Thursday, April 24, 2014

Roku 3 Review

Angry Mo's - Roku 3 Review                         Verdict:  Mo like it!


  Welcome to my first blog review.  Every week I tend to bring you a new electronic product which I believe is the best of the best and talk about it here!  

For this week I want to review the Roku 3.  This is the most amazing device anyone who has a TV should get.  Its so simple to use... even my wife can use it!


What is it?  

Its a small box that you attach to your TV.  It gives you access via Internet to multiple video/music streaming services like : Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, Blockbuster, Youtube, Hulu Plus.. there are literally hundreds of "channels" that you can add to your Roku, I just named a few.  Some of the above services do require a subscription.  You can find more channels here: http://www.roku.com/now-playing

I use Netflix, Amazon, Plex and CNN news the most.  I have seen it go for as low as $80.00, which is pretty inexpensive for such an amazing device.  

Design:

Its basically a small black box.  It is very easy to hide.  There are attachments you can buy online  that make it easy to hide behind your flat screen TV, so its invisible.  The box has a power outlet, ethernet port (if you have a wired ethernet connection I recommend using this), HDMI output.  If you don't have wired ethernet, don't worry its wireless too.  The device is quiet, runs cool and is very, very simple.  My wife has used it for the past 2 years, and still doesn't know what it looks like.

Remote:

The remote is comfortable and easy to use.  It has a minimalist design.  Its fast, responsive, and even has a port on the side to hook up included headphones.  That way, if your spouse is sleeping, you can watch TV, without bothering him or her.  See photo below.  The remote is RF, which means the device can be hidden behind cabinets and behind the TV and still work.  The Roku 3 box is also IR, so if you have a universal remote it would work with it too (e.g. Harmony).  Roku 3 remote is also motion sensitive, so you can play games.  We don't use it for that function, but angry birds is available on Roku 3, and is easy to play with the remote.  If you use the Roku remote instead of a universal remote, you still need to use your regular TV remote to turn on/off the TV. 













Channels:
Kind of like apps for your phone, Roku has many so called "channels".  This includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora.  My favorite channels besides these include : CNN, CNET, IGN, Plex, Hulu Plus, Dishworld.  There are tons of options!  My wife watches Hindi channels via Dishworld.  You can even stream your moves/photos/music from your computer to Roku using Plex app.  Plex is a great piece of software, but this is a discussion for a different time.  Some of these services require subscriptions, some do not.


Cutting the cord?  Can it save me money?:

Roku 3 has allowed me to be without cable or satellite services.  It has tons of movies, TV shows, music channels, there is truly something for everyone including kids.   Again, you can even watch your own stored movies via Plex.  What is also a benefit is a nifty device called Tablo.  With Tablo, I am able to get over the air channels for free (no fees), record them, play them back on any connected Roku device.  It is simply amazing.  Right now I have 4 Roku's throughout the home.  Each Roku is able to acccess the Tablo for Live TV.  My next blog will be reviewing this money saving device.  So can you cut the cord?  Yes you can!

Picture and sound quality:
Awesome picture quality and sound.  It can do up to 1080p and Dolby Digital.  I have compared this device to Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV... they are all about the same

Pros:
Small box
Easy to use, nice remote
Headphone jack on remote
Tons of content including over the air channels (some channels require subscription fees, for over the air channels need external equipment)
Fast menu speeds
Wife and kid friendly.. this is a big one!

Cons:
The only con is there is no Airplay available.  However there are channels you can add like Trimeplay and Twonky Beam that allow you to stream content from your phone or pad to your Roku. Roku also has an app for your phone to stream your personal photos/music/video to your device.

VerdictBUY IT!

Thanks for joining this week, next week will be reviewing the Tablo TV 2 Tuner

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