Roku 2 XD Wireless HD Digital Media Player (802.11b/g/n, HDMI)

Excellent Value

By Sunshine  Nov 11, 2012 | 9 out of 10 found this Roku 2 XD Wireless HD Digital Media Player (802.11b/g/n, HDMI) review helpful

Pros: Affordable, easy to set up and options

Cons: Really quality programming is only available on pay subscription channels

This is the best price and option for streaming to your TV. I researched a LOT before I bought my Roku 2 last year and found that this was the most reliable choice possible for the best price. The Apple TV product offers a bit more but only if you ha...ve an apple computer and other apple products. I don't, so it wasn't worth the extra $20. If you're thinking about switching to streaming, let me break down the whole thing so you have a better idea of what you're getting into: 1) You WILL need a wifi connection. Some reported that their roku box needed to be right next to the wifi box in order to get a strong signal and I personally found this to be true for me as well. Hence, I took off a star. 2) Channel options are iffy. Crackle is free and does offer some decent stuff but the great stuff is on Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu Plus. Other channels are available, check out the Roku site to see what you get for free and for $$. Still cheaper than cable though. You do need to sign up for a lot of channels (even the free ones) online. But there are a ton of cooking channels, which I like. 3) Sound quality is really dependent on the TV you have. and you will need to buy a switcher if you have an older tv. I have an older tv. Hooking it up wasn't hard. 4) You will need a separate box for each individual tv and that could be problematic for some. 5) most new blu-ray players and tvs and gaming consoles allow for you to stream as well but I found that the menu options on my blu-ray player were really tiny to read on my old tv and the options for streaming channels were minimal compared to the Roku. It could be my TV though. Or a feature on my player I haven't figured out but how am I going to fix it if I can't even read the menu in the first place? I've had mine over a year now and if and when it breaks, I will replace it with another one. I definitely recommend the Roku! Read more Less