Jun 122013
Roku LT Streaming Player
- 600+ channels with movies, TV shows, music, sports & more
- High-definition streaming up to 720p HD
- Works with virtually any TV
- Free app for iOS and Android
- Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi b/g/n)
The Roku LT delivers all the streaming entertainment choices, HD video quality, and ease-of-use that Roku is known for, at an amazing price. Enjoy 600+ channels from all the top sources such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, HBO GO and MLB. Includes one-stop search. There’s even a free app for iOS and Android. The product has warranty of 90 days.
List Price: $ 49.99
Price: $ 39.99
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Great media player – excellent value but not perfect,
I bought this Roku LT after looking at the various options – all the Roku models, Apple TV, and other streaming media boxes. I ultimately decided on the Roku LT because it was the best value, offered a wide range of channel choices, and seemed intuitive and easy to operate. It isn’t perfect – the UI could be improved and it doesn’t have all the content available – but it is a great starter product for anyone looking into the streaming media world and even if you don’t have tech experience its a cinch to set up.
Actual product:
The Roku LT is small, light, and simple. It comes with a basic remote, though I will note that mine had the three “app buttons” for Pandora, Netflix, and Crackle – the remote in the picture didn’t show that. It is purple but not bright, so you won’t notice it too much after you set it up. It feels a bit cheaper in build quality terms than the Apple TV – especially the remote – but I don’t think that’s a significant factor and I have no worries about the Roku LT breaking.
Setup:
Very easy. Plugged it in, registered the device via my laptop, and connected to my WiFi network. You will need a Wifi network to use Roku LT, as there is no ethernet jack.
User Interface (UI):
Good, but a lot of room for improvement. It isn’t difficult to figure out, but it has the feeling of a system that was designed a few years ago. Even in the stock apps there are little quirks like where the selector is placed, how the info box always pops up and blocks other movie titles, etc. Small things generally and I don’t want to say that its difficult to figure out at all – on the whole, it is intuitive and clear. But if you do a side by side comparison to the Apple TV, the difference is clear – Apple made the UI a priority and the experience is excellent, whereas Roku didn’t. It almost feels like a beta version. This could be updated in the future though, so I’ll reword this if it changes.
Content:
Great – has Amazon Instant, Hulu+, Netflix, and more. Those mentioned are all subscription but there are plenty of free apps/channels – BBC World News, PBS, Smithsonian, NBC, etc. There are also a variety of free “private” channels that don’t show up in the main store, but you can add them via your computer. Just google Roku free private channels and plenty of lists show up.
This flexibility in content was a main reason I bought the Roku LT over the Apple TV. Apple TV is locked – it determines when new apps come on, and until then you’re stuck with what they give you, which is somewhat limited. For most people it probably doesn’t matter, but this is a significant difference between the two products.
Comparison to other models:
Roku offers a handful of models and their naming and differentiation is somewhat confusing. The Roku LT does 720p HD (which is more than enough for most, though if you have a 40″+ TV then you might want 1080p which is supported by Roku XD or XS) though you’ll have to have a HDMI cable to get true HD quality. It basically does everything the Roku HD model does – only difference is the color. If you want an ethernet port, a remote that allows you to play games, or the best HD (1080p) then you’ll have to get the Roku XD or XS, but otherwise do the LT – there’s no reason to pay almost double if you don’t need those things.
Compared to Apple TV, its tough to say which is better. It all depends on if you’re a heavy Apple user (iPhone, iPad, etc.) because if so, then the Apple TV has some pretty awesome feature (AirPlay) and your songs, videos, and everything else will sync immediately to the device. And let’s face it, Apple designs better UI’s! Their experience is unparalleled. But, its 2x as much as the Roku LT AND Apple limits the content so if you’re not a hardcore Apple user and on a budget, Roku is the way to go.
Other companies make similar products but through my research, I couldn’t find any that really offered the same simplicity, price point, and content. While there may be better products for niche groups of consumers, the Roku LT should serve almost everyone well!
Hope that you enjoyed the review – I’ve added a few pictures to the customer images sections and feel free to ask me any questions about the device!
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|This Thing is Great!!!,
I don’t know why some people complain about their Roku being hard to set up. Five minutes out of the box and I had Netflix and Amazon Prime running on it, which is what I mainly bought it for, and no problem whatsoever running it on Wi-Fi. I can even stream one video to my TV through the Roku while streaming another to my Kindle Fire. All video streaming apps need a fast connection, and I suspect most of the bad reviews are attributable to slow and/or poor Internet service. More Roku content would of course be nice, but as it stands it’s the best fifty dollar entertainment purchase I ever made. And in the Roku Channel Store you can buy, for a one-time charge of $2.99, a Netflix browser which is far better than the one Netflix provides.
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|The Roku Rule,
I purchased the Roku LT Streaming Player for my bedroom (i don`t have cable) it is truly a marvel of technology, it is so tiny and purple and fit in the palm of your hand, yet very powerful and extremely entertaining (and cute) you have your Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora and hundreds more of free channels to choose from. I have choosen 168 (all free channels, they do have pay channels as well) of their channels for my viewing and it will take me quite awhile to see everything. A few people complain about the remote but i love it, also the remote shown in the picture is not the one i got, the one i got has direct connect with Netflix, Hulu Plus and Pandora (for Music) and the channels change very quickly. It has a connection to your TV Set, HDMI for flat screen (HD) and RCA Jacks for analog, so you can connect to almost any tv, it uses Wi-Fi for connection to the internet (no ethernet on this model), which for me works great no slow down, no buffering and a wonderful picture with HDMI, the Roku LT only has 720p HD with an HDMI cable, they have other models which has 1080p HD. I will be getting another Roku later for the livingroom. It is very easy 123 to hook up. I don`t have any negatives about The Roku LT Streaming Player, except you do have to give credit or debit card information but it will only be used for purchase of pay channels. It is in a word “PERFECT” Who needs cable, with this little marvel. Roku LT Streaming Player Note: ordered 2nd Roku Oct 2012, got the regular remote this time, love Roku.
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