This summer, we were fed up with the expense and unreliable service of our cable TV provider.
I’d read good things about Roku, so my husband & I bought the mid-range Roku box (about $80). It’s available at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart, etc.
Within hours of connecting it to our Internet service and our TV set (an old, analog-type TV), we called our cable TV company and told them to cancel our service.
We’re really glad we did.
Roku is a one-time investment. Once it’s connected to the Internet (wireless or hard-wired to your router) and your TV, you don’t need to spend another cent to watch TV.
Sure, we have Netflix streaming to our Roku box, but that’s not necessary. There are lots & lots of free channels — movies, TV shows, and more — so you never need to pay for TV again.
Here are some useful links:
To stream directly to your TV without Roku – one among many options – http://jacksonlawnservice.com/internet_television
Roku info – http://www.roku.com/roku-products
(Note: You can use Wii and other devices to stream from the Internet to your TV, but Roku offers its own wide array of channels, and it makes the process a lot simpler. For me, simple is better. I love Roku!)
Nowhere TV – lots of free channels for Roku, and other devices: http://www.thenowhereman.com/roku/
You can also get Nowhere TV on your Roku via http://streamfree.tv/nowhere-tv/
While you’re there, check everything else listed at Streamfree.tv… the website is pretty diverse.
Start here – http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/live-streaming-channels/
That’s where we added BBC World News and a few other channels. All of them were free.
(If you’ve been wanting the Plum channel, get MummyBox… free via Roku: http://www.streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/live-streaming-channels/mummybox-113-thread.html? )
JustinTV – more free channels, but much lower screen quality, so some people don’t recommend this: http://www.justin.tv/directory/entertainment (also available through streamfree.tv)
Also look for websites that list the Roku private channels (they’re generally free, but not necessarily listed at the Roku Channel Store screen).
For example:
http://www.fta-heaven.com/forums/showthread.php?312-Roku-Player-Private-Channel-Codes
There are also lots of low-cost, paid options … far less expensive than the most basic cable TV service. They provide many of your favorite shows direct to your TV screen. One popular option is PlayOn ($4.99/month) http://www.playon.tv/content-channels You can add it to your Roku with a plugin, and there are other streaming options as well.
Also, for the latest news (and lots of newbie questions) plus a fairly good private channels database, join http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/RokuDigitalVideoPlayer/database
Anyway, that’s enough to get you started if you’ve been looking at the steadily-climbing cost of cable TV, and wondering if there’s an alternative.
There are several great alternatives. We’re thrilled with Roku and would never go back to cable TV. We added Netflix to our Roku, but — other than that — we’re enjoying hundreds of great TV channels, free.
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