Is your TV “Internet Enabled?” Can you stream shows to it? Chances are it’s not.
Roku Streaming Player is a line of affordable devices that bring your TV into the connected world. The device is about the size of a drink coaster and connects to your home internet via wifi or ethernet, allowing you to stream Full HD quality videos form a variety of internet sites such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu Plus.
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Stream content from Netflix to your television |
Roku provided a HuluPlus trial account to test with the device, and it was easy to link the Hulu Account with the Roku player. In about 30 seconds, I was able to watch a controversial Glee episode (the one that got Republicans up in arms. The full quality HD with limited commercial interruption was certainly nice.
Other content includes a Roku NewsCaster channel with content from Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and others. I was able to immediately bring up the current episode of the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. The NBC Nightly News was technically a podcast from the internet, so it wasn’t full HDTV quality. Same thing for some of the CBS feeds as well. Some of the other news content is also “audio-only.” In this respect, Roku is at the mercy of what the networks are willing to post on the internet. Roku has done a nice job finding what’s out there and organizing it for you in an elegant and non-frustrating way.
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Yes, you can even play Angry Birds through Roku. |
Roku does have the ability to play content directly connected via USB. This would be useful for playing videos stored on a flash drive, or perhaps a memory card adapter from your digital camera or camcorder. I pulled a particularly nasty trick on the Roku and plugged in a 1.5TB hard drive containing tons if MP3s and photos. I doubt this was an intended use, but I wanted to see what would happen. It wasn’t fast, but it worked. It scanned the drive many times, but I was able to navigate the hard drive’s folder structure, and in a minute or two, I was blasting old school Run DMC from the TV with album art. Nice!
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Roku’s affordable options are priced from $59-99 |
- Complete the Tech Savvy Mama reader survey if you haven’t completed it as part of my Xbox or Nintendo DS giveaways. Those who have not completed the survey will receive 2 entries- 1 for the survey, 1 for leaving a comment below saying you completed the survey. If you have completed the survey as an optional entry for another giveaway, leave a comment to let me know you’ve done so and you’ll still get 1 entry into this giveaway. Please note that all responses will remain anonymous. If your comment is selected, I will check to make sure you really did complete the survey. If you just comment below without completing the survey, your entry will not be valid. (1 or 2 entries)
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet this daily: I entered to win @TechSavvyMama’s @Roku #giveaway! Enter here before 12/16: http://bit.ly/UbisoftNintendoDS Leave your Twitter handle in the comments (1 entry/day)
- Blog about this giveaway and include “TechSavvyMama.com is giving away a Roku box! Stream content from your laptop to your TV” with this link http://www.techsavvymama.com. Leave a permalink and your email/Twitter handle in your comment. (10 entries)
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
I have to say that I’m excited to have angry birds. For the simple reason that I can get my phone back from my son so I can use it!
twitter: @kileigh7
Did the survey for the DS giveaway!
@kileigh7
Tweet tweet!
@kileigh7
https://twitter.com/#!/kileigh7/status/145145185087668225
TSM, how do you always answer my questions before I even have them? This morning on my commute I was reading the Express and this was one of their gift guide picks but I’d never heard of it! Now I might have to add it to my list!! (If I don’t win, that is!!) I’d definitely be tuning into HBO!!
I’ve filled out the reader survey!
I would love to watch Netflix on the TV with a Roku. That would be neat, now we can only use the computer. Thanks for the chance, justicecw@hotmail.com
I have completed the reader survey
justicecw@hotmail.com
Tweeted at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/145213244473229313
justicecw@hotmail.com
I have Amazon Prime but the kids can only watch shows on my computer. With a Roku we could stream to the TV!!!!
I am most excited about Hulu! I am thinking of getting rid of cable and just streaming my TV off the internet.
serafyn12 at yahoo dot com
I am excited about Netflix. Have been wanting one of these for a long time
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
twitter follower & tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/145360649873129472
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tweeted via @CatchinFreebies
https://twitter.com/#!/CatchinFreebies/status/145374624950128641
I need to win this, because Roku is the only way I’ll be able to stream Amazon video! My Blu Ray players don’t stream Amazon!
I also tweeted about the giveaway via @TeenLitRocks: https://twitter.com/#!/TeenLitRocks/status/145503655930494978
I filled out the reader survey for an Xbox Kinect as well 🙂
I love all the features, something that makes it all so easy 🙂
I completed the survey while entering the Xbox giveaway 🙂
follow on twitter
and tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/145534657725870080
12/10 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/145595149823647744
Link for tweet goes to DS giveaway so I changed mine…not sure if that was on purpose or a mistake 🙂
justicecw@hotmail.com
I’m most excited about Amazon instant video
keltom2contests@gmail.com
We already have Netflix but wi-fi only on one of our TV’s. I’d love to be able to stream Netflix movies (I’m in the middle of watching Weeds!) on our other TV!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I completed your survey for the DS giveaway (thx again btw!!)!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/145685119657717761
coriwestphal at msn dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/145721205465427968
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I completed the survey as part of another giveaway
serafyn12 at yahoo dot com
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/weeperwillow/status/145742976356859904
as weeperwillow
https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/145744642451841024
tweeted daily entry 🙂
I completed the survey for the DS giveaway
keltom2contest(at)gmail(dot)com
tweeted 12/10: https://twitter.com/#!/keltom2/status/145637448741945344
Tweeted at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/145912083966464000
justicecw@hotmail.com
I completed this survey.
Thanks
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/146062932550238208
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
1st time completing survey
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
bonus survey entry
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/146072717836292096
coriwestphal at msn dot com
daily tweet 🙂
https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/146095580152741888
A Roku box does sound impressive. Right now, I have been using DISHOnline.com when I want to watch an episode I missed on TV or if I want to check out something new. The cool thing about DISH Online is that most of the content is free and available to anyone. If you have a subscription through DISH Network like I do with my employee account then you have access to many more shows and movies. You can also set up your DVR recordings on there. I would much prefer to go to DISH Online and watch shows on the PC if needed then have the Roku and have to pay for a subscription to Hulu or Netflix or any of the other companies. I think the advantage of the Roku is that you can watch it on your TV and not the PC.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/146335764626677760
coriwestphal at msn dot com
12/12 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/146430329165590528
justicecw@hotmail.com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/146428208148000768
I am most interested in streaming Twitter with the Roku. Angry Birds, too. Lots of other things as well!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#1 First time completing the Survey!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#2 Second entry for completing the survey for the first time
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I follow you on Twitter as MsCarolsueA and I tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/MsCarolsueA/status/146540171653943296
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
MsCarolsueA (Twitter)
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#1
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#2
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#3
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#4
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#5
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#6
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#7
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#8
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#9
Your giveaway is posted on my blog
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/2008/10/contests-from-our-bloggy-friends.html
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
#10
We’d love to get the HBO streamed. We get Netflix but only the lower grades and am tired of the oldies movies. My husband also works on some NASA projects with a very small company and we used to get that channel streamed. The kids thought that was pretty cool.
thanks much!
ejrichter60 at gmail dot com
I completed your survey for the Xbox giveaway previously!
thanks much!
ejrichter60 at gmail dot com
follow ntweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/2sic2mooov/status/146600189300441089
thanks!
ejrichter60 at gmail dot com
Competed the survey.
My kids watch a lot of hulu, so I would like to see what huluplus is all about.
I follow you on twitter and I tweeted.
12/13 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/146686602645749760
justicecw@hotmail.com
Netflix and Pandora! My faves
styleezta at gmail dot com
tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/styleezta/status/146747049365348352
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/146788729992921088
coriwestphal at msn dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/146790052096262145
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/146843657734066177
tweeted.
I would like to be able to watch Amazon Instant Videos with Roku
CalifKitties {at} Aol {dot} com
I’ve been looking at the Roku for Netflix. hipmamae@gmail.com
12/14 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/147093759077785601
justicecw@hotmail.com
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/147152102081306626
coriwestphal at msn dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/147158166285713408
https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/147243660881313792
daily
follow n tweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/2sic2mooov/status/147336761956237313
thankyou!
ejrichter60 at gmail dot com @2sic2mooov
I’m excited about crunchyroll
twitter @MortyFieldmouse
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/147491278295281665
coriwestphal at msn dot com
12/15 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/147516225294049282
justicecw@hotmail.com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/147509983578292224
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/lovinmomma88/status/147614262708273152
daily..
(not sure if today its over, or last day) 🙂
thx
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/147695840180436992
coriwestphal at msn dot com
12/16 tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/justicecw/status/147839937503432705
justicecw@hotmail.com
https://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/147858590974226433
Excited about Netflix, HuluPlus and Crackle. The list goes on.
chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com
Totally psyched to try this out – I love my Netflix subscription, but we’re using an ancient laptop to view it on our tv, and that needs to go! Thanks for the giveaway, TechSavvyMama!
Love, @whymommy
I just completed the survey! Yay!