This thing looks great for current NetFlix subscribers that watch lots of old movies on old standard-def TVs, but I don't think it even competes in the Apple TV's market. The AppleTV is perfect for people who watch 2-6 movies a month, mostly new titles, and who have HDTVs (and surround sound). I can't believe NetFlix would even launch a streaming device without HD, 5.1 audio, and most importantly, NEW TITLES. What are they thinking? And now we hear that Apple is negotiating with studios to get release-day downloads on the AppleTV? That will be great. Also, if the subscription rental model works well, I'm sure Apple might just decide to offer both pay-per-rental and unlimited-subscription models.
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First Netflix Streaming Box Review, $100 and Unlimited Downloads!
- Thread starter guru_ck
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No! no! no! no! no!...
Let´s end the TV Set Top box UGLYNESS once and for all!!!
Now: Here is a vision that looks promesing:
http://www.macblogz.com/2008/05/20/apple-itube-released/
I´m the third poster there by the way if you look for my comment...
Let´s end the TV Set Top box UGLYNESS once and for all!!!
Now: Here is a vision that looks promesing:
http://www.macblogz.com/2008/05/20/apple-itube-released/
I´m the third poster there by the way if you look for my comment...
I have Netflix, and stream movies to my PC laptop, so I won't likely purchase this device for the following reasons:
-The selection of films and TV shows for streaming is limited, and none of the titles are recent releases. Great documentaries, though!
-I have Tivo and can purchase or rent Unbox videos from Amazon and download them directly to my Tivo via USB wifi device (cost $50). New releases are available, as well as several TV series. Took about 30 minutes to download a feature film in SD quality (great for those who haven't leaped to HDTV yet).
-I can already stream their content to my laptop, and the definition isn't good enough to bother connecting yet another device to my TV.
-The selection of films and TV shows for streaming is limited, and none of the titles are recent releases. Great documentaries, though!
-I have Tivo and can purchase or rent Unbox videos from Amazon and download them directly to my Tivo via USB wifi device (cost $50). New releases are available, as well as several TV series. Took about 30 minutes to download a feature film in SD quality (great for those who haven't leaped to HDTV yet).
-I can already stream their content to my laptop, and the definition isn't good enough to bother connecting yet another device to my TV.
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I just ordered one w/2day delivery.
...and I just cancelled my Dish network plan, saving me $80/month. I never really watched it anyway. I have all the entertainment I will ever need with this device, my Amazon Kindle, hulu, Sirius, internet, and bittorrent (current TV shows).
$8.99/month for Netflix, $20 for my internet and $9.99 for the WSJ on my Kindle = all the entertainment I can handle for under $40/month.
Life is great!
...and I just cancelled my Dish network plan, saving me $80/month. I never really watched it anyway. I have all the entertainment I will ever need with this device, my Amazon Kindle, hulu, Sirius, internet, and bittorrent (current TV shows).
$8.99/month for Netflix, $20 for my internet and $9.99 for the WSJ on my Kindle = all the entertainment I can handle for under $40/month.
Life is great!
What happens with the Roku Netflix Player when your bandwidth isn't up to spec? Will it stutter and skip, or pause to catch up but then continue smoothly?
From what I understand, it will switch to a lower quality stream.
I ordered mine today. Can't wait to see how it works. I'm not expecting all that much, quality-wise but it's FREE (after the cost of the device) since I'm already a Netflix subscriber.
I got Netflix in February and was surprised to learn about the streaming videos after I signed up. I have Vista Home Premium on my imac and have watched a few films on it. (I have to watch in Boot Camp, VMWare can't handle it). I have a g wireless network. King of Kong and the Pixies reunion tour were enjoyable, but when I watched "The Searchers" the picture quality was abysmal-- on a 20" imac. It could be my wireless connection, but I'd be reluctant to stream to my 40" HDTV if that is the quality of picture I will get. If you get the Roku box get it from somewhere that will take returns.
One other thing-- I keep a pretty big queue-- I add movies as I come across them-- and out of the 48 in my queue 3 are available as "watch instantly." Not a high percentage.
One other thing-- I keep a pretty big queue-- I add movies as I come across them-- and out of the 48 in my queue 3 are available as "watch instantly." Not a high percentage.
Sometimes the image freezes for a few seconds and it starts streaming again from where it left off, but sometimes it switches to a lower quality stream after the stutter. It was not as smooth as the streams from ABC or Hulu, but they may have improved things in the intervening months. Oh, this was with a PC, not with the Roku.
Let´s end the TV Set Top box UGLYNESS once and for all!!!
Now: Here is a vision that looks promesing:
http://www.macblogz.com/2008/05/20/apple-itube-released/
I´m the third poster there by the way if you look for my comment...
I don't get this. Apple has this now, it's called an iMac....
Let´s end the TV Set Top box UGLYNESS once and for all!!!
Now: Here is a vision that looks promesing:
http://www.macblogz.com/2008/05/20/apple-itube-released/
I´m the third poster there by the way if you look for my comment...
It's interesting, but there's problems. 1) As someone already pointed out: iTube=iMac. 2) Why would they use Firefox instead of Safari??
3) Has anyone seen the prices of the Apple displays? Yes, they are top notch and I wish I owned one, but if this iTube thing were to actually happen, I couldn't even imagine the cost because you'd need at the least a 32" display. Their 30" display is $1799.. plus you add basically a mac mini (apple price is $599, but say they lower it to $299 for actual cost to make) and you are looking at a $2100 entertainment unit. Won't happen. You can get a mac mini at $599 and a 32" LCD tv on sale for say another $599 and you are at only $1198... about $1000 less than what the iTube would run.Perhaps I'm rehashing here, but it just seems a lot of people are noticing the same issues here.
I believe this has a lot of potential. But the box can't be breaking down after a few months, or it will do more to damage Netflix than help it.
Also, to reiterate, this thing needs a hard drive! I don't see how this will deliver HD (and heck-- even SD) quality video with a minuscule 64MB buffer. Maybe under ideal circumstances in a perfect world, but I don't find that realistic. 802.11g is fine, but it needs a hard drive in there to properly buffer movies before playback.
How much could a 20GB HDD at volume prices cost now anyway? That would be more than enough for the purposes of this device.
Other than that, I see a lot of promise for this device, and I think the subscription model is fine for movies.
And for those who insists on making device aesthetics a primary concern, please get a grip. This box is not "pretty", but it's not "ugly". It's just a simple box you can hide someplace if you like. This isn't a personal device like a Mac you handle and look at every day while using. This is a little box to be placed out of site whose sole purpose in life is to deliver a service you will get to experience via your TV and speakers.
I believe this has a lot of potential. But the box can't be breaking down after a few months, or it will do more to damage Netflix than help it.
Also, to reiterate, this thing needs a hard drive! I don't see how this will deliver HD (and heck-- even SD) quality video with a minuscule 64MB buffer. Maybe under ideal circumstances in a perfect world, but I don't find that realistic. 802.11g is fine, but it needs a hard drive in there to properly buffer movies before playback.
How much could a 20GB HDD at volume prices cost now anyway? That would be more than enough for the purposes of this device.
Other than that, I see a lot of promise for this device, and I think the subscription model is fine for movies.
And for those who insists on making device aesthetics a primary concern, please get a grip. This box is not "pretty", but it's not "ugly". It's just a simple box you can hide someplace if you like. This isn't a personal device like a Mac you handle and look at every day while using. This is a little box to be placed out of site whose sole purpose in life is to deliver a service you will get to experience via your TV and speakers.
More releases? Heck, I'd be happy if Apple wouldn't drop current ones!
Case in point: I held off for a while, but decided to try a HD rental--Transformers. I look around and it's no longer available. Huh?? Why would Apple REMOVE a title from the library when there aren't enough as it is?
I am racking my brain and I still don't see any way for that to be considered an "improvement" over Apple TV lolol. I mean seriously???
And again, I seriously think that even if we had a contest that everyone on here together could not come up with a box and remote as Fugly as that is lol!!!!
But anyway, I am just sick of waiting for the electronics and content providers worlds to come together in a simple one-punch solution that we have all been dreaming of for who knows how long now. Apple is doing it better than anyone by far and if hollywood would just pull their heads out of their a$$es and let Apple do what they do best, we would already have our media dream world!
P.S. I LOVE my Apple TV
Can't wait to see what else they do with it in the near future!I just love how reviewer forget about the other things that makes ATV the perfect device for its price.
First of all with Apple TV, you get to play the content on your /iPod/Touch/iPhone. Also you have access to PodCast, HD PodCast, HD Movies with 5.1 new releases, TV Shows Season Pass, iTunes University, AudioBook, Internet Radio thru iTunes, PhotoCast, Flickr, YouTube, MusicVideos, iTunes Latino. Don't need a PC nor a Mac to use it. There is more. Apple TV is the way to go.
Why don't they mention any of this stuff? Well if they did, it would make the Netflix device look childish in comparison.
First of all with Apple TV, you get to play the content on your /iPod/Touch/iPhone. Also you have access to PodCast, HD PodCast, HD Movies with 5.1 new releases, TV Shows Season Pass, iTunes University, AudioBook, Internet Radio thru iTunes, PhotoCast, Flickr, YouTube, MusicVideos, iTunes Latino. Don't need a PC nor a Mac to use it. There is more. Apple TV is the way to go.
Why don't they mention any of this stuff? Well if they did, it would make the Netflix device look childish in comparison.
Few people are saying it's an "improvement" over AppleTV. It is simply a cheap device in a black box which lets you view FREE video-on-demand on your TV if you already have a Netflix account. Did I mention free?I am racking my brain and I still don't see any way for that to be considered an "improvement" over Apple TV lolol. I mean seriously???
For me, at $100, it was practically an impulse buy; cheaper than most electronic devices. It will allow me to view a wide variety of older video including favorite TV shows, movies and documentaries, without commercials. For the newer stuff, my DVDs will still arrive in the mail from Netflix as always. It's a no-brainer. Even if I don't like it, it's not a big loss.
To those who are fretting that it takes up a HDMI port on the TV, connect it to component inputs instead. Since it's not high definition video, a component connection should be more than adequate. And if you think it's ugly, place it where it's out of sight! Personally, I don't think it's ugly, it's just nondescript.
I'm not sure why people are bashing this. This sounds pretty good, I have netflixs and watch most of the movies online. I pay a little less than 10 bucks a month and I get about 2-3 movies through the mail but watch about 8 a week online. For 100 bucks and to have 10,000 movie basically right on your tv for 10 bucks a mouth is a good deal even if they are some what older not stright from the theather. I think that will come in time anyway so I think this is a good deal.
As a personal favor to all of you, I ordered one and I'll try it out for you. I'm glad to do it just because you're all so nice. But if it turns out to be awful, you'll all owe me big time.
I bought one also. Since I've canceled my cable I'm always looking for easy ways to get content that the whole family can use without knowledge of an insane UI. For $100 and a Netflix account I never plan on getting rid of it seems like a no brainer. Oh the $ i've saved doing it this way. I also like the news that it may be able to stream non-Netflix content in the future along with HD.
It will sit very nicely to the right of my ATV. Which it will not replace.
It will sit very nicely to the right of my ATV. Which it will not replace.
According to Newsweek, "if your connection is weak or compromised, the film occasionally stops to rebuffer without warning."
Although, I'm sure a bug like this could be fixed through software updates.
Seems like an interesting little device.
I already have an airport express so my itunes is covered.
I have Netflix so I'd love to watch a movie without waiting. Problem is- you can't stream Netflix with a Mac.
I already have an airport express so my itunes is covered.
I have Netflix so I'd love to watch a movie without waiting. Problem is- you can't stream Netflix with a Mac.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/05/20/netflix_reveals_100_apple_tv_competitor.html
QUOTE NETFLIX C.E.O.: "Another difference between the two companies' offerings is that the Netflix device still requires users to queue up movies on a computer, which the company touts as an advancement over the direct-from-the-sofa ordering method recently enabled by Apple with the release of Apple TV: Take 2."
"The key breakthroughs of the Netflix Player are simplicity and cost," said Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings. "[It] allows consumers to use the full power of the Netflix Web site to choose movies for their instant Queue, and then automatically displays only those choices on the TV screen. That's a major improvement versus the clutter of trying to choose from 10,000 films on the TV."
The man is a complete idiot if he honestly believes that! And if you don't think that thing is ugly I never wanna see something you think IS ugly lol. That remote looks like it came out of Space Balls.
