The Roku 1 and Roku 2 are low end streamers. Both have the new YouTube channel – which is really slow – and neither will get the new Netflix app with profiles et al. Neither has wired ethernet or usb. Both work with IR remotes. The Roku 1 comes with an IR (infrared, line of sight) and the Roku 2 comes with a WiFi Direct remote. The WiFi Direct remote has an earbud jack for private listening and does not require line of sight.
(I don’t care for the WiFi remote. To allow you to listen to audio via an earbud jack on the R3 remote, they stream remote commands and audio via WiFi. This can cause interference issues including choppy sound and an unresponsive remote. Worse, when your WiFi router is interfered with, it throttle speed to improve connection quality. Of course, if you do plug earbuds into that jack, keep a box of batteries nearby.)
Here is a chart comparing the features of all the currently available Rokus…
http://thebeersoncomcast.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/r3vsr2xs_small.png
Here is another chart comparing the processing power of the various models…
http://rokufordummies.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/bogoloops2.jpg
Answers to your questions…
Q. Can this play files from an NFS mount.
A. Maybe. They have to be in the right format and there has to be some kind of server software in the mix.
Q. Is the new stick a Chromecast killer.
A. No it is a really inexpensive variant of the Roku 2 family.
Q. What does this offer that my other streamer doesn’t?
A. Whether you have an Xbox, a SMP, or a BD player, it’s all about the channels. Compare the content your current streamer can play to what you see at http://www.roku.com/channels. Read the descriptions carefully because the Roku Fox News Channel IS NOT what you get on Comcast.
Q. What do channels and content cost?
A. Some apps (channels) cost money, some apps (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, MLB.com, etc.) require you to pay a monthly or annual fee for content. Some charge for the app and again for the content. Some require you authenticate with a cable provider. There are some very good, free apps…
Amazon Cloud Player: Play all the free music Amazon sends my way
CNN: Includes CNN International Live for background news and information
Crackle: Sony’s FREE version of Netflix
CS50: Harvard Intro to Computer Science course
Comedy Time: ‘Play All’ makes for good background noise
CBSSports.com: ‘Play All’ feature makes for a nice sports news channel
CNBC: Streaming business news for news and information
FoxNews: Stream from web site plus clips of popular shows with ‘Play All’
Kaplan College Prep: Help your kid with his SATs
Lecture Kings: Librivox audio box is hidden in a channel of university lectures
Nowhere TV
OVGuide: Free movie channel
PBS
Popcornflix
Popflix Classic TV: 26 Men, Adventures of Robin Hood, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, Burns and Allen, Date with the Angels, Dragnet, Life with Elizabeth, The Lone Ranger, The Lucy Show, Man with a Camera, Petticoat Junction, Sherlock Holmes, Westerns, You Bet Your Life
PubDHub: The stuff your dad used to reminisce about — ancient cartoons, PSAs, commercials, and movies
Smithsonian: Better than the Discovery channel
TWiT: Steve Gibson, Leo Laporte, and others talk tech
WSJ Live: WSJ had good election coverage
YouTube
Q. Can I watch live/local television on my Roku?
A. The Rokus have no tuners. If you want to watch local, live TV, you have to add a Simple or Tablo DVR.
Q. Why are there so many refurbs?
A. Because Roku is not the same as cable, networking is hard, the internet is getting congested, and the cable guy won’t come to your house and make it work. This is not a toaster. A lot of people find making things work a lot harder than expected and the results a lot less than promised. Good for the rest of us, right?
Q. Why don’t these have a slot for a cable card?
A. Because they don’t.
Q. Is the Plex channel free?
A. No it is not. It’s been $4.99 since December. There is a free Plex fork called RarFlix which is very good.
Q. Should I get a refurb?
A. (Sorry Woot) Some have complained that Woot and Newegg have been really bad with refurbs – shipping junk and not supporting their customers. I’ve only ever had one problem with a refurb (R2XS remote) and Roku shipped me a new one right away. Call Roku if you have problems. DO NOT USE their forums unless you need exercise. RokuShawnS et all will have you running around in circles and jumping through hoops.
Q. Can I watch YouTube on my Roku?
A. YES. The Roku 1 and 2 both have an official YouTube app.
I’ve stopped buying Rokus. The last three updates to my favorite Roku 2 XS have rendered it practically useless due to nearly daily reboots and terrible support.
Consider the Amazon Fire TV as an alternative to the Roku. It’s 15x faster than either or these and has been rock solid for me. It lacks the content of a Roku, but supports Plex and a LOT of arcade quality games (and real game controllers).
That said, these are cheap, so, if you have good wireless in your home, it’s not a bad way for cablecutters to watch Fox News and Netflix.
Happy Streaming!
TheBeersOnComcast
RokuForDummies
SimpleTVForDummies