![]() Parting with yet another $20 gets you the top-of-line XDS (I’m dropping the "|" from here on) with all the XD’s features plus dual-band N radio, component and optical digital audio outs and a USB 2.0 port. For $20 more, the XD adds 1080p video, 802.11n 2.4 GHz radio and "enhanced" remote. Cost savings and differentiation in the HD limit you to 720p video, 802.11 b/g radio and "basic" remote (more on that shortly). a front panel location.įigure 1: Rear panels of the new Roku modelsįigure 2 is a feature comparison table that bears a bit of explanation. A better position than on the rear, but still kind of awkward for access vs. The USB port on the XD|S sits at the right front side corner (viewed from the front). ![]() ![]() They all look the same from the front, except for their model branding, so Figure 1 shows the rear panels. The new players all come in a new lower-profile case that has a slightly smaller footprint than my old N1000 at just under 5" square (4.9 x 4.9 x 1.2 inches ). So when I saw last week that Roku had once again refreshed its line (and driven the entry price down to $60), I ordered the top-of-line XD|S and resolved to finally review a Roku player. The bad news was that there wasn’t very much to watch.īut Roku has been quietly at work driving the cost of its players down and expanding what they can play far beyond just Netflix. while the movie was running, you’d never know that you were watching something streamed from the Internet. The good news was that the viewing experience was flawless, i.e. I’ve been meaning to write a review on it, but never got around to it.īesides, there wasn’t really much to write about-unbox it, connect it up, link it to your Netflix account and watch stuff. Not much use without an Internet connectionĪs soon as I saw Roku’s first N1000 "Netflix box" back in 2008, I ordered it on the spot and ever since have been enjoying trouble-free movies and TV via Netflix’ "Watch Instantly" service.Does not play from DLNA servers or network shares.Intelligent stream buffering for trouble-free playback.Connects to dual-band 802.11n or Ethernet network.Wide variety of apps for audio, video and photo playback.TV streaming is here to stay.Inexpensive app-based media player with Netflix support Even more exciting, it’s bringing more people together, starting new conversations, and giving viewers of every generation more of the content they love, while also making it more accessible. “These results show that TV streaming has passed a tipping point. “Amid a year of uncertainty, this survey puts data behind what we at Roku have believed since our founding in 2002: All TV will be streamed,” Anthony Wood, founder/CEO of Roku, said in a statement. Now 42% of respondents said they watch sports via TV streaming versus 62% who watch via traditional pay-TV. Not so long ago, the only way sports fans could watch live sports was on cable, or at a venue. Another 51% added more streaming subscriptions 90% said TV streaming devices are easy to use. While TV streaming is nearly universal among younger generations - 98% of Gen Z (1990s to early 2010s) and 95% of millennials (1981 to 1996) - the majority of boomers are streaming too.Īmong boomer respondents, 71% of whom stream, nearly 25% cut the cord in the past year - and are just as likely as younger generations to be cord cutters (25% vs. Social currency is also a reason that baby boomers (born between 19) choose streaming: 54% chose TV streaming compared with 25% who said they would turn to traditional pay-TV.Īnd streaming services are continuing to expand their audiences overall. Roku found that not just young people are using streaming services to stay in the loop on social media. On average, Roku found cord-cutters spend three more hours per week streaming video than traditional pay-TV viewers spend watching content: 22 hours compared with 19 hours. But cutting the cord doesn’t mean watching less. Roku said 25% of respondents call themselves cord-cutters, and on average pay less than half monthly what traditional pay-TV subscribers do for video content: $49 vs. Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter! cable, satellite or telecom service) or a streaming service, Roku found that the ease-of-use, cost-savings, and content quality of TV streaming was shown to have extremely broad, intergenerational appeal among American consumers. Increased streaming video access to live sports and new-release movies in the COVID era is accelerating over-the-top video consumption in consumer homes, according to new data from Roku.Ĭiting a survey of 2,852 respondents (ages 18 to 70) in the United States, who watch at least five hours of TV per week via traditional pay-TV (i.e. (Photo from Shutterstock) Roku: Pandemic, Cord-Cutting Driving Streaming Video Consumption
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