Post by AnthonaI may buy this unit mainly cause someone said that it could make u get
rid of your cables bills, which are annually increased. The little
that i was able to find out was that u can connect it to your TV via
Broadband, you have to subscribe to various sites in order to enjoy
it. ..ie...Netflix, and some others of names that escape me. So where
does the money saved come in? Certain areas for TV channels and yet
you don't know if some of your favorite channels are included. I do
have Netflix, which i am not too crazy about to begin with...and they
don't show channels. Besides they just announced that they are
increasing their rates this coming Jan. 2011...and so are all the
others...it never stops. Is there a definitive way to see what
channels are available with this unit? I read some reviews that they
were very pleased with it and some of them got rid of their cable
companies.
It would take much too long to fully answer your inquiry. Basically,
Roku offers access to a large number of media source outlets, some of
them free, some by monthly subscription, and some by pay per view. None
of them, with the possible exception of Hulu Plus (which we are not
interested in and cannot fully describe) offer the full schedule of any
one TV broadcast or cable/satellite station or network. Rather, those
that offer TV shows provide selected programs from the full schedule,
often a list that slides forward in time from week to week. Those that
do not offer TV shows from the usual broadcast and/or cable/satellite
channels offer independently produced (usually amateur) products,
usually similar to what you will find on youtube. One advantage of
accessing those media outlets, either with a Roku or other device that
enables access to them (some DVD players and some flat-screen TVs) is
that you can view those programs on demand - on your schedule.
I recommend that you make yourself a mug of your favorite beverage, get
an extra cushion for the seat you use in front of your computer, and
surf to the Roku web site which, between internal links and external
links to partners, will provide you with full information about what
media can be accessed with a Roku player.
As far as cost is concerned, it all depends upon how broad your
viewing/listening preferences are and how much you want to listen to
internet audio channels via your TV's audio system versus your
computer's audio system. If you do a very large percentage of viewing
from only a few channels or outlets, and those programs are available on
outlets (Roku calls them "channels") that Roku offers, the typical
monthly subscription costs (for those outlets that are not free) is only
about $9/mo. The one time charge for the Roku will be equal to or less
than 1 month of cable/satellite service. So, for $10-$30/mo, you might
be able to watch almost all or even all of what you now find yourself
paying $60+/mo for with cable/satellite. On the other hand, if you
really enjoy a large number of programs on many different channels, you
may not be satisfied with what Roku offers and may not save $. Some of
the "channels" available on a Roku can also be watched/listened to
directly on your PC. Others are only there to enable access to a
sign-up code to enter into your Roku and you must use the Roku to access
the content. It differs from "channel" to "channel."
Personally, we are very positive about Netflix. We enjoy watching a lot
of non-first run movies and British TV specials and series that are not
available either on cable channels or at local DVD rental stores.
Besides, we watch the DVD the day we receive it and put it back in the
mail the next morning. We average 9 DVDs rented/month for our $9
monthly subscription. Try to do that at other DVD rental outlets. More
and more Netflix offerings are now available to watch by streaming over
the internet, no limit, at no additional charge. Therefore, if we want
to see something that streams, we can watch on Roku (looks a lot nicer
on a 42" HDTV than on a 17" CRT PC monitor) and select only
non-streaming selections to be mailed to us. It enables us to watch
approx 16 Netflix selections/mo for our $9. For us, it is an excellent
entertainment value.
Your personal lifestyle and entertainment preferences may not yield the
same value for you. Hope this helps.