Can Roku Replace Cable TV Service? - Comments Page 2

It's pronounced "ROH-koo" As in "ROH your boat to shore to hear the pigeons koo."

@Lorraine: The 'downside' is that if you're gonna do all that from your laptop then you don't even NEED the ROKU device. Save your money and just subscribe to the services you want; in fact I recommend (to you and anyone else) to just try Hulu.com for FREE (for ever) (not Hulu Plus, which is $8/mth) instead and see if you get what you want there.
Hulu.com has a LOT of TV shows (current: usually 8 days after aired on TV, and previous seasons) and even OLD TV series and BBC shows, and a LOT of movies available FOR FREE. I've been watching, happily, since April 2010. No regrets, never joined Hulu Plus or Netflix. :o)

My wife and I once rowed a boat together, actually it was a canoe, pronounced ka-new. I'm not really sure if wife and I ever had a 'row', but if we did, I'm sure I'd never hear the end of it, I think.

One big limitation not mentioned so far is the very flaky delivery of TED. This has some amazingly good content but is frequently almost unwatchable.
Agreed that a local news feed and YouTube would be ideal.

If you are undecided as whether or not a Roku will provide the desired tv content, you can access via the internet on your existing computer any programming that it can provide. the roku simply provides it on your big screen tv.
check out Bob's articles on "internet tv on your computer" for more info.
I've noticed more and more channels being restricted, the latest is espn3 :(

I've got Roku3. I subscribe to Netflix streaming, and I have an Amazon Prime membership. I don't have cable and I'm not inclined to watch cable news or most sports, so I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I have a Leaf antenna if I want to watch antenna TV or local programming, which is an extremely rare urge.

Netflix streaming usually requires waiting to see shows, but if I want to watch something running currently, Amazon nearly always has it. I quickly became addicted to watching every episode of a show back to back with no commercials.

I have both a Roku (two years old) and a Boxee Box and actually prefer the Boxee. I got a wireless keyboard with extended range and I can actually surf the web while sitting on the couch. The Boxee displays almost anything that can be seen on a regular PC plus it has all or most of the Apps that Roku comes with too.

In general I have been pleased with Roku, but I haven't cut off cable because I still use the cable company for internet and landline phone service, and dropping just the TV service doesn't really reduce the bill very much.

Hmmmm
I thinks it assimilates the Japanese pronounciation as in roo koo

If Roku requires a broadband internet connection, how can I "cut the cable"?

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can drop your TV subscription, but not your Internet.

Can I have Roku3 and basic Direct TV service hooked up to my TV at the same time and both be operable?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, you just select the appropriate input with your remote.

There's a Roku app called VideoBuzz that offers a way to watch YouTube. There's also a phone app called TwonkyBeam.....install on your phone and go to YouTube, find what you want to watch, and the app can beam the video to your Roku and TV.

I have very bad experiences with any kind of streaming devices. I have windows xp pro PC with 3.5 GHZ with a 500 GB hard drive and 4GB memory also have diskeeper to take care of defragmenting all the time and i have the maximum internet speed by comcast but let me tell you...
these streaming movies freeze every 10 to 15 seconds so you are watching a series of play-pause-play-pause.... thru the entire movie and I
don't have any doubts tha this Roku will behave the same unless you have a $2000 pc with quadcore turbo intel with 20 gb memory but the average pc is not build for streaming.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Herb, the streaming boxes don't use your PC at all. They connect to directly to your internet router. Sounds like your streaming issues are a function of a spotty internet connection, and not your PC.

Have had Roku for a little over a year now and am very happy. I'm not a TV junkie so Roku provides all the entertainment I could ever want. And the price is right. It sure beats paying for a lot cable channels that I would never watch. My Internet service is excellent so I have no problem with streaming music or watching movies/shows.

One happy camper!

I gave up cable ($90.00/month) and bought a Roku 2XD two years ago and have not regretted that decision. I also purchased an antennae ($89.00) to pick up over-the-air channels (many in true HD). With my Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions, my total monthly outlay is about $16.00.

As for the content, I can access almost anything I want to access. Many current shows are available over the air, movies are plentiful, and if I want any sports package, for a price, I can have that too. There are also sources for educational and niche content. And, one feature that the Roku has that some of the other "boxes" don't is the ability to search across all its content providers.

One other consideration is the ability to go back and watch a TV series that perhaps you missed while it was running in prime time. I recently watched the series, "Lost" and probably had a much better experience than those who watched it "live". For example, I could watch several episodes back to back when I had time.

I think cable is a dying breed and will continue to decline in popularity as products and services like Roku become better and better.

I really like ROKU ,, but there is ONE BIG PROBLEM ,, Most Internet Providers have a LIMIT !! to how much TV that you can watch ..

They Never tell you UNTIL you start getting a SPECIAL Add On Cost BECAUSE you have used more than the PRE SET LIMIT of 500GB or more DEPENDING on what their USAGE LIMIT really is .

I really HATE finding out that a Internet Provider has Built In USAGE LIMITS !!

Are there any Internet Providers that are really UNLIMITED for their Internet USAGE . ????

I am Disabled and I am ONLINE almost 24-7 either Browsing , Sending Emails , Chatting with Friends , and or Watching Netflix or Downloading Music Files .

CNET stated that the Roku 3 does accommodate YouTube, can anybody out there verify that it does? (without a work around)
I'm also curious about monthly data limits for ISP's. At 6 GB's or so per hour of HDTV, one could exceed a 500 GB per month limit rather quickly if the internet is the sole signal source.
I'm guessing, but I'd wager that ISP's do have a limit just as "unlimited" phone service providers do.

@chris_chilson YES! The Roku3 now finally has an official YouTube channel which works very well IMHO. It allows you to also use the Youtube app on your portable device and then send it to be displayed on your TV. I use my Nexus 7 tablet's YouTube app to send videos to the Roku3's YouTube channel which then displays it on the TV.

Searching YouTube content using the Roku remote is kind of clunky (scroll to the letter than click the OK button, repeat) which is why they have allowed us to use portable devices.

With official YouTube support I feel that the Roku 3 is the best streaming device by far.

If I subscribed to HULU or Netflix or Amazon Prime...the TV shows on ABC, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central...are they current...same shows as I'd be watching on Cable? or previous seasons etc.?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Netflix and Amazon are for movies. Hulu Plus will give you on-demand access to both current and past seasons of many TV shows.

I am a TV junkie. Currently have Dish paying $100/mo! Never streamed anything ever and are considering buying a Roku and signing up with HULU, cancelling Dish. I have basic internet with Time Warner. I love the idea but worry there's something negative I'm not seeing. Like a max on internet usage? what? Scared to pull the trigger. Any advice or a direction I should research? I watch all things from Walking Dead to Wives with Knives to the Mindy Project. Can't miss my shows! Thanks