the world. More education on the topic at: http://www.vpncompanyreviews.com/

2 - ISP capacity caps are an issue even on land-lines. My son was laid up with a broken elbow for a month and watched Netflix about 4 hours a day for a month. We got a letter from our ISP warning us that we had gone 100 GB (yes, 100GB) over our 250 GB monthly limit. Thankfully they gave us a warning at first - now we're a bit more careful in our Netflix habits.

I think the quality of the internet access you have does definitely affect this choice. We get cable internet of the highest speed available in our area plus any turbo/boost whatever. We pay more than I want to and on principle I refuse to get the bundle (don't need the phone and don't want the TV part) even though it would only cost me a few bucks more than the internet alone. Anyhow, our download speed runs between 6 and 25 MBPS depending on time of day, etc. But it is usually at least 10-12. We also keep our router updated. At any given time, we have at least 3 devices in the house on the internet and sometimes as many as 6 (xbox, multiple PCs and Roku). We have a need for speed! We don't seem to have a limit because we would surely go over it if we did. Most of the time, I would guess 80%, our Roku streams without interruption. About another 10% there are little lags that aren't bad. Then about 10% of the time, there are enough interruptions to prove aggravating and inconvenient. I would definitely consider use and what service you have available.

I replaced my cable/sat box (DirecTV) with a TiVo premier. I'm able to get all the local channels in HD for free with a standard OTA antenna (and pretty good quality too!). The TiVo premier also has Netflix, Hulo, Amazon, Blockbuster, and YouTube built right in. And through the use of a free program (Streambaby ~ http://code.google.com/p/streambaby/)I am able to stream my archived DVDs from my computer to the TiVo and keep my discs clean and secure! Yes TiVo has a monthly fee (12.99-19.99) but for local HD with DVR capabilities it's well worth it.