Customer Reviews

Roku HD1000 High-Definition Digital Media Player

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am now on my third week with the HD1000, I believe I now can give a fair review.

My first week was spent struggling with the networking of the unit. Normally, networking is not an issue with most users, but in my particular application some tech support would have been nice. I say "would have been nice" because there is very limited effort put forward by Roku on this. Their website even states that tech support is only available via email, although they are more than happy to talk to you live, if you are placing an order. The response time is a few days, and then they tell you to call back a long-distance # - not exactly what I had in mind. Problem was solved on my own. I would not count on tech support from these guys, you are better off getting help from other users at the Roku's forum (http://www.rokulabs.com/forums/)

Picture viewing was great. My 5 mega-pixel picts looked very nice at the 1080i setting. The mp3 playback was sufficient to playback, but seemed lacking as far as playlists, control, shuffle and format. Watching pictures and listening to music at the same time is not possible with the limitation in memory, although Roku says otherwise. In order it to work, you must use a CompactFlash card as a swap drive, otherwise the system will freeze up and you will have to reboot. This hack is a comprimise for its deficiency in the memory. Although the ATI chip does suggests high performance, the 64MB (half of which is reserved for video) does not, hence the CF hack. Using the swapfile does solve all freezing issues. Plan on using one if you ever buy into the HD1000. The HD1000 then feels much more robust. It is then the perfect tool for viewing your high res pictures and a decent mp3 player. The ATI chip, the component output to 1080i video and the digital output for audio are the right tools for the job.

I believe currently the biggest problem is that the firmware development is incomplete. The video playback is virtually non-existent, as well as the advertised visualizer. This lack of development of its firmware is what is really holding back this product. The lack of firmware development is an ongoing topic of discussion at the Roku Forums, although Roku itself, does not seem to be interested in participating. I can understand why there is a lack of Roku participation in the forums on this topic, it is because there has been a lack of development in the firmware. The last firmware update was nine months ago. That's pretty bad, when you consider the fact that the product still does not do what it is supposed to. I think Roku stopped advertising the fact that the HD1000 will play back mpeg2 streams, but page 15 of the user manual still claims this a viable feature. The only support for the video playback, is through third-party software, which is really at the beta stage. You can get some playback, but there are lip-synch and control problems that are inherient with the pending firmware update. Again, until the firmware is updated, this aspect of the HD1000 is incomplete and insufficient.

Although the limited memory issue does present some problems that would be difficult to workaround, I do think that the success of the HD1000 is close at hand, but is directly dependent on the development of the firmware. I consider myself a person who hopes that Roku will truly be succesful in their endeavours, being that they are the only ones that currently support HD, use an open platform, and do not require server-side software. I just hope they focus on developing their creation and foster it into greatness, rather than obsolescence.

I suggest before buying, the consumer check the progress of the firmware update (to be announced as v1.6) on the Roku Forums at http://www.rokulabs.com/forums/ and judge for themselves. I hope to soon retract all negative comments mentioned in this post if, and when, Roku resolves these problems.

(Dec. 11)- I would like to update that the anticipated v1.6 is to be released in Decemeber 2004, but it will be a beta release. Sounds as if it may be a patch for the various bugs, but perhaps it will also have some added functionality. We will have to wait and see. Roku's CEO did state on the Roku forums, that a software cycle for this type of product is normally around 12 ~ 18 months! I am hoping that this upgrade is more than a bug fix, being that it may be a long time for another update after this one and that are a some major outstanding issues! Current software functionality and how frequent a manufacturer updates its software are aspects the buyer should definetly consider before spending the money. The Roko CEO also stated that Roku recommends that the buyer purchases their product soley on what it does today, and not what it may be able to do in the future. If that is the case, it would seem that if you are looking for a media player with functional video playback, then the HD1000 is not for you, today.

(Jan 3, 2005) The HD1000, aka the PhotoBridge, is in the process of evolving! Roku has just released the beta of v2.0. Although it is hard to believe that the current functionality of the 2.0 beta is the result of nearly a years worth of work, it is a step towards where it should be. The beta so far does seem to be primarily a bug fix with the addition of video playback functionality, although still quite limited and buggy, nothing ground-breaking (yet) - but again, a work in progress. Hence, I will update this review and modify my rating when the work is complete. Hopefully progress will be made at an exponentially faster rate! See what the update addresses and what is to come upon the official release for yourself at...

http://www.rokulabs.com/support/HD10002.0Beta.php

The HD1000 also has been upgraded hardware-wise, to address the lack of RAM. Apparently, Roku has been shipping 128MB versions (version B, opposed to the original version A with 64MB) for the last 2 months, but did put forward any communications. Good for new customers, but it sounds as if early adopters and recent customers are S.O.L. I wonder if version A owners will find their units obsolete, once apps are created requiring the 128MB. I fear that Roku will have no options for us other than offering the old Swap Hack. Personally I have concerns regarding the longevity of my Compact Flash card (used as swap disk), being that flash media has a finite cycle life.

Have had mine now for a month. Works as advertised and I am excited about continued upgrades / developments.
I purchases mine right before my 3 years olds Birthday party. Created a couple of HD resolution .jpg files saying Happy Birthday in Photoshop and mixed them in with a hundred or so pictures of my son on a CF card. Made a great little presentation on my Plasma for during the party.

Another reason I pulled the trigger on the Roku was the pass through component input with screen saver. My wife has a habit of pausing DVD's for long periods and during Christmas kept leaving the TV on Music Choice channel with static images. With my plasma TV I always warned her about burn in - now I don't have to worry about it because the Roku will take over after a set static period and put up a screen saver (or if have it set showing slide show will go to that).

I currently use it to view my digital pictures (2000+) and play digital music (just started transfering some albums to my hard drive to have instant access to). I have it connected to my computer via a wireless 802.11g bridge (2 floors away).

I agree with the previous post that for the price it would have been nice to include wireless access out of the box. However, for $30-$40 you can add one of the very small USB 802.11b adapters (which also require no other wires) and be up and running with the Roku on your wireless network.

Since I now have the Roku on my network I don't use the memory cards all that much. However, they still are nice for when you take some digital pictures and want to see them right away.

On my wish list (and supposedly coming) is support for .VOB files to play DVDs. Will be great to have a bunch of my kids favorite movies available to play at a moments notice.

The promise of the HD1000 is high, but unfortunately it doesn't pay off. Setting up the unit to recognize your network and the individual shares is fairly complex and requires a level of knowledge greater than your average home user possesses. Unfortunately, technical support is done only by email and then at a snail's pace. Assuming you finally get the HD1000 to work, it fulfills most of the basic tasks it is advertised as capable of. It does display digital images from your network or inserted memory media. And it does play mp3 off of your network shares well, though the menu navigation is extremely slow and cumbersome. That is about it. If you are hoping to play any other type of media file from your computer, such as .mpg .avi .wma .mov, you'll will be severely disappointed. The advertised Mpeg2 support, advertised on the unit's packaging no less, does not exist in any form one could reasonably expect. If you want to play mpeg2 you must first download a beta application from Roku, then download a 3rd party utility, encapsulate the existing file to the streaming .ts format, and then maybe if you're lucky you might get to view the file.
Basically the Roku HD1000 is a product that is half-finished with no indications from the company on whether or not there will be upgrades in the future. In the final analysis the only task it performs well is displaying digital images. If it's mp3 playback you're looking for I'd think about another product first. As for the elegant all in one media player we were all hoping for, perhaps Roku will be able to deliver in the next iteration of the product. For now the Roku HD1000 it is a must skip.

This unit provides a quality media player for the high-end AV officianado. It does not try to be everything to everyone -- it does its job and it does it well. It focuses on the delivery of your personal digital content to your HD-based AV system. It does not play DVD's, it does not attempt to funnel high-bandwidth HD-quality media through a wireless connection that may not meet the speed requirements for video, nor does it try to force you to one media format like so many other media players. In the same vein, it does not exclude you from doing anything you'd like through its support of pass-through component signals, a wide variety of memory card formats, integrated Ethernet with support for external WiFi adapters, the use of standard file services on your servers, and standard MPEG2, JPEG, and MP3 & playlist support (NOT some vendors' proprietary or DRM-restricted file format!)

As if the HD1000 doesn't come with enough features today, the open-source nature of this device allows for a lot of future software features and upgrades from RokuLabs, 3rd party developers, and hobbyists. The ability to connect to any kind of server with no specialized server software required is a big plus in my book. The included ability to easily script your own programs in the simple language included can make for some great custom scenes on your HD display with corresponding soundtracks; if that's not enough, a full-blown C/C++ SDK is in the works for the diehard hobbyist. The future of this unit is wide-open!

The sleek, clean design looks even better in person than the online photos lead you to believe. The remote control is simple and easy to use, as is the user interface. The wealth of connections on the back are clearly labeled (even without my reading glasses!) and leave enough room for fingers to plug and unplug cables.

This is the device I've been waiting for, and I've confirmed that desire with actual hands-on testing -- it's definitely on my xmas list!

I'm relatively tech savy and this item requires very little technical capability to use and setup. But, the remote responsiveness is slow. On the other hand, the picture quality is fantastic. The biggest problem for me is the rudimentary software. While the other players lack HD they have much, and I mean much more robust interfaces that are mostly stable. The roku is slow to respond, only offers one way to look at mp3's. Video capability is barely there. Photos are ok but again the slideshow capabilities are minimal. The functional capability is so low on the scale that this item isn't even on the radar screen. Reviews that say otherwise are being very generous. If you need HD this may be your only choice, but seriously consider that need.
Addendum: the software may have been updated since I tried this product in May.

This is a very well executed product.

After using the Prismiq MediaPlayer for six months (which I have now sold off on ebay), this is a godsend. Even my wife can now use the Roku HD1000.

* Component Video Output of upto 1080i (this is a plus for me as I have an HDTV, although this may not be an important feature to you if you do not have HDTV) -- finally some justice done to my digital photos. Actually, the UI is more readable as well because of the higher resolution.

* Very good UI, although some some features (better playlist navigation, auto-playlists or sort by artist/album/genre etc) are desperately needed.

* Open platform, SDK is freely available. Opens door for 3rd-party developers

* No special server software needed, other than SMB file sharing.

* The company engineers (including the CEO) seems to be listening to the customers and coming up with useful feature updates.

* The only negative feature is its price. At $500, it seems a bit too expensive.

High-Resolution HDTV output looks fantastic, for both pictures and
menus. MP3 player displays ID3 tags and can play in the background
while you do other things (like watch a slideshow). The user
interface is clean, minimalist, and easy to use. It finds shared
content on networked drives and inserted flash cards and they appear
in the user interface automatically. Unlike the competition, it
requires no proprietary server software: just plug it in and you are
ready to go. And it costs about the same as competing products, but
none of them provide HDTV output.

The only drawback is that the remote responsiveness is slightly worse
than other electronics, though programming a learning remote from the
supplied remote makes it better.

I bought the Roku HD1000 so that I could display digital photos in HD on my TV. I was not disappointed. In fact, the results were outstanding! If you use a memory stick, SD card, or compact flash disk, the setup couldn't be easier.

If you want to get files from your PC over a network things get more complicated. Not complicated in a technology sense, but in a user interface sense. You need to do a bunch of clicking to get things set up.

If you want to play music from your computer, the interface becomes a hassle. You end up browsing through a hierarchy of folders to find the song you want, and it's basically not worth the trouble.

I already own an Audiotron, which does for music what the Roku does for photos, and it's so much easier to use that the Roku will be a photo-only device for me. The Audiotron saves you the endless folder browsing by automatically searching the entire network for music, and then organizing it for you. It allows you to very quickly choose music by artist, album name, song title, or genre. The Roku could do with a lot of improvement in this area.

The irony is that if the Roku had been billed as being for photos only, I'd have given it 5 stars. It's really the only game in town if you want high definition photo display on a TV, and it's terrific! For trying to be a video and music solution as well, and being poor to fair in those categories, I deduct a star. If you want a solution for music or video, buy something else.

The Photobridge is a nice product if you are looking for a bridge device between your PC and your HDTV. The product is of the most use with the 2.x "beta" version of the software and a couple of third party applications called Mplay and SlimRoku. It takes a healthy understanding of computers to get this device working, and with the above software and a 100Mb network connection there is little this device wont do. If you really want good information I would recommend looking at the forums on www.rokulabs.com and look under the Third Party applications topic for the Photobridge.

I had high hopes for this unit and quicky discoverd it ain't what I'm loking for. For starters, the company openly states their goal as being to use their consumer electronics products as simple proof-of-concept products to highlight what the hardware and softare can do. They're not their to provide end-solutions - they're an OEM manufacturerer. That justifies the beta software, which I installed and ended up frying my machine, so it's going back tomorrow. Also keep in mind that it's a shell with bare-bones functionality, and you're expected to downlaod and run a thrird party app to actually mke it run, There are 2 or 3 available, but that's a lot less palatable than having the functiomality built it.

Good Luck!'