Netflix Player by Roku Video
Netflix Player by Roku Video Transcript
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>> Hi I'm David Connelly, executive editor for cnet.com and I'm here to give a little video tour of the Netflix Player by Roku. If you're Netflix subscriber, you may have noticed that you're able to watch movies, instantly streaming video right on your computer. What this little black box allows you to do is watch those same streaming videos on your TV without your computer. You attach this box to your TV, has this video outputs for HDMI, component video, composite video and even S-video. Right now there's only stereo sound it isn't full surround sound but that's something in the future that they could technically add to this box. You can either connect the box via an ethernet or if you want, the box has built-in WiFi. Currently, Netflix has about 10,000 movies and TV shows available for you to stream. The boxes automatically populated with 10 videos from your instant cue. You can then go ahead and manually add other videos. Video quality course is dependent on your broadband connection; the higher speed you get the better picture you'll get. Right now, the picture is up to necessarily DVD quality but you can get a pretty descent picture. Overall, we really like the concept of the box and its simplicity. There are a few drawbacks right now. First off there isn't tremendous amount of content available. There isn't a lot of wide screen content available. Some of the stuff that should be in wide screen is actually 4 x 3. One of the key things about this box is that the content is free, of course you do have to pay for a Netflix subscription. The firm ware on the box can be upgraded so that can make changes to the interphase that can potentially add new services and of course, you'll start seeing a lot more content. For people looking for an inexpensive way to stream video to their TVs without connecting a PC, the Netflix player by Roku is really a pretty nice solution. I'm David Connelly and that's the Netflix Player by Roku.
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The good: Affordable $100 price tag; streams Netflix Watch Now and Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows to your TV; the combination of Netflix's unlimited subscription viewing (as low as $9 per month) and Amazon's pay-per-view offerings delivers a good range of viewing flexibility and choice; PC-free movie watching; simple setup; includes built-in wired and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking; works with all TVs; upgradeable firmware allows for new features, interface improvements, and bug fixes.
The bad: Though improving, the Netflix streaming library is still just a fraction of its DVD-by-mail offerings, especially when it comes to popular recent releases; the video quality of most non-HD titles doesn't come close to DVD, especially when viewed on large TVs; some titles don't appear in their original wide-screen version; no surround sound; can't manipulate Netflix queue or search Amazon library via TV screen; yet another box under the TV.
The bottom line: The one-two punch of Amazon and Netflix makes the Roku Player an enticing choice for anyone looking for a simple, convenient, and affordable alternative to cable or satellite TV.
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Manufacturer: Roku LLC
Part number: CNETROKUPLAYER
| Store | Certified rating | Inventory | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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Amazon.com Marketplace |
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In stock |
$99.99 |
