Josh Valcarcel / WIRED
The best thing about a Roku box (or stick) is how many channels it puts on your TV at little to no extra cost. The second best thing about it is how easy it is to set up. If your holiday bounty included a brand-new Roku device, here’s how get it up and running—and add some essential channels right off the bat.
What’s the Difference Between the Roku Box and the Streaming Stick?
In terms of streaming functionality, they’re more or less identical. Still, there are a few differences between the full-on Roku box and the HDMI stick. In this explainer, I’ll concentrate on the latest streamers: the $90 Roku 3 box and the $50 Roku HDMI Streaming Stick.
The cheaper stick has one advantage, and it’s right there in its name: It has a built-in HDMI connector. The Roku 3 (and all other Roku boxes) don’t come with HDMI cables, so you’ll need to buy or supply your own.
But while you’re limited to Wi-Fi streaming with the stick, the box is more versatile. The little set-top box has a speedier processor, an Ethernet port, a remote control with a headphone jack and earbuds for private listening, and a MicroSD slot and USB port for expanding storage and running local files. The Roku 3’s remote also doubles as a motion controller for games, with an old-school Nintendo-style button setup when you flip it sideways.
Features and Ethernet aside, the setup process is essentially the same. Here’s how to set up your new Roku device, no matter what shape it is.
Seven Steps to Simple Setup
1. Plug the device into your TV’s HDMI port, and plug it into a power source. If you want to use a hardwired Ethernet connection, do that now too.
2. Roku devices don’t have power buttons, so the UI should already be visible on the proper input selection on your TV. It’ll ask you to put the batteries in your remote at this stage, so do that. The box should recognize your remote, and you should see a language selection menu on the screen.
3. Select a language. Next, your Roku should bring you to the network-configuration step. Select either a wired or wireless setup.
4. For a Wi-Fi setup, choose your network from the drop-down list and enter your password with the onscreen keyboard. Once the Roku device connects to the Internet, you’ll need a laptop to finish the setup process.
5. Using the laptop, visit the URL Roku displays on your screen (roku.com/link). Enter the five-digit code that appears on your screen to link your laptop to your Roku account.
6. You’ll be prompted to set up a Roku account on your laptop. It’ll ask you for your name and email, ask you to create a PIN number for Channel Store purchases, and ask you to enter a credit card number. You won’t get billed unless you pay for specific channels or movies using Roku.
7. Now you should be ready to stream. Your TV should display a “You’re done!” message.
The Roku boxes and sticks come pre-loaded with some major streaming channels, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Vudu, Target Ticket, and Blockbuster on Demand. There’s also a Roku pay-per-view service driven by M-Go that lets you purchase movies and shows as you go.
That’s plenty to get you started, but there are more channels we’d suggest adding to the mix. Many of them are free, and a few have some limited-time special prices going on.
The First Channels to Add
Special deals: For the time being, all new Roku devices come with a free three months of Hulu Plus (which is usually $8 per month or $96 per year) and a free 60 days of Rdio (which is usually $10 per month for Rdio Unlimited). Like a lot of paid-services-for-free trials, you’ll need to enter your credit card info and remember to cancel before the trial expires if you don’t want to get charged.
More movies and TV shows: There are a few corners of the streaming universe that Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus can’t reach, and we’d suggest these additions to plug the gaps. HBO Go, Showtime Anytime, and FXNOW have streamable archives for shows on those cable channels—just keep in mind that they require subscription fees or login/cable provider requirements. You can rent or buy movies with the Google Play app, too. New to the Channel Store is Sundance Now Doc Club, a $7 per month or $60 per year subscription service that’s stocked with documentaries. And if you have a Slingbox elsewhere in the home, you can sling live TV to your Roku using the SlingPlayer app; you’ll need Sling’s app on an iOS or Android device to make it work, though.
Radio and podcast channels: One of the things you’ll discover about Roku is that it’s not just great for video. There’s also a ton of radio, podcast, and other audio-only channels that are great additions to your TV setup. The free Roku Newscaster is a one-stop app with audio shows from many news outlets, including NPR, BBC Radio, PBS, and all the major networks. For everything else radio and podcast related, the free TuneIn and iHeart Radio should have you covered. There’s also SiriusXM radio, which requires a paid login for subscribers but has a free trial period.
Playing your local files: One of the Roku 3’s perks is the ability to throw some of your videos, music, and photos on a thumbdrive—or stream it wirelessly from a mobile device or laptop—to view on the big screen. You’ll need to download a channel or two to help you out with that, and both are free. There’s Roku Media Player, which lets you view and play content from a USB drive or a DLNA-capable source. And you may be familiar with Plex, which lets you organize your media library on a computer and access that content through Roku.
More music: Pandora looks and works great on Roku, and that free two months of Rdio is mighty enticing. However, you might already be signed up for another music service, and Roku has a few more in the mix. Spotify, Amazon Music, Vevo, and Slacker are all available. There are also plenty of Roku channels for genres where the appeal is more… selective. There’s an all-Grateful Dead channel, a Christmas Karaoke channel, and a ton of metal channels. So many metal channels.
Sports: If you like to watch live sports, the idea of cutting cable is worrisome. But depending on the league, you can still watch live games on your Roku box—you’ll just need to pay for the privilege, and you can usually only watch out-of-market games. If you subscribe to MLB.TV Premium ($130 per year), NBA League Pass ($170 annually for all teams or $125 for five teams), or NHL Gamecenter Live ($170 annually), you can pipe live games right through your Roku onto your TV with the MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, or NHL apps. There’s an NFL Now app that has highlights while games are still going on and a bunch of exclusive content, but live games are still limited to an NFL Sunday Ticket Max subscription and an app for select phones, tablets, and game consoles. In other words, you can’t pipe the entire NFL package through Roku… yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment