ROKU 1, 2 or 3 question....

[Oldgringo]

We're paying $18/month for Netflix and another $86/month for DISH. What is this ROKU thinghy/stuff I'm hearing about? How 'bout some learnin' on this electronic medium, please? For background, we both qualify as geezers and don't do games, music or much TV. We do enjoy our DISH Hopper and our NetFlix disc subscription.

Anybody?

[n5wd]

A Roku is a box that converts digital data to a TV signal so your TV can display it. It connects home to Roku-Central via your internet connection (thus a broadband signal is necessary , and the faster, the better picture you get). You can access many video providers without a subscription, but there are other services available through Roku that do charge a subscription.

look at their website for the programs they provide access to.

[carlson1]

Tagged.

I would love to turn off Direct TV. I am a news junky so I would like to hear how to get the news channels

[DocV]

Build your own:
https://osmc.tv
And
https://www.raspberrypi.org

With the Roku, you can find many channels but will want Amazon and Netflix. Some programming, ABC, HBO, etc require a cable subscription.

[ELB]

I've had a Roku 3 since March 2013. Shortly afterward I dropped my Uverse TV, much to AT&T's dismay. The Roku box basically takes video from an internet connection and throws it up on your TV.

I love it. I had Amazon Prime already, so I have access to Amazon's Instant Video. A large number of those are free to Prime member, and you can rent others through the Amazon account right thru the Roku.

You can also set up a number of other subscription services, like Netflix, through the Roku box, and a number of other channels as well (the NRA Call of Duty channel/series is available).

To my knowledge you can't get live TV, like local stations, through the Roku box. You can play recent past programs off of Fox and others, but again to my knowledge not current broadcast.

The Roku remote control comes with a set of earbuds and a headphone connection -- when you plug them in, it kills the TV sound and routes it through the remote+earbuds. This is a nice feature, you don't have a long cord strung from the couch to the TV setup, and you don't wake up everyone else in the house. The Roku remote has two AA batteries, and using the earbuds a lot will use up the batteries pretty fast, but I just bought a bunch of AAs on sale and keep them in a jug on the coffee table.

The down side is the rewind and forward controls for video are not very precise -- it takes huge leaps forward and backward. It's kind of annoying.

There is a button on the remote that will nearly immediately replay the last 7 seconds, so if you miss something you can grab it. Also can turn closed captioning on and off pretty easily.

Overall I am really happy with it, bought it thru Amazon for $100, set up was easy, pretty easy to use, and I already had Amazon Prime so I was set from the get-go. I never watched much live TV anyway, so don't miss it.

[SewTexas]

We have had a Roku since shorty after the 2 came out, we cut the cord shortly after we got the roku and haven't looked back. We do have Amazon and Netflix. And we also have a subscription to Acorn, a BBC type channel because I love UK dramas. We have a Roku 3, with that you can access youtube. There are many fitness channels. Often church streams will be available on the roku. Yes, some channels are available for a fee. I believe the NFL and the WWE channels are available now for a fee, if the NBA would do that I would love it.

That's a lot of answers, let me know if you have anymore questions.

[The Annoyed Man]

We cancelled FiOS TV (kept FiOS Internet), and got Apple TV boxes for each TV. There was an upfront investment for the boxes, but after getting rid of our landline and posting the number over to my VOIP phone service, and after canceling the cable, I was able to save considerable money. Also, I get to watch most of the programming I want, albeit not on the same day it airs, and I don't pay for the stuff I don't want.

[carlson1]

We cancelled FiOS TV (kept FiOS Internet), and got Apple TV boxes for each TV. There was an upfront investment for the boxes, but after getting rid of our landline and posting the number over to my VOIP phone service, and after canceling the cable, I was able to save considerable money. Also, I get to watch most of the programming I want, albeit not on the same day it airs, and I don't pay for the stuff I don't want.

Is it possible to get the Apple TV, a digital antenna, and run is through like a DVR? Would that configuration give you local news and then other channels as well?

[ScooterSissy]

OldGringo

As was mentioned, Roku is a box that gives you access to streaming services, Roku calls them channnels. Some (like Netflix) cost money, some do not. To tell the truth, those that are free mostly show older TV shows or movies, and very little up to date content; but they can still be quite entertaining.

As was mentioned, there are currently few (if any, more on that in a minute) options to get live local TV stations and cable stations.

I cut the cord from AT&T about two and a half years ago, and used Roku, with a Netflix and Amazon Prime subscription. I also paid (at the time) a small subscription to Aereo, which streamed live local TV as a subscription service. Aereo lost a Supreme Court decision, and they are no longer in service.

I then switched to a different service - USTVNOW (http://www.usvnow.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) that provides a similar, but vastly inferior and vastly MORE expensive service for local live feeds. I didn't like it (missed recordings, poor quality feed, constant problems), and after about a year went back to a lower priced version of UVerse than what I had previously. I also paid less for the UVerse service than I had before - seems they were willing to negotiate after loosing me for anything but internet for over 2 years.

So, I'm back on the cord, but still use my Roku for Netflix, Amazon, and host of the other free services. I also have a Plex Server which allows me to put my own videos on the server, and view them on the Roku (there is a Roku application for it).

Finally, all videos I buy anymore, I ensure they have a digital streaming version through Vudu, which also has a Roku client. I buy the blu-rays or DVDs, but only keep them for backup. I watch them all over the Roku.

So, here's my basics:
AT&T for internet service plus
Local TV
Cable stations (FX, History, etc)

ROKU for
Netflix (paid subscription)
Amazon (paid subscription plus videos I may buy in the future)
Plex (my own videos that I purchased in the past, and manually converted to MP4 for the Plex Server)
Vudu/UV-UltraViolet (new videos that I purchase)
A bunch of free channels like Crackle (old movies)

The best way to see the differences in the devices they offer is to look at ROKU's comparison chart:

https://www.roku.com/products/compare" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have 2 of the ROKU 3's in my home. I use them pretty reguarly, probably between the UVerse and Roku it's about 60% UVerse and 40% Roku. If you broke it down to "bang for the buck", I get more out of the Roku for the price I pay. If I had some sort of option to get local TV and some of the better Cable channles (like FX and History), I'd cut AT&T again in a heartbeat.

[ScooterSissy]

We cancelled FiOS TV (kept FiOS Internet), and got Apple TV boxes for each TV. There was an upfront investment for the boxes, but after getting rid of our landline and posting the number over to my VOIP phone service, and after canceling the cable, I was able to save considerable money. Also, I get to watch most of the programming I want, albeit not on the same day it airs, and I don't pay for the stuff I don't want.

Is it possible to get the Apple TV, a digital antenna, and run is through like a DVR? Would that configuration give you local news and then other channels as well?

Yes and no.

The Digital antenna would go to a different input on the television. If you had a digital antenna going to a DVR, the DVR would go to a different input on the TV. The Roku needs one of the input jacks on the TV all for itself. If you have more (and most newer TVs do), you can use them for the DVR or antenna (or, in my case, the UVerse connection).

[Abraham]

Roku has too many downsides for me.

If someday they come up with something that's as good as my Dish subscription, I'll rethink it.

[The Annoyed Man]

We cancelled FiOS TV (kept FiOS Internet), and got Apple TV boxes for each TV. There was an upfront investment for the boxes, but after getting rid of our landline and posting the number over to my VOIP phone service, and after canceling the cable, I was able to save considerable money. Also, I get to watch most of the programming I want, albeit not on the same day it airs, and I don't pay for the stuff I don't want.

Is it possible to get the Apple TV, a digital antenna, and run is through like a DVR? Would that configuration give you local news and then other channels as well?

I don't rely on live broadcast TV for the news. I check different news websites periodically throughout the day, and when I HAVE to listen to something (weather warnings, etc.), I watch the live streaming reports on the local broadcast news' websites.

Life is more peaceful that way.

[GeekwithaGun]

We have DirecTV - had it for years love it. We have cable internet and basic tv channels (can't have one without the other where we live) and VOIP phone through cable provider. The streaming options for TV, movies, shows, etc. can be a great thing to get out from several subscriptions, but check your internet providers terms of service for bandwidth usage limits. If you go over their limits you could be charged a steep fee for the extra bandwidth or they can throttle you back or shut if off if you go over.