I watch a lot of TV. Here in the U.S., who doesn’t? I have about four shows that I watch religiously every week in addition to a few others that I spontaneously catch up on when I’m in the mood. I can’t live without knowing what happens next in Gossip Girl, 90210, How I Met Your Mother, and Pretty Little Liars. And when I want to watch a little comedy, The Big Bang Theory and The New Girl are pretty good choices too. With a crazy busy schedule every week, these episodes are a little treat that allow me to get away from reality for a while. I couldn’t survive without them.
But that being said I never, ever watch these shows on my TV. Ever. Why? Because these shows always air when I’m busy. As a college student, I don’t have the freedom to come home from a busy day and just relax with some TV shows in the evening, and I’m pretty sure many of you can relate to that. Personally, after a busy day of school my evenings consist of homework, group projects, dance team, and the list goes on and on. So when am I free to watch my many episodes? At completely random times during the week; it’s never the same. Shows that air on Mondays or Tuesdays I probably can’t watch until the weekend or whenever it is that I can squeeze it into my busy schedule. Because of this, I rely on ways to watch my shows when, where, and how I want it.
The TV industry is evolving. With websites like Hulu, Vudu, and Netflix, it’s becoming easier and easier to watch your favorite episodes streaming from your computer without having to worry about missing it when it airs on TV. Hulu’s objective is even stated as being “focused on helping users find and enjoy the world’s premium, professionally produced content when, where and how they want it,” (Jason Kilar, chief executive officer of Hulu). For people who are busy like me, what could be better than that?
Well how about watching those streaming shows from the comfort of your TV instead of on your computer? New technology is now providing a new solution to being able to watch what you want, on your TV, whenever you want it. If you need the same requirements that I do, I may have the solution for you.
Introducing the latest Roku 2 XS.
How do these features sound?- 350+ entertainment channels available, including hundreds of free movies
- Works with virtually any TV
- Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi b/g/n)
- Plays high-definition video (720p)
- Expandable memory slot plus Bluetooth
- Plays the best HD video (1080p)
- Enhanced remote with motion control for games
- Ethernet port and USB port
Pretty good, right? Those features allow the users of a Roku 2 XS to enjoy any of the best movies, TV shows, live sports, music, and games instantly on any TV at any time. It connects to any TV and Internet network to stream anything you want, whenever you want. There are no extra monthly bills and you can access your existing subscriptions like Netflix or even other free movies, shows, or music websites. You can stream anything you want, including Pandora and MOG Radio for music and Hulu Plus, Crackle, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO and EPIX for shows/movies. There are 350+ entertainment channels for you to choose from, and even more to come. You can watch any of these channels right on demand on your TV in a high quality 1080p format through the convenience of 802.11N wireless connectivity. It even supports digital 5.1 surround sound.
So how does it work? Well it’s supposed to be incredibly easy. It’s barely larger than a coaster (only 3.3”x3.3”x0.9” and weighs only 3 ounces) and all you need to do is plug the box into a power outlet and your TV via HDMI or composite cable, connect to Wi-Fi or Ethernet (must be a high-speed internet connection with a speed of at least 1.2 Mbps such as a mid-level DSL), and then enjoy your streaming entertainment. Pretty simple. But that’s probably because Roku’s mission is simple: Take high-quality video content that is published over the Internet and deliver it to your TV in a ridiculously simply way.
It’s because of its incredibly wide selection of streaming entertainment available on demand anytime and anywhere, mixed with its simple set up and ease of use that many people, including Jason Hiner, Editor in Chief of TechRepublic, rank it number one over its competitors like Apple TV, Google TV by Logitech Revue, and Boxee by D-Link. And why wouldn’t you? It’s easy to use and cheaper! Roku 2 XS is only $99, which is $100 cheaper than Boxee and $200 cheaper than the Logitech Revue. With the Roku 2 XS and all its features, you’re definitely getting the most bang for your buck.
This being said, I’d try it. Personally, for the amount of time I spend streaming shows online, I would definitely pay just under a hundred bucks to watch all these shows on my TV. Watching shows on my laptop may be easy, but a bigger screen and not having to have a laptop overheat in my lap would definitely be a better way to watch them. This gadget seems like exactly what I need!
And because of the trends in today’s society, I’m pretty sure it’s what a lot of people need. Because of people’s busy lives, watching shows on TV at the exact time they air is getting a little impractical. Yes, that’s why DVR was created, to record your shows to watch them whenever you have time, but if everything is now being streamed in high quality online anyways, what’s the need for DVR, or even cable in general anymore? Especially since streaming entertainment offers more than just shows and movies, it offers music and games as well; something DVR can’t do. It seems that many people are dropping their cable service and opting instead to rely entirely on streaming online entertainment. Last year 275,000 Americans dropped cable TV and are saving roughly $50-90 a month depending on their personal cable plan. That’s approximately $6-10 grand in 10 years. For a onetime fee of $99 for the box, it seems like the Roku 2 XS would be an incredible money saver, especially if you are like me and never watch shows through cable anyways! I think to save that much money, I could cut the once in a blue moon time I actually watch TV through cable and live entirely off of streaming entertainment.
And if that same feeling catches on and reverberates throughout society, there is a good chance that the TV industry may face some changes by going completely online. Even the cable operators themselves are making significant inroads into digital distribution and online activities. For example, Comcast has made a strong push with its video-on-demand television service online. With Fancast, users can watch full-length shows and other video content streaming from several networks. With the popularity of online, on demand entertainment, the need for basic cable TV is slowly diminishing. And with cable providers usually selling packages to consumers that include cable, phone, and high-speed Internet services, it would be easy for these cable operators to keep their customer base and retain profits simply by charging more for Internet as cable is dropped. It’s something that may take several years, but I personally see in the future a completely online entertainment world. The industry will still earn money through advertising and license fees, but consumers will just be viewing these network shows entirely online, versus a through a standard cable box.
And the Roku 2 XS may pave the way towards that future. With its acclaimed ease of use for online entertainment, I don’t think it will take too long before more people make the permanent switch to streaming videos. I know that I probably will. Goodbye small screen/hot laptop, and hello HD, high quality, big screen, streaming videos whenever I want them. Literally, whenever I want them. Cheaper than cable (which I never use anyways) and all the media entertainment I could ever want. Can you guess what’s on my Christmas list this year?
