Roku

I got a Roku box from the store about a week ago and I wanted to chat about it because I have been playing on it since I got it. Roku is basically a modem for your TV that allows you to watch online "channels" like Crackle, Netflix, and Hulu+. All you do to connect it is plug it in, connect the box to your TV set, and connect it to your wi-fi network. It should find your network automatically, as long as you have wi-fi.

I had some issues getting it setup because I did not know my router's password which was apparently installed by the manufacturer. However once I got over that hurdle and got Roku connected, I was dismayed to find it had so few options. This was before I discovered the Channel Store, which I avoided for the first few days because I assumed everything would cost me something. Actually, most of the channels are free, you just have to install them. If you are particular about order, then you want to install them in the order in which you want them to appear, because there is no way to reorder your channel guide once it is set.

All told, I spent about $10.00 buying channels and renting movies. I got the movies from Amazon at $2.99 and paid just under $5.00 for two public domain channels. Recurring costs doubled only because I subscribed to Hulu+, which I have been talking about doing for some time now anyway (I already have Netflix streaming). Still, even if you add the Internet bill to the mix, I am spending far less than I would with cable or satellite.

The major criticism I have is that there are so few playthrough options; you have to manually select almost everything you want to watch. Hulu+ has an autoplay feature, but it is limited and does not continue for very long. This is a pain in the neck, especially considering the fact that Hulu+ also includes commercials in their programs. There do appear to be some options, but I haven't had the device long enough yet to explore them all.

Maybe Roku is not the answer to home entertainment, but for an On Demand service I find it hard to beat. While you sometimes want to just relax and let a programming director choose what you watch while your mind wanders, it is great to be able to control exactly what you want to see when you want to see it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012