Using your TV to just watch TV is like using your smart phone to just make calls. For less than a hundred bucks you can turn your TV set into a movie theater, a photo album and stereo with a wireless streaming device. We picked two great products to compare and contrast for you so that you can decide which is best for you.
First the Roku LT, which is only $49 and is packed with functionality. It comes preloaded with tons of applications like Netflix, Hulu+ and Amazon to stream movies and TV shows, as well as photo sites and music services. And, for those deeply entrenched in the Apple eco-system there’s Apple TV for $99. It offers far less in the way of preloaded content, but if you buy movies and music through iTunes and have your photos in iPhoto, or want the flexibility of beaming content from your iPhone or iPad to your TV set, then this may be the perfect choice for you.
Check out this week’s Twirl where we delve into the ins and outs of two amazing devices that will absolutely transform your TV.
63 Comments
Veronica says:
I love my apple TV! I buy nearly all my movies and TV shows through iTunes and stream them from my iPad. With my TV, DVR, Apple TV, DVD Player and Xbox 360 to control I decided to get the Logitech Harmony Advance Remote Control (which we lovingly call Mission Control). You program it on your computer and all you have to do is choose your action, like "watch TV" then the remote will turn on the correct devices, turn off the unused devises, and go to the correct input! I'm in love!
CKnobloch says:
Veronica— Thanks for letting us know... that sounds like the ultimate system! And I love the Harmony from Logitech— that's a great product. Perhaps a future Twirl??
Jordan says:
In your video you mention the Roku XD as being $79. Is that a special price that's being offered through you somehow? (I saw it in passing at Walmart yesterday for $98.)
Thanks for the great vids.
CKnobloch says:
Jordan— That might have been their top of the line model, the Roku 2 XS, which lists on the Roku site for $99.99 and is basically the XD plus games, a fancy gaming remote, and an ethernet port. The XD lists on Roku.com (and BestBuy.com) for $79. Hope that's helpful!
Kirsten says:
We love our Roku! Especially since I'm an Amazon Prime member and can watch tons of movies FREE! Maybe a 2nd one for my bedroom is next? Hmmm
CKnobloch says:
Kirsten— OOOHH! Good point about the Amazon Prime movies... LOVE the conversation that's happening here! And yes, a 2nd one for your bedroom is definitely in order...
Karoline says:
Hooked up my Apple TV this weekend and had a lot of fun streaming from my NBS and ABC apps free full length shows. CBS does not currently have an App for viewing content from an iPad. Is this the beginning of the end for traditional network tv?
CKnobloch says:
Karoline— Not the beginning of the end, but just the beginning of a new beginning, I think. Traditional media is increasingly tasked with finding new ways to reach it's audience and to find advertising dollars, since traditional advertising methods are evolving and shifting. I think devices like this are just a kick in the pants to the big guys... SO glad you're loving you're AppleTV. Thanks for letting us know!
M the Organizer says:
Love your videos!! So smart and fun to watch.
Thank you!
I need to talk to my hubby about apple tv. He is charge of the tech stuff in our house...although I think I even I could handle this one
CKnobloch says:
M— Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about! Take back the (tech) power! You can do it... all the products we talk about on Digitwirl are easy to set up and use... so it's definitely in "your domain."
Leise says:
Hi Carley! I have been having trouble with the videos not loading on your website for the past week. On Safari... there is only a blank space were the video should be. I have clicked the reload button several times. On Firefox: there isn't even a blank space where the video should be. The top of the page just starts with the video description.
I love your videos! Do you guys have a Youtube account I can go to to see the videos instead of the website?
CKnobloch says:
Leise— We DO have a YouTube account (youtube.com/digitwirlchannel), though I'm sad that your'e not able to see our website... we haven't had any downtime that I know of. One thing to try would be to ensure you've got the most updated version of your browser. Let me know if you need more troubleshooting.
Katy says:
I found the prices at Wal-Mart were higher than what is listed on the Roku website (they had the Roku 2 HD for $79 when it's listed for $59.99 on the website), which was surprising (esp since Roku offers free shipping).
Best Buy sells the XD for the same price as is shown online. We've had our XD for a couple of months now, recently cancelled cable and LOVE it. We hooked up an old mac mini to a different HD port on the TV to grab shows that aren't on Hulu plus (primarily CBS shows) and are all set!
Even my mom who isn't technologically savvy figured out the Roku and dialled in on one of her fave shows on Hulu.
CKnobloch says:
Katy— So glad to hear that you're loving the Roku— and kudos to your mom for rockin' Hulu! We love to hear that too!
Lisa says:
Such perfect timing! We have not had cable for over a year and watch everything on my 17" lap top. Lately we've been watching ads for TVs and boxes like Roku & Apple TV! This vid will help us make a more informed choice. Our phone contracts are ending and we've been debating iPhones, and replacing the lap top with an iPad.... With so many choices out there we are having a hard time deciding!
CKnobloch says:
Lisa— So glad to hear that... it is a bit overwhelming with all the choices out there. Hopefully you'll arrive at a decision that will make sense for your family (and wallet!) Let us know where you land!
Ann B says:
Lisa, I am currently using my iPad "as" a computer (my computer got water-damaged, and it's taking a while to repair). Make sure you know the tradeoffs/issues before you count on replacing a laptop with what is essentially a mobile device (for example, you can't watch HULU on it - you need to purchase HULU+; you have to buy a utility to print if you don't have an airprint capable printer; etc.) I'm making it work, but there have been more little "gotchas" along the way than I expected, and there's been (for me) a pretty steep learning curve in figuring out how to do what I want to do. Just an FYI from someone who's been there ...
CKnobloch says:
Ann B— All good points. An iPad is definitely not a computing device... but it does have "just enough" computing for the casual user. So there's a fine line and (some people are over it) when it comes to it being powerful enough to do what you need beyond checking email and surfing the web.
Sindona says:
I have heard that there are blue ray dvd players that offer streaming too--must have a built in apple tv or roku???? I've heard they are about $100 at Cosco. Can you do a review?
Love your videos and your web site, it has all the right elements. You are sooo smart.
CKnobloch says:
Sindona—
(LOVE your name by the way!)
Yes, if have a Blu-Ray collection, you should definitely look at the combination players. They're not as full-featured as the Roku or AppleTV players, but they do stream Netflix ... and some even do YouTube.
Here's a bunch on Amazon— happy shopping!
http://www.amazon.com/Netflix-Streaming-Blu-Ray-Players/lm/R2LFRHWSWQZZAF
Iain says:
Love the Twirls and hi from your hometown. Our family has the WDTVs from Western Digital and we love them!. They read media off a network attached drive. We've been putting all our media on the one central drive. No need to have the computer running like you do with the Apple TV. There's even an app to let me watch our movies on my iPad. They also connect up to Netflix and gang, but we haven't had the need yet.
Keep the Twirls coming. Some of us guys like them, too.
Iain
CKnobloch says:
Lain— Thanks for sharing your set-up. We love our male Twirlers.
Laura says:
I love my AppleTV but really wish it streamed everything Roku does. Does anyone know if Apple is talking with Hulu about streaming their content?
CKnobloch says:
Laura— I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. Apple reeaaallly wants you to buy/rent TV shows through them, but it's just not very cost effective. It does work well though, with all your Apple devices. Glad you're liking it.
Samantha says:
We have apple tv (and have for almost 4 years) and it's amazing. But I am loving the other options available with Roku. I didn't even know another system like apple tv existed until I saw your video today - so thank you for opening my eyes to something new. Thanks so much for everything you share! I'm buying my husband the jawbone you talked about last month all b/c i saw it here - it's so cool! Thanks again!
CKnobloch says:
Samantha— Glad we could open your eyes to what's out there. There's a lot of overlap with the two, but Roku definitely offers some different services. Thanks for watching!
Marybeth says:
They're both tempting but I wish you'd show how they actually hook up.
CKnobloch says:
Marybeth— They're both ridiculously easy to set up: One plug goes into the wall, and one plug goes into the TV. (The AppleTV and the higher-end Rokus have an ethernet port, but both can also connect via your home's wireless signal. That's kinda it!
Roku Kacie says:
Hi Marybeth! Carly's right - the Roku streaming player is a cinch to set up and works with virtually any TV. Here's a quick video showing how to set up the Roku 2. Chances are you probably already have everything you need, including a TV, high-speed Internet connection, a computer to activate your Roku player and link channels, and a few minutes!
http://support.roku.com/entries/20565547-how-to-set-up-the-roku-2
Marea says:
Hey Carley; I know the majority of your audience is within the US, but I'd love it if you could occasionally mention what would work and what wouldn't if you were outside the continental US. I know that's probably a pain for you, but sometimes it's helpful to know (I'm talking about Hulu and Netflix for example).
After a twirl I purchased CardStar and can't get any readers here to read my stored cards
It seems there's different formats the barcodes can be in. It's cool, I'm persevering with it, but I just thought there must be others like me out there watching, listening and enjoying and also not knowing if something will work or not 
Love what you do!
Marea
DownUnder (New Zealand!)
CKnobloch says:
Merea— There's nothing we wouldn't do for our Twirlers! We often reach out to products/services before we review them to ask questions like this, and sometimes we don't get straight answers. It's unfortunate, but we would never want to report that something is compatible when it's not, or vice versa. We will keep an eye on this, though, and do our best to let you know.
Abbie says:
Yes I downloaded Cardstar and shared it with all my followers but then tried it in Woolworths (it even had this automatically set up on the app) and it didn't work! Maybe it was just me and my self scanning but now I'm a bit embarrassed to try the other cards
Hopefully I can get it to work! Would also love Roku but I don't think it works in Australia. If anyone knows differently though, please let me know.
CKnobloch says:
Abbie—
Cardstar and the other keyring apps are only as good as the scanners in the stores— sometimes they have trouble with the reflective nature of certain phone screens. I find that mine works about 60% of the time, but the rest of the time, the cashier seems happy to type in the number on my rewards "card" and that works just fine.
Roku doesn't seem to have any information about Australia on their website— I'm looking into this and will get back to you!
Abbie Allen says:
Thanks Carley - that is so good to know! Now I won't be so afraid to use Cardstar. And it would love to know if you can use Roku in Australia. Thank for such a lovely and helpful response.
Leslie says:
So, am I understanding this right? I have an old TV in our bedroom that is essentially unused because we don't have a cable point there. But with Roku, we could use our zippy internet to watch shows in there? Is there a subscription fee? Or is it utilizing free content?
And it sounds like I could have it on the tv upstairs when I need it, or bring it to our big flat screen downstairs when we want to live the good life and watch a movie on Amazon?
CKnobloch says:
Leslie— There is no subscription fee for Roku, but of course with things like Netflix and Hulu+ you will need to subscribe to get content. And I'm not entirely sure if you can move it from TV to TV, but yes, the Amazon library awaits!
Noel says:
what about Google TV? Any experience with that?
CKnobloch says:
Noel— What, specifically, do you want to know?
Noel says:
Just what your thoughts are on the pros/cons of it and maybe if you have any comparison to the Roku. I know I'm not a fan of the Apple products for the most part but am not sure about how to compare these two.
Roku Kacie says:
Hi Leslie— You can absolutely turn your old, unused TV into a smart TV with Roku. Roku streaming players deliver over 400 entertainment channels including movies & TV shows from Netflix, Amazon Instant & Hulu Plus, kids shows, games & Disney content, recipes, news, sports & exercise inspiration, music from Pandora & MOG, Shutterfly for sharing/displaying family photos & much more. There is no subscription fee for Roku, but you can link your existing subscriptions like Netflix and Amazon Prime to expand your viewing options. You can also move a Roku player around to smarten up any TV in the house - they're smaller than a coaster and use less power than a nightlight.
CKnobloch says:
YAY! Roku is here! Twirlers, fire away with questions! (thanks for being here).
Noel says:
Roku Kacie - how would you compare Roku to Google TV?
Leslie says:
Roku, thank you for answering my questions. So glad to hear it right from the source!
@CKnobloch, it would be nice if your videos weren't set to autoplay when the page loads. Everytime I come back to read comments, I have to stop it from re-playing. Cheers.
Himanshu says:
Hi,
I am a Roku user from Australia, and thought I would chip in with some answers to questions relating to Roku use outside of the US.
I bought mine from Amazon, as they would do international shipping, and they have good return policies.
Most content works here in Australia, HOWEVER, anything thats geo-locked (like Netflix and Hulu) will NOT work. You can get around this by using something like unblock-us.com (which is also super easy to set up). Unblock-us would certainly make it possible to watch Amazon and Crackle movies and dramas from outside US. Netflix and Hulu are a bit more complex as they require US credit cards, but unblock-us have detailed instructions for those if anyone is interested.
Cheers,
Himanshu
Laura says:
Can your readers recommend the best, safest, and least expensive way for me to watch all the British TV channels like BBC1 etc on my PC?
Thanks!!
Christie says:
Hi!
I've finally gotton around to looking at this video. I am waaaay behind in technology and wondered what can you watch for free on the Roku? We don't have cable and the only movies we see are the ones we rent. The Roku sounds like something good for us if we can get extras for free.
Thanks!
CKnobloch says:
Christie— There's so much to watch on Roku that I couldn't list it all. Have a look here to see more (some of these channels require paid subscriptions, but some dont): http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store
carey says:
You featured this JUST in time because I'm moving to a new place and was debating on setting up cable or not. I think I'll give Roku a try for a while!
CKnobloch says:
Carey— Yay! Let us know how it goes!
Michele G. says:
Hi there! I absolutely love my Roku 2 XD. I watch Netflix, Huluplus (30-day free trial right now) and Amazon Instant movies all the time.
It works great. The installation was easy.
I purchased this device because I have an older flat screen with none of the wifi capabilities.
Another thing I love is that it is so small and barely noticeable.
I'm strongly considering letting cable t.v. go in the future.
Laurie says:
Thank you for the info on the Roku. Do you know if it can access websites, such as pbs.com?
CKnobloch says:
Laurie— I'm pretty sure that Roku accesses channels, not websites... one of the main differences between GoogleTV and Roku. So you'd have to look to see if Roku has a channel that plays PBS content.
Christina says:
Firstly, I LOVE your website. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon it, but am SO glad I did! You've definitely opened my eyes to a lot of great products... so thank you!
Second, I've been considering dropping cable for some time now. I mean, we use the xbox to stream Netflix way more. On a recent trip to Walmart, I looked at the Roku and am really considering it. My only question is are we able to stream live TV, like an important football game? (My husband just HAS to have his football... Ha ha ha.)
CKnobloch says:
Christina— Oh, football is no joke to the typical husband.
Seems like no football on Roku right now, but hopefully the NFL will feel the pressure and make it available soon. Here's a great Lifehacker article that breaks down your cable-cutting strategy, sport by sport:
Michele says:
I am brand new to digitwril, and i think that i'm in love! I need a bit of help with my tv and apple tv. I have the apple tv linked to my wireless network. When we want to watch movies, they are delayed, and can sometimes take to long to download, or pause often while watching the movie. Help!?! Currently, I can't get my Samsung to pick up the wireless network feed.
Thanks for any insight! . . . Frustrated technology owner,
-Michele
Aziz says:
Now apple tv has 1080p
Elijah says:
It will be very interesting to see what TVs are truly capable of when Apple opens the App Store on that platform. If they do for the living room what they did for mobile after opening it up to developers, we'll be looking at a whole new game there.
nancy vecchione says:
Hi Carley, found yr site thru a friend in Philly Social Media Moms who is an organizer--I am in love--w/yr site and content! Usually my husband is the techie around here and I know how to run my basic tv and my computer and it's peripherals (better known as he has his 'man cave' filled with gadgets that are wired up in such a way NO WOMAN wd put up with it all! So I live w/my basic tv hooked up to my antennae (yes I know, I am SO behind the times! but it works and I'm not a huge tv watcher or someone who must watch movies all the time.) But these gadgets look great! And better yet, like they are easy enough even nancy could do it (a take off on my DIY wedding blog where the easiest crafts are labeled EEEBCDI (easy enough even Bill can do it). So I think I'll pick up one of these since they DO look easy enough for my non-techie brain! Plus now I know what to get my mom for xmas next yr!
CKnobloch says:
Nancy— Fantastic! Yes, we cover the best and simplest tech to adopt, so I'm confident that EEENCD!
Angie says:
I'm new to the site and I love it! How about a digitwirl roku channel?
CKnobloch says:
Angie-- Thanks! Not a bad idea!
Linda Marr says:
We use X Box to access movies -- would Roku offer us a lot more?
Ted says:
I can watch television on my ipad thru my optimum app. I can also stream whatever I watch on my ipad to my television using Apple TV. If I put a Roku on a different tv, can I "mirror" what's on my ipad to the TV with the Roku?