 | Roku 2 HD Streaming Player Custom Rating:  Price: $69.99 *this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping  |
Roku 2 HD Streaming Player is the new version of the original Netflix player, Roku 2. Smallest, fastest, and more powerful than ever, enjoy the very easier way to stream HD video (up to 720p) to your TV. Choose from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, Pandora, and much more for access to more than 300 channels of movies, TV shows, live sports, and music. Roku 2 includes built-in wireless, and works with virtually any TV.
Roku 2 HD Streaming Player Features
A Large and Growing Entertainment Base Roku 2 delivers more than just movies and TV shows from the biggest names in instant entertainment. You also get access to over 300 channels and counting: from the latest news to your favorite music to the craziest cat videos from around the world. Plus, new channels are added all the time, so you'll always find something new to watch, hear and enjoy.
Live Sports Channels Any time you want it. Roku streams the action as soon as you say go with the biggest selection of live sports packages anywhere, including NHL, NBA, UFC, MLB and MLS.
Streaming Music Stations With Roku 2, you can play any music, any time. Let unlimited music from Pandora or MOG take you in new directions or to the exact tune you're looking for. From Sirius XM to your iTunes library, Roku can stream whatever music genre you are searching for.
A Small Surface-Footprint Barely larger than a coaster, Roku 2 slips neatly alongside any TV or entertainment center—and uses less power than a nightlight. That’s over 80 times less than your average game console.
A Simple, Easy, and Inexpensive Internet TV Alternative From its simple remote to its easy-to-use interface, Roku 2 was designed connect you to internet television options without the investment in an internet-ready TV. All you need to get started is a high-speed Internet connection, and a TV. The built-in wireless and guided setup mean you can be up and running in minutes.
Roku 2 HD Streaming Player Video Review
Roku 2 HD Streaming Player Customer Reviews
So tiny, so simple,
By
RavenRing (USA) Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Roku 2 HD Streaming Player (Electronics)
Why Roku: I have been looking at getting a Roku for a few months now and when I saw that the Roku 2 had just been released I figured it was time to take action. I've never owned a streaming video box like the Roku before, but I have a Wii I use to watch Netflix on and my parents have an Apple TV that I've watched Netflix and other video on. I was originally planing to get an Apple TV, but decided on the Roku for a few reasons. First, the Apple TV requires a HD TV, which I don't have, whereas the Roku can handle both a regular TV and HD (nice if I upgrade :). Second, as much as I love Apple products, I wanted a device that had more streaming selection. Specifically, a device that had a Crunchyroll channel. And finally, the Roku is just the least expensive device of this kind.
Setup:
So I got my Roku yesterday and had it set up in about 10 minutes. It would have been quicker if I had been using a computer instead of an iPad. The Roku itself is TINY. A little taller than the Apple TV, but much smaller around. It comes with an A/V cable, the power cord, a remote, 2 AAA batteries for the remote, and a very short manual (it doesn't need a long one). To set it up you plug in the cable and cord, hook it up to the TV and power, then turn on TV and set to the correct input. Like the Apple TV, the Roku doesn't need to be turned on and off, it take so little power in its standby state that you just leave it running. Once the Roku is connected to the TV you have to set up the network connection, which is super easy. Then you have to create an account on Roku.com (this requires a computer), which is where you enter a credit card for any purchases you might make on the device. Once this step is done you pick out some channels to install on your home screen, wait a minute for a software update, and then voila! your Roku is ready for use. (It took me additional 10 minutes to sign in to all of my various accounts for the different channels (3 total), two required a computer, one (Netflix) did not)
Interface:
The interface for the Roku is very simple and easy to use. The channels, channel store, and settings are all presented in a single line across the screen (settings to the very left). It is super easy to install new channels and just as easy to remove them! To remove, go to the channel store and the "Your Channels" row and select the channel you want to remove and go into it. There is a description of the channel and an option to remove. It just takes a second, and you can always reinstall it if you change your mind. Browsing the channels store is a decent experience, but it lacks a search option. It sorts the channels into categories, i.e. Most Popular, Highest Rated, Sports, etc. Each category gets a row you can scroll through. It reminds me of the Wii Netflix interface.
The Roku's interface is much simpler and easier to navigate than both the Wii and the Apple TV. Of course, if you get a ton of channels it might make it a little more difficult to find things.
Watching:
I watched a few episodes of Anime using the Crunchyroll channel (I have a Premium account, so no ads!) and the viewing experience was as good as a DVD, though naturally the scanning isn't as smooth. Scanning brings up a timeline bar which you can track as you go forward or backward, but it doesn't have any video attached to this scan. This means that you have to know exactly how far you want to go. I think this is standard for streaming media, so not a mark against the Roku. But the video and audio were just fine.
I also tested an episode on Crackle, a free channel that has free movies and TV shows (albeit with lots of ads). Again, the video and audio were great, no glitches or problems, just lots of ads. For a 20 minute episode I saw no less then 4 ads.
I also tried the Pandora channel. I normally use Pandora on my iPad and I like the iPad interface. The Roku Pandora channel was nicely designed and easy to use and the audio was good.
Finally:
I've read reviews on the original Roku about how bad the customer service is, which is part of the reason I bought it from Amazon and not directly from Roku. After the return period is over, my backup plan is to not have any problems with the device :)
But for $70 I think this device is an excellent deal. Admittedly I've only used it for a few hours so far, but those few hours were smooth as silk. It is easy to set up and use and if you buy from Amazon you have at least 30 days to discover problems, which is normally plenty of time for electronics.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Roku Rocks!,
By
B. Short "Purchaser Extraordinaire" (US)
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Roku 2 HD Streaming Player (Electronics)
Bye Bye Cable! Just got my first Roku Box today, although we have been streaming tv (PS3 and Wii) for awhile now. I linked my Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus accounts to the box in a matter of minutes. Set up was easy and the free content is excellent! The box itself is tiny you dont even notice it next to the TV. We dumped our cable provider a few months ago and got by with just streaming through the Wii and PS3, but with the Roku Boxes there is a TON more content and I dont really care for the Wii platform/dashboard. The box is about 25 feet away from my wireless router and signal is full. Im very happy with this purchase and will be ordering 2-3 more for the rest of the TVs in the house.
