Roku HD review

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The Roku has been popular for quite a few years.  At first it was branded as the “Netflix Player” and has since expanded to make several channels available.  These channels are content providers like Netflix or Hulu Plus.  Roku does support Amazon’s Video on Demand, which is now freely available to paying Amazon Prime members.

I will admit I never heard of the Roku until its next generation models were released back in Fall of 2010, but since then I could not stop talking about how much I wanted to have one to call my own.  Well, that day has finally arrived.

Roku offers 3 models: HD, XD and XDS.

The Roku HD plays video up to 720p.  It supports wireless 802.11G.  The Roku XD and Roku XDS models play videos up to 1080p.  Both the XD and XDS support 802.11N, but the XDS model comes equipped with support for dual-band.  The XDS also offers a USB port for playing stored media.

Why did I choose to get the Roku HD?

I have an Xbox attached to my main television and I use that for Netflix viewing.  I will use the Roku in my home office.  The Roku HD only offers 720p viewing, however, in my home office TV is a 720p 26-inch Vizio television hooked up to rabbit ears.  I did not want to pay to lease another cable box for a TV I barely use.  Quick sidenote: HD via rabbit ears is 10 times better than the compressed garbage Comcast labels as HD.

Also, the main players like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video on Demand don’t offer streaming 1080p video.  On top of that, I have an old router.  It is a Netgear Rangemax 802.11G.  It suffices my needs and there is no urgent need to upgrade at the moment.  So, I wouldn’t benefit from the “N” or dual-band capabilities.

First impressions:

This thing is tiny!  It only weighs 7.2 ounces.  You will barely notice it on your entertainment unit.

The interface is pretty straight forward.  It is simple to add channels.  You scroll through your channels, select your option and go through that channel’s content offerings.  There are plenty of channels offered via the box and several more private channels offered through various websites.  You simply get the channel code and add it to your account.  The unfortunate thing is that this needs to be done via your browser and not through the set-top box.  The folks at Roku have been pretty flexible with developers putting their channels on the Roku Box.

The video quality leaves a lot to be desired.  I have operated the unit via Wi-Fi and Ethernet.  I have tested the unit on a Vizio 720p and a Samsung 1080p both connected using an HDMI cable.  My Xbox gives me quality 720p HD for Netflix when available utilizing the same brand HDMI cable.  The Roku gives me YouTube like quality circa 2005 for Netflix whether it be plugged directly to the modem on a bigger, higher resolution screen or wirelessly on a smaller, lower resolution screen.  It is passable, but barely.

The Verdict:

Overall, I do like the Roku for having so many content providers available.  However, if I had to do it again I might explore other options.  I had a really tough time connecting the box to my wireless network.  It took quite some time for the Roku server to respond to give me my activation code.

There are other options in the market like the Boxee Box, WDTV Live Plus, Sony SMP-N100 and Apple TV.  You can also launch certain video streaming services through Xbox, if you have a Gold account, Wii or PS3.  Many bluray players and newer televisions offer built-in network connectivity.

Do you have a Roku box?  Do you use another video streaming device?

Further reading: Cutting the cord: Your guide to canceling cable

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