What is Roku?

disneynut57 · ‎03-12-2010

HSN has a ROKU as todays special.

I don't know what a ROKU does. Can someone explain?

My son has a Smart TV in his room but there is no cable in his room. Would this be able to be used instead of running cable through wall?

Thank you!

circles · ‎03-10-2010

I would be interested to know, too...thanks for starting this thread...

KYToby · ‎02-19-2012

So HSN has a product that you want to know more about? Why not watch the presentation on HSN or een Google it? I do not understand why rather than doing these things you would coe to a QVC shopping forum to inuire about a product that is being sold on HSN.

circles · ‎03-10-2010

@KYToby wrote:
So HSN has a product that you want to know more about? Why not watch the presentation on HSN or een Google it? I do not understand why rather than doing these things you would coe to a QVC shopping forum to inuire about a product that is being sold on HSN.

KYToby....can't you be kinder...we come here because the girls on here can give a clear cut answer and the pros and cons...sometimes the hosts ...because they are so knowlegable sweep over "how easy things are" and forget those of us who need a more simple approach...

CoastalGal · ‎09-26-2010

If you do not have a smart tv and you like to watch stuff that is on the internet then you will love the ROKU.

It is a streaming device. We use it primarily for NETFLIX so we can watch it on our tv.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

Roku is a player that connects to your TV; it enables content to be streamed from the internet to your TV. If you have a wireless router, you should be able to stream wirelessly.

If your son's smart TV is Wi-Fi enabled, he should be able to connect wirelessly to the internet already (i.e. without a streaming player like Roku). If he can connect but the signal isn't strong, there are ways to ways to deal with that. If his TV isn't Wi-Fi enabled, Roku might help. I haven't heard of that particular situation - connecting a Roku player to a smart TV. I'd ask the manufacturer.

gardenman · ‎03-09-2010

@ValuSkr wrote:
Roku is a player that connects to your TV; it enables content to be streamed from the internet to your TV. If you have a wireless router, you should be able to stream wirelessly.

If your son's smart TV is Wi-Fi enabled, he should be able to connect wirelessly to the internet already (i.e. without a streaming player like Roku). If he can connect but the signal isn't strong, there are ways to ways to deal with that. If his TV isn't Wi-Fi enabled, Roku might help. I haven't heard of that particular situation - connecting a Roku player to a smart TV. I'd ask the manufacturer.

Just to build on what Valu Skr said, a Roku would likely give him more viewing options. Most smart TV's have a somewhat limited menu and they're not always updated as new options become available. Set top boxes like the Roku or Fire TV are constantly being updated with more viewing options. There are literally thousands of channels for viewing on those devices.

I'm not sure what age your son is, but you should be advised that not all of those viewing options are necessarily ideal for a younger child, so looking into parental settings would be wise on any type of media player you provide him if he's a younger son.

It should also be pointed out that many of the channels available need to be subscribed to which can get pricey..Since you have a cable subscription already, chances are he can live stream Watch ESPN for live sports coverage of the ESPN channels after signing in with your cable provider and multiple other live streams of cable programming. The process can get a bit tedious, but it's doable. For cable channels you typically have to sign into your cable provider, you'll be given an access code that you then have to submit and the device will then be activated for that channel. Doing it for one or two channels isn't so bad. Around the tenth or so time you do it, it starts to become kind of tedious.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!

jackthebear · ‎03-11-2010

@circles wrote:
@KYToby wrote:
So HSN has a product that you want to know more about? Why not watch the presentation on HSN or een Google it? I do not understand why rather than doing these things you would coe to a QVC shopping forum to inuire about a product that is being sold on HSN.
KYToby....can't you be kinder...we come here because the girls on here can give a clear cut answer and the pros and cons...sometimes the hosts ...because they are so knowlegable sweep over "how easy things are" and forget those of us who need a more simple approach...

oh boy, as much as I don't care for KYTOby's usual responses,

I have to agree. In the time taken to post the original post, OP could googled ROKU.

Gram W · ‎01-22-2013

@gardenman @ValuSkr. Thank you for you information. It is appreciated. I also like to get personal reviews to add to the information I get on line.

Dusty1 · ‎03-10-2010

Come on people! Seriously? This is a legitimate question & there are some very kind & intelligent people on these boards that give great information. I saw a Roku at Sam's yesterday. I sort of know what it is, but not totally, so I opened this post to get some thoughts about the product. If you know about Roku &/or using them with the internet or Smart TVs it's easy to share that. If you don't know about the Roku & Smart TVs.....you know.....just shrug & move on. To me the Smart TV & Roku do basically the same thing. If you have wifi you should be able to do the same thing (maybe not as many options) with either.