Roku HD-XR Player
by Roku, Inc.
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List Price: Category: Home Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Roku HD-XR Player
Customer Review: First device didn't work; second device did
Summary: 4 Stars
QUICK SUMMARY: Beware of bad hardware! After struggling fruitlessly to get my first Roku HD-XR to work, I gave up and got a replacement unit from Amazon. The second device worked.
What I LIKE:
- The setup *can* be easy if you don't receive a non-functioning unit
- The device does what it says it will do, that is, it streams Netflix and more
- I like that is streams music to my old home stereo from the Pandora channel (my TV is connected to my stereo)
- It uses HDMI to connect to my TV (and I had a spare HDMI port on the TV)
- It's small, black, and easily stowed next to our Wii console
- It's n-network ready, so it moves me closer to an all-n-network home
What I DISLIKE:
- My first unit didn't work. Keep reading for details.
- Entering the network key is S-L-O-W because of the unresponsiveness of the remote control's navigation keys
- It doesn't have a way of streaming media from my home server to the TV
- Roku's website offers little support for those who do have problems
- No on/off button to the Roku; it always sips electricity
BACKGROUND: I wanted an easier way to watch Netflix movies streamed to our TV. I had been connecting my laptop to the TV via HDMI and then navigating Netflix on the laptop. It's too bothersome, though, for my non-techie wife to do this. We've got a Wii, but it doesn't stream Netflix (yet, that is -- in spring 2010, Nintendo is releasing a software upgrade for Wii consoles that will allow Wii units to stream Netflix movies...wish I'd known that *before* I bought this Roku!). After researching a little on Amazon, the very favorable reviews of Roku devices seemed like a good choice, so I bought it off Amazon.
INSTALLATION: Ostensibly, it should be pretty easy. Plug-in the power cord, attach cables (I used HDMI) to the TV, set the TV source to point to the Roku device, which was ready to walk me through the registration of the device on Roku's website, and connect my Roku account to my Netflix account.
Here's where things went foul, though. You have to enter a special code from the Roku device into a Netflix webpage that marry Roku to my Netflix account. However, my Roku device for the most part couldn't seem to give me that code! I'd get an error message and an option to try again, which I did, and which kept failing...until, finally, it worked!
So I entered that code into the Netflix webpage on my laptop, waiting for the registration to complete...but then, unexpectedly, the Roku would toss up another error message, saying that it couldn't complete the registration. Back to square one, trying to get a Roku code, and of course, that took multiple attempts before it worked.
I tried this for at least an hour on a Friday night, never succeeding. Mind you, it's not a problem with my home network -- that was working fine. So I thought I'd wait a day and try again. On Saturday night, same problem. Same problem on Sunday, too. It took many attempts just to get a Roku code that I needed to plug-in to Netflix's registration page, and when I did get that far, the Roku threw an error message after a minute of waiting.
I did a web search and explored Roku's support website. That's when I found out Roku's website didn't have much to help people who encounter problems with their devices. I gave up. I bought this from Amazon, and it's easy to get a replacement unit, so I filled-out the request for a product replacement, and Amazon sent me the replacement via OVERNIGHT SHIPPING! Wow!!
The second unit setup with none of the troubles of the first unit. Like so many others, I found it was very simple to setup and connect to Netflix -- as long as the Roku device can spit-out those registration codes, and as long as it doesn't fail waiting for the Netflix website to synchronize with the Roku unit on my Roku account. So, when this process works, it works easily. And when it doesn't you're screwed.
USABILITY:
We've watched a few hours of Netflix programming via the Roku device. The Roku is connected to my n-network router (running in mixed mode because I still have g-network laptops). The device is maybe 30 feet away from my router, obstructed by walls. I get a 3-to-4 bar connection (out of 5), so it usually is good enough for watching in HD. Occasionally, though, it tamps down to SD. I haven't tried moving anything to get a better signal. Last night, for instance, my wife and son were watching Mythbusters in HD using the Roku, but when I began streaming a Youtube video on my laptop, the bandwidth degraded enough so the Roku switched from HD to SD. Since my n-router is working in mixed mode, I'm not getting n-network throughput in my home yet.
There doesn't appear to be an on/off switch to the Roku device, so it runs warm all the time. Too bad that the remote doesn't have an on/off button, and too bad that the Roku sips electricity all the time, even when in disuse.
CONCLUSION: If your Roku setup is troublesome like mine was, don't keep beating your head against the wall. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Return your defective Roku unit and get a replacement. Before you buy a Roku, consider if you'd be better off with another media-streaming device that could also stream your home video and photos from other computers in your network, as well as Netflix streaming. Also, if you've got a Wii, you can start streaming Netflix movies to your TV using your Wii beginning spring, 2010.
Customer Review: I forgot why I was so enthusiastic about this
Summary: 4 Stars
Where to start....
The Roku XR player, while it may be a nice addition to any home entertainment experience, is lacking in features, and I was disappointed when I actually put it to use. I initially bought it for Netflix, but I discovered that it also streams purchased media from Amazon, among others. There are channels you can add such as Flickr, Facebook, Pandora, and a few more.
When I opened the box I was amazed at how light and small it was. You can stuff this anywhere and it also seems portable. I used to even hook my laptop up to televisions when I would go to friends houses and we would watch Netflix movies instead of renting DVDs. Yet it was a hassle and I had to make sure my laptop wasn't placed somewhere where it would be in peril. With this, I can just plug it in, and it is so light and small it goes anywhere. It has a good amount of outputs, which I really love. It practically works on any kind of television, no need for different adapters. Turning it on is self explanatory, and the box comes with a pamphlet on step by step on how to set it up. The remote is simple and does not feel cheap or flimsy. I like how the bottom slides off to install the batteries --Instead of having a tiny door that eventually breaks from use and abuse. All of the remotes in our house are missing battery doors, and it is sad because we tape the backs of them so the batteries do not fall out. This remote will never see that day.
The interface is simple, and easy to understand. Connecting over WiFi is simple and goes step by step. Easy for users who are familiar with connecting to a router but not an advanced user. The first thing I noticed is that there is no turn off button or option to shut down. This has me wondering if it is supposed to stay on or does it eventually enter a standby mode? I guess it really is like a set top box, most people leave them on, but even those have power buttons on the remotes.
Netflix: The Netflix channel works well, and I like how it shows the quality gauge as it is streaming or loading the videos. This allows me to troubleshoot my internet connection if it is not showing the finest quality. This way I know what quality to expect, and I wont blame the movie itself for being terrible when it looks choppy. The quality of the videos is very clear and if you do not have an HD capable monitor/television, the quality appears better than DVD quality when the internet connection is at its peak speed. The quality (to me, atleast) seems better than when I stream Netflix videos on my computer. And since not all Netflix videos are in HD, I can't really say how good the quality is. The Roku player shows the quality by four dots as the video is loading. When compared to the Xbox or PS3, it does not show tabs at the top for other genres of streaming movies available for watching. The only thing it shows is your instant queue. A complaint I have for all of the devices I just mentioned is that they do not allow you to browse all streaming movies or even search for any. I guess the advantage of an Xbox or PS3 is that they also come with web browsers so you do not have to run to a computer to select a movie to add to your queue. This makes it difficult for users who aren't experienced with Netflix to watch or find movies they might like. I had to explain to my mother about the difference between the DVD queue and the Instant Queue and where to search for movies, and I also told her she had to choose movies first, then she could go to the living room and watch them on the Roku player. And even then I have to be logged in, or share my password to anyone I would want to allow to watch movies. Too bad they cant have a firmware update where watching Netflix movies would really be easy and 'instant' for the whole family. The Netflix channel allows you to scroll through different movies on your queue and when one is selected, it shows the description, and it allows you to rate it, play it from the beginning, resume where you left off, and remove it from your queue. I cant remember if the PS3 or Xbox have this option, but removing movies from your queue is helpful because all the movies don't stay there and you don't have to run back to your computer.
In conclusion, I do not recommend the Roku XR player, or any of the other Roku devices for that matter, unless you have an isolated television you want to stream movies to, you like to travel or share movies with friends and relatives at their house, or if your computer has insufficient memory to stream at a decent quality. And maybe, MAYBE if you really love Netflix. Otherwise, this player will be a vestigial peripheral in your home entertainment center. There are better alternatives, such as an Xbox, or Playstation 3, and even some Blu Ray players that are Netflix ready. You could even just connect a computer you already have sitting around to a television and use a wireless mouse or keyboard as a remote. The Roku Netflix player offers very little for its price. While at first it seems like this is a deal, you are better off saving your money for something worthwhile.
Customer Review: Roku wireless and Roku support is VERY BAD
Summary: 1 Stars
DO NOT BUY A Roku box for wireless use. If you are willing to have a wired LAN connection it is OK.
I bought a Roku HD XR to be sure I had the best Roku had to offer in wireless. (Yes, they recently lowered the price after the new Apple TV came out, but their wireless support is bad at any price.) What I found is that both the Roku box wireless support and Roku technical support is terrible.
My Roku was located less than 10 feet from my router in my home. It frequently made me hit "enter" five or six times to restore the connection that it claims was lost. I was not making a new connection, I was just getting it to reconnect to the same old connection. Rather than having a "simply reconnect" button, they force you back through the setup, over and over again. This is particluar galling in the middle of a movie. (I finally discovered that unplugging, waiting 30 seconds and pluggin the Roku box back in, though doing that is PAINFULLY SLOW, it makes the Roku go longer between "connection losses" -- I did NOT have to reset the router or the cable modem, etc. -- just resetting the Roku box made it get better for a while. Note, at first, I followed the Roku techincal support suggestion of resetting my router, etc. until I discovered that I did not have to disrupt everyone else's internet connection to fix the problem -- just reboot the Roku.)
Also galling is that my two desktops (20 and 30 feet away from the router) and my laptops (near or far) "never lose" the connection while Roku repeatedly claims the connection is lost. (Note: I have tried this with several different routers, and two different leading brands: Cisco linksys and Netgear -- both G and N -- in my home.)
NOTE: I can connect my desktop to my 1080 HD TV, too. It "never" has trouble viewing Netflix or Amazon movies via the wireless connection -- while the Roku is painfully stopping and starting repeatedly.
However, I admit that the Roku movie interface would be much easier to use -- if the Roku box really worked reliably -- which it does NOT. Just to check, I ran a Lan cable over to the Roku and it works MUCH BETTER when plugged in with a wire, it just does NOT do wireless well, though I paid dearly to get wireless from Roku. But, the whole idea for me was to not have a Lan cable to deal with.
Roku support is just as bad. The first time I called Roku support they suggested I "go over to a friends house to see if it was better there" -- a ridiculous and unreasonable request -- I bought it for my use, not my neighbors. But, really wanting to cooperate and make it work, I did try it in several different cities -- near and far -- urban and rural -- many different routers and with several different vendors' DSL and Cable and WiMax. (And, with some 1080 TVs some 720 TVs.) Same results everytime -- Roku frequently claiming loss of connection while nearby laptops or desktops are having NO PROBLEMS showing movies or doing anything else via wireless.
Finally, after many emails and calls to their "support", they shipped me a replacement box. Same results on all the different routers, N or G, multiple TVs, in multiple cities near and far. The Roku software and Roku support are totally convinced that it is NEVER a Roku problem. One screen suggests that the "internet connection was lost" and suggests that you try other devices and call your internet vendor when they don't work -- it has no suggestion as to what to do if they DO work perfectly. The same is true of their technical support. It is a problem with YOUR internet provider or YOUR router or something of YOURS, it can NEVER be a Roku problem in their minds. So, forget getting help that way. (Yes, I saved all the emails back and forth, so I can prove all this.)
SO, if you are computer savy, get an HD graphics card with a HDMI output and just do Netflix and Amazon via the web and all the other free sites, too like Public TV (lots of episodes of many shows for FREE.)
IF you are NOT computer savy, definately DO NOT plan on using a Roku via a wireless router -- buy the much cheaper wired version. The connection is much simpler and the Roku box claims loss of internet connection much less frequently. (And, NO I do not recommend the new Apple TV, but that is another story.)
GOOD LUCK. And, I truly hope Roku will improve their product's wireless support and their customer and technical support. IT COULD BE SO GOOD.
Customer Review: Great HDTV from Amazon VOD and Netflix plus Flickr!! ***UPDATED 8/29/10***
Summary: 5 Stars
After researching the ROKU on Amazon, I was a bit undecided. I then watched some recent video reviews of the ROKU HD-XR on Youtube and the videos sold me on a purchase. We could not be happier with the ROKU HD-XR we purchased from Amazon.
The package arrived at our home quickly after ordering and we have watched several videos on it - both Amazon Video on Demand (AVOD) and Netflix movies and TV shows. Set up for the ROKU was quick and easy. Maybe 30 minutes including time for the ROKU box to perform and automatic update. The included remote control is small and simple and feels high quality. I connected to my home broadband cable internet through a wired ethernet connection, since I had one available next to the TV. The ROKU HD-XR can connect wirelessly too through an N or G network. I have the higher speed N network available, but have not bothered to use it for the ROKU. I figured a wireless connection for the ROKU would slow down our home's wireless network should someone in the house be using a laptop while a video was playing. When a video begins, there is a 30 to 60 second pause while the ROKU buffers the video file. After this brief start up, the video plays smoothly, just like cable HDTV shows play on my cable box.
The "regular" quality video on the ROKU is pretty good. (We are watching on a 46" Sony XBR5 LCD HDTV) The HD quality videos are even better - about equal to the Comcast HDTV digital cable TV we watch regularly. We did watch one free movie from Netflix and the picture was sharp and clear, but the video picture seemed jerky when the characters moved quickly across the screen - it was like Netflix over-compressed or reduced the number of frames per second in the video to make the file smaller. That particular movie also had out of sync audio dialogue at times. Interestingly, immediately after watching the movie, Netflix e-mailed asking if the quality was acceptable. Made me wonder if Netflix is testing how much they can compress the video before people complain. Other video content from Netflix has been better. Amazon Video on Demand is good quality also (equal to our Comcast HDTV cable), however, you do pay per view with most Amazon content. On all videos, there are times occasionally when the audio dialogue is slightly out of sync with the video. I've noticed this occasionally happens on our regular HDTV cable programs. (The out of sync dialogue issue occurs even though my A/V receiver is set to sync audio and video of digital content.) This is a very minor issue and has not affected our enjoyment in using the ROKU.
Just as fun as the Netflix and Amazon VOD has been access to our Flickr account. We enjoy being able to easily show slide shows of our photo sets already uploaded to Flickr. Similarly, our Facebook photos can be accessed. On the ROKU, you can add a variety of "channels", Amazon, Netflix, Flickr, etc. No Youtube yet, but I'm sure that's coming. Clearly, the ROKU is the wave of the future. I can easily imagine it eliminating DVD's all together someday. If you are on the fence about purchasing the ROKU, I'd say give it a try - you will be happy you did.
****UPDATE**** It's August now and after 8 months of use, the Roku HD-XR still works well. I still connect to the internet via a hardwired ethernet cable. I have done one firmware update to the Roku so far. We gave up our Netflix account, as there never seemed to be anything on it we wanted to watch. We still use Flickr and Amazon Video on Demand (AVOD). Occasionally, the AVOD HD movies buffer quite a bit and in one case, the HD movie downgraded in quality so badly that I wrote Amazon customer service. Amazon made good by crediting me the cost of the video rental. I think it was an issue with AVOD's bandwidth, as my internet connection tests at 10 Mbps or higher for downloads. I do wonder if Comcast may be limiting Amazon'd bandwidth, since they compete with their On Demand movie rentals. Something for Congress to investigate . . . . My only criticism of the Roku is the HD video is only 720p. (My new camcorder shoots 1080/60p and the video is stunning in comparison.) But since AVOD can barely stream the low end 720p HD content anyway, I guess I can't blame Roku. Overall, still happy with my purchase.
Customer Review: Great Product - Easy to use and setup
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I own this product. Bought it from Amazon. So this review is from a real owner that bought it right here.
Second of all, there are tons of reviews here that compare models (SD/HD/HD-XR) Because there are so many of those, I am not going to go into detail about the differences. (I will make a couple of points that you should consider, however, before you purchase any of the three.)
WHY I BOUGHT THIS UNIT: I bought this box to fit on my regular TV in my bedroom, not my HDTV in my living room. Although I could have bought the SD Roku and saved some money, I have my reasons for buying this unit instead: 1) Built-in wireless (N) - worth the money right there. 2) I am sure some day in the future I will upgrade my 2nd TV to an HDTV. Cheaper to buy the better unit now instead of buying the cheaper unit and then needing to upgrade in the future. So for me the built-in wireless 'N' and the eventuality of having an HDTV in my bedroom, this unit made sense for me.
SETUP: Easy as can be. I have a wireless 'N' network in my home and it was very easy to set this unit up to my network. Plug in the unit, connect to TV, turn it on. It found my network right away, did an update (took about 2 minutes for the update) then it rebooted and that was it. Connecting to the TV was very easy as well - just plug in the wires! On a side note, it comes with batteries for the remote control and it comes with the standard cables to connect this to a standard def TV. Not surprisingly, it doesn't come with an HDTV cable. Make sure you work that into your budget if you are going to hook this to an HDTV.
USING: The menu system is decent. I was also very surprised at the number of "channels" that were programmed into the unit. Lots of internet TV channels available I wasn't even aware of. I bought this unit mainly for my Amazon account (I own a lot of TV episodes and movies through Amazon VOD) However, it does hookup easily to Netflix which I am trying out now on a free trial account. I setup about 5 other channels that it came pre-programed with and not sure what I think about most of those yet! One beautiful channel it has is called Pandora. I wasn't familiar with it before I bought this, but it provides internet radio through your TV. You can choose which channel to listen to by which artist you like. So I have a Billy Joel channel, Journey channel, Boston channel (am I dating myself here?) These are all free and they sound fantastic.
PROS: Easy to setup. Lots of extra "goodies" for channels. Wireless built in (can plug directly into your router instead if you need that option.) Remote has a little weight to it so it doesn't feel cheap. The Roku has a small footprint - without annoying lights to keep you awake. Decent menu structure. Very good quality product. Now I want to buy one for my HDTV! I have a blu-ray that allows me to stream Amazon in my living room, however this little Roku has a lot more features.
CONS:
Two Cons: I don't think you can't turn off the Roku with the remote. It does eventually go into sleep mode, but I haven't found a way to turn it off. Now, that doesn't mean it doesn't have one, but I've just been too lazy to figure it out. Not really a con since it doesn't have lights that blink and keep you awake.
The second con is that this unit doesn't have an RF Coaxial output. If you have an older TV and you don't have: composite, component, s video, or HDMI, you are out of luck. Not sure if any of the Roku's come with coaxial out. This would have been nice. Composite inputs are the input on your TV that are red, white, and yellow sometimes referred to as RCA inputs. I hooked my video up through s-video and my audio via the RCA inputs on my TV - works great and the picture is great. But would have enjoyed the RF Coaxial. You could always hook this up through your VCR if your TV doesn't have composite hookups.
FINAL THOUGHTS: My opinion, if you are not sure which unit to buy, get this one. If you ever upgrade your equipment in your home (wireless N router or HDTV) then you will want this one anyway. I love my Roku!