I adore my Roku player with a love that borders on the unnatural. I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s not unusual for us to let a Netflix disc languish on the entertainment center for months, but the Netflix Livestreaming? We are totally getting out money out of that, trust me.
If you’ve been on the fence about getting your own Roku player, maybe this will tip you over: Right now Amazon is offering $10 off the Roku XD when you link up your Twitter account and thereby let them auto-tweet about the deal. I think that’s… well, a little hokey, sure, but I’d happily take the $10 off, y’know? It makes it just $70 shipped, and maybe you’re less of a television junkie than I am (quite likely), but I probably watched the rental equivalent of $70 worth in the first month we had ours. Heh.
If you don’t have Netflix yet, you can sign up for a free one-month trial after you get your Roku, to see have you like it.
(Yeah, last night we finished Arrested Development and I added five seasons of Weeds to our instant queue. I hear admitting you have a problem is the first step, which I plan to get to just as soon as I finish watching my shows….)
Does the Roku allow you to watch shows that are not available for streaming through the Wii or PS3?
Cista, the Roku does give you access to a bunch of free “channels” but I don’t know if you can get them with the Wii or the PS3. You’d get the same Netflix content, that I know.
Last night we just started watching “Raising Hope” on Hulu Plus (via the Roku) and it is SO nice to be able to catch up on a whole season like that.
I think Weeds is pretty wild – we are in season 2 watching it through Netflix via our Tivo.
Oh, Mir, maybe you can help me out here. I have been researching, relentlessly I’ll have you know, HDTVs. I’m so confused I’d almost rather just stay curled up in the corner sucking my thumb while watching stuff old skool style on my 10 year old tube TV. I have found, what appears to be a great deal, a 40 inch Samsung 1080p 120hz LCD with internet ability ($667), though I have to purchase a separate adapter to get the internet connection (another $70, but right now Amazon is actually offering it for free with purchase of TV). So, do you have any advice or knowledge or preference or whatever on using an outside box like the ROKU or just getting the built in ability and paying a bit extra for it? And please help me to draw the line with the features! Perhaps I don’t really need 120hz? But I do think this is a sweet deal, yes?
Mir, what free channels can you get with Roku? We just got one for Christmas and didn’t see any offered free!?!?
JoAnne, check out the “Channel Store” to see what you can add to your home menu. Some of them are free—there’s a Digg Channel, for example, that’s free, that we sometimes watch the Digg Reel on (basically a compilation of what’s hot on YouTube that week).
i read your blog every day, and have rarely commented, except to win fabulous prizes…i know….but i just wanted to thank you. I’ve been back and forth with spending the cash on a Roku, and your post made up my mind, AND saved me $10!
now if only the Roku can save me from handing over $100 a month to the cable company…then i’ll REALLY think you’re pretty and smart! you’re the best!
Since the holidays, Roku has also been offering $10 off without giving up your twitter info. With shipping, that puts it at the same price as Amazon. As of a few days ago, it was still discounted on their site, I’ve been keeping an eye on it since I have plans for that w/ my tax refund… 🙂
Yay Weeds! I just watched the first five seasons. Love it.
Jill, I’m also a Roku affiliate and I’m not seeing that for the Roku site…? What I’m seeing is that their price is the same as Amazon’s (which is $10 off what it used to cost), but then Amazon gives you another $10 off. Am I missing something?
Thanks Mir! The Channel Store had us confused, so we just ignored it! LOL. We will check it out now.
Mir, you may be right, I just recalled it being about the same so this may indeed drop them down below roku.com.