# Roku Streaming Stick ???



## Dell Fan (Jan 1, 2009)

Help me understand this guys...I'm thinking of getting the *$35 Roku streaming stick*.

I was looking around on the Roku official website, but I guess I'll have to call & actually ask them which channels of are actually free, but it seems to post it here: https://channelstore.roku.com/browse/top-free

If those are the only free channels, that just won't do for me. I have my list of TV shows I like on various channels, so if Netflix alone is almost $10/mo & I add on channel A for $6/mo, for ex, channel B for another $___, channel C for another $__/mo, etc....all that adds up to where I might as well pay my $135/mo for cable TV that I'm paying now, right?

Plus, that $135/mo included my landline phone (which I'll never give up) & internet triple bundle. This will take some thought & deeper research whether to get a Roku. It seems too good to be true, but don't get me wrong, it seems good.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

If you watch a lot of on demand TV, then stick with the cable plan. The Roku is mainly for those who already have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, etc..


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## Dell Fan (Jan 1, 2009)

Thanks for answering! No, I don't watch On-Demand hardly ever.

https://www.hsn.com/products/roku-pr...bundle/8299810

After some thought, I went ahead & ordered this last night...the *Premiere+* There's also a 20-min video explaining about it. This is the latest model that came out last month. Maybe I really can cancel my cable TV bill forever if I like this enough.

*Question Time!*

*1)* About how many channels altogether are FREE and how many do you have to pay for & what is the price range per month for each of the ones that cost something?

*2)* What would you say would be the top 5-10 channels to get that are worth PAYING for? I know Netflix is probably one of them. Everyone buys anywhere from none to as many as they want, right?

*3)* How far back in episodes do they "store" in their device? Is it from when each show just started from day 1 OR what?

*Thanks a lot for answering!*


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

The Roku website should show you which channels are free, I can see the info for my area UK, I expect it will do the same for you.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

I find with the free channels I've tried the ads are a nuisance. I'll admit that I haven't tried many of the free channels.....my TV time is limited to bedtime and only for a few hours.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Dell Fan said:


> *1)* About how many channels altogether are FREE and how many do you have to pay for & what is the price range per month for each of the ones that cost something?


I think you have the wrong idea on what these "channels" are. There aren't channels on a Roku stick. They have third party applications that give you content for a subscription cost. There's YouTube and a few others that are free, but many of them will require a subscription cost.

For the price, it really depends on what you want to watch. Netflix covers most of the shows that you'll watch. Hulu has some exclusives as well. HBO is for "thinking" shows. Amazon has older and specialty shows.



> *2)* What would you say would be the top 5-10 channels to get that are worth PAYING for? I know Netflix is probably one of them. Everyone buys anywhere from none to as many as they want, right?


Again, they are not channels. You aren't clicking the TV remote to "go to" Netflix. It's an application.

Netflix, Amazon, HBO are the three that I use. In that order.



> *3)* How far back in episodes do they "store" in their device? Is it from when each show just started from day 1 OR what?


It's totally random. Netflix is fairly good about hosting a show from start to finish. However, sometimes they only have certain seasons.

Also something to take note, Netflix can sometimes take months before a cable TV show is added to their library. So, if you always need to be up-to-date on reality shows like Survivor, then you are out of luck using Netflix (or any streaming service).

Another thing to note is that items on streaming services are constantly changing. You will have one movie one month, then a few months later, it drops off. Sooner or later it may return, depending on demand.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

If you want to cancel cable because you want an alternative to broadcast TV, then you need a service such as SlingTV (there are others as well). Roku, as noted above, has ZERO free broadcast TV channels.


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## Dell Fan (Jan 1, 2009)

Thanks a lot guys for posting.

So, if all else fails, I at least get free movies, right?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

> So, if all else fails, I at least get free movies, right?


Why and how would you get free movies?


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## Dell Fan (Jan 1, 2009)

Well, don't they add new titles on daily/weekly? Or is that all through Sling, etc. too in which it's a monthly fee?

Wow, for someone who knows nothing about any of these streaming devices (& I've tried to look up YouTube vids about it), I guess I still don't know the 1/2 of it, PLUS, this video makes it so misleading as if thousands of movies are right at your fingertips:

https://www.hsn.com/products/roku-pr...bundle/8299810


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

No. The Roku stick is purposely used for convenience in connecting other paid services.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

There are numerous "channels" available, and quite a few of them are free, but movie wise it's all older material. There is a horror channel, for example, that has horror movies from the 70's and 80's. All access to new material (TV or movies), will be through a paid subscription: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, etc.

With the exception of moving back to OTA, ALL new broadcast TV/movies will require a monthly fee (ie: cable, SAT, UVerse, services noted above, etc.).

Cutting the cord can be cheaper than cable/SAT. But it largely depends on what you actually watch on TV. For those that watch a lot of sports, for example, there is no real option. For TV/movies, it boils down to which channels you want/need and then finding a service which offers those channels. When researching which service/hardware to get, pay close attention to the actual channels that are offered (ie: Fox, CBS, AMC, History, etc.), and not the advertising (ie: currently offers 100+ channels).


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

My internet went down on 11-23 just before noon.......it was restored this morning (11-25). Make sure you have a back-up plan.


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## Dell Fan (Jan 1, 2009)

Thanks a lot guys for your info!

Yeah, you know I've been thinking of canceling my Roku order, but they shipped it the other day already, so maybe I'll still try it out. I have until like mid to late Jan to return it due to their holiday shopping return policy so it's a longer return policy than the norm year-round.


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