Can Roku Replace Cable TV Service? - Comments Page 1

If Roku will add Youtube and Redbox then all would be well in our world. We now get youtube on a Bluray DVD player. We would drop $100 plus satellite tv and only add off the air for locals.

I've never had cable tv because of the monthly charge adding up to beaucoup bucks very quickly; always gone with no-extra-cost plain vanilla. And sure, this does limit my options for eyeball entertainment - at present only 3 series on "regular" digital tv entice me to couch-sit. Bob, this product sounds WAY too good to be true. Can I really pay once, hook it up, get more channels, use it with my laptop to see photos and play CDs, and greatly increase my access to movies? What is the downside? I just reread your article and don't see one.

I have had a Roku for many years and last year bought a second one. Now I am ready to replace my original (which doesn't even have a port for HDMI) and get the new Roku 3.

You were correct in your article that it depends on usage. I use Roku to supplement the cable. I don't have any movie channels (HBO, etc.) but I do have Hulu Plus, Netflix, and I get Amazon Prime movies as an 'added' benefit to the Amazon Prime membership for the fast 2 day shipping. So I use the Roku primarily for those, plus only 5 or 6 other channels that I enjoy.

There's too much on cable that I watch that is not available anywhere else. So I can't see, for myself, having the Roku replace cable.

Roku has really increased the kind of entertainment I enjoy. I use it along with my Amazon Prime and have hundreds of free movies and TV shows to choose from. I enjoy being able to pick which PBS shows I want to watch instead of what is being currently broadcast. I also enjoy watching TV shows that are a few years old of either series I missed or that I enjoyed and now miss. (I could watch more current shows by paying.) By using Amazon Prime, there are no commercials and generally no cost. I also enjoy college lectures.

Roku cannot replace my cable service until there is a way to stream LIVE cable news channels: MSNBC, CNN, Fox, CNBC. Imagine trying to follow a breaking news story with no live news coverage.

I've had Roku since it first came out and currently use the Roku2 XS. I'm very close to cutting the cord (direcTV). With the add on channel PlayOn, there is really only ONE channel that I can't get on my Roku! Yes, it weighs heavily on me that I'm paying so much for ONE channel, but it's the channel that I watch my baseball team on and MLB isn't worth the money since you can't watch your local teams on it. Hence my dilemma!

I recently bought the Roku 3. I also own an older Roku HD. The 3 is a welcome step up in speed and stability. I've often had to reboot the HD unit after freezing. I've yet to experience a freeze with the 3. The new homescreen is far easier to navigate as well. I've heard that some models below the 3 will get the new homescreen via update, but have yet to check for recent updates on the HD unit. Quite satisfied with the Roku media hubs, especially for the price. Highly recommended.

What about using it in Canada ? does it include a masking IP adress service or a proxy from USA ? Netflix from Canada is very limited compared to the USA one, and last time I checked, Fox is not accessible at all, and so are many more internet channels. I have to use a proxy on my computer to access all the USA content. Does Roku has the same limitations if used in Canada ?

Most of the DSL/Cable companies have a cap on streaming video before they start charging. I was wondering how many megabytes is the average one hour show? Thanks

I really enjoy my roku (I have the 2XD) it enabled me to dump my HBO premium DirecTV "service" - it enables me to interrupt what I am watching and pick it up later. I would like to know more about the sports option because the only reason I have kept DirecTV's basic service is I enjoy watching live sports events.

Go ROKU!

I dropped cable years ago in favor of a Terk antenna, and eventually Roku/Netflix combo. I'm on my second Roku. Since I an not a sports viewer, this combo has worked well for my wife and I. We both like movies and the Roku channels (apps?) fill the bill rather well. Some of the free movie channels inject commercials, but they don't seem to have edited the movie content to fit a time frame like on commercial TV. Streaming tech podcasts, internet radio, all on Demand. So subscriptions to Netflix and my DSL fee, plus OTA feed works for us.

In general we have been pleased with the Roku box, primarily for watching Netflix. We also use the box to show our own photographs or videos to friends. When we do that we plug a card or portable hard drive on the USB connection. We have had an issue doing the latter, which I don't understand and perhaps someone can help. Often I integrate digital pictures from different sources and to get the ordering correct, I rename each .jpg so it appears in the correct order on my laptop file directory and when I run the slide show there. Somehow when I shift to the Roku, the pictures don't appear in the correct order anymore. That is frustrating. Is there something I am doing wrong?

Yep, got a roku a couple years ago for Christmas and I love it. Have Netflix on it as well as a couple of the geeky channels. I mostly watch the Netflix movies but my son loves the TV shows on it. Although I believe they are a season behind on most of those multi-season shows it doesn't seem to bother him. He can sit and watch 3-4 episodes in a row and of course the really cool thing is, there are no commercials. You have to love that. (He is currently fixated on the Dr. Who shows from the BBC)I did try Hulu for a short time, but wasn't really interested in much of their programming and Crackel, although free is supported by commercials, so that lasted all of about 2 shows before I found that too annoying. Haven't really tried any of the other "pay for programming" so even though I am only using a small part of the roku's ability I really enjoy it. (when my sons is not on it)

For me the biggest reason to stick with cable or, for me, Dish Network, is the ability to record shows and skip over the commercials. To my knowledge, you can't do this with Roku. Anyone have any ideas about this?

I like Roku. I really do. I watch as many hours using Roku as I do cable, but it will never replace cable in my home!

I live in an area where there is no free "over the air" television. Stick an antenna on top of the house and I can occasionally receive 2 stations from over 100 miles away. Unfortunately, the digital signal is so weak, that it cannot be watched.

So what do I watch on cable that cannot be watched using my Roku (or simply the internet, itself)? I watch local and national news from the networks and from local stations ... this is not on the internet. I watch my favorite sports teams, (which are on the internet, but require a fee or subscription to watch --- and since I live within the area for which they have television rights, even with a subscription, I cannot see them live over the internet ... I would have to watch them on a delayed basis). No, I will continue to have cable tv in my home. Roku does not suffice.

Bob, you neglected to mention the Roku Model 2 XS which has both wireless and Ethernet capabilities (it also includes a gaming controller and Angry Birds). Refurbished models are available for around US$59.99 at present; that price will likely drop as the Model 3 takes hold in the marketplace.

My wife and I find Roku convenient. It allows us to watch many TV programs and movies from Netflix without having to wait for the disk to arrive in the mail.

The only downside is that not all TV shows and movies are available for streaming via Roku. The result is that about half of our queue is available for streaming and for the other half we must wait for the disk to be sent through the mail.

I haven't gone the Roku route yet for one main reason: as far as I can tell, you can't watch TV programs until a certain period of time after the air date. It seems to vary depending on the network.

Interesting article. However, you help us to pronounce Roku with the two words 'row koo'. Is the 'row' part pronounced as in 'I row a boat' or is it as in 'I had a row with my wife'. Thanks as ever for your series of helpful postings.

Gee, no YouTube, I watch mostly my youtube subscriptions and if I changed from Apple TV to Roku I would really really miss you tube. Why is it that YouTube is not supported? Another terrific feature on AppleTV if one has an IPad is mirroring, where the IPad screen display is WIFI-ed to the TV monitor by the AppleTV box. Nice when you wish to discuss web content in a living room setting.