Customer Reviews

Roku SD Player

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

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.

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!

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)

I had no idea how much was available to watch instantly. I have the low-end model that works just fine for my older TV. I should have thought ahead and bought the HD model. I've put off going with a new TV til I see what happens with the 3D TV's.

I recommend the Roku. Despite occasional glitches, I would buy a Roku again.

Go ahead and push that "Buy Now" button. You won't regret it. Do consider what model you want first.

BTW...When I get a glitch, I simply disconnect the power cord for 15-20 seconds. That takes care of it. I wouldn't at all be surprised if I cause the glitch myself. When it comes to understanding the works of electronics, I'm all thumbs. I do know how to enjoy them, and I do just that with my Roku.

I posted this review on the ROKU site, but wanted to post it to Amazon as well...

Pros:
Great value, High quality picture, Easy to use, Easy to set up, Compact, Reliability, Built in Wi-Fi, Video selection

Cons:
Want more video choices

Best Uses:
Dorm Room, Living room, Primary TV, Secondary TV, Bedroom

Describe Yourself:
Technophile, Home entertainment enthusiast, Power User, Netflix fan, Early adopter

Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

REVIEW:
I am so very pleased with this device and recommend it to everyone that has broadband internet and would like a la carte as well as specialized programming.

The Roku is very affordable, simple to set up, and tiny enough to have in the smallest of places.

I canceled satellite in our bedrooms and bought two Rokus... one for my master bedroom and the other for my daughter's room. She plans to take it back and forth from her dorm room to her room at home (it is that compact and simple to set up!). She told me it was the best Christmas gift and has been using it nonstop.

My favorite thing about the Roku is being able to watch my favorite video podcasts... such as ANYTHING on the TWIT channel. I also enjoy the Revision 3 channel. These channels make my Roku worthwhile. It reminds me of watching old school TechTV, but better!


WISH LIST:
I would like to see Roku add additional channels such as Hulu. I would also like to see them build in a browser that would enable viewers to surf to sites and stream video off of those websites.

It would be nice if the remote were able to be integrated with a master remote.
----

I highly recommend this device. We absolutely love ours!

My only complaint is that the ROKU that my husband bought for me (here) came shipped right from ROKU, and they put the name all over the box. That sorta messed up the surprise as it was a Christmas gift, so if you are getting this for a gift or surprise, you might want to have it shipped to work or something.

The box itself comes with a very scary lack of documentation. I was a bit scared it would be hard to set up and I'd be online looking up stuff in forums all night.

It was very, very easy. Straightforward as can be. The MAC addresses you might need for either wireless or not are on the box itself, on the back. So make sure you have that added to your list if you have mac address filtering on your router.
That's all you really have to do network wise that might be a stumbling block.

Next, set up your roku account. The FIRST code you get on your tv screen will be for the ROKU account, and not Netflix or Amazon!!

See, Roku treats Amazon like a channel, and Netflix like a channel. There's even a few free channels that are offered.

After you do get your ROKU account going, THEN you'll get a code for your channel, IE A Netflix code for you to put in ONLINE at Netflix. Do the same for Amazon.

In 20 minutes we have access to a broad range of entertainment, and the Internet TV channel that was free was a HUGE surprise. There's all sorts of video game reviews and tips - my 14 year old is going to love that - I like the Photoshop & Linux lessons I've found. There's also an Internet Radio channel you can get free - and you put the music YOU want on it!

Amazon set up with NO problem at all. The picture is awesome, no lag, no wait. I am on a cable connection. Highly recommend! I'd have got one sooner if I'd known there was so much FREE content out there. :)

Works great with fast internet connection. This is a couch potato's dream come true--no more trips to the video store. Instant films play in less than 30 seconds.
Netflix is very good about sending new DVDS in 2 business days. I think video stores are going to become obsolete. Blockbuster has filed for Chapter 11 and plans to close hundreds of it's stores. I'm sure that the amount of instant video content will increase as more people subscribe. If you're a movie fan Roku is a good investment.Roku SD Player

I bought this as a christmas gift for my mother-in-law. I set it up for her at our house on Christmas day. It is super easy to hook-up, just plug in the a/v cords and the power cord. The worst part of this product is the setup. While it isn't really that bad at all, it is a little cumbersome. You have to start the Roku player, get the ID number off the screen, go to Roku's website and create an account and then enter the player ID number to activate it. We got it for the purpose of my mother-in-law to watch netflix on demand. We then had to go to the Netflix site, and ask for a pass code, enter it in the Roku plater, and then we were up and running. Like I said it isn't really that hard, but cumbersome.

I was a little worried about ordering after reading the reviews and all the troubles people had with getting it to work on a wireless network, but ordered anyways. I am not sure Roku has improved the player or what, but i had no problem getting it to connect to our wireless network. My mother-in-law (who is technologically illiterate) was able to take the Roku player to her house, hook it up and get it on a wireless network by herself. Its not hard to set-up once all the pass code from Roku and netflix have been entered.

Viewing movies and things on netflix is super easy and pretty user friendly. After adding a movie to your netflix queve it appears on your roku player in a minute or two. And for not being HD the picture was actually really good. There was no lag during the movie, or any pausing like i expected since it is being watched over a wireless network, the movie played smoothly without any problems.

In my case, I never was able to get this unit to connect to my wireless network. I contacted technical support (several times) which responsed very slowly (over a day in each case) to my questions. In the end, I gave up and ran an ethernet wire which was a chore I did not want to undertake since it required a lot of extra time and effort. I hope others don't run into the same issue.

My Roku SD player came today. I was watching in less than 10 minutes. Yes, I do wish that it played Amazon video on demand but that was not why I got it. Netflix has an amazing number of movies and tv series to watch. For months I questioned my paying a hundred bucks to watch on the living room tv. When the SD player went to $79 with free shipping I decided to try. I am soooo glad that I did. This would be an awesome holiday gift for the tv/movie watcher.