Roku Announces The Streaming Stick

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
What do you guys think about something like this? All the functionality of the regular sized Roku, it's about the size of a thumb drive, has no cables, no power wires and basically turns your normal TV into a Smart TV.


We’ve thought about this problem a lot, and believe we have the solution. Today we unveiled the Roku Streaming Stick™—a little stick about the size of a standard USB flash drive that will simply plug into a TV to instantly transform it into a Smart TV. It essentially includes everything in a Roku player—built-in WiFi, processor, memory and software—and will deliver all the channels found on the Roku platform today. It will also benefit from regular free software updates and channel enhancements. With the Roku Streaming Stick, consumers will be able to enjoy a Roku streaming experience that is fully integrated into their TVs. They’ll only need to use one remote for their TV and for streaming. There won’t be any cables or a power adaptor.
Click to expand...
 
I think I would be alot more interested if my TV had MHL hdmi ports. :(

That said, it certainly looks like an interesting little product. I would be very interested in seeing some reviews on how it actually performs when it comes out.
 
Since a lot of TV's do not have MHL HDMI ports on them unless they are very new I do not see the point, just go buy a Roku box.

I am not saying this is a bad product, I just think it has a limited customer base right out of the gate.
 
zaniix said:
I am not saying this is a bad product, I just think it has a limited customer base right out of the gate.
Click to expand...

True, but that will change long term, and when it does, this will be a nice and convenient little solution.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
I think I would be alot more interested if my TV had MHL hdmi ports. :(

That said, it certainly looks like an interesting little product. I would be very interested in seeing some reviews on how it actually performs when it comes out.
Click to expand...

The whole point is that it turns a "Dumb" HDTV into a "Smart" one... and I don't see MHL ports being available anytime soon for "Dumb" HDTVs. So I question who, exactly, is the market for this?
 
RGMBill said:
The whole point is that it turns a "Dumb" HDTV into a "Smart" one... and I don't see MHL ports being available anytime soon for "Dumb" HDTVs. So I question who, exactly, is the market for this?
Click to expand...

I'm with you here. The TVs that this would really be useful for are current and older, not newer. I'm all for new products tho. Hopefully it will find a home.

I'm thrilled with the WD Live 4 so I know these products have value.
 
I don't get the picture. If that's HDMI then it's at least an inch and a half wide by 6 inches long. I guess if you were a giant that might be a thumb drive. How exactly do you plug that into the bottom panel of the tv/monitor if it only has 3 inches of clearance from the stand it's on?
 
RGMBill said:
The whole point is that it turns a "Dumb" HDTV into a "Smart" one... and I don't see MHL ports being available anytime soon for "Dumb" HDTVs. So I question who, exactly, is the market for this?
Click to expand...

Dumb people who think they're smart.
 
Cool but not necessary. Only 'smart TVs' will be able to use the stick anyway. Roku would have to have some high demand channels that you can't get anywhere else.
 
Deezus said:
Seriously?! NO ONE has made a "streaming stick" joke yet? :D
Click to expand...

I read the title for a second time a few hours after the first time and then I realized... why would I buy a Roku streaming stick when I already have my own. ;) :D
 
Why is your news always a day or two after "afterdawn.com"

I swear you bite off those news stories like it was virgin apple pie.
 
djgizmo said:
Why is your news always a day or two after "afterdawn.com"

I swear you bite off those news stories like it was virgin apple pie.
Click to expand...

someone always has to be first, the front page is an aggregate of relevant news stories as steve, or whoever, becomes aware of them.

lot's of us don't surf a million other sites, and I know for me, I appreciate that I know eventually [H] ends up posting the stories from other sites.

I don't think they care about being first with the info.
 
90% of everything on any "news" site, including this one, is just stolen from the big aggregator places like reddit. Deal with it.
Also, Cock, , Twat Fuck Shit Balls.
(Ban Me already)
 
not be a dick like the guy above me, but why can't we say that word? I like this place becase you don't filter anything and it makes us think before we post if we actually care about posting.


or well shit, never mind. not trying to rock the boat, just didn't expect that here.
 
stealthy123 said:
someone always has to be first, the front page is an aggregate of relevant news stories as steve, or whoever, becomes aware of them.

lot's of us don't surf a million other sites, and I know for me, I appreciate that I know eventually [H] ends up posting the stories from other sites.

I don't think they care about being first with the info.
Click to expand...

Heck, one of the things I like MOST about HardOCP is that they don't feel they have to be "First!" on everything.... they actively solicit folks to turn in interesting news stories they see scouring the net to Steve and the gang. I've probably sent Steve two or three dozen links over the decade+ that I've been a reader here (I'm surprised that I'm only credited with about 7 years, to be honest, as I was reading back during the 90s; guess I didn't comment until later, though Steve sourced me for an article as far back as 2000, IIRC). The fact that readers turn in interesting tidbits helps make the site seem much more personal, which is important for a site with so many daily readers and the many thousands of registered folks.

Here and Ars are the two number one sites I hit for information (and I used to be an occasional writer for Techrepublic until a few years back, so it's not that I don't have other choices).
 
Neat little device :)

I bought my mom a roku for xmas and I use one pretty regularly. Between netflix, amazon prime, and the others it pretty much negates any desire for cable...
 
I view roku like I view the apple tv. They are both closed platforms. Roku makes it very difficult to get your own content onto the box. I doubt the stick is any different. But, if it doesn't please us guys, it might just satisfy our women in more ways than one. :)
 
Why? All you need is a regular Blu Ray player and you have all the streaming you need...for $120 or less. (I just bought a Panasonic BDT210 and discovered how well it really works...even connects to PC shares and streams YouTube better than my big gaming rig does.)
 
BBA said:
Why? All you need is a regular Blu Ray player and you have all the streaming you need...for $120 or less. (I just bought a Panasonic BDT210 and discovered how well it really works...even connects to PC shares and streams YouTube better than my big gaming rig does.)
Click to expand...

Sadly I bought a Sony player and almost every time I'm watching Netflix or fast forward through a part it looses the connection to the network, or there is a problem with the network. Even though me and my girl could be surfing the web at that moment on our wireless devices and have full signal strength. I purchased a Roku LT and have been using it for almost two weeks now and it sits right next to the player. Not one issue. I will take my $50 player over the $120 wifi blu ray player any day.
 
BBA said:
Why? All you need is a regular Blu Ray player and you have all the streaming you need...for $120 or less. (I just bought a Panasonic BDT210 and discovered how well it really works...even connects to PC shares and streams YouTube better than my big gaming rig does.)
Click to expand...

1. Because Panasonic, Sony, etc usually sucks at supporting the set for updates after it's out of stores.
2. Because they tend to suck at developing a UI
3. It's user upgradeable and cheap ($50)
4. Roku would be better at getting new content than most manufactures.
 
cold&damp said:
90% of everything on any "news" site, including this one, is just stolen from the big aggregator places like reddit. Deal with it.
Also, Cock, , Twat Fuck Shit Balls.
(Ban Me already)
Click to expand...

Point being? Some of us don't go to reddit as the community if you want to call it that is a cesspool. At least things around here are largely civil given most here are generally tech minded. I would rather deal with the rare douchebag in a tech oriented community of largely intelligent individuals than the typical mouthbreather from reddit.
 
If Roku would start natively support DLNA, then it'd be a no brainer. As it is, no thanks.
 
I've been using Roku for almost three years now, and it still does Netflix and Amazon better than any BD player I've used or seen. Watching Netflix on my buddy's Panny BD player is simply painful- constant connection and re-buffering issues, and a sluggish UI. Roku provides a better UI, faster response and smoother user experience overall. (especially the Roku 2, since it supports Netflix adaptive bitrate streaming) What the Roku does, it does consistently and it does well.

But I'm having a hard time understanding the market for this Roku stick. This is designed for those users that object to the obtrusiveness "hockey puck" set top box?

metril said:
I view roku like I view the apple tv. They are both closed platforms.
Click to expand...

Apple TV is maybe 1000x more closed than Roku.

metril said:
Roku makes it very difficult to get your own content onto the box.
Click to expand...

I too keep wishing the next iteration of Roku would add DLNA. There are channels that will allow you to stream local content to the Roku, but are more trouble than they're worth. Roku has been very evasive about adding this functionality and I can't figure out why, especially since BD players are offering basic DLNA functionality now.
 
Zarathustra[H];1038230959 said:
What is the benefit of a Roku box over - say - a HTPC?
Click to expand...

I think it's an unfair comparison seeing how versatile a computer is compared to pretty much anything. Roku is purely a streaming device for Netflix, Amazon Prime and the likes.
 
Zarathustra[H];1038230959 said:
What is the benefit of a Roku box over - say - a HTPC?
Click to expand...

Benefit of Roku:
*Cost first and foremost by a large margin
*HDMI/RCA connections to hook it to any tv, modern or ancient
*My mom and any other non techy can run it from the remote just picking up the thing
*It does all of it's streaming from netflix/amazon/crackle/etc WELL

Things it's not as good for:
*People with a large archive of pirated/self ripped content
*Streaming from local computers
*Doing things like browsing the internet and shit that I wouldn't normally like doing on my tv anyway
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top