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)

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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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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I've had my Roku LT for a few weeks now and have enjoyed using it very much. Primarily I've been using the Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, and Crackle channels. I'm an Amazon Prime member and was looking for a device that could stream in HD since my laptop is getting older/slower for streaming purposes. The Roku LT fulfills that need. Once you connect your Amazon account to the Roku you'll have access to the full Instant Video and Prime libraries as well as your watchlist. I love having easy access to all my Prime content and being able to see what else is available to watch at the same time. Granted, the remote won't let you add content as easily as your laptop mouse would, but the interface is simple enough so that it's still fun to do so.

The setup of the actual Roku is very simple. There's no on/off switch-just plug in your HD cables, hook things up, and once your account is set you can add whatever channels you want. I also love the variety of channels and free content. I have found channels with free exercise videos, cooking tips, and of course music and tv/movies, and there are even apps for viewing Facebook photos and the weather. If I still had Netflix I would definitely be using that app a lot, too.

This is a great media alternative to those who don't have cable. Even just playing Pandora makes great use of what the device excels at, which is stream content. The Roku LT is exactly what I was hoping for in a streaming device and especially good paired with Amazon Prime Instant Videos. The setup is easy, finding content is fun thanks to the simple and clean user interface of the software, and even with free channels there is so much to keep you entertained. I would definitely recommend the Roku LT considering its cost and capabilities.

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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.

I wanted to save money so I downgraded my Dish Network package to the cheapest and purchased 3 of these Roku LT's. Here's my take on a few things that I wasn't sure about before I ordered. (BTW, 2 of my LT's I've had for a year and the third one I just purchased recently--2 are being used on non-HDTV's and the other on a new 32" Sceptre LED HDTV Sceptre E325BV-HDH 32-Inch 720p 60Hz LED HDTV (Black). So far, the Roku is giving me MOST of what I wanted, but I'm slightly disappointed too.

Do a Google search for Roku private channels, there's a wealth of info on forums. But darn it, I wanted to watch HGTV, and it was available through private channels until the owners of HGTV forced it to be removed same with Food Network. And this is a MAJOR disappointment for me. If I could only get HGTV I'd do away with Dish Network completely.

Pick up some spare remotes for cheap on eBay, because if you misplace the remote, you can't use it.

I knew going in my DSL speed was too slow for Roku's requirements. I have AT&T's cheapest DSL plan with download speeds up to 768 Kbps and upload speeds up to 128 Kbps. I was curious to see if it buffered as when I'm watching a YouTube video on my PC. Or if the Roku even worked at all. So here's what happened with the Roku. Watching the shorter videos my DSL speed is fine. You can see it downloading the video for a few seconds, and there's no buffering as I get when viewing a video on my computer. But my sub-standard DSL speed will not work at all with the movie channels like Crackle, I can watch the commercial before the movie, but that is it, it then goes back to the "play" screen.

BUT (surprisingly), streaming movies from Netflix with my slow DSL speed, no problems with buffering no matter what movies/TV shows I've watched it's been great. Amazon Prime videos are a different story, buffering...so I may be upgrading my DSL speed to the next level.