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Roku HD-XR Hands On: Where's Roku Going With This?

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Chimaera
10/27/09

In reply to Roku HD-XR Hands On: Where's Roku Going With This?
Re: Roku Channel Store

Revision3 has already been announced. Pandora and Flickr were leaked in the process.
TWiT via MediaFly has also been announced.

Until the usability of the USB port is defined, it's hard to justify $30 for WiFi-N. #rokuhdxr
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salviati
10/27/09

In reply to Roku HD-XR Hands On: Where's Roku Going With This?
I'm glad to see that the Roku hardware is still being developed, but these two offerings seem disappointing to me.

First of all, I see no market for the Roku SD model. Composite video is OK for folks still using old CRT monitors -- but then again, how many of those folks would have any idea what a Roku was anyway. And by saving $20 now, anyone would be locking themselves out of being able to upgrade the to HD if they upgrade their TV in the future.

As for the HD-XR, $30 is way too much extra to charge for just the wireless-N card. In fact, this should have been the minimal replacement for the original Roku HD at the same price point. I don't know if Roku intends to keep the HD and the HD-XR on the market simultaneously for long, but it seems like the HD should be dis-continued now. I'll have to wait until the firmware upgrade to see what the HD-XR is really bringing to the table, but right now I feel silly for anxiously awaiting this upgrade.

What would really seal the deal for me would be access to streaming media from a NAS or home server. Maybe then I could finally replace my aging XBOX (original) running XBMC (but probably not!)
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met2art promoted this comment Edited by salviati at 10/27/09 9:22 AM salviati was starred salviati was unstarred

met2art
10/27/09

@salviati: Only slightly over a third of U.S. households have an HDTV currently, according to Nielsen figures and other industry estimates. As for "how many of those folks would have any idea what a Roku was anyway"... Netflix was aggressively marketing the device in the mailer envelopes with every DVD they mailed. My mother, who is by no means a techie or gadget geek, bought her Roku, set it up herself and was watching content within minutes.

There's something to be said for simplicity and hardware that doesn't aim over the heads of the populace. The $20 saved on buying an SD model (for an SD TV owner) is a little over two months of Netflix membership.

The Roku fills a sweet spot for people who want more content but may not have the knowledge, or need, for HTPCs, NASs, extensive codec support, etc. Even a lot of SD content via the Roku is better than a pile of confusing equipment and acronyms for someone who, like my mom, just wants to enjoy episodes of British comedies, Law & Order and a few movies now and then. She is among those that might eventually have to buy an HDTV, but actually couldn't care less about 720 or 1080, and just wants to enjoy the content. I strongly suspect that there are a lot of folks out there in that demographic who are capable of setting up a Roku, and who would not scoff at a selection of SD content. #rokuhdxr
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salviati
10/27/09

@met2art: Sorry if my comment seemed snarky towards people who are perfectly happy with SD content. I am no HD snob. My sole TV is actually an older 480p plasma and I am perfectly happy with it - albeit with component video rather than RCA.

However, it seems silly to me for Roku to devote resources to create a crippled version of their standard device for such a small cost savings. One of the great things I though Roku did was to release a single device with known abilities rather than sectioning up the market, causing confusion. Now, instead of just talking to someone about the 'Roku box', they will have to specify which box. I would have prefered a direct replacement upgrade of the Roku HD with the HD-XR rather than expanding it to a series.

As far as cost goes, $20 is a minimal savings. But what you loose is the ability to integrate the box into an HD or fully-digital system in the future. Instead, you would have to spend a fresh $100 (or $130). Right now, I can easily integrate the $100 Roku box into my home theatre with analog inputs, with the knowledge that when I upgrade my TV next year to HDMI, I won't have to buy a new box to go with it. Perhaps the Roku SD makes sense at ~$50, but not at $80. #rokuhdxr
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met2art
10/27/09

@salviati: Those are good points. I would prefer to see an SD Roku box as a subsidized option with an upgraded Netflix account, and the new HD-XR box as a premium option. I think they'd dramatically increase ownership, and then people would have the incentive to buy the premium box for HD and extended features. But, the existing box at $50 would probably sway a lot of people as well. Netflix streaming is pretty popular now with so many devices supporting it, I don't think they are hurting for sales. #rokuhdxr
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