Archives For Roku

Got a Roku for Christmas?

Dave Zatz —  December 25, 2010 — 14 Comments

Given its low price point, wide array of content “channels”, and easy operation, I suspect quite a large number of folks are unwrapping Roku Christmas gifts this weekend. And we’re here to help.

Based on incoming search traffic, some are having difficulty finding and linking Netflix. First off, the Roku consists of two main areas – your channel list or dashboard and the “Store” of all blessed content. Netflix should appear on your dashboard by default. In terms of navigation, the left directional button doesn’t send you to the prior screen as seen on many other boxes. Instead, use the up button to return to a previous area or menu or, alternately, try can the new back button symbolized by an arrow. Additionally, the OK button in the middle of the remote is equivalent to ‘select’ or ‘enter’. So you’d scroll towards the right using the directional button to highlight Netflix and then click OK. Once the Netflix apps comes up for the first time, it’ll walk you through linking your account – you’ll want to have computer handy to enter an authorization code into Netflix.com.

In addition to the Channel Store, “private” channels also exist. These are often content offerings that have yet to be approved or are inappropriate for a wider audience to stumble upon (think porn or corporate training). Two in particular may interest you… Continue Reading…

In Gadgets, Roku, Video
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Deals of the Day – Black Friday Edition

Mari Silbey —  November 25, 2010 — 1 Comment

There are a few fabulous Black Friday tech deals floating around the net. Amazon is gifting shoppers with an $89 offer on the Kindle 2 starting at Noon EST tomorrow. It’s the last-gen model of Amazon’s e-reader, but still gets a lot of usage from Dave, who picked up the same model this year for $139. More discerning digital readers might prefer the newer-version Kindle, however, with the E Ink Pearl display (same as the Nook) for a higher contrast screen and quicker page refresh.

If video is more your thing, check out Roku’s offer of 20% off the Roku XD. The deal starts tonight at 3 AM EST (Midnight PST), and runs through the end of Cyber Monday. You know how we feel about Roku here at ZNF, so obviously we recommend this one if you’re looking for an Internet video box this season. It’s got 1080p playback, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon video, and an 802.11n wireless connection. What more could you want?

Finally, if you’ve been thinking about trying out wireless charging, Powermat might just have the right deal to get you on board. While the company’s got a handful of offers, the most compelling is the charging system for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS at $40. This includes both the iPhone receiver case and a portable charging mat. For most compatible devices you have to buy the case separately from the charging mat, and that can add up quickly. A mere $40 for the whole system is a steal.

Happy Turkey Day! And happy shopping.

In Deals, Gadgets, Mobile, Roku
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Win a Roku XD|S & Hulu Plus (on Twitter)

Dave Zatz —  November 18, 2010 — Leave a comment

Roku’s giving away 25 of their higher end XD|S media streaming units along with a year of Hulu Plus service – a prize package worth $196/each. To enter the contest, you’re going to have to follow @RokuPlayer and @Hulu on Twitter and fire off this tweet:

Win a Roku XD|S and 1yr of Hulu Plus! Retweet this and follow @RokuPlayer and @Hulu to win. #HuluPlusRoku

5 winners are being picked each day through November 21st and complete details can be found here. Good luck!

In Deals, Roku
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Hulu Plus on the Roku

Mari Silbey —  November 17, 2010 — 12 Comments

Hulu Plus Roku 1

Hulu Plus landed on the Roku today with a newly discounted $7.99/month price tag for all subscribers. I don’t have a Hulu Plus account, but I was able to borrow Dave’s for a quick test drive on my home Roku. Initial impressions: Nice execution, but the content is still stinky.

In fairness, some of the content Hulu Plus pitches is pretty sweet, like current episodes of current TV shows. But the program logos on my big screen don’t indicate how much content is actually available. Clicking on Life got me 33 episodes to choose from. Clicking on Dollhouse got me one web clip of a Joss Whedon interview. And where Hulu Plus does have large back catalogs of a handful of shows, the choices seem to mirror the Netflix library. With a quick check I found the complete series of Law and Order SVU and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu Plus. Guess what. I’ve got both on Netflix too.

As for the interface, it’s got some nice touches, including recommendations and search filters. The one big irritation is that there’s very little metadata available before you click on a show to play. Playback, on the other hand, is beautiful. Dave’s probably pining for 1080p, but I have to say I thought the picture quality was comparable to what I see with linear broadcast high-def TV.

Trying to decide if Hulu Plus makes sense for you? If you don’t have VOD service from your cable or telco provider (which has a lot of current shows), it might be just the ticket, particularly with the new price and extended presence on new devices. However, if your tastes are broader, and you either have VOD or don’t care about current stuff, then Netflix is still the better route.

In Home, Roku, TV Shows, Video
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Roku Box Update Now Available (2.8)

Dave Zatz —  November 5, 2010 — 14 Comments

The Roku 2.8 software update, which we recently had a sneak peek at, is now available and includes:

  • Seasonal home screen banner
  • Ability to re-order channels on the home screen• New grid-style Channel Store
  • New icons for Settings and Channel Store
  • Home screen clock
  • Time Settings added to settings

Slowly but surely Roku is polishing their UI. While the simple and quick interface has certainly been a selling point, it could use a bit more flash/sizzle compared to the competition… if the forum chatter is any indication. And portions of this update do give the experience a little more life with refreshed icons and the seasonal home screen banner. More importantly, a second axis of navigation (along with info bubbles) in the Channel Store will allow for more efficient navigation when it comes to content discovery. But this update may also be notable for what it lacks — no DLNA, Hulu Plus, or 1080p on the XR model. Then again, perhaps I’m just impatient.

Lastly, the ability to re-order or delete channels on the home screen requires the new Roku remote. And I think it’s a solid investment for owners of older boxes. Because, in addition to the Info and Back button, you get access to the infinitely valuable Instant Replay function. You can purchase the slim 12 button remote direct from Roku for $15 (plus tax and shipping?) or, alternately, pick up the DVPRemote app for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

The 2.8 Roku update will start hitting boxes automatically over the next few days. Or you can just hit your Settings screen and force an update as I did.

Click to enlarge:

In Roku
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