Drop, charge, and lose the cords
CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 03/03/2009
- Updated on: 10/27/2009
- Released on: 05/19/2008
Editors' Note: As of October 27, Roku has added two new models to its line in addition to the Roku HD Player reviewed here. Since this review was written, Roku has added a third content channel, MLB.TV. The service gives subscribers access to live and recorded out-of-area Major League Baseball games. Roku has also announced its intentions to add Blip.tv and Mediafly channels in the fall of 2009. We'll update this review in November, once the new content becomes available.
Originally introduced in May 2008 as the "Netflix Player," Roku's little video streamer had one mission: allow Netflix subscribers to view that company's small stable of on-demand videos on their TVs. The box worked well enough, and as the year progressed, subsequent software updates and--most importantly--expanded content offerings from Starz/Disney and CBS made the $99 Roku Netflix Player and even better deal than when it was initially launched.
Flash forward to 2009, and the box has a new name--the Roku Digital Media Player--and a second service provider: it can now access Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows. Unlike the all-you-can-eat nature of the Netflix subscription (one monthly price gets you unlimited viewing of more than 12,000 titles), Amazon's 40,000-plus offerings are strictly pay-per-view: rent or buy movies or TV shows a la carte, for anywhere from $2 to $4 (rentals) to $6 to $15 (purchases). Amazon's library of newer movies and TV shows nicely complements that of Netflix's streaming library, which has a decent spate of TV offerings but remains short on recent hit movies. Roku has hinted that additional service providers may join the Digital Media Player's home screen menu in the future as well. Later in 2009, we'll see Blu-ray players and even TVs that incorporate these services and more, but in the meantime, the Roku Digital Media Player's $99 price tag makes it the cheapest and easiest way to add an impressive number of on-demand video options to any TV.
Design and features
From a design standpoint, there isn't much to critique. Measuring 1.75 inches tall by 5.25 inches wide by 5.25 inches deep, the box is slightly smaller than your typical cable modem, but instead of having just an Ethernet port on the back, it's equipped with all manner of audio and video outputs: HDMI, component video, S-Video, and composite video ports, as well as digital optical or the standard red/white analog stereo outputs. Currently only stereo sound is available, but 5.1 surround sound could be added via a future firmware upgrade.
For optimal video quality, you'll want to stick with HDMI or component video. However, you will have to supply those cables since the Netflix Player includes only a standard composite AV cable in the box. We were happy to see the presence of composite and S-Video jacks, as well an aspect ratio (standard or wide screen) toggle--which lets the Netflix Player connect to any old TV, not just HD sets. (Apple TV can only connect to HDTVs.)
The remote is about as simple as it gets: in addition to a five-way directional pad, play/pause, fast-forward, and rewind keys, there's a "home" button that takes you to your list of queued movies. The remote works well enough, and since it's a standard infrared model you can easily program its functions into any worthwhile universal remote.
Once you have all your cables connected, you plug the AC adapter into the box, wait a few seconds for the box to start up, and make your way through the simple setup wizard using the included remote. You're given the choice to connect to your home network via a wired or wireless connection and can fairly easily switch from one connection to another if your wireless connection is spotty. If you have a secure wireless network (WEP, WPA, WPA2), you simply key in your security key via an onscreen virtual keyboard.
The Roku Player assumes that you've got a Netflix and/or Amazon account up and running. The first time you choose either onscreen icon, you're given a special PIN code. Just navigate your computer's browser to address listed on the screen, enter the code, and the Roku Player will be linked to your account on the respective service. Once the services are set up, you access either of them through their respective icons on the main menu screen. (Use the up arrow on the remote whenever you want to go back to the previous screen.)
Now let's take a look at the what both services offer on the Roku Player.
Netflix
Netflix users have two separate queues in their online account: a DVD queue (for discs by mail) and an Instant Queue (for streaming video). Add a movie or TV show to your Instant Queue online and that title will appear within seconds on your Roku Player. However, you can't add titles or navigate Netflix's vast library from the box itself; you can only search for and add titles via your computer. (But because the videos are streaming from Netflix's central servers, not your computer, you don't need to have your computer powered on while you're watching the Netflix Player.) Because you're just using the standard Web site interface, queue updates can be added on any Windows, Mac, or Linux PC, using any browser. We appreciated that Netflix and Roku kept things simple.
As for what you can watch: Netflix currently offers more than 12,000 streamable titles (compared to more than 100,000 on DVD). While it's not quite the fabled "video store in the cloud," the recent addition of Starz/Disney and CBS content to the mix has helped considerably. (Existing Netflix subscribers can browse the list of available titles; anything with a blue "Play" button can be added to the Instant Queue for viewing on the Roku Player.) Current top streaming titles include "Superbad," "Serenity," "Ratatoille," "Best in Show," and "No Country for Old Men." Perhaps the strongest offering is TV shows, which include a decent range of contemporary ("The Office," "Weeds," "Doctor Who," "30 Rock," "Mythbusters") and older ("Quantum Leap," "Miami Vice," "Magnum P.I.," "Columbo," "Fawlty Towers," "Xena") favorites. Most impressive is the handful of current TV shows that are offered in near real-time: new episodes of NBC's "Heroes" and a few CBS/Showtime shows ("Numb3rs," all three permutations of "CSI") can be viewed just days after they first air in prime time.
Keep in mind that the offerings on Netflix are fluid, thanks to the vagaries of digital viewing licenses from the Hollywood studios. For instance, several of the movies we added months ago to our Instant Queue have moved to the "saved" section at the bottom. That's for movies that were once--but are no longer--available for online viewing. The list includes titles such as "The Fellowship of the Ring," "House of Games," "The Dirty Dozen," "Escape from New York," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Alien." While viewing the queue in your browser will usually include a note such as "available until March 31, 2009" within 30 days of such an expiration, it's still a bit frustrating to see movies come and go with little rhyme or reason.
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