Roku 2 XS - Goodbye Cable Company

[Todah Tear]

I have been looking for a replacement for overpriced cable. Now, I have one, the Roku 2 XS! I have had it for about 3 days. This one meets the needs for what I want out of cable. You just have to get used to the momentary pauses to queue up the videos.

Local weather: I was concerned about what I would do for local weather with the Roku. It offers a few "channels" that will let you tune it to local weather sources in whatever city that you type in. It has radar, current, and 7 day weather reports. It comes equipped with the ability to use wi-fi built right in. It will pick up a signal from your router or wi-fi source. The tiny box connects directly into the computer.

This might be great for a camper. Oh, I almost forgot. I bought a refurbished Roku 2 XS for around $59 (one time charge) and it works fine. I pay more than $59/for cable that displays all the channels that it is supposed to 0% of the time. There are tons of free movies, shows, etc., as well as, some stuff that you can pay for if you like.

Here's the link for Amazon and the description. Read the reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0092QV9GM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1




DESCRIPTION:

1. Refurbished by Roku. Brand new condition.
2. includes free HDMI cable $20 value
3. The tiny, powerful Roku 2 XS makes it a snap to stream over 500 entertainment choices to your TV instantly-in up to 1080p HD quality.
4. 500 channels and counting. Features the top sources, like Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, and Amazon Instant Video.
5. High-definition streaming-up to 1080p HD.
6. The smallest footprint. The size of a hockey puck, Roku 2 uses less power than a night-light.
7. The easiest setup. Works with virtually any TV, includes built-in wireless, and sets up in minutes.
8. With over 450 entertainment channels and counting, Roku 2 has something for virtually everyone, including...
9. Over 150,000 movies and TV shows at your fingertips from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO and more.
10. Unlimited music from Pandora, MOG, Rdio, and Live365.
11. Live sports packages including NBA League Pass, NHL GameCenter Live, MLS Matchday, UFC, and MLB.TV.
12. Photo and video sharing via Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa.
13. The top news sources, including NBC, FoxNews.com, and CNN. Of course, there are also tons of channels featuring international and lifestyle programming, tech news, podcasts, cartoons, clips, cat tricks, and... well, you get the idea.

Enjoy,

Todah

[bonnie]

I have one of the older models and love it. Though I don't watch a lot of television, it is a very nice thing to have cut the cable costs out of the budget.

[BobBash]

I got rid of DirecTV over two years ago . I have an outside TV antenna for free broadcast channels & I have a BlueRay DVD player for streaming of NetFlix & others . I also just bought a Sony BlueRay player with streaming & built in Wifi at Best Buy for $89 .I have saved over $1500 in that time which will contribute nicely to my build................

[TENNJIM]

Also ditched the dish and cut the cable earlier this year using a ROKU 3 and outside antenna for local channels. It has been working beautifully. We pay for NETFLIX and HULU PLUS and still save about $70 per month over our previous bill plus we get HD on a lot of shows and movies. The ROKU is very small in size and might have some application in a trailer.

Jim B / Utah

[RandyG]

Just got Roku last month for the bed room, now we have to get one for my little girl's room, we all love it!

[Bogo]

For local weather, it's hard to beat the NWS. Most weathermen get their information from the NWS. http://www.weather.gov/ then put your zipcode into the box for your local weather forecast.

[Madmike8]

If your a bit techie, XBMC works great. I have OpenElec loaded on my $40 Raspberry Pi and love it...

[legojenn]

I download a lot of tv from the UK. The XS has a USB slot that you can plug a thumbdrive into with downloaded programmes. It makes the device somewhat nifty. There are also some private channels that carry US network tv (provided that you claim to be a US citizen living abroad).

[Todah Tear]

I have an Amazon.com Prime membership which is $79/year (approx. $6.58/month) If you are a college student, you can get 6 months free. After that, it is 1/2 price (...so you pay $40 per year.) You get tons of free streaming new-released movies, oldies, TV shows. I caught up with all of the episodes of Suits that I missed this spring. In addition to that, you get a lot of free delivery on things you order from Amazon.

Yes folks, you have read the testimonies of those who have successfully, broken the hold that crack cable had on their lives and their homes. Your house doesn't have to be a crack house any more. Others escaped the grip. You can too! There's hope AND there's help!

Todah

[bdosborn]

The ROKU is very small in size and might have some application in a trailer.

I use a streaming box similar to the Roku in the trailer - a WD TV Live box.
I ripped our video collection and have them stored on a 2TB hard drive in the trailer. Now we have a couple hundred movies with us whenever we travel.


I like the WD because it plays just about any video format and networks extremely well. It streams the hard drive to any DLNA device in our house. The only bummer is it doesn't stream Amazon.
Bruce

[Greg M]

1st generation AppleTV running XBMC for home, and a Patriot Box Office for travel. The PBO is nice because I put a 500 gig hard-drive in it, so all my favourites travel with me.

[CARS]

How fast of a connection do you need? I have 2 options here. Dial up or hot spot. And my hot spot is barely faster than dial up.

Not sure if this would work for me. But I would love to get rid of my dish.

[Redgloves]

To use Roku, you need a broadband Internet connection with a speed of at least 1.5 Mbps (such as mid-level DSL).

I love my MIfi, (hot spot), which won't work, would mean cable internet.

[bonnie]

If your a bit techie, XBMC works great. I have OpenElec loaded on my $40 Raspberry Pi and love it...

I have a Matricom Gbox MX that I'm tinkering with. I haven't been very successful with XBMC, but like the concept very much. I am hoping it will be part of the entertainment system in BUB. I have a 16GB SD card I can throw in it to hold goodies. We shall see how it works.

[Todah Tear]

How fast of a connection do you need? I have 2 options here. Dial up or hot spot. And my hot spot is barely faster than dial up.

Not sure if this would work for me. But I would love to get rid of my dish.

I have a Verizon Mi-fi card for internet. The Roku streams video from my mi-fi better than my computer, and I've got a pretty good computer.

You can order one from Amazon and try it out. It if doesn't work, send it back within the proper time frame in its original packing at no cost to you. That's what I like about amazon. It is very easy to return stuff. It is easy to set the Roku up and see it works. It may take you 2 minutes to plug everything in and about 30 minutes to set the remote up and fill in your user info. (One note about setting up the remote. ----IMPORTANT--- Put the batteries in the remote first and set it near the Roku BEFORE you plug the Roku into wall power - IMPORTANT- If it doesn't happen automatically, open the battery compartment and there is a button that you press for a few seconds and you will see the lights stop flashing. That's what I did.)

On a sadder note, the only thing that I will miss is "Must Love Cats" and "Too Cute" from that Animal Channel. Does Roku owner know if these shows are available?

Todah