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Roku SD Player

by Roku
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)


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Roku HD Streaming Player Roku HD Streaming Player 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,329)
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Product Features

  • Start watching movies on your TV in seconds using your high-speed Internet connection
  • Instantly plays the entire Netflix Instant Watch library with your Netflix membership - no additional subscription cost required
  • Plays DVD-quality video on any TV
  • Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) as well as wired internet connectivity
  • Sets up in 5 minutes

Product Information

Technical Details
Brand NameRoku
Item Weight1 pounds
Product Dimensions5 x 5 x 1.8 inches
Item model numberN1050
  
Additional Information
ASINB002U6EWPG
Shipping Weight2 pounds
ShippingThis item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
Date First AvailableOctober 24, 2009
  
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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Roku player instantly delivers HD-quality movies and TV shows directly to your TV over the Internet. The affordable Roku player is compact, easy to set up and intuitive to use.

  • roku box in handMore than 50,000 titles are currently available from Amazon Instant Video and Netflix, with many available in HD. 

  • The Wall Street Journal, CNET, WIRED, and other publications have given the Roku player overwhelmingly positive reviews.

  • For even better audio and video using the Roku player with your HDTV, home theater or A/V receiver, look for the Roku digital video player plus premium cable pack.

Watch Netflix Movies and TV Episodes Instantly

Netflix instant streaming ready Netflix members can now easily access over 12,000 movies and TV shows – including some new releases and hundreds of options in HD – instantly from Netflix over the internet. Netflix members can watch as much as they want and as often as they want without paying more or impacting the number of DVDs they receive. Start watching movies and TV episodes instantly in as little as 30 seconds.

netflix logo
Roku Player is Netflix Members' #1 Rated Streaming Device
If you are like most Netflix customers and on a Netflix Unlimited plan (any plan that costs $8.99 a month or more), there are no limits to how much you can watch instantly. You can watch as much as you want. There is no extra charge for online viewing, and of course you still get DVDs by mail.
netflix on computer
Fill Your Instant Queue
Use the Netflix site to browse a growing library of over 12,000+ instant movies and TV episodes – including hundreds in HD. Place choices in your Instant Queue, add more whenever you want, and keep them as long as you like.
       
netflix on tv
Choose and Watch on your TV
From your couch, use your remote to browse your Instant Queue and choose something to watch. Pause, fast-forward, rewind, or watch a favorite over and over — just like owning a DVD.


Specifications

  • Networking:  Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support; 10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • Video Outputs: Composite video, S-Video, Component video (Y/Pb/Pr), HDMI
  • Video Modes: 16:9 HD (720p), 16:9 anamorphic (480p), 4:3 standard (480i)
  • Audio Output: Stereo (L/R RCA), Digital Optical (Toslink), Digital over HDMI
  • Remote Control: NEC protocol, supported by various universal remotes
  • Power Input: 5V, 1.5A provided by included AC adapter
  • Power Consumption: 5 watts peak, 3 watts in standby
  • Size: 5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)
  • Weight: 11 oz (300 grams)

Product Description

With built-in Wi-Fi, Roku SD Player is the easiest way to stream instant movies and shows from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video directly to your TV. Now at our most affordable price ever, the SD Player comes with everything you need to access a world of great entertainment on your terms including the FREE Roku Channel Store to access even more shows, music, and more instantly to your TV.  No wonder Roku is Netflix members' top rated streaming player.


Customer Reviews

Very easy to use. P. OConnell  |  29 reviewers made a similar statement
The Roku was easy to set up. Jenny Giorno  |  22 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
221 of 228 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Movie lovers rejoice!! December 26, 2009
A few months back when my husband had started talking about the Roku box, I admittedly thought it would be a big waste of money. We aren't TV watchers and thus have lived on basic cable for years, but we do have our dedicated "movie nights" where we routinely enjoy watching movies together. We've had Netflix for about 6 years now and we've never gone back to traditional rentals. I thought our unlimited DVD rentals from Netflix was all we needed. It can't get any easier than picking a movie and having it show up at your door two days later, right?

I was wrong. ;)

Since we have jumped on the Roku bandwagon, I've gotten a lot of questions from others around me who are now considering the purchase. I find there is a lot of confusion about what exactly the Roku does, so here we go. The Roku box streams media (movies, TV series, podcasts, music, etc) to your TV in real time. You don't need a Netflix subscription for it to work, but it hugely enhances the enjoyment of the Roku box as it is undoubtedly the most popular feature of the device. With your basic unlimited Netflix subscription (beginning at $8.99/mo or $7.99/mo if you only want the Starz Play streaming media with no DVD option) you have unlimited access to watching streaming videos on your TV at any time of day or night. All you need is a TV (of any kind, new or old) and an internet connection. Cable or DSL is required for good performance of the streaming media. I wouldn't try this on dial-up. You can set it up via traditional ethernet cables or set it up on your wireless network in minutes.

One thing I've noticed in talking with people is that a lot of people may already have a compatible streaming device in their home and not realize it. If you own a PS3, Xbox 360 or Tivo, you can stream Netflix to your TV and you do not need to buy the Roku. Rumors of it coming to the Wii are on the horizon but are not confirmed, to my knowledge. Also, some select Blu-ray players and internet connected HD TVs are compatible as well. Check with Netflix for more information. Again, you do not need to buy the Roku if you already have one of these devices in your home!

The other main feature of the Roku is the ability to stream Amazon on-demand. If you have ever purchased a movie on Pay-per-view, Amazon on-demand will seem instantly familiar. You can rent movies digitally and stream them to your Roku (or other compatible device) any time for a fraction of the cost of your typical Pay-per-view movie. Amazon's digital rentals range in price from $0.99 to $3.99 for newer releases. Each rental has a specific rental time. Some you can enjoy and watch as many times as you like for a full 7 days and others for 24 hours. You also have the option to purchase media this way which is usually the same price or less than what you would pay for the DVD. This allows you to stream it any time and as many times as you like until the end of time. Without taking up shelf space! Pretty nice. You are also able to download it to your PC and/or portable media device for enjoyment on the go. You can download it as many times as you like. As long as you have your Amazon account, Amazon will remember what titles you have purchased and you will have access to it forever. It works just like Amazon's MP3 downloads.

The lesser known features of the Roku include instant access to 12 additional channels which include (in addition to Netflix and Amazon on-demand), MLB.com, MotionBox, MediaFly, Blip.TV, Twit.TV, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Frame Channel, Flickr, Mobile Tribe, and my absolute favorite, Pandora. If you have an account at Pandora.com, it takes seconds to link it to your Roku and start enjoying your music channels instantly. The Roku also supports different Pandora accounts if you have the need. Being able to listen to Pandora on our beautiful surround sound setup any time of the day or night is blissful. My 4-year-old's favorite feature, aside from the plethora of children's titles available on Netflix instant play, is the MediaFly channel which streams 5,000+ audio and video podcasts. Among them, two of my son's favorite video podcasts, Ultra Kawaii and Sesame Street. You have the ability to add your favorites to a list that you can quickly access at any time. My husband is in love with the Twit.TV channel which streams all of their internet shows, including This Week in Tech. The Flickr channel also has a really neat feature that showcases random artistic photos and is actually quite interesting to watch and is never the same. There is really something for everyone in this growing library of channels and it is far more than I expected from the Roku.

Being the new spokesperson for Roku (I kid ;), I also hear a lot of concerns of TVs not being compatible with the Roku. No one should be concerned with this because the Roku ships with all cables needed to hook up to any TV, new or old. If you don't have an HD TV, you might be purchasing the SD version which will connect to any TV with the standard red, white and yellow cables. If you do own an HD TV, you will receive both an HDMI cable and the standard red, white and yellow, just in case. The same goes for the HD-XR version. As far as compatibility goes, there should be no reason that everyone can't have a Roku box, regardless of their type of TV.

In the same vein as the prior concern, there seems to be worry from the less than tech savvy movie lovers out there, fearing setup will be complicated and frustrating. Not so. Roku is able to hook up to your router via a standard ethernet cable or link seamlessly with your existing wireless network in a matter of minutes. Anyone can set this up and avoid frustration completely. It's very straightforward and simple and the onscreen prompts will guide you the entire time.

Now that we know what the Roku can do, I'm sure you want to know, does it actually DO them? Absolutely, YES! Obviously with the SD version, you will be viewing in SD, but the HD and HD-XR Rokus stream HD beautifully. We read some reviews that recommended using the wired ethernet connection to avoid hiccups during viewing, but we have had none whatsoever with our wireless network running on a cable internet connection. I would suggest trying the wireless first as it takes only minutes to do and requires no additional hardware, and if you have problems (which I tend to doubt) you can go the ethernet route. It should not be necessary as long as the Roku is within reasonable range of your router. Keep this in mind when choosing where to set up your Roku.

Navigation of the Roku menus is extremely simple and intuitive. There are your four directional buttons, select, home, and your standard fast forward, rewind and pause/play. I love the simplicity of this remote as our remote collection contains numerous remotes with countless confusing buttons that I have never even used. Don't be fooled by it's looks, however, because this remote is all you need to quickly and effectively access all of the Roku's features. I also wanted to point out that if you lose your remote and you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can download an app that acts as a remote for your Roku. Sweet!!

Last but not least, you need to carefully consider which Roku you purchase. As nice as it would be to have an all-in-one box which includes all features at one price, currently you have to choose from three versions: the SD, HD and HD-XR. To put it plainly, they ALL have the same exact features. The only difference being the SD is limited to streaming only SD content, the HD can stream all HD and SD content, and the HD-XR can stream all HD and SD content and also includes an as of yet unused USB port (maybe for an external hard drive in the future?) and the ability to link with your "N" network. Given that the price difference is marginal, I would probably grab the next best up from what you are currently needing. If you have any intention at all at any point in the near or distant future to buy an HD TV, get the HD version. It's $20 more and you will spend much more than that getting a new box if you ever do get a new TV. Also, if you are at all enticed by the possibility of having an external hard drive to play all your own media, get the HD-XR. It's not been said what they intend to do with this USB port, but I think it seems fairly obvious what their plans are for it. You may not want to invest the money in a feature that is not yet supported, however. I do think it's a bit cheap to charge $30 more for a feature that should have been standard on all versions, but it is what it is.

In the end, if you love movies and like to save money, you will not be disappointed with the Roku. You will never have to visit a rental store or buy a pay-per-view rental ever again! And you may even save a nice chunk of change from canceling some channels that will now become obsolete with your new toy. If you are at all on the fence, rest assured that you will get your money's worth from this device. It's worth every penny.
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94 of 101 people found the following review helpful
I previously had Netflix but I canceled it because I was tired of waiting for DVDs in the mail, I didn't think that I was really getting my full money's worth and could probably get a better deal renting from RedBox locations. But, when the folks at Netflix mentioned that there are "Netflix-ready" devices out there that could allow you to play their "instant" movies, I was intrigued. I have an older Mac laptop at home and I wasn't able to play their instant movies on it (only Intel-based Macs can do that). And, I was never really happy with watching TV shows or movies from other networks like ABC or NBC on that computer anyway. The lag-time is too long and the images were choppy and usually inconsistent. It just feels weird to watch stuff on computers. Besides, my legs would get too hot from the laptop sitting on them. So, deciding to give these Netflix-ready devices a try, I re-upped my Netflix subscription for $8.99/month (the cheapest plan for UNLIMITED instant viewing) and ordered this Roku box thing (By the way, Roku is the word for "six" in Japanese--whatever that means. Perhaps because the box has six sides? Who knows?) Anyway, I remember waiting anxiously everyday until it arrived at my doorstep. (You should know that my wife thought I was crazy for spending money on something that I had no idea how worked). But man, oh man! She got quiet and got to smiling really quick! Was it ever worth the wait!!! Please understand, I do not work for Netflix or Roku, so get that out of your head. I teach middle school. I am just a regular Joe that loves to watch movies. This thing is like having a several thousand item DVD collection right inside your living room. The quality of movies is amazing (like DVDs - except there's no subtitle option, which I like reading sometimes) and there is no delay in the image at all (at least on my directly-connected AT&T DSL service). What an amazing new invention! If you wait to get this thing, you will be missing out on a major addition to modern technology that I know will be as common as the remote control in a few short years. I love it!!! And, when you add movies or TV shows to your Netflix instant queue, you don't have to watch them one at a time. You can cycle through your choices, just like spinning a wheel--a poster image of the movie or program appears on-screen. All you have to do is stop on the choice that interests you at any given time. When you pause or stop watching, you can resume viewing at the exact same spot whenever you want. Dude, I am rushing through this review just so that I can get back to watching my movies again. Many other companies and services are being added as time goes by thanks to Roku's new "Channels" feature. Through your TV, you can view Facebook photos, listen to Pandora internet radio, view or listen to your favorite Podcasts, and sooooo many other things. So, don't be left out!!! Roku seriously rocks!

FINAL NOTE: (For those of you who were concerned) As of 12/4/09, Amazon's Video On-Demand is working on this Roku model as well!

*Note: (3/14/12)

My household recently purchased the newest Roku 2 XS. This is a very small, yet far superior model than the original one.
The remote has a bluetooth-type connection so you have no trouble using it even if it's pointing backwards.
Also, it has support for subtitles in English which is nice as well as a cable for HD viewing. Love it!
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126 of 152 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Roku Offering for Standard Definition - NOT HD November 22, 2009
The Roku SD does exactly what it's supposed to do: stream Netflix offerings to your television in standard definition. This is the 'no frills model' and the cheapest Roku offering. There are three: Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR. (See my reviews to read about all 3.)

Being the 'low end' Roku offering, it only provides standard RCA (red/yellow/white) composite video hook-ups. NO HDMI hook-up here! For that you need either the Roku HD Player or Roku HD-XR Player. Both can provide HD streaming and stereo sound. The HD-XR can also stream over a 'n' network and has a usb port (although no known use for that port as of yet).

This device will allow you to enjoy Netfix wirelessly or via a wired connection on your home network. It will work at b or g network speeds, but not 'n'. It will not stream content in high definition, but would be perfect for someone with an older television and no plans to upgrade. It also saves you a bit of cash (about 20%) from the price you'd pay for the HD version.

This unit will not give you the best audio and video, but it was never made to do so. There is no optical audio input, nor is there an HDMI connection on this unit. It will give you Netflix content on your television (provided you have a Netflix account) and allow you to enjoy over 17,000 movies, documentaries and television programs. Roku's are great, but you do need to find the one that's right for you!

NOTE: None of the Roku devices are currently DVR's, have built in modems or diversified mass media players or storage units. Also, THIS UNIT WILL NOT STREAM AMAZON ON DEMAND, but the Roku HD and Roku HD-XR will!

1/11/09: The Amazon On Demand (SD) store opened in December 2009 according to the Roku website. On-Demand content in SD from Amazon for the Roku SD should be available now. I've updated this review per an Amazon customer's comments regarding this issue.

Roku SD Player Specifications per the ROKU website:

Networking
Wi-Fi (802.11B/G) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support
10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)
Video Outputs
Composite video (480i)
Video Modes
16:9 anamorphic
4:3 standard
Audio Output
Stereo (L/R RCA)
Remote Control
NEC protocol, supported by various universal remotes
Power Input
5V, 1.5A provided by included AC adapter
Power Consumption
5 watts peak, 4 watts in standby
Size
5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)
Weight
11 oz (300 grams)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars This outdated ROKU still works great for me.
I bought this ROKU back in March, 2009, and I haven't had an ounce of trouble with it. I agree with all the other 5-star reviewers: it's easy to set up and use, very versatile,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kathleen Gent
5.0 out of 5 stars Works perfectly
This has worked like a champ since we purchased it 2.5+ years ago. My only wish is that I could set a static IP address.
Published 5 months ago by BCL
1.0 out of 5 stars Great until it Breaks
Roku is great until the piece of cheaply made junk breaks (which will happen). Save yourself the hassle and the money.
Published 22 months ago by Rustin P
5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Roku!
I was very excited about instant streaming of video through a variety of services. I purchased my Roku only knowing of one company that offered the service but ready to take... Read more
Published 23 months ago by A. Murray
1.0 out of 5 stars no power ON/OFF button. & need credit Card or screwed
1, Roku asked for a credit card.
2, there is no Power ON/off, pull the ac adapter out to turn off. Read more
Published on May 2, 2011 by James
5.0 out of 5 stars Roku savvy
Roku - a device for watching Netflix instantly on your television. It's also good for Amazon.com instant viewing, which provides a free library for Amazon Prime memberships. Read more
Published on April 23, 2011 by Vulcan Death Grip
2.0 out of 5 stars Worked great - for 13 months!
I purchased a Roku SD on March 1, 2010. My wife & I have been enjoying Netflix for the past year, until last weekend (April 1, 2011). Suddenly the unit stopped working. Read more
Published on April 5, 2011 by Tom R
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Price, Excellent Product
Works perfectly with my father's SD tube TV. Couldn't be easier to use. My 70 yr old father figured it out in about 5 minutes. Wish it had an S-Video port. Read more
Published on March 18, 2011 by Mike
4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad!
I got this for my wife for Christmas as she watches movies on Netflix on her computer. I don't so much, because the movies tend to be older, but she likes older movies. Read more
Published on December 31, 2010 by Edward A. Meardon
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Do It People!
The SD model of ROKU has serious issues folks. The wireless functionality on these boxes is dying at an alarming rate. Read more
Published on November 30, 2010 by Nick Provenzano
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