Roku 3 $82 @Amazon

[xBiffx]

Yeah. Plex + Netflix + Vudu is a pretty good combo - stream your own movies, stream from a movie library, or rent a movie. Plus there's Redbox Instant now, as well as Amazon Prime streaming, all with a simple remote control. Easy peasy!

Roku Search brings it all together (minus Plex ). Man I wish they could work Plex into that little tool somehow.

 

[JL514]

I have the 2XS and the 3.

Differences are:

Wireless N & 5Ghz
HDMI Only
Headphone Jack

If you don't need the 5Gz (for best streaming should be hardwired anyway) and the headphone jack doens't matter OR you need composite, get the 2XS for 40-50. I don't notice that the 3 is that much faster, and my 2xs has not crashed a single time.

I will say that I love the headphone jack in the bedroom and I don't regret the purchase of the 3 at all. But if you're on a budget get the 2XS

 

[Kaido]

Roku Search brings it all together (minus Plex ). Man I wish they could work Plex into that little tool somehow.

Yeah. And I'm surprised at how well it handles streaming over Wi-fi. The first project I did was my in-laws - we ripped all of their movies to their Mac, installed Plex Media Server, and then setup a pair of Rokus. Worked so well I went home and did it at my place, haha. So easy my family can use it, and if the remote disappears, then the phone remote app works great as a backup :thumbsup:

 

[Staples]

Yeah, the first time I got one I was ready to return it because of the CC issue. I remember complaining about it here in a Roku thread, and a surprising amount of people actually defend that kind of policy. I guess people are willing to give their CC info to anyone who asks.

On another note, I bought an Apple TV and it did not do anything you'd expect of it.

It doesn't even bug you about signing in unless you dig down into the menus.

 

[kmmatney]

I have the Roku 2, and after some experimentation with various services, I now just use it for local media streaming with Plex. I'd love to drop DirecTV, but these devices just aren't there yet. Redbox instant sounds good, though - I'll have to check that out.

 

[Childs]

On another note, I bought an Apple TV and it did not do anything you'd expect of it.

It doesn't even bug you about signing in unless you dig down into the menus.

Problem with the AppleTV is no Amazon Instant Streaming or Plex. Otherwise, it probably is the best streaming box, but no Amazon is a big deal.

 

[RossMAN]

Does Roku 3 offer wifi and ethernet or wifi only?

 

[jhansman]

Does Roku 3 offer wifi and ethernet or wifi only?

Either; that is, both. FWIW, I run mine wirelessly on the 5 GHz band from the other side of the house, and the signal is strong (Netgear router). I rarely use any of the free channels it comes with (except TED), and mostly use it with Plex, which it does with ease.

 

[Kaido]

Problem with the AppleTV is no Amazon Instant Streaming or Plex. Otherwise, it probably is the best streaming box, but no Amazon is a big deal.

Ah, well actually there *is* technically Plex on AppleTV - Plex Connect:

http://elan.plexapp.com/2013/06/04/introducing-plexconnect-an-appletv-client-which-thinks-different/

 

[Craig234]

I heard of Plex in this thread. It sounds like some software to put media you own in a library? Or what is it?

 

[Kaido]

I heard of Plex in this thread. It sounds like some software to put media you own in a library? Or what is it?

Remember XBMC? Same idea, except that you also have the option of installing a server on a computer or NAS (so you can stream it out to whatever player you have centrally). First, you need Plex Media Server, which runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and a variety of NAS devices: (QNAP, unRAID, Synology, ASUSTOR, Drobo 5N, ReadyNAS from Netgear)

http://www.plexapp.com/desktop/

Next, you need the client, a Plex Player, which can be:

1. Computer (Windows or Mac)
2. Roku
3. Smartphone (Android, Windows Phone, iOS - iPhone/iPad/iTouch)
4. AppleTV (via Plex Connect)
5. Pretty much any DLNA device (PS3, 360, WDTV Live, etc.)
6. GoogleTV
7. LG Medialink (either an LG smart TV or one of their boxes)

So the basic idea is that you have a server of some sort that holds all of your content, and a player or players that receive the content. The server has scrapers so you can get stuff like movie cover thumbnails & info automatically. Each player is different as well - the computer versions are the most powerful because they support channels (so you can run Netflix via Silverlight, Youtube, news sites like ABC, NBC, etc., TV content channels like HGTV & National Geographic, etc.) and you can also launch separate apps (so if you want a single all-in-one full-screen interface, HTPC-style, you can use Plex and then launch stuff like an emulator browser for MAME/console gaming).

The other non-computer clients aren't as powerful, but offer other features. Roku lets you add the Plex channel and have an easy $99 client for all of your media, as well as their own channels for Netflix, Vudu, etc., so that's really nice. Plus it includes a handy remote and zero setup, so it's very family-friendly to use. Plex for iOS lets you stream movies to your iPad or iPhone, and you can also do it remotely so if you're at work or school or otherwise away from home, but get a 3G or Wifi signal, you can still stream your content (converts media on-the-fly to your device).

So basically, Plex is the bomb for managing your home movie collection. Most everyone has a computer at home that they can use for double-duty as a media server, and a Roku makes a really nice (and inexpensive & low-hassle) front-end to play your media. I have my in-laws setup this way - they have a Mac computer running Plex Media Server, and a pair of Roku's on Wi-fi that stream the movies from their computer, as well as lets them watch Netflix and stuff, all with a simple remote control. Ripping movies (DVD, Bluray, etc.) is pretty easy these days between Handbrake, AnyDVD, MakeMKV, and so on, or downloading them with the Video DownloadHelper plugin in Firefox off Youtube or wherever. So it's pretty easy to get stuff all setup these days.