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24.3.231.56
I'm trying to decide between a BluRay player (Sony BDP-N640) and the TOTL Roku box.
I'm not all that interested in building a movie collection and I don't really need a BluRay player. What I want to do is get around my hated cable TV provider by streaming shows directly to the TV.
Mrs. Olddude and I don't watch a lot of TV. Anything broadcast locally can be had on antenna with no prob (oh, yeah; we've got a 32" Sharp LCD with digital tuner) but there are a few shows that we need basic cable for now, but which we can get from Amazon VOD.
And we need to be able to stream Netflix.
We don't have surround sound (just a spare two-channel system for stereo) and are not likely to get it. Ultimate best picture quality isn't essential either. Like I said, we're not videophiles.
Either the Roku or the Sony above will stream Netflix and VOD. The Sony is probably easier to use since you can actually browse Netflix without using a PC (Roku won't browse). OTOH, it's twice as expensive as Roku.
Despite the price diff, I'm leaning towards the BluRay player, but I need to know if any of you guys have tried Roku. Drawbacks? Advantages? Yeah, I did search "Roku" in the archives, came up with pretty much zilch.
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From the Industrial Hub of the Mid-Mon Valley!
Follow Ups:
Check out things like the Western Digital WD TV Live, and the Asus O!Play. They're both well under $200, and play just about anything off USB storage or over networks. For the price, it's a no-brainer - if it doesn't work out for the main system, install it in the minivan, the bedroom/basement/garage/patio, or take it traveling.
I wanted to stream Netflix so last April I bought a Samsung BP1600 blu ray player. I have a relatively new Samsung 37 inch flat screen and use an older NAD amp and PSB speakers for my 2-channel HT set-up. I'm happy.
I haven't had any problems with the Samsung and occasional firmware downloads will fix the occasional glitches that blu ray players experience. I had to buy a network card for my model, but currently the model BP3600 comes with a network card and sells for around $220. If you're nervous about the Samsung brand, by it at Best Buy with and extended warranty (I did).
Besides Netflix, the Samsung blu ray players also stream Pandora (music), Blockbuster and Youtube. Netflix has some great TV from the Showtime channel if you are familiar and it suits your tastes: Dexter, Weeds, Californication. You can go on the Netflix site and see the wealth of movies and material they stream. I'm not a videophile, nor do I pretend to be, but this modest system has brought a lot of joy at a reasonable cost and I haven't experienced any problems. This is coming from someone who would prefer to throw the "big bucks" at an audio system rather than an HT system--and, no, I don't want my TV any where near my audio system. Have fun...
Tom
I think I'm going to need Amazon VOD along with Netflix, Pandora, etc.
I'm probably going to get the Roku TOTL unit, but I'm still on the fence.
The main goal is to get around my local cable provider. We bought an HD TV about a year ago, nothing special or huge, but the digital (not even HD) channels are super.
The cable provider is going to force all of its customers to use a proprietary digital converter box and I hate those things. The picture is lousy and they rate a big fat zero on the user-friendliness scale.
We watch very little TV. We can watch football games and local news in HD using an antenna, but we need to be able to stream the few shows we do watch now.
Netflix can't along can't to that but Amazon and Netflix can.
BTW, I watched the first season of Californication on my desktop PC and I love that show.
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From the Industrial Hub of the Mid-Mon Valley!
AVS Forum has a section of the site that seems to be geared toward your inquiry (see link below). However, there are other sections of the site that also discuss similar subjects, so you may want to scope them out. Your answers may be in more than one place.
I will add that a PS3 may do quite a bit of what you want. On top of that, it has a ton of other features that you may find interesting as well.
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