For those with Roku 2 XS, this chart might prove more helpful.
It is worth noting that the 2 XS has an a/v out that the 3 lacks (I use to connect audio directly to my surround sound receiver rather than running through the HDMI to TV and then out), and the 2 XS I have has a remote that looks to be very similar or identical to the 3’s remote. (Not completely sure on the remote front)
http://thebeersoncomcast.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/r3vsr2xs_small.png
Bought one a few months ago for the mainly to use as an alternative to a Time Warner cable box via the TW Roku app. The Roku box itself works flawlessly but a few weeks ago, TW greatly degraded the video quality on the app.
I would cut the cord in a minute but my family INSISTS on ESPN and other sports programming.
I bought 1 the last time it was offered to replace a Roku LT. The upgrade was well worth the money. My LT had problems with large media files and would have to buffer frequently. The Roku 3 hasn’t had that problem. Plus having YouTube and 1080P is gravy. I’m going to upgrade the other 2 LTs this time around.
The native Roku media app has supported DLNA for a few months now. Check it out. No third party apps are needed. Nothing special needs to be installed on a computer.
Roku does support DLNA.
Question: If someone has a wireless router which is not near their tv, how is this connected? Assuming there is no tablet or smart phone for use, would the ROKU work to stream video from a PC to the TV?
I’m tempted, but use my xbox one for things like netflix and amazon. No cable in my house, strictly internet and ota. Can someone explain why this is better?
Apart from using the remote with earbuds, why is this better than the new Roku stick, new $49, which uses ordinary Hdmi port, not roku ready one?
Is all pay per view! Is anything free of value?
why does paying $5 in tax put me on the fence…
I’ve bought 7-8 refurb Roku’s and they all have worked just as new. You should have no worries about this being a refurb. Great deal, I’ve never seen in the Roku 3 for less than 85 bucks.
Roku 3 has a lot more powerful processor and the wired connection will give you more reliable streaming.
Almost everything good requires some sort of payment. You get tons of content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu for subscription (all about 8 bucks a month each). And some allow you to rent/buy digital versions of TV shows and Movies (Vudu, Amazon).
There is some free stuff like Crackle, Podcast stuff, radio stations (iHeart Radio App).
I’d say that if you don’t have a subscription to Netflix or Hulu, it’s probably not worth it. But, I think Netflix and Hulu are the best deals around for video content.
It uses a lot less power than the Xbox One. Plus, you put less hours on the 500 buck machine, so the Xbox should last longer.
I imagine some of these were returned for remote problems. I bought one and the remote simply would never work. I took it to different location and it worked fine. Back at my house, no joy. Had to return it because the remote has to work for first time setup. So the Roku was fine but something in my house killed the remote signal.
I have two Rokus, A 4TB NAS running NAS4Free, and the free PLEX media server installed in a BSD jail on the NAS. PLEX has its limitations when it comes to music (mostly that it doesn’t support playlists natively yet), but PLEX seriously rocks! The PLEX channel on both my Rokus doens’t cost a dime, PLEX handles every file format I’ve used and transcodes the movies on the fly to my Rokus. It takes a little planning to get everything setup to your likings (planning your movie library in PLEX is essential, I created separate sections for kids movies, comedies, wife’s workout videos, etc., so it’s easier to find stuff). I’m building an identical system for my neighbor, everybody who sees my setup wants one. The free Roku app is installed on my android and my wife’s iphone, so we don’t even need the remotes and we can control multiple Rokus with the app.
If people understood the capabilities that come with the Roku, they wouldn’t be comparing it to a DVD player with apps/widgets. With the Youtube channel only available to Roku3 devices for now, this one is compelling.
With my remote, it turned out that the “new” batteries that came with it were bad. Once I replaced them with my own batteries I have had no issues and I love the Roku3 btw. Go figure.
Does anyone know how much are Roku 3s selling for at Costco?
My refurbished Roku 3 that was offered last time worked perfectly out of the box. I’m a lucky girl.
I haven’t seen this answered yet. I stream through a Sony blu ray player with apps. Any advantage to the roku?
Why don’t these come with a slot for a cable card? You could get rid of the cable box and save 10/month.