What is Roku?
Roku is a brand of media streamers. Due to their small size, the media boxes are often referred to as "pucks".
What devices are available?
There are four Roku branded devices on general sale, the Roku LT and the 3rd gen Roku 1, Roku 2 and Roku 3 models. However, Sky's Now TV box is based on the Roku LT. You can still find the discontinued Roku 2 XS for sale in some places.
What's the difference between the boxes?
*requires entering the developer mode to side-load.
†£9.99 represents the "box only" price. There are now bundles available through the likes of Tesco and Argos that come with a Sports day pass (for £15) or a 4 month Entertainment pass or 3 month Film pass (both of the latter cost £25).
Can I get US content?
After a fashion. The DNS settings are locked down on the Roku, so you'll have to set them on your router. However, this will not give access to Roku's US Channel Store for the likes of the Hulu app. For that you have to be running a puck from the US.
Some US content may be available via Plex, but Plex no longer supports Hulu, Netflix etc on any device.
Can I watch YouTube videos?
If you have a Roku 3, yes.
If you have an earlier or cheaper model then, not officially. Roku will not sanction apps that give direct access to YouTube on these devices. However, you can use Plex, or side-load VideoBuzz as a private channel: Myvideobuzz
Can I play local media?
On the Roku boxes, yes. The Roku App for iOS and Android mobile operating systems support wireless streaming from a limited number of handsets: iOS 4.3 and above devices, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nexus 4, HTC One, Nexus 7 (2012 model).
As well as the Roku app, the Roku 2 XS has a USB 2.0 port supporting the .MKV and .MP4 containers. Unfortunately, none of the devices can decode 5.1, but will passthrough. As such if your TV cannot decode 5.1 either, you will not hear anything.
The Now TV box will need the side-loaded Plex channel to play network shares. The Roku app does not currently support NowTV boxes. Although it can see them, it will only "talk" to pucks registered to the Roku account you are logged in to.
Roku is a brand of media streamers. Due to their small size, the media boxes are often referred to as "pucks".
What devices are available?
There are four Roku branded devices on general sale, the Roku LT and the 3rd gen Roku 1, Roku 2 and Roku 3 models. However, Sky's Now TV box is based on the Roku LT. You can still find the discontinued Roku 2 XS for sale in some places.
What's the difference between the boxes?
| Now TV box | Roku LT | Roku 2 XS | Roku 1 | Roku 2 | Roku 3 | |
| Max resolution | 720p | 720p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Network connectivity | Wifi | Wifi | Wifi, Eithernet | Wifi | Wifi | Dual band wifi, Ethernet |
| Remote included | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB port | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| MicroSD card slot | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Netflix | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NowTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu | No | US pucks only | US pucks only | US pucks only | US pucks only | US pucks only |
| LoveFilm | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| YouTube | Via Plex | 3rd party app needed | 3rd party app needed | 3rd party app needed | 3rd party app needed | Yes |
| Plex | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RRP (GBP) | £9.99† | £49.99 | Discont. | £59.99 | £79.99 | £99.99 |
*requires entering the developer mode to side-load.
†£9.99 represents the "box only" price. There are now bundles available through the likes of Tesco and Argos that come with a Sports day pass (for £15) or a 4 month Entertainment pass or 3 month Film pass (both of the latter cost £25).
Can I get US content?
After a fashion. The DNS settings are locked down on the Roku, so you'll have to set them on your router. However, this will not give access to Roku's US Channel Store for the likes of the Hulu app. For that you have to be running a puck from the US.
Some US content may be available via Plex, but Plex no longer supports Hulu, Netflix etc on any device.
Can I watch YouTube videos?
If you have a Roku 3, yes.
If you have an earlier or cheaper model then, not officially. Roku will not sanction apps that give direct access to YouTube on these devices. However, you can use Plex, or side-load VideoBuzz as a private channel: Myvideobuzz
Can I play local media?
On the Roku boxes, yes. The Roku App for iOS and Android mobile operating systems support wireless streaming from a limited number of handsets: iOS 4.3 and above devices, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nexus 4, HTC One, Nexus 7 (2012 model).
As well as the Roku app, the Roku 2 XS has a USB 2.0 port supporting the .MKV and .MP4 containers. Unfortunately, none of the devices can decode 5.1, but will passthrough. As such if your TV cannot decode 5.1 either, you will not hear anything.
The Now TV box will need the side-loaded Plex channel to play network shares. The Roku app does not currently support NowTV boxes. Although it can see them, it will only "talk" to pucks registered to the Roku account you are logged in to.
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