Roku, Anyone? What's It All About?

SifuPhil said:
Here's something else I just found out that I don't like - you have to provide a credit card or PayPal account when you're setting up, "to ensure ease of adding channels in the future".

I'm not GOING to be adding pay channels - the idea is to get away from paying for them. We only want the freebies. Grrrrrr ...
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I can't answer all your questions right now, but, no you don't have to give your credit card info unless you want to add things like netflex and other pay sites. Just skip that part when it ask for such info.

Gotta run, but will try to get back here to answer your other questions when I have more time.

for now a video how to

these are old school samples should be simple if you have built in wify on tv




roku 3

 

SifuPhil said:
I've figured that if I get one for roomie, it'll have to be the Roku 1, since she has a non-HDTV.

Does anyone know how they hook up? Is it to the cable/Internet wiring or is some kind of direct connection to the computer necessary? (I don't have a router, just a modem).
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You will need a router to make your house WiFi hot spot.

SifuPhil said:
Here's something else I just found out that I don't like - you have to provide a credit card or PayPal account when you're setting up, "to ensure ease of adding channels in the future".

I'm not GOING to be adding pay channels - the idea is to get away from paying for them. We only want the freebies. Grrrrrr ...
Click to expand...

You give them the credit card number for the initial sign up..After your account is approved (no fees) you can go back into your account and delete the card number.
 

Here's a terrific article for you to read, I guess things could have changed, when I was asked for my card there used to be a button to skip over that,of course the wording was such that one didn't realize they could skip this and I only had to give it once I decided I wanted to use Netflix and other pay channels. But to be clear I didn't want to give my cc number when I first sign on,so I didn't. This article says give cc, but read when on the site, they suggest you give it, not require.

http://techforluddites.com/roku-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-use-it/

A posting about not needing credit card,I'll see if I can find more information


http://www.amazon4all.net/roku-2-streaming-media-player-4210r-with-faster-processor-2015-model/
 
Another advantage that I have with my ROKU is the 'Free' channel selections. 'Flash' has had problems in the recent past with security issues so while me & 1 or 2 other SF members use Linux exclusively it becomes a problem watching 'YouTube' videos. My daughter has an older HP laptop & doesn't want to either upgrade to Win 10 or buy a newer laptop she finally had to resort to me loading Linux on her 'blue screen' prone Win 7. My distro doesn't have 'Flash' available, security issues the German engineers chose not to tackle.

She complained on Facebook about her extra 2 hours a day with no YouTube. It became an expansive thread with Win/Mac/Linux comments. I had posted here about the option I chose when my grandchildren started watching 'Playdoh' videos on YouTube. I simply installed the YouTube channel on my ROKU, they now can watch them damn videos on my 6 YO HDTV while I have regained control of my laptop. She has the tools to do the same, so I suggested the option to watch YouTube all day long in wide screen HDTV format.

I even went one useless step further & installed the ROKU remote app on my tablet so if I misplace the little remote I have an option to control streaming.
 
Thanks, Sof. I know that Flash is a pain - I sometimes get "Flash has died" messages, and unless I'm watching something that requires it I just let it rest in peace.

I didn't know you could get around that with the Roku and Linux - cool!
 
SifuPhil said:
Thanks, Sof. I know that Flash is a pain - I sometimes get "Flash has died" messages, and unless I'm watching something that requires it I just let it rest in peace.

I didn't know you could get around that with the Roku and Linux - cool!
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You can probably do the same with a 'smart' TV also, I had issues with privacy that hindered me upgrading my HDTV to a 'smart' TV. I am not photogenic at all & cringe at the prospect that the TV could be hacked having the world watch me sit in my lounger spilling food down my shirt while watching TV. I even went to the extreme to put a piece of black electrician's tape across the little cam on my laptop.
 
The little piece of black electrician's tape is still snugly sitting over my laptop's camera, the way it has been for years. :D

I have no wish to discover a viral YouTube of me scratching myself for an hour. :cower:
 
AprilT said:
Well if I ever find anything out there, I'm asking for royalties. :mad:
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LOL - stranger things have happened. I believe there are quite a few folks that have gotten rich off of YouTube - I guess it's all in the number of hits you get, you get a piece of the advertising profits.
 
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