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We've cut the cable (1 Viewer)

After the latest sticker shock bill from Cable, I'm ready to try this out. A few questions:

1 - Which of the Roku's do I need, the HD, XD, or XD/S? I'd need four of these things, but I only have two HD tvs. Will the XD work fine or is the XD/S worth the extra $20?

2 - Can I just have one internal antenna to handle all of the tv's in the house?

3 - speaking of antennas, I still have two non-HD tv's in the kid's room. Does this mean I have to get the digital converter as well to watch OTA tv, or does the Roku work as the digital converter in addition to all its greatness?

 
'joffer said:
'culdeus said:
'Yenrub said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'valence said:
I bought this RCA antenna, but I only really got two channels to come in clearly so I returned it. Did I buy the wrong antenna? Can anyone recommend one?
Click to expand...
I bought this one:http://www.bestbuy.c...&ci_sku=9415215

It's not perfect, but I get about 20+ channels. I live in the city though.
Click to expand...
So is antenna like this needed for every TV or can one antenna be used for multiple TV's?
Click to expand...
One can be used for as many as you can possibly connect.
Click to expand...
there is a limit, you can only split it so many times. how many depends on a lot of variables.
Click to expand...
Do you have to run wired connections from the splitter to each tv, or can you use your cable connection plates in your wall to connect the antenna to the tvs around the house?
 
We just received the Roku XD today. I had it hooked up in about 10 minutes - I didn't have to monkey with it at all which was nice.

So now we've got a bunch of private channels, Hulu Plus (free 1 month) and Netflix (free 1 month). Basically we've got everything we have on DirecTV and more for what will be a grand total of $16.00 a month once these trial memberships run out. We're gonna keep the DirecTV off and see how it goes.

:thumbup: to this thread.

 
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.

 
'Jobber said:
We just received the Roku XD today. I had it hooked up in about 10 minutes - I didn't have to monkey with it at all which was nice.So now we've got a bunch of private channels, Hulu Plus (free 1 month) and Netflix (free 1 month). Basically we've got everything we have on DirecTV and more for what will be a grand total of $16.00 a month once these trial memberships run out. We're gonna keep the DirecTV off and see how it goes. :thumbup: to this thread.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:
 
'Peter_Griffin said:
I'm in the process of doing this myself. Was going to mount the antenna on the roof this weekend but it was really windy on Saturday and rained all day on Sunday. With an antenna on the roof we'll be able to get all of the networks in HD for free. If I don't fall of the roof and kill myself next weekend I'll post an update. Once we get the antenna up, we're going to use a computer for a DVR and also for access to hulu to pick up any shows that we watch that are not on nework tv.
Click to expand...
I'm still alive so I've got that going for me.I'm about 45 miles from 2 markets so I have 2 separate antennas on 1 mast ($15 fence post from home depot) mounted to an eave mount extending up over the roof. The markets are about 160 degrees apart so I had to go the 2 antenna route. I ran about 150' of cable from each antenna to the main TV and the signals are great with a Winegard 7694 antenna for one market and an Antennas Direct DB4 for the other. Signals are all 75-100%. Total cost of materials was about $200. I could use my existing computer for a tivo but am going to build one instead. Then it's adios comcast!
 
'Peter_Griffin said:
'Peter_Griffin said:
I'm in the process of doing this myself. Was going to mount the antenna on the roof this weekend but it was really windy on Saturday and rained all day on Sunday. With an antenna on the roof we'll be able to get all of the networks in HD for free. If I don't fall of the roof and kill myself next weekend I'll post an update. Once we get the antenna up, we're going to use a computer for a DVR and also for access to hulu to pick up any shows that we watch that are not on nework tv.
Click to expand...
I'm still alive so I've got that going for me.I'm about 45 miles from 2 markets so I have 2 separate antennas on 1 mast ($15 fence post from home depot) mounted to an eave mount extending up over the roof. The markets are about 160 degrees apart so I had to go the 2 antenna route. I ran about 150' of cable from each antenna to the main TV and the signals are great with a Winegard 7694 antenna for one market and an Antennas Direct DB4 for the other. Signals are all 75-100%. Total cost of materials was about $200. I could use my existing computer for a tivo but am going to build one instead. Then it's adios comcast!
Click to expand...
Nice, congrats! In total, how many stations are you able to pull in?
 
'Addai said:
'Jobber said:
We just received the Roku XD today. I had it hooked up in about 10 minutes - I didn't have to monkey with it at all which was nice.So now we've got a bunch of private channels, Hulu Plus (free 1 month) and Netflix (free 1 month). Basically we've got everything we have on DirecTV and more for what will be a grand total of $16.00 a month once these trial memberships run out. We're gonna keep the DirecTV off and see how it goes. :thumbup: to this thread.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:
Click to expand...
:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
'Dragons said:
'Peter_Griffin said:
'Peter_Griffin said:
I'm in the process of doing this myself. Was going to mount the antenna on the roof this weekend but it was really windy on Saturday and rained all day on Sunday. With an antenna on the roof we'll be able to get all of the networks in HD for free. If I don't fall of the roof and kill myself next weekend I'll post an update. Once we get the antenna up, we're going to use a computer for a DVR and also for access to hulu to pick up any shows that we watch that are not on nework tv.
Click to expand...
I'm still alive so I've got that going for me.I'm about 45 miles from 2 markets so I have 2 separate antennas on 1 mast ($15 fence post from home depot) mounted to an eave mount extending up over the roof. The markets are about 160 degrees apart so I had to go the 2 antenna route. I ran about 150' of cable from each antenna to the main TV and the signals are great with a Winegard 7694 antenna for one market and an Antennas Direct DB4 for the other. Signals are all 75-100%. Total cost of materials was about $200. I could use my existing computer for a tivo but am going to build one instead. Then it's adios comcast!
Click to expand...
Nice, congrats! In total, how many stations are you able to pull in?
Click to expand...
The real question is how many "useful" stations can I pull in.I get the networks from each city so that's 12 practical channels (plus another 10 or so sub-channels), then about 4 or 5 independent channels from each city so probably about 30 useful channels and then another 30 spanish/korean/indian/religious/etc.It's kind of like cable and directv in that I get the few channels that I actually watch but instead of 200 channels that I don't watch I only have 30 channels that I don't watch.
 
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, follow that article. I love the Mac Mini and I have the eyetv and the loop mouse and they're both awesome......the eyetv especially.http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Computer-Tuner-10020311/dp/B002XISW02/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144323&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Loop-Pointer-Mouse-connected-Projectors/dp/B001U1LX3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144261&sr=8-1

 
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, follow that article. I love the Mac Mini and I have the eyetv and the loop mouse and they're both awesome......the eyetv especially.http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Computer-Tuner-10020311/dp/B002XISW02/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144323&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Loop-Pointer-Mouse-connected-Projectors/dp/B001U1LX3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144261&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
What channels/content can you get from eyetv? Is it all content, or just what the broadcasting company puts on the web?
 
'-jb- said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, follow that article. I love the Mac Mini and I have the eyetv and the loop mouse and they're both awesome......the eyetv especially.http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Computer-Tuner-10020311/dp/B002XISW02/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144323&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Loop-Pointer-Mouse-connected-Projectors/dp/B001U1LX3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144261&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
What channels/content can you get from eyetv? Is it all content, or just what the broadcasting company puts on the web?
Click to expand...
It's the same channels you get through the antenna. Basically you run the antenna through the Mac Mini into your TV. What it DOES do for you is it gives you DVR functionality as well as an onscreen TV guide. Both of which are very cool and well worth the $80 or $90 that you would pay for it. You can only DVR one thing at a time though and your Mac Mini has to be on for it to record. It works in the "sleep" state though so that's what I usually do when I'm out. If you don't want to leave your computer on all the time, I think there's a way to make you Mac Mini turn on at certain times too but I haven't looked into that too much. The eyetv also allows you to pause and rewind live television.
 
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, follow that article. I love the Mac Mini and I have the eyetv and the loop mouse and they're both awesome......the eyetv especially.http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Computer-Tuner-10020311/dp/B002XISW02/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144323&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Loop-Pointer-Mouse-connected-Projectors/dp/B001U1LX3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144261&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
What channels/content can you get from eyetv? Is it all content, or just what the broadcasting company puts on the web?
Click to expand...
It's the same channels you get through the antenna. Basically you run the antenna through the Mac Mini into your TV. What it DOES do for you is it gives you DVR functionality as well as an onscreen TV guide. Both of which are very cool and well worth the $80 or $90 that you would pay for it. You can only DVR one thing at a time though and your Mac Mini has to be on for it to record. It works in the "sleep" state though so that's what I usually do when I'm out. If you don't want to leave your computer on all the time, I think there's a way to make you Mac Mini turn on at certain times too but I haven't looked into that too much. The eyetv also allows you to pause and rewind live television.
Click to expand...
ouch
 
It has been 32 days 16 hours 23 minutes and 14 seconds since i watched any TV channel.

Im going %^$#@&% looney over here.

 
Two Roku boxes will be arriving tomorrow, and we're set up with the Netflix promo, Hulu Plus promo, and Amazon Instant Video through my prime membership. We'll take these out for a test drive, and the family is already kind of onboard (with a few reservations about being able to watch some favorite shows). If all goes well we'll be trading in cable and the $100+/month bill for a much more manageable $17/month. Let's hope it's not too painful :hophead:

 
'-jb- said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, follow that article. I love the Mac Mini and I have the eyetv and the loop mouse and they're both awesome......the eyetv especially.http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Computer-Tuner-10020311/dp/B002XISW02/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144323&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Loop-Pointer-Mouse-connected-Projectors/dp/B001U1LX3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300144261&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
What channels/content can you get from eyetv? Is it all content, or just what the broadcasting company puts on the web?
Click to expand...
It's the same channels you get through the antenna. Basically you run the antenna through the Mac Mini into your TV. What it DOES do for you is it gives you DVR functionality as well as an onscreen TV guide. Both of which are very cool and well worth the $80 or $90 that you would pay for it. You can only DVR one thing at a time though and your Mac Mini has to be on for it to record. It works in the "sleep" state though so that's what I usually do when I'm out. If you don't want to leave your computer on all the time, I think there's a way to make you Mac Mini turn on at certain times too but I haven't looked into that too much. The eyetv also allows you to pause and rewind live television.
Click to expand...
ouch
Click to expand...
Ha! Yeah, you just have to prioritize. And you can't change the channel when it's recording. But if I ever wanted to watch TV whenever something was recording, I'd just watch something on Netflix or something online somewhere. It really is an easy thing to adjust to so don't let that scare you off from buying it.
 
'-jb- said:
'Britney Spears said:
If any of you are using the boxee box or app (I run this through the older version of AppleTV), you should download the LiveTV app. You can watch live sports via JustinTV, which is excellent.
Click to expand...
I think this is the route I will go, via Mac Mini (as mentioned on page 1).Linky outlining a pretty great set-up.
Click to expand...
This setup is dope, but costs like $1000. I spent $50 for a used gen 1 AppleTV and downloaded the boxee app for free.

That other setup is way bettter but outside my price range. I have never owned (or used) a DVR.

 
'Statler & Waldorf said:
Ha! Yeah, you just have to prioritize. And you can't change the channel when it's recording. But if I ever wanted to watch TV whenever something was recording, I'd just watch something on Netflix or something online somewhere. It really is an easy thing to adjust to so don't let that scare you off from buying it.
Click to expand...
Now that I think about it, it's probably not that big of a deal since most items become on-demand via hulu or amazon. Less need to schedule recordings.
 
It's been a week and the Roku is 100% awesomeness. We'll need to order a 2nd Roku in the master bedroom and we're all set to cut the cord.

 
Got two Rokus and set the first one up as a trial w/Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video (sweet!). The antenna I was trying use is the suck, though, so I'll have to order another one. Is the Terk indoor antenna that was mentioned earlier pretty good? It's got solid ratings on the link that was provided, I just want to make sure that I can (hopefully) "set it and forget it", i.e. just plug it into my tv, set it on the shelf, and be done with it. Is there a lot of tuning required?

 
'joker said:
Got two Rokus and set the first one up as a trial w/Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video (sweet!). The antenna I was trying use is the suck, though, so I'll have to order another one. Is the Terk indoor antenna that was mentioned earlier pretty good? It's got solid ratings on the link that was provided, I just want to make sure that I can (hopefully) "set it and forget it", i.e. just plug it into my tv, set it on the shelf, and be done with it. Is there a lot of tuning required?
Click to expand...
I haven't had to move my antenna to get any of the main networks, but I sometimes have to fiddle with it if I want ION to come in. I don't know if that channel is national or not though. So yeah, there is some manual maneuvering every once in a while and I'm assuming a severe storm of some sort would affect it as well. If you want something you don't have to worry about, then the outdoor antenna is what you would probably want. But I've been happy with the Terk.And why do you like the Amazon Prime Instant Video? Does it have different stuff than Netflix?
 
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'joker said:
Got two Rokus and set the first one up as a trial w/Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video (sweet!). The antenna I was trying use is the suck, though, so I'll have to order another one. Is the Terk indoor antenna that was mentioned earlier pretty good? It's got solid ratings on the link that was provided, I just want to make sure that I can (hopefully) "set it and forget it", i.e. just plug it into my tv, set it on the shelf, and be done with it. Is there a lot of tuning required?
Click to expand...
I haven't had to move my antenna to get any of the main networks, but I sometimes have to fiddle with it if I want ION to come in. I don't know if that channel is national or not though. So yeah, there is some manual maneuvering every once in a while and I'm assuming a severe storm of some sort would affect it as well. If you want something you don't have to worry about, then the outdoor antenna is what you would probably want. But I've been happy with the Terk.And why do you like the Amazon Prime Instant Video? Does it have different stuff than Netflix?
Click to expand...
Prime Instant Video is just a bonus for me since I already have the Prime membership. I haven't fiddled with it yet, but assume it will have many of the same things that Netflix and Hulu Plus already have. We can use it for free, though, so might as well see what's it's all about. I tried to use a chincy HDTV antenna that was about $12 from the Best Buy across the street, just because it was close and I wanted to set it up right then. I couldn't pull in ANYTHING with it, and figured that "you get what you pay for". I'm hoping that I'll be able to just hook the Terk up and find crystal clear channels right away, and am assuming (hoping, really) it's just a matter of hooking the coax up and searching for channels.The biggest fear my family has is that they won't be able to get everything they want. Since I'm taking the biggest hit w/far less sports, though, I think they're just gonna have to deal with it :football:
 
'joker said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'joker said:
Got two Rokus and set the first one up as a trial w/Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video (sweet!). The antenna I was trying use is the suck, though, so I'll have to order another one. Is the Terk indoor antenna that was mentioned earlier pretty good? It's got solid ratings on the link that was provided, I just want to make sure that I can (hopefully) "set it and forget it", i.e. just plug it into my tv, set it on the shelf, and be done with it. Is there a lot of tuning required?
Click to expand...
I haven't had to move my antenna to get any of the main networks, but I sometimes have to fiddle with it if I want ION to come in. I don't know if that channel is national or not though. So yeah, there is some manual maneuvering every once in a while and I'm assuming a severe storm of some sort would affect it as well. If you want something you don't have to worry about, then the outdoor antenna is what you would probably want. But I've been happy with the Terk.And why do you like the Amazon Prime Instant Video? Does it have different stuff than Netflix?
Click to expand...
Prime Instant Video is just a bonus for me since I already have the Prime membership. I haven't fiddled with it yet, but assume it will have many of the same things that Netflix and Hulu Plus already have. We can use it for free, though, so might as well see what's it's all about. I tried to use a chincy HDTV antenna that was about $12 from the Best Buy across the street, just because it was close and I wanted to set it up right then. I couldn't pull in ANYTHING with it, and figured that "you get what you pay for". I'm hoping that I'll be able to just hook the Terk up and find crystal clear channels right away, and am assuming (hoping, really) it's just a matter of hooking the coax up and searching for channels.

The biggest fear my family has is that they won't be able to get everything they want. Since I'm taking the biggest hit w/far less sports, though, I think they're just gonna have to deal with it :football:
Click to expand...
It's not really "you get what you pay for". It's more about how far away you live from the point of transmission and what kind of interference is between. For some, if you're only a few miles away, the $12 will work fine. For others, like me who lives ~60 miles away in a brick house, even an indoor amped antenna isn't going to work. Use TV Fool to figure out what you're working with. Solid Signal recommends this for my situation.
 
'Dragons said:
'joker said:
'Statler & Waldorf said:
'joker said:
Got two Rokus and set the first one up as a trial w/Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video (sweet!). The antenna I was trying use is the suck, though, so I'll have to order another one. Is the Terk indoor antenna that was mentioned earlier pretty good? It's got solid ratings on the link that was provided, I just want to make sure that I can (hopefully) "set it and forget it", i.e. just plug it into my tv, set it on the shelf, and be done with it. Is there a lot of tuning required?
Click to expand...
I haven't had to move my antenna to get any of the main networks, but I sometimes have to fiddle with it if I want ION to come in. I don't know if that channel is national or not though. So yeah, there is some manual maneuvering every once in a while and I'm assuming a severe storm of some sort would affect it as well. If you want something you don't have to worry about, then the outdoor antenna is what you would probably want. But I've been happy with the Terk.And why do you like the Amazon Prime Instant Video? Does it have different stuff than Netflix?
Click to expand...
Prime Instant Video is just a bonus for me since I already have the Prime membership. I haven't fiddled with it yet, but assume it will have many of the same things that Netflix and Hulu Plus already have. We can use it for free, though, so might as well see what's it's all about. I tried to use a chincy HDTV antenna that was about $12 from the Best Buy across the street, just because it was close and I wanted to set it up right then. I couldn't pull in ANYTHING with it, and figured that "you get what you pay for". I'm hoping that I'll be able to just hook the Terk up and find crystal clear channels right away, and am assuming (hoping, really) it's just a matter of hooking the coax up and searching for channels.

The biggest fear my family has is that they won't be able to get everything they want. Since I'm taking the biggest hit w/far less sports, though, I think they're just gonna have to deal with it :football:
Click to expand...
It's not really "you get what you pay for". It's more about how far away you live from the point of transmission and what kind of interference is between. For some, if you're only a few miles away, the $12 will work fine. For others, like me who lives ~60 miles away in a brick house, even an indoor amped antenna isn't going to work. Use TV Fool to figure out what you're working with. Solid Signal recommends this for my situation.
Click to expand...
In the last 10 years, I've used a couple of different interior antennas in two apartments and then my house.Since I've tried a couple different products in a couple/few different locations, I think I can agree with what you've said. How close you are to the tower and how much obstruction there is to the signal are the big things. Some regions/cities/towns are better than others. Mountains and sky scrapers probably hurt your chances, etc. etc. Weather impacts the signal too.

Recently just had an exterior antenna installed. It has made a pretty big difference for me. Previously, I had to move my interior antenna around to get different channels. And no matter what, NBC always came in lousy. -With the exterior antenna, I now get more channels with no fuss, including NBC (and the picture is good, even when it's raining it seems).

I seem to get a quality picture for: NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS (3 channels), ION (3 channels), CW and a couple others. Plus, I get like 10 Spanish-speaking channels (I'm in California). I'm happy with it.

Actually, the installation guy gave me a great deal because he was able to use my Direct TV lines to save hardware cost and installation time. All in, only cost me $150.

 
That makes sense. That's why I thought the $12 antenna might actually work, since I live in a normal suburb, certainly not in the middle of nowhere. I went on the tvfool site you provided and all the OTA channels I planned on wanted/knew about are in the light green. The further out channels are ones I never though I'd get anyway since they're so far away.

Since I'm in a townhouse, I'm stuck w/the indoor antenna for now. I think I'll use my Amazon $20 Groupon GC and try the Terk - will report back w/an update once it's up & running.

 
Two things to report so far:

1 - HuluPlus does NOT included the regular Hulu shows, which happen to account for most of the ones my family wants to watch. Plus has the more current shows, but the list isn't nearly as comprehensive. There are ways to stream Hulu from your PC to your TV, but they've garnered mixed reviews at best unless you have a powerful computer (dual processors) and extremely fast cable uploads & downloads. Supposedly Hulu will show up on Roku at some point, but for now there's no NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI, HGTV, DIY, and other shows my family wants to watch.

2 - There are plenty of other channels you can add to your Roku that can add to your experience. For example, I added Pandora (I have the full account for about $25/year) so we can have music whenever. As I type this, my 8 year old just created a Disney Kid's station and we're listening to songs while she "thumbs-up" and "thumbs-down"s the songs she likes/dislikes. I also added a Kidnets channel so she can watch Redwall and some other kid's cartoons. We also added a cooking channel for my wife and a few others. Some are free, some are pay (I'm interested in how much MLB will charge for their channel), but there are quite a few.

So far it's a mixed bag, but as we explore it further I'm hoping we'll find more titles available. For now, Emma's happy because we just started watching Scooby Doo: Who's Your Mummy and she's digging it :boxing:

 
No - they're on Hulu, but you can't view Hulu shows on your HuluPlus account on Roku via your TV - you can only view Hulu shows on your PC. The HuluPlus lineup is FAR smaller than the Hulu lineup, albeit more recent. It's just much more limited, and seems to be slanted towards NBC shows (Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, SNL) and shows losing their steam (The Office).

There is a way to stream the Hulu shows to your TV through intermediary means, but it takes a high-end computer & very high-speed internet and the reviews I've seen lean largely towards choppy video and an unsatisfactory experience. I'm sure there are people who've set it up and have it working great, in all fairness, but for the most part the reviews I've seen haven't been good.

HuluPlus claims it's working diligently on expanding its lineup, but for now it's leaving me wanting, and even though $7.99/month isn't much, I'll probably opt out after my 7 day free trial period. We simply aren't watching it at all...

PS - so far, Netflix is the hands-down winner. Amazon Instant Video hasn't had much anyone has wanted to watch, but it's free for us due to my Prime membership, so it stays. For a family that usually gets Redbox movies but never returns them the next day, the $8/month for Netflix will save a ton - more than enough to pay for the Roku boxes to put on TV's around the house so everyone can have Netflix on their own TV. A standard movie rental for us used to be at least 2, usually 3 Redbox movies on a Friday, returned on Wednesday or Thursday for $15+ total cost of renting, almost every week. $8 for the entire month is going to save us a ton :thumbup:

 
I concur that it kinda sucks not having regular Hulu shows available on Roku. If they eventually bring on regular Hulu content to Hulu Plus, I'll be very happy. Otherwise I just consider it a slight lifestyle change. I can say :bye: to a few shows I guess. Or if I really want to, watch them on my computer.

 
Great add. Taking it further, other private channels will add in HGTV, Food Network, Network shows (like CSI, etc.). Although many are free channels, some are not. This link has a couple of different sites that list the private channel:

ROKU Private Channel List

I added in Nowhere TV, HGTV, Nighttime Food Network (or something like that), and a few others. I then took them for a test drive and they all seem to work pretty great - March Madness on the Nowhere TV channel is pretty dang cool. They don't have every show (the HGTV has limited selections, for example), but they help you get your fix. I found a ton of CSI episodes the girls like, some HGTV & Food Network shows the wife likes, and am watching the G. Mason/OSU game right now.

These private channels are pretty awesome and greatly increase the coolness of the Roku while you wait for more content to be added to HuluPlus, etc. In fact, these channels do enough that you probably don't need to pay the $7.99 for HP unless it has something on it you really want.

This Roku thing is getting more cool by the minute :thumbup:

PS - If you want to add a private channel, just grab the code off one of the sites in the link above and go to your "My Account" link on Roku.com once you've signed in. Choose "Add Private Channel", enter the code, and you're set. It's supposed to take up to 24 hours for these channels to show up on your Roku, but the ones I added were there in a few hours.

PPS - there are a couple of free pron channels (as well as pay ones) on the private channel list. The only way to not have them show up on each Roku you own, though, is to have a separate account for the Roku boxes you have. For example, you could set one up in the living room/kid's room etc. with its own account and add the channels just for that Roku, and have a separate account set up for your bedroom, perhaps, with the extra channels added. I believe each account would need a different email address for it as well (easy enough to do nowadays), or else you'll get the "an account is already set up for this email address" error message.

 
'joker said:
Great add. Taking it further, other private channels will add in HGTV, Food Network, Network shows (like CSI, etc.). Although many are free channels, some are not. This link has a couple of different sites that list the private channel:

ROKU Private Channel List

I added in Nowhere TV, HGTV, Nighttime Food Network (or something like that), and a few others. I then took them for a test drive and they all seem to work pretty great - March Madness on the Nowhere TV channel is pretty dang cool. They don't have every show (the HGTV has limited selections, for example), but they help you get your fix. I found a ton of CSI episodes the girls like, some HGTV & Food Network shows the wife likes, and am watching the G. Mason/OSU game right now.

These private channels are pretty awesome and greatly increase the coolness of the Roku while you wait for more content to be added to HuluPlus, etc. In fact, these channels do enough that you probably don't need to pay the $7.99 for HP unless it has something on it you really want.

This Roku thing is getting more cool by the minute :thumbup:

PS - If you want to add a private channel, just grab the code off one of the sites in the link above and go to your "My Account" link on Roku.com once you've signed in. Choose "Add Private Channel", enter the code, and you're set. It's supposed to take up to 24 hours for these channels to show up on your Roku, but the ones I added were there in a few hours.

PPS - there are a couple of free pron channels (as well as pay ones) on the private channel list. The only way to not have them show up on each Roku you own, though, is to have a separate account for the Roku boxes you have. For example, you could set one up in the living room/kid's room etc. with its own account and add the channels just for that Roku, and have a separate account set up for your bedroom, perhaps, with the extra channels added. I believe each account would need a different email address for it as well (easy enough to do nowadays), or else you'll get the "an account is already set up for this email address" error message.
Click to expand...
If they had AMC and FX I would sign up today.
 
'joker said:
Great add. Taking it further, other private channels will add in HGTV, Food Network, Network shows (like CSI, etc.). Although many are free channels, some are not. This link has a couple of different sites that list the private channel:

ROKU Private Channel List

I added in Nowhere TV, HGTV, Nighttime Food Network (or something like that), and a few others. I then took them for a test drive and they all seem to work pretty great - March Madness on the Nowhere TV channel is pretty dang cool. They don't have every show (the HGTV has limited selections, for example), but they help you get your fix. I found a ton of CSI episodes the girls like, some HGTV & Food Network shows the wife likes, and am watching the G. Mason/OSU game right now.

These private channels are pretty awesome and greatly increase the coolness of the Roku while you wait for more content to be added to HuluPlus, etc. In fact, these channels do enough that you probably don't need to pay the $7.99 for HP unless it has something on it you really want.

This Roku thing is getting more cool by the minute :thumbup:

PS - If you want to add a private channel, just grab the code off one of the sites in the link above and go to your "My Account" link on Roku.com once you've signed in. Choose "Add Private Channel", enter the code, and you're set. It's supposed to take up to 24 hours for these channels to show up on your Roku, but the ones I added were there in a few hours.

PPS - there are a couple of free pron channels (as well as pay ones) on the private channel list. The only way to not have them show up on each Roku you own, though, is to have a separate account for the Roku boxes you have. For example, you could set one up in the living room/kid's room etc. with its own account and add the channels just for that Roku, and have a separate account set up for your bedroom, perhaps, with the extra channels added. I believe each account would need a different email address for it as well (easy enough to do nowadays), or else you'll get the "an account is already set up for this email address" error message.
Click to expand...
Wow. Thanks for the links. So it is legal to put these on the roku? (i.e. HGTV)?
 
Bottom line, is the HD on this stuff (antenna, Roku, etc.) as good as anything you'd get with DTV or Comcast? Or, do you have to accept less quality?

 
Is there a good site to look up hi-speed internet availability in your area? I can't seem to find a reputable site through Google. It would seem a very good internet connection is required for "cutting the cable", right?

 
To a few questions asked above:

1) They may have AMC or FX, you'd have to check. I wasn't looking for those channels so I can't say for sure. It's easy enough to find out, though, if you spend enough time poring over the channels and what they offer.

2) Supposedly the OTA antenna gives you a BETTER HD experience than cable or satellite, as both of those have to compress the signal whereas the OTA doesn't. I get my antenna tomorrow, so I can't speak to that yet as the only antenna I have is on my garage tv, which isn't an HDTV. However, I've watched Netflix, HuluPlus, and some private channels and the HD has been flawless. Even on the streaming March Madness games it's been very good, with only a couple of instances of choppiness. Someone with a better understanding than I have could give you better info on if the OTA does in fact give you a better HD picture.

3) I'm not sure about a link for hi-speed internet in your area, but I can tell you that I currently have the Comcast Triple Play package with whatever hi-speed they offer, and I've had no issues with lag, etc. on it. We currently have three desktops, three laptops, and two Roku boxes and I haven't noticed any difference even with all of them on. It's a good question to ask, but I can only speak for my experience, and it's been fine.

So far the only real complaint has been that my family doesn't want to have to search through everything to find something they want (other than my 8 year old, who LOVES the Roku because she can find a ton of cartoons and kid's movies to watch). The rest of my family just wants to be able to hit the GUIDE button and see what's on, then go to that channel. If I can get them over that hump then we may have something here :hophead:

 
'Balco said:
'joker said:
Great add. Taking it further, other private channels will add in HGTV, Food Network, Network shows (like CSI, etc.). Although many are free channels, some are not. This link has a couple of different sites that list the private channel:

ROKU Private Channel List

I added in Nowhere TV, HGTV, Nighttime Food Network (or something like that), and a few others. I then took them for a test drive and they all seem to work pretty great - March Madness on the Nowhere TV channel is pretty dang cool. They don't have every show (the HGTV has limited selections, for example), but they help you get your fix. I found a ton of CSI episodes the girls like, some HGTV & Food Network shows the wife likes, and am watching the G. Mason/OSU game right now.

These private channels are pretty awesome and greatly increase the coolness of the Roku while you wait for more content to be added to HuluPlus, etc. In fact, these channels do enough that you probably don't need to pay the $7.99 for HP unless it has something on it you really want.

This Roku thing is getting more cool by the minute :thumbup:

PS - If you want to add a private channel, just grab the code off one of the sites in the link above and go to your "My Account" link on Roku.com once you've signed in. Choose "Add Private Channel", enter the code, and you're set. It's supposed to take up to 24 hours for these channels to show up on your Roku, but the ones I added were there in a few hours.

PPS - there are a couple of free pron channels (as well as pay ones) on the private channel list. The only way to not have them show up on each Roku you own, though, is to have a separate account for the Roku boxes you have. For example, you could set one up in the living room/kid's room etc. with its own account and add the channels just for that Roku, and have a separate account set up for your bedroom, perhaps, with the extra channels added. I believe each account would need a different email address for it as well (easy enough to do nowadays), or else you'll get the "an account is already set up for this email address" error message.
Click to expand...
Wow. Thanks for the links. So it is legal to put these on the roku? (i.e. HGTV)?
Click to expand...
:blackdot:
 
'KGB said:
'Balco said:
'joker said:
Great add. Taking it further, other private channels will add in HGTV, Food Network, Network shows (like CSI, etc.). Although many are free channels, some are not. This link has a couple of different sites that list the private channel:

ROKU Private Channel List

I added in Nowhere TV, HGTV, Nighttime Food Network (or something like that), and a few others. I then took them for a test drive and they all seem to work pretty great - March Madness on the Nowhere TV channel is pretty dang cool. They don't have every show (the HGTV has limited selections, for example), but they help you get your fix. I found a ton of CSI episodes the girls like, some HGTV & Food Network shows the wife likes, and am watching the G. Mason/OSU game right now.

These private channels are pretty awesome and greatly increase the coolness of the Roku while you wait for more content to be added to HuluPlus, etc. In fact, these channels do enough that you probably don't need to pay the $7.99 for HP unless it has something on it you really want.

This Roku thing is getting more cool by the minute :thumbup:

PS - If you want to add a private channel, just grab the code off one of the sites in the link above and go to your "My Account" link on Roku.com once you've signed in. Choose "Add Private Channel", enter the code, and you're set. It's supposed to take up to 24 hours for these channels to show up on your Roku, but the ones I added were there in a few hours.

PPS - there are a couple of free pron channels (as well as pay ones) on the private channel list. The only way to not have them show up on each Roku you own, though, is to have a separate account for the Roku boxes you have. For example, you could set one up in the living room/kid's room etc. with its own account and add the channels just for that Roku, and have a separate account set up for your bedroom, perhaps, with the extra channels added. I believe each account would need a different email address for it as well (easy enough to do nowadays), or else you'll get the "an account is already set up for this email address" error message.
Click to expand...
Wow. Thanks for the links. So it is legal to put these on the roku? (i.e. HGTV)?
Click to expand...
:blackdot:
Click to expand...
From the Roku forums I've been on, I think so. The private channels are ones that the creators have written scripts for to pull shows that are freely available on the websites - for example, the HGTV private channel shows episodes that are available on the HGTV site. I think the channels just funnel those streams to your Roku in a neat package. Don't hold me to this, as I'm no lawyer, but that's the gist I've gotten from searching through the forums. Maybe someone who knows better could chime in. :unsure:
 
'cobalt_27 said:
Bottom line, is the HD on this stuff (antenna, Roku, etc.) as good as anything you'd get with DTV or Comcast? Or, do you have to accept less quality?
Click to expand...
Less? Quality should be a major improvement over any thing anyone has now. All antenna viewings I've ever seen were vastly better than cable/sat/fios.
 
Still no fix for espn though huh? Damn i really want to do this but I can't go without my live sports.

 
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