Hey Engadget, how about mentioning things like power drain, heat level, noise level of the player itself, and the ease of use with the included (if any) remote control?
If you take these things into consideration, the Roku is head & shoulders above the competition, using far less power (even when streaming), emitting far less heat, making NO noise (compared to the jet engine sound of the 360 that's a huge bonus), and comes with one of the most straightforward, easy-to-use remotes I've ever seen.
One more consideration: How much will using the device for Netflix wear out your device? Do you really want to tie up your 360 or Blu-Ray player for streaming videos, and lessen its lifespan in doing so?
Finally, consider price. The lowest-priced alternative outside of the Roku is the Xbox 360, and that's still three times more expensive and requires an additional subscription to Live Gold in order to use it for this purpose. The Roku is ready to use out of the box, costs $99, and doesn't require anything more than a Netflix subscription. That's value for your money. Also, don't forget the fact that the Xbox WiFi adapter alone is almost the same price as the entire Roku, Wifi and remote included!
and @aaron: I think they were referring to the controller because it's what comes with an Xbox 360, and they're not counting extras you'd have to purchase separately. If you want a remote for your 360, you have to spend about $25 to get one, and that's 1/4 the price of a Roku!
You really think that streaming movies will "wear out" an Xbox or Blu Ray player? Seriously?
Ignoring the fanboyishness of your post, you also fail to consider that every other box adds functionality other than as a streaming movie player. My Xbox was an Xbox first, and became a Netflix player second. I'd tend to think that it's the same for people buying the BR players.
Not sure about the other players, but the BD300 draws 16 watts while streaming Netflix -- same as it does when it's idle -- and has a nice remote. It is also silent.
I think Nilay's overall point is still valid. If you already have one of the other devices it doesn't make sense to buy a Roku. But if you don't have any desire for a TiVo, Blu-ray player or 360, then it also doesn't make sense to spend more than $100 to stream Netflix in HD.
Anyone with a decent home setup already has a Harmony remote that controls everything seamlessly. :)
As for 'streaming' wearing out any of the players... whut? On the devices with multiple functions (TiVo, Xbox 360, both BR players) streaming media (even in HD) would be FAR less taxing than any playback or recording of physical media because there's no additional heat generated by the inactive components. Ever see the load time on a BR disc? Blech... BR players can handle streaming without breaking a sweat compared to their intended function (unless somehow poorly designed).
As for noise on the 360, 'jet engine' really only applies when you're playing a disc. Mine's pretty quiet when I'm using it as a media player.
Sony's just released a 15.5-inch addition to its VAIO S Series that not only adds a crucial bit of extra display acreage, but also bumps things up to a full 1080p.
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Hey Engadget, how about mentioning things like power drain, heat level, noise level of the player itself, and the ease of use with the included (if any) remote control?
If you take these things into consideration, the Roku is head & shoulders above the competition, using far less power (even when streaming), emitting far less heat, making NO noise (compared to the jet engine sound of the 360 that's a huge bonus), and comes with one of the most straightforward, easy-to-use remotes I've ever seen.
One more consideration: How much will using the device for Netflix wear out your device? Do you really want to tie up your 360 or Blu-Ray player for streaming videos, and lessen its lifespan in doing so?
Finally, consider price. The lowest-priced alternative outside of the Roku is the Xbox 360, and that's still three times more expensive and requires an additional subscription to Live Gold in order to use it for this purpose. The Roku is ready to use out of the box, costs $99, and doesn't require anything more than a Netflix subscription. That's value for your money. Also, don't forget the fact that the Xbox WiFi adapter alone is almost the same price as the entire Roku, Wifi and remote included!
and @aaron: I think they were referring to the controller because it's what comes with an Xbox 360, and they're not counting extras you'd have to purchase separately. If you want a remote for your 360, you have to spend about $25 to get one, and that's 1/4 the price of a Roku!
Wow.
You really think that streaming movies will "wear out" an Xbox or Blu Ray player? Seriously?
Ignoring the fanboyishness of your post, you also fail to consider that every other box adds functionality other than as a streaming movie player. My Xbox was an Xbox first, and became a Netflix player second. I'd tend to think that it's the same for people buying the BR players.
Not sure about the other players, but the BD300 draws 16 watts while streaming Netflix -- same as it does when it's idle -- and has a nice remote. It is also silent.
I think Nilay's overall point is still valid. If you already have one of the other devices it doesn't make sense to buy a Roku. But if you don't have any desire for a TiVo, Blu-ray player or 360, then it also doesn't make sense to spend more than $100 to stream Netflix in HD.
Roku fanboy much? ;)
Anyone with a decent home setup already has a Harmony remote that controls everything seamlessly. :)
As for 'streaming' wearing out any of the players... whut? On the devices with multiple functions (TiVo, Xbox 360, both BR players) streaming media (even in HD) would be FAR less taxing than any playback or recording of physical media because there's no additional heat generated by the inactive components. Ever see the load time on a BR disc? Blech... BR players can handle streaming without breaking a sweat compared to their intended function (unless somehow poorly designed).
As for noise on the 360, 'jet engine' really only applies when you're playing a disc. Mine's pretty quiet when I'm using it as a media player.