Roku from Netflix

[Bobby]

FYI.

I have been a longtime Netflix DVD rent-by-mail user. Last year or so they started a "Watch Instantly" service where you could watch a show or movie right now on your PC. They have now extended that service to allow display of these same shows and movies on your TV!

You have to buy a box from Roku (available from the Netflix website http://www.netflix.com) that costs $100+ship. It connects via wired or wireless network (you have to have broadband Internet) and the setup was very easy.

You then navigate movie selection using your PC and put movies in your Watch Instantly queue. You can then access the queue from the Roku remote control box on your PC. Slick.

The quality depends on your link speed, but even at the best quality it is a bit less than SD DVD quality. They do support some titles in widescreen (anamorphic) but right now only 2.0 sound. But overall the quality is certainly viewable. It has HDMI or component output, and a single optical digital link out (no copper).

And for you techies, my Logitech Harmony remote did recognize and program the device.

They say they have 10,000 titles, but most right now are b movies (or c or d or e!) but there are some TV series, and a lot of kids shows. My grandkids are watching Scooby Doo right now!

Check it out at Netflix.com

[Chuck Engels]

Sounds interesting Bob, what will they think of next