-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 124 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Affordable $100 price tag; streams Netflix Watch Now and Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows to your TV; the combination of Netflix's unlimited subscription viewing (as low as $9 per month) and Amazon's pay-per-view offerings delivers a good range of viewing flexibility and choice; PC-free movie watching; simple setup; includes built-in wired and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking; works with all TVs; upgradeable firmware allows for new features, interface improvements, and bug fixes.
The bad: Though improving, the Netflix streaming library is still just a fraction of its DVD-by-mail offerings, especially when it comes to popular recent releases; the video quality of most non-HD titles doesn't come close to DVD, especially when viewed on large TVs; some titles don't appear in their original wide-screen version; no surround sound; can't manipulate Netflix queue or search Amazon library via TV screen; yet another box under the TV.
The bottom line: The one-two punch of Amazon and Netflix makes the Roku Player an enticing choice for anyone looking for a simple, convenient, and affordable alternative to cable or satellite TV.
Price range: $99.99 check prices
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 03/03/2009
- Released on: 05/19/2008
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.
Video streaming to the Roku box is available on an unlimited basis to any Netflix subscriber on plans of $9 per month (one-disc-at-a-time) or greater. (Netflix says it's examining streaming-only pricing plans that would presumably be a bit cheaper.) And remember, of course, that anything you can't stream is still available to be mailed to you on DVD or Blu-ray within a day or two.
Also of note: a few dozen of the movie/TV selections on Netflix are now available in HD. In reality, it looks closer to the quality of a DVD, but it's a notable improvement on the other standard-def content, especially on larger TVs.
Amazon Video on Demand
Unlike Netflix's subscription model, Amazon's video service is strictly pay-per-view: choose the movies or TV episodes you'd like to watch, and rent or buy them as you see fit. There are more than 40,000 titles currently available, and that includes newer and current releases that aren't yet available on Netflix (such as "The Dark Knight," "Eagle Eye," and "Tropic Thunder.") In other words, those with mainstream tastes will probably find a lot more to their liking from Amazon rather than Netflix.
Amazon content can be purchased and/or rented. A new-to-DVD movie such as "Body of Lies," for instance, is $15 to own or $4 to rent. However, Amazon's got a decent selection of movies on sale for $6, including (currently) such titles as "Terminator 2," "Hellboy," "Spider-Man," "Black Hawk Down," and "Close Encounters." As with all such online rentals, the rental period is for only 24 hours. But what's cool about the purchases is that they're not limited to the Roku box: buy a movie and it's stored in your Amazon account, able to be viewed on demand on the Roku, your PC/Mac, and other Amazon-compatible hardware products available now and in the future--that includes downloable versions that are compatible with some portable devices as well (sadly, not the iPod).
While Netflix viewing queues must be assigned by a PC, Amazon goes both ways: you can buy or rent videos through your computer's web browser that will then be available on your Roku, or you can use the best seller lists on the Roku's on-screen interface to pick titles of interest. Because the Roku lacks any sort of directory or search function (beyond paging through boxshots and title screens of top sellers), you'll probably want to use your PC for renting or buying anything that's off the beaten path.
Performance
Whether you're viewing video from Netflix or Amazon, the experience is basically identical. The load time for videos isn't exactly "instant," but depending on the speed of your Internet connection, they buffer and launch in less than a minute. What adds a little time is the innovative way Roku is enabling fast-forwarding (and rewinding). Since there are no chapter breaks, you're forced to zip forward and back through the video using the corresponding keys on the remote. What's cool is that you navigate the video through a series of hundreds of snapshots of frames in the film (the thumbnails correspond to 10 second-intervals in the video). The system works well and you get used to it fairly quickly. We also appreciated that if you stop a film midway, the server remembers where you were, so you resume watching where you left off. You can start watching the film on your computer, then resume on the Roku--or vice versa. Likewise, if you're enjoying Netflix or Amazon content on multiple devices, you could pause a movie in the living room, and then pick up where you left off in the bedroom. (Currently, Netflix lets you have four boxes plus four computers linked to each account; Amazon lets you link accounts to multiple devices and computers as well.)
Depending on your connection speed, video is currently streamed at one of four bit rates, rated on your screen as one to four dots when starting a viewing. We got an occasional dropout from one wireless connection we were using, but overall the connections--and video--remained mostly solid. That said, a fourth test using a low-grade DSL connection resulted in the lowest-resolution (one dot) stream.
If the Roku Player's got a weakness, it's that it doesn't have considerable onboard storage capacity for buffering video beyond a few seconds. So if your broadband stream can't maintain speeds between 1Mbps or (ideally) 2.2Mbps, you should instead consider one of the many competitors that offer "queue-and-view" buffering functionality (Xbox 360, PS3, Vudu, Apple TV, and the 2Wire Blockbuster box).
On component or HDMI, the output resolution can be set up to 720p high-def. But it's the native video bit rate that really matters. At the maximum standard-def quality (four dots), you get what looks like a really good YouTube stream. Not surprisingly, things look best on TVs of smaller screen sizes (say, below 25 inches or so). As the screen sizes increase, video flaws--pixelation, solarization, softness--will be much more evident. Videophiles will balk, and even less critical viewers may frown at anything below the top bit rate. On our 52-inch flat-panel, anything below four dots was basically unwatchable--the backgrounds of the beacon-lighting sequence in "Return of the King" were a muddy mess at three-dot quality. The other problems that occasionally cropped up were some picture stuttering (dropped frames on panning shots) and some lip-synch issues on the audio track.
Netflix has a handful of movies in "high-def." In reality, these look closer to DVD quality (rather than Blu-ray), but we were quite satisfied with the image quality of the snowy vistas and bloody mayhem of John Carpenter's "The Thing" while watching on our 52-inch LCD TV. The hope, obviously, is that Netflix (and eventually Amazon) will upgrade its library to include more such HD offerings, instead of having them be the exception to the rule. (Note: anyone who's looking for optimal video quality should consider the Vudu BX100 video-on-demand box instead--its HDX movies rival Blu-ray quality.)
The only other problem: many of the movies that we know are available as wide-screen DVDs are only available in their cropped 4:3 proportions--which is really irritating if you have a wide-screen TV. And at least two of the TV selections we chose--Season 2 of "Miami Vice" on Netflix and the sole season of the old "Jonny Quest" cartoon--included episodes that weren't available on the Roku. That's almost certainly the result of some arcane music clearance issues--beyond the control of Netflix or Amazon--but it's a frustration nonetheless.
The final word
It's worth noting that the Roku Player is far from the only product that plays streaming videos from Netflix or Amazon. Netflix is currently available on a decent range of devices including the
Xbox 360 and Blu-ray players from LG and Samsung, and it will be built into many new LG TVs releasing in 2009 (along with YouTube and CinemaNow). Amazon, meanwhile, will be built into many new Panasonic TVs. And TiVo HD DVRs already offer both services, plus several more.
Still, all of those products require you to invest in expensive new hardware (or--in the case of Xbox 360 or TiVo--additional subscription fees). By contrast, the Roku Player costs a mere $99. Yes, it'd be nice if the unit offered more HD content or if it didn't require you to queue up your videos from a Web browser. And, no--the video quality isn't as good as Vudu, nor is the interface as slick as Apple TV. But the fact that the Roku Player now offers a pay-per-view option on top of its subscription content gives viewers the best of both worlds. Budget-minded viewers can get an unlimited selection of decent videos for under $10 a month (Netflix), but keep the option to splurge for an occasional new release as well (Amazon). Sounds like a perfect compromise to us.
- See more CNET content tagged:
- NetFlix Inc.,
- Amazon.com Inc.,
- offering,
- video player,
- on-demand
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 124 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 3 of 124 user reviewsSee all 124 user reviews
-
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
-
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful
-
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
- See all 124 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
Where to buy
Roku Digital Video Player (Netflix Player):
$99.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon.com Marketplace
|
$99.99 | Yes |
|
%20Digital%20Media%20Receivers%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-media-receivers/roku-digital-video-player/4505-6739_7-33018087.html){kind=small}