Roku LT Review
Positive:
Pricing is a plus. The channels are adequate for everyday use. Roku LT is simple and user friendly.Negative:
YouTube is missing and could do with a QWERTY keypad on the remote control.Roku LT is the budget entry level set-top box or media player that can stream the likes of Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
[flagallery gid=15 name="ROKULT"]
The market is flooded with so many Media streamers from Boxee Box, Apple TV, people using PS3 and Xbox 360 but not all of them were able to deliver as a stand alone unit. Some of the device are either overly priced or they don’t give you the chance to be free when it comes to what you want to watch.
After doing some research, I reached out to ROKU for a review sample and I have to say I have been positively shocked with the performance of the “tiny little thing”.
What is Roku LT
Roku LT is the budget entry level set-top box or media player that can stream the likes of Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Ideal for home or even in an office to catch up on inspirational seminars from TED Talk. Measuring 3 x 3 x 0.9 inches the Roku LT is a miniature media streaming device that will stream at 720p which is about what other media boxes can deliver although Apple has released their 1080p version of the Apple TV but no one is complaining. Roku LT will cost you £50 and compared to the Apple TV at £99. If you are looking for Lots of entertainment channels including hundreds of free movies then yo do not need to spend more than £50.
Inside the box
- IR remote
- 2 x AAA batteries
- A/V cable
- Power adapter
- Getting Started guide
- 2 year hardware warranty
Design
The purple curved graceful Roku LT is neatly designed with minimalist look and is in fact smaller than the Apple TV; when you open the box, you will be shocked as to how they fitted all the packaged items in the tiny box. Sitting on your cabinet, all you will notice is the purple device with nothing in front of it except for a small dim light that lets you know it’s on. Some might prefer it to be stealth like the Apple TV but when considering the Xbox, PS3 or Boxee Box you really can’t hold it against Roku for designing something that says “i’m fun to play with” . After attending many seminars about how manufacturers attracts it’s consumers, you can tell the design is made to play with your emotions when you see it.
Turn the Roku LT around and you have the HDMI output and a minijack output for the included AV out cable for use with older TVs which is generous of Roku for not assuming everyone will have a TV with HDMI ports. The LT has built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet, and the connection was seamless and effortless even over a little MiFi dongle from Three. You might question the connectivity option included but nearly every home now have WiFi connectivity.
The included remote is gracefully simple to compliment the simplistic look of the Roku LT.
On the remote control you have the directional pad with an OK button in the center, some basic playback buttons, plus home and back. The asterisk button on the bottom generally brings up more options, so you will have to see what options are available when on any app.
Setting up the Roku LT
Connection to the TV was simple as all you have to do is plugin to the power socket, connect your HDMI cable and switch on your TV and Roku from the mains. Once up and running you will have to setup a Roku account along with your paypal account or credit/debit card for any premium content purchases; you don’t need to be worried someone might purchase some very expensive contents because you can have a pin code to stop that from happening. Most of the important channels are free so no purchases were needed during setup. Each individual channels would need to be added as you like, so it’s totally configurable to what you’d like to watch.
Content and user interface
The User Interface follows the same simplistic model as the design; you have the list of Channels and to access them you simply scroll and select using your Roku remote. Going though the settings you have option to set a screen saver for example a digital clock, you can change the streaming quality to suit your TV but we left ours on the 720p setting. Some of the settings are better left at default as they don’t make too much difference although you may set the audio settings if you have a surround sound system.
Content isn’t overloaded with useless channels; Roku allows you to configure the channels that interests you. In the UK users will benefit from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, TuneIn Radio, Wall Street Journal, Crackle TV, metatube and many more. Below the list of channels, Roku will alert you of any new channels available to you which is good because we might not always have time to search through the database.
The channel store is full of channels and they are very well organised in categories for easy browsing. The only channel that I was shocked not have seen was the YouTube channel but word is that is in development and when that is released there might be no reason to even look at other media streaming devices out there.
Conclusion
It’s perfect and does the job very well for the price point and you can’t complain with the contents available to watch. you can watch movies, news, educational, religious and game contents. The user Interface is also simple to get on with so it would make a perfect gift for all age group. The remote control could have been better with a qwerty keyboard however it might never be used outside of entering WiFi keys. YouTube channel needs to be added.
Where to buy
You can check the Roku website for list of vendors such as Amazon and it’s retailing at £49.99
