Roku 2 XS 1080p Wireless Streaming Media Player for $75 + free shipping

[Capt Caveman]

Ripped from FW:

Roku offers its Roku 2 XS 1080p Wireless Streaming Media Player for $99.99. Coupon code "CNET25OFF" makes it $74.99. The 3-oz. Roku XS 2 streams 1080p HD content from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Rdio, Pandora, Flickr, and other media apps. It also features Ethernet connectivity, 802.11n wireless, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 3.0 wireless remote control, HDMI output, and a full-version of the game Angry Birds. Coupon ends after 800 uses.
Link

Thinking of finally jumping onto the streaming bandwagon. How does this compare to the rivals?

 

[DaveSimmons]

This is apparently a downgrade from the older line of Roku boxes, which were very good for Netflix.

New one - XS - notice playback of "infringeware" and ripped content isn't great:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4903/...ng-videos-and-casual-gaming-on-the-big-screen

Old one - XD
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4016/roku-xd-streaming-for-the-masses

 

[Annon2255]

I have both the older and newer models.
The older one is better for playing your own media from an external hard drive, more formats are supported.

However, the newer model is much better at streaming netflix imo, as you don't have to wait on it to buffer. The quality scales as it loads. Some people don't like that as much, but I like it better than waiting a minute for it to load in HD.
It also plays Hulu and Crackle like a champ.

This is a pretty good deal if you're in the market for something like this. I'd highly recommend a Roku to anyone. If you plan on playing your own media then make sure you check out the Roku forums to find the exact way to convert your files.

 

[mikeford]

These boxes are so cheap, why not get something that really works?

 

[ImpulsE69]

I have the new XS and once you set Plex up on it (with a PC that can stream to it) it plays local content very well however I don't know that I could suggest it as a media player simply for that fact. I prefer a standalone solution that doesn't require in stream transcoding for playback. Streaming (which is is really intended for) is very good. I want to add a comment. The very fact that the Roku wants a CC # before you can even use it points to why it has no codec support. No matter what excuse they give, it is not there simply because they are partnered with the PPV type streaming (Hulu, Netflix, etc) and that cuts into those partners profits. This device is not a local media streamer, but it can be "configured" to be...until they decide to block those channels.

 

[Annon2255]

I have the new XS and once you set Plex up on it (with a PC that can stream to it) it plays local content very well however I don't know that I could suggest it as a media player simply for that fact. I prefer a standalone solution that doesn't require in stream transcoding for playback. Streaming (which is is really intended for) is very good.

Yeah, I could never get Plex to work reliably, though I never put a lot of effort into it. I use Handbrake to convert them to the proper format (I can't wait for a new processor for this reason). I then use a 1tb external to load all my files onto and it works very well.

 

[FoBoT]

both my old one and new one (this model) work just fine both for internet streaming and from my home servers

 

[Mitch101]

I have an XDS last years top line model. I say get one if you arent planning on purchasing a new BLU-RAY or HDTV in the near future. A number of new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players have similar internet channels built in. ROKU still has the most and is getting HBO-GO but new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players arent far behind with channel lineups. They have the primary's and some others that ROKU doesnt. For instance my Sony BLU-RAY player has a 3D streaming channel and a few others the ROKU doesnt. Same goes for my Mitsubishi HDTV has a number of internet channels the ROKU doesnt. They all have NETFLIX and HULU which are the main ones.

You can put $75.00 toward this or soon buy a $100 blu-ray player and get something similar and play BLU-RAY and DVD movies. Maybe even get DLNA or more from the newer HDTV's and BLU-RAY players. Lot of people with DLNA in thier HDTV and not a clue what you can do with it.

 

[Annon2255]

I have an XDS last years top line model. I say get one if you arent planning on purchasing a new BLU-RAY or HDTV in the near future. A number of new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players have similar internet channels built in. ROKU still has the most and is getting HBO-GO but new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players arent far behind with channel lineups. They have the primary's and some others that ROKU doesnt. For instance my Sony BLU-RAY player has a 3D streaming channel and a few others the ROKU doesnt. Same goes for my Mitsubishi HDTV has a number of internet channels the ROKU doesnt. They all have NETFLIX and HULU which are the main ones.

You can put $75.00 toward this or soon buy a $100 blu-ray player and get something similar and play BLU-RAY and DVD movies. Maybe even get DLNA or more from the newer HDTV's and BLU-RAY players. Lot of people with DLNA in thier HDTV and not a clue what you can do with it.

The reason I purchased my Roku was because my Panasonic's VierraCast only really offered me netflix. I'd like to see some of the new TVs include all the options the Roku offers and the ability to stream from a media server. Until then, my Roku does great. Don't even need cable.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have an XDS last years top line model. I say get one if you arent planning on purchasing a new BLU-RAY or HDTV in the near future. A number of new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players have similar internet channels built in. ROKU still has the most and is getting HBO-GO but new HDTV's and BLU-RAY players arent far behind with channel lineups. They have the primary's and some others that ROKU doesnt. For instance my Sony BLU-RAY player has a 3D streaming channel and a few others the ROKU doesnt. Same goes for my Mitsubishi HDTV has a number of internet channels the ROKU doesnt. They all have NETFLIX and HULU which are the main ones.

You can put $75.00 toward this or soon buy a $100 blu-ray player and get something similar and play BLU-RAY and DVD movies. Maybe even get DLNA or more from the newer HDTV's and BLU-RAY players. Lot of people with DLNA in thier HDTV and not a clue what you can do with it.

I had been looking at a couple of the Sony 3D Blu-ray players that offer Netflix, Hulu and DLNA. But I read that the Netflix interface wasn't very good.

 

[jhansman]

I had been looking at a couple of the Sony 3D Blu-ray players that offer Netflix, Hulu and DLNA. But I read that the Netflix interface wasn't very good.

It's not that great on the Roku, either, at least on the model I have (2 HD). I had read how much better it was supposed to be on these devices over the players, but we still rely on the Netflix website to find titles and make our queue. One note: if your ISP imposes a data cap on your downloads, keep an eye on your usage. I just got a nasty note from AT&T that I exceeded my 150GB limit and would get dinged another $10 for every 50GB I used over that. Between Skype and streaming, it doesn't take long to hit that cap. Thinking of going with Comcast (250 GB cap).