Do I want a Roku if I have a WiFi Blu-Ray?

[CodeSlinger]

I just sold all my old A/V gear with my house and so need new stuff. I'm quite technical (computers) but have not researched all the latest A/V gear yet and am in a bit of a time crunch so appreciate any input to help select some new devices. We watch a lot of Netflix so that is important, and I want to make that easier for my wife than the old PC setup which could not control the movies very easily via the wireless mouse and keyboard.

So I already ordered, and have, a Roku 3 and a Sony BDP-S5100 Blu-ray player but don't think I need the Roku since the Blu-Ray player seems to offer the same Netflix, Pandora etc. internet based services.

Is there any reason for me to keep the Roku since I have this particular Sony Blu-ray player?

Thanks, Dave

 

[HydroSqueegee]

The best answer is it depends. The Roku offers tooooons of different content, some free, some subscription based. The biggest reason i have multiple Rokus is Plex, the other reason is i dont have a dvd/blueray player. I use Plex to stream my movies from my server to the TVs around the house.

So if your blueray player provides all the content you need, the Roku isnt necessary.

 

[CodeSlinger]

Thanks. I guess I need a detailed comparison list. I'm also wondering about the UI experience as well as the online services. Do either allow adding new online services? Only via their own software update services?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Thanks. I guess I need a detailed comparison list. I'm also wondering about the UI experience as well as the online services. Do either allow adding new online services? Only via their own software update services?

You can add channels to Roku easily. Not sure about what is available in BD players now, but at least with my Panasonic TV and BD player, the Netflix user interface was terrible and very limited. I have a Sony S590 BD player as well but I've honestly never used its online capabilities since I have a Roku in that room too.

I have 3 Rokus (1 Roku 3 and 2 Roku 2 XS) and I use them heavily with Plex, which IMO makes the Roku a must have alone. I gave up on HTPCs several years ago after having one for many, many years -- they just don't make sense when you can buy cheap players boxes like the Roku for every room and then have a big media server on the backend.

 

[Kaido]

The Roku 3 has a fast, simple interface and is one of the best Netflix experiences I've used. I have a Sony Bluray player with Internet apps as well and the experience is not as user-friendly. Honestly, it's gotten to the point where I'd rather just use MakeMKV to rip the Bluray discs to files that I can stream to the Roku.

 

[Crow550]

If you have Netflix. Roku offers the Instant Watch Browser: http://roku.permanence.com/

"The Instant Watch Browser for Netflix allows you to browse the entire Netflix instant watch catalog on your Roku! Browse new, expiring and upcoming releases, genres, sub-genres, and related titles, or search by title, actor, and director.

Features include:

Browse all titles by genre and/or sub-genre
Browse new, expiring and upcoming releases
Browse related titles by similarity, directors, and actors
Mark genres as favorites for faster access to your areas of interest
Search by title, actor, or director
Manage your instant queue and rate titles directly from the channel
Sort your instant queue by queue position or expiration
Sort titles by title, release date, or expiration
"

 

[slashbinslashbash]

AFAIK the Roku has a better interface than pretty much any BD player, and it will be updated far more frequently and have better general support for Netflix and other apps.

The simple fact is that Roku has a lot of support for their devices because they are popular and there are not a lot of variants. Whereas your Sony BD player is one of probably 10 different models that Sony sells right now in various parts of the world, each of which has slightly different hardware, and each of which will have an installed base that is miniscule compared to any given Roku model. You can kind of compare it with the "fragmentation" problem in Android vs. iOS; there are so many BD players from so many manufacturers, each of which probably has to update the Netflix/Hulu/etc. apps individually. Roku has a simpler product line and a large installed base = Netflix and other apps get constant updates. There are some other multi-purpose media players (PlayStation and Xbox) that get updates pretty frequently as well.

 

[Slickone]

How would the Roku compare to Google TV built into an LG TV?

 

[Crow550]

How would the Roku compare to Google TV built into an LG TV?

Google TV has yet to get off the ground. It was thought to be a possible Roku killer but has yet to really go the distance as a streaming platform.

Really you'd be better off with a Roku 3 + Chromecast combo. No matter what built in Smart TV platform your TV has.

 

[Slickone]

Thank you. What is GTV lacking? Streaming media from a local server is something I don't have any interested in at this point, if that's one thing.

 

[Crow550]

Last I heard the apps we're just redirecting to the sites? This could have changed? I haven't used G-TV myself. I have heard lackluster things from it. The Logitech Revue box flopped and the cheaper Vizio Co-Star didn't really fly off shelves. Finding TV's with it is rare.

I have used Smart TV apps on an LG (non-G-TV) and on a Vizio E series TV.

They we're alright. I thought the Vizio Yahoo Widget apps we're a bit better but not by much compared to what the LG model. Nothing compared to the Roku platform.

The channels are designed better and the video quality looks better on the Roku. In my experience.

Crackle for example on the LG and Vizio has badly compressed video and you couldn't FF and RW. Well you kinda could but it was painfully slow.

Roku had a real Crackle channel before the PS3 got one. (Sony owns Crackle.)

Right now Netflix on my Vizio is better than the Roku as it has Profile support but I'm sure it will come on the Roku platform soon enough.

Revision 3 on the Vizio is okay but the UI is better on the Roku.

Going off topic from the G-TV but the channels on the Roku put forth effort to design a UI.

From what I heard G-TV they we're just kinda quickly redirecting to the website. So no difference than a PC browser.

I don't hear anything amazing with G-TV. I hear more buzz with the Chromecast and it's future development than G-TV.

I hear more good things about 3rd party Android HDMI sticks than I ever do about G-TV to be honest.

 

[Slickone]

Thanks. Good info. I guess I'll plan on a Roku instead of getting an LG with GTV. I want a regular remote, so Chromecast is out. Though I wouldn't be surprised if a future Chromecast has a remote.

 

[Crow550]

Thanks. Good info. I guess I'll plan on a Roku instead of getting an LG with GTV. I want a regular remote, so Chromecast is out. Though I wouldn't be surprised if a future Chromecast has a remote.

Chromecast supports HDMI-CEC which allows you to use your TV remote. Like with the PS3 for example.

 

[Slickone]

Ah cool. When I briefly read about it at a couple places, I saw no mention of that. Even it's own website says you need a phone/tablet/PC.

 

[Crow550]

Ah cool. When I briefly read about it at a couple places, I saw no mention of that. Even it's own website says you need a phone/tablet/PC.

Well it supports HDMI-CEC for auto switching to the proper HDMI port and turning on the TV. Kinda unknown about using the TV remote just yet.... I assumed it did.

Course Chromecast as of now is more of a media flinger. You take media from other devices and display it on the Chromecast.

Which is why I said Roku + Chromecast is a great combo. As you can fling various media on your phone, tablet or PC easily.

Native app support is coming for the Chromecast just not yet....

I haven't picked up a Chromecast yet. I read it supports HDMI-CEC naturally assumed remote support too.

With YouTube on my phone I can fling videos to the YouTube TV app and pause with the TV remote or phone. I'd think Chromecast would be the same.