| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 17 2013 : 2:33:48 PM
Hi girls -
We have been considering dropping our cable and buying a Roku. Right now, we're weighing the pros and cons of doing so. It looks as though the biggest drawback to us is that we cannot get local channels for local news. Other than that, it seems SEEMS like a very good, incredibly inexpensive option to cable. Do any of you have and use a Roku? If so, what are the pros and cons you are experiencing? And are there any crazy hidden costs with it? We see that there are a few channels that you have to pay for... Would we also have to pay for individual programs? Other than local channels not being available, the channels we do watch seem to be free! So, if we make the initial purchase, this nifty little box really could save us a bunch of dough-re-mi every month. But I'm really hesitant about the quality and any fees that might not be so obvious. (I.e: Is there a monthly fee for using the Roku?) Also - is this a service that offers us the opportunity to watch any program at any time, or is this something that we'd have to buy a video recorder in order to catch missed shows, or shows we want to watch later? We would really appreciate your insight on this!
Thanks so much -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Heather B |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 2:14:33 PM
I purchased one and so far really like it. It's important that you have a good internet connection, wireless or hard wired. I upped my DSL speed and I have had no glitches even when someone else in the house is using a computer. My daughter is a little upset with me for getting rid of cable but it really makes sense when you don't watch TV all the time. Why pay outrageous prices for something you do not watch all the time!
Heather
http://homesteadincity.blogspot.com/
http://littlehouseonthebumper.blogspot.com/ (My "glamper" page)
"Only your real friends tell you when your face is dirty"
Farm Girl Sister #662 |
| star-schipp |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 1:54:29 PM
We have a Roku and I do like it - but I do have trouble with it freezing up and the remote doesn't seem as responsive as with the satellite...it is a like/dislike relationship.....
If you can't feed one hundred people, then just feed one. -Mother Teresa
Star - farmgirl sister #1927
Master Food Preserver
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| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 1:43:55 PM
Chantelle , I'm sure you won't regret it!!
Blessings,
Linda
Country at Heart |
| EllaRow |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 12:41:01 PM
This sounds like a really nice device. I looked it up and think I will have to talk to the hubbie. We can't afford local cable and he is always saying we need more then the two freebie channels that our tv can get (which are the local ones). A one time purchase for access to a bunch of free stations with options to buy the other stuff if we really want it sounds nice. Some of the fees I saw on the site for examples (1.99 for this or 2.99 for that) are still cheaper then renting a movie in our local area. Plus we already subscribe to netflix so it would give us another way to access it. Thanks for the info peeps!
Soaking in wisdom as the showers fall
https://www.facebook.com/CavemanWoodworkingAndCrafts
https://www.facebook.com/RowlandComputersPlus |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 07:47:20 AM
I have had the roku lt for about 2 years now, really thinking about getting the roku 3 as I love the idea of the headphone jack in the remote! I would just move the roku lt to my bedroom and use the roku 3 here in the main room. We will never go back to satellite or cable, we have been free of that bill for over 2 years now. You can also do redbox instant on playon, they are offering it for $8 a month plus 4 free rentals. I have had it for a few months but don't seem to watch it much so I think I will cancel that one.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm!
http://homesteddinmomsworld.blogspot.com |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 22 2013 : 7:05:42 PM
Agree Nini! Excited to turn the box back to cable and can't wait for Roku! Have to play with antenna types. Need a digital converter with the antenna. Haven't got that yet. Meantime our streamer we do have is sooo awesome, even tho a simple one with the basic popular apps. But does enough to let us know we will be ok without expensive cable !!
Had the gkids over and even they are fine enjoying their fave shows via Netflix!
Blessings ,
Linda
Country at Heart |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Jun 22 2013 : 07:01:48 AM
Yay! SO glad it's working for you and you're enjoying it, Linda! Sounds like it still has a nice selection for you to enjoy! That's wonderful! How is your antenna working out for you??? It really does depend on your location.
I can't tell you how much we've been enjoying exploring all that our Roku has to offer! We just got PBS, too, Heather - LOVE it! And my husband discovered the Pandora channel last weekend. It's the first thing he puts on to relax to when he gets home after work! The two channels that they watch most often are Amazon Prime and Netflix. We also watch METV nightly to get our daily dose of MASH after the local news. Just sooo happy with it all. Heather, I can't thank you and the girls enough for all your input and insight - you really have helped so much! Thank you!
Hugs-
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 18 2013 : 9:30:11 PM
I know completely cool! I hope more of the "local" channels will set up "free" channels on Roku soon too.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 18 2013 : 8:52:48 PM
Heather that is soooo cool that PBS is now on Roku as well!!
My daughter's friend helped us set up our streamer and they are watching a movie on You tube right now!
So far, so good and loving even the more basic streamer for now!!
Look forward to the Roku and defineately look forward to turning the cable box in!
:)
Blessings,
Linda
http://www.grannysbirds.blogspot.com/
Country at Heart |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 18 2013 : 5:03:24 PM
I really like the other free stuff on roku too, more and more all the time. Just got PBS (free) on roku and love it! Just got all caught up on Call the Midwife. Right now I'm watching Downton Abby on Prime.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 18 2013 : 12:41:13 PM
My magnavox streaming boxes arrived!!!
Cannot wait to get them hooked up!! With the older tvs we have an additional cord thing to get.
These boxes aren't as awesome as Roku!! But they will do for now and allow us to cut the cable!
These access you tube, pandora, vudu, Hulu plus and Netflix!
I can't wait to get Roku for the slew of more options plus most especially the channel for watching hallmark movies!
My cable going up a few bucks in July!! Again!!!
So this all is perfect timing!
Thanks for all the encouragement ladies!!!
Farmgirl hugs,
Linda
http://www.grannysbirds.blogspot.com/
Country at Heart |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 08 2013 : 3:52:12 PM
Well the indoor small antenna arrived. Only pulled up Daystar channel. But we have older tvs so I think I have to get a digital converter to go with it. Soooo, will hit best buy this week and look at them. Probably cheaper thru amazon? But if it doesn't help it's easier to return to a local store. From all I'm reading I need the digital converter box with an antenna too.
Still determined and moving forward!! Lol!
Blessings,
Linda
http://www.grannysbirds.blogspot.com
Country at Heart |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Jun 08 2013 : 08:12:32 AM
Be strong, Linda! Working toward anything good or of value can certainly cause a little "pain," but in the end, it's always well worth it! I'm telling you, I was a nervous wreck myself when we made the switch! LOL! If you need any help setting up or anything at all, we're here for you! AND very excited for you! I pray all will go well and work even better than you have been hoping! Keep us posted! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| prayin granny |
Posted - Jun 08 2013 : 06:14:23 AM
Well I have ordered an indoor antenna, hoping it works! Ordering the Magnavox streaming today.
Taking cable box in next week!! I'm twitching a bit, lol!!! But looking forward to the change at the same time!
Have a great day farmgirls and thank you to all for your help and encouragement here!!
Blessings,
Linda
http://grannysbirds.blogspot.com
Country at Heart |
| prayin granny |
Posted - May 25 2013 : 6:09:40 PM
Oh we do want a Roku still. This cheaper one only does Hulu, Netflix and a couple others. Roku has a ton more to offer. I will use the cheaper one in my room. Then use Roku in living room. Looking online at various receivers for local channels.
Thanks Nini!!
Hugs,
Linda
Country at Heart |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 25 2013 : 06:03:07 AM
Oh! Well.. Here's a thought, Linda: If you are living in a tall building, the reception actually might be a lot better than expected. That being said, you may only need the same type of HD antenna/receiver we purchased. We have two friends who live in seven-story buildings, and both have even better reception than we do. One uses an HD antenna like we do, the other uses a pair of reeeeaaaally old rabbit ears; both get a LOT of channels, all crisp and clear. The only thing that seems to affect their reception is weather - high winds, heavy rain or snow. They both believe that they get such good reception because their buildings each have those old-fashioned large antennae on top. I don't know if you have that type of antenna on your building, but if you do, you may only need that spliced-wire type antenna instead. Just a thought!
I also want to say that you might want to look around online. My foster daughter got the Roku 3 last week for just $60 somewhere! I think she got it from 1 Deal A Day, but I'm not sure. I'll see if I can find out for you when I see her tomorrow. But yes, by all means, try a less expensive model. I can't speak for them, but at least it would help you get your feet wet and a "feel" for how these things work. If, however, you don't have a thrilling experience with a different model, please don't let it spoil streaming devices or Roku for you all together, okay? Roku is wonderful, so if another isn't what you're looking for, please don't give up! :) For that matter, you might really enjoy just having the antenna and not feel the need for Roku at all! It just depends upon what you want to get out of your television experience, that's all! :)
Have a great day!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| prayin granny |
Posted - May 25 2013 : 05:14:20 AM
Thanks Nini! It is confusing! Plus we are in an apt soooo may have to keep just bare basic cable. We need local cuz of the storm season. I might even just for now, try a less expensive streamer than roku. It doesn't access as much......but might do for a couple months in meantime!
Hugs,
Linda
http://www.grannysbirds.blogspot.com/
Country at Heart |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 24 2013 : 10:01:53 AM
Hi girls!
You are very welcome, Mary, truly. My husband's employer is wonderful. He has seasons tickets to the Steelers and Penguins, and whenever he can't make a game, he passes them along to the employees. They've been to quite a few Steelers games, and this was the first set of Penguin tickets my hubby received since before our son was born, but he and I have also been several times. His employer is also planning a company day at PNC Park - every employee, including our son, is receiving two tickets! Is that cool or what? We're very, very blessed!!!
Linda - this is the one I bought from Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3611256&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032189 I would just check with the sales people there before buying. There are a ton of different ones out there, but the reception really depends on where you live and what type of receiver you have. Depending upon where you live, you might need an outdoor one instead, OR you might need one that's more powerful. OR this one could be perfect for you, too. OR you may already have an antenna on your house and only need a wire to complete the circuit from it to your tv. Your situation is unique, so it's always good to check with people who deal with this on a regular basis in your area. :)
We get so many more channels through the antenna we have than we expected. It's amazing. But, like I said, for us, this one is more than sufficient. We live fairly close to Pittsburgh where many of the stations are, and we live at a slightly higher elevation, so we can get away with a less powerful, less expensive indoor-type receiver/antenna. We went to Radio Shack twice and two different salespeople were extremely helpful and shared their personal experiences with the antennas as well as experiences of other customers. We could've spent a lot more, but they were honest about everything. To me, that was REAL customer service. Before buying, we ran over to Wal-Mart. Their receivers looked similar, but none of the packaging was really helpful, and we weren't sure what we were buying. It might have looked the same, but it could've been very, very different. When we asked and employee about them, he was clueless. We decided to go back to Radio Shack because they earned their money!
I hope this helps. Before you buy, maybe talk to salespeople in a few different stores to see what their impressions are. It will help you get a better picture of what you will need, and hopefully it will help you prevent paying for a more expensive model you don't need or one that is less adequate. I am sure you can return it and try another one, but let's hope some of what I have shared and what they will share will help make your decision a little bit easier. :)
Hang in there - you can do this! I know it's confusing. That's where I was. But once it all fell together, it was all good! Let me know if I can help you in any other way!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| prayin granny |
Posted - May 24 2013 : 04:47:59 AM
Nini,
What brand of antenna reception did you get? I'm still looking at those and soooo confusing?! Guess just try one and if doesn't work? Return it and try another?
Blessings,
Linda
Country at Heart |
| MaggieMB |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 10:23:17 PM
Nini, Thank you so much for the link and the information about the sports channels! I am so tired of paying for cable , but I know that my family won't want to give up the sports that they are used to watching! How nice that your son got to go to a Penguin game! My older sons have been to games at the Consol Energy Center, but the Hubs and I and youngest son haven't made it to a game yet. Maybe, if we weren't paying all of that money to the cable company...ha,ha! |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 8:24:38 PM
Yep! Crackle has a lot of good ones. We used to love News Radio, and were just thrilled to find it there! There are lots to choose from. Linda - I did want to share with you, though, that we still get MyTV through the HD antenna! Every area will have different program reception with an antenna, though, probably dependent upon where the signal originates and how far you are from it'
Well, I'm pooped. Time to turn in. Hope you all have a good night!
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 7:20:29 PM
Linda actually there is LOTS of them. Also old movies. They will have commercials though if you choose the free ones. But, Crackle and several others are free old reruns. Every thing from Beverly Hillbillies, to Lucy, to Bonanza, and even OTR (Old Time Radio) shows. I have lots of laughs over the free channel that has old education films that were shown to school children. lol
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| prayin granny |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 6:57:31 PM
I just read my prior post?? Where did those numbers come from in my post cuz I didn't put that?? Very weird!
Anyway, thank you Nini for the update! I'm pretty sure we will love it! Have you found any channels similar to 'my tv' channel that show mostly old reruns?
Hugs,
Linda
Country at Heart |
| Ninibini |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 07:50:55 AM
Thanks Heather! I used to watch the Hallmark channel fairly regularly, and wasn't sure what the channel has to offer. This is extremely helpful! You ROCK farmgirl! :)
Hi Mary - Well... yes, and no. You can purchase subscriptions to MLB.tv or football or whatever (here is the link for the channels offered - some are free but some you have to buy subscriptions: http://www.roku.com/channels/#!browse/sports/by-popular ) but with baseball, there is a lockout, which means you cannot watch games of local teams live - you would have to wait until the game is over and then you can link up and watch the game. Kind of a bummer because my husband is a HUGE Pirates fan. For now, he's going "old school" and listens to them on the radio while working around the yard or out in the garage. Now, for football, we get the Steelers games on the regular TV channels, so we can watch them live via the antenna we bought (thank GOODNESS!). The NHL channel hooks up to your Roku for free, but you can't see the programming unless you buy the subscription, and I honestly can't tell you whether you will get the Penguins or any other games live, but it looks as though you do. :) My son just got to attend his first game a couple of weeks ago, and now he's hooked, so he gets minute-by-minute updates from friends on his cell phone. He'd like the subscription, so maybe we'll get him that for his birthday or Christmas. We'll see! I hope this helps a little.
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| MaggieMB |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 06:54:41 AM
I'm not sure if this has been covered or not, but can you get sports channels? We are currently watching the NHL playoffs on cable and the Hubs and our sons are football fans. |
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