Ok....ROKU!!!!! fire it up.

So far so good.

Free movies and $1.99 for season 3 of The Walking Dead.

So far so good.

What am I missing?

Lookup how to add private channels. Add nowhere man channel. 2 brewing channels on there!

We signed up for the Amazon Prime it is worth it I think. you get lots of free shows and movies. You also get fee 2 day shipping if you order from Amazon.

Did the amazon prime. Seems worth it, and there is a 1 month trial. Still need to look into private label roku channels.

Is there any way to stream video files from a location on my network? I was really hoping I could use this device to do that, but it doesn't seem to have that capability. I'm glad I got this for free.

Watched THE CAVE on crackle. One 15 second add every 15 minutes or so, but otherwise free.

I am pretty sure that the roku can play your home files....or playon on the roku can. I will check.

Fordzilla said:

Is there any way to stream video files from a location on my network? I was really hoping I could use this device to do that, but it doesn't seem to have that capability. I'm glad I got this for free.

Click to expand...

Plex Media Server can do this.

If you use amazon cloud for your music, there is a channel for that too. Also a Dropbox channel for playing media from your Dropbox space.

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately I don't like the sounds of these options so far.

PlayOn looks like it costs $40 for the channel.

Plex requires you to have software running on your computer, which I would prefer not to do. It does appear to be free, so perhaps I will look further into this.

I don't really want to put my files up on Drop Box. I will look into Amazon tonight and see if that allows network streaming, or if I have to put the files on their cloud.

I have an Asus network media player that works great, and I hoped the Roku could easily serve the same purpose.

Fordzilla said:

Is there any way to stream video files from a location on my network? I was really hoping I could use this device to do that, but it doesn't seem to have that capability. I'm glad I got this for free.

Click to expand...

No. Roku's don't do DLNA. I bought a sony SMP N200 to do DLNA streaming across my network. It still needs "server" software running. Win7 and beyond have this built in and mostly transparent. You just have to share the folder. I still like a more controlled format, fortunately the software I use to organize and play my music on my PCs now handles video AND is a DLNA server.

Nova5 said:

No. Roku's don't do DLNA. I bought a sony SMP N200 to do DLNA streaming across my network.

Click to expand...

True, but there are private channels like Plex that can do it. it does require software to be running on the system being streamed from, but this takes a negligible amount of resources. Works great for me.

What I have is a Windows Server 2011 machine on my network with a few hard drives in it. This computer doesn't have much for hardware. I do stream to other devices by sharing and/or mapping the drives depending upon the device. It seems the Roku does support this though.

you can share all the video and audio files on your smart phone if you download the Roku app and your phone then works as a remote also.

cheezydemon3 said:

Did the amazon prime. Seems worth it, and there is a 1 month trial. Still need to look into private label roku channels.

Click to expand...

Amazon prime is worth it even without the free video. If Netflix were expensive, I could live with just the Amazon prime. Netflix > Amazon Prime, but for me, it's a free backup. Lots of the same stuff on both.

Newgene said:

Amazon prime is worth it even without the free video. If Netflix were expensive, I could live with just the Amazon prime. Netflix > Amazon Prime, but for me, it's a free backup. Lots of the same stuff on both.

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You buy that much stuff? lol.

I have bought 1 thing from amazon in my life.

Are there commercials with Roku?

TxBrew said:

Are there commercials with Roku?

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Roku merely hosts, the channels are either pay without commercials, or free with commercials.

There are tons of documentaries with no commercials, but any free movie is likely to have 2 or so commercials, or in some cases, you can opt to watch 1:45 seconds of commercials (while you pull a beer and get a snack maybe) and then watch the movie commercial free.


Even with commercials, it is generally far fewer than with cable.

cheezydemon3 said:

You buy that much stuff?

Click to expand...

From Amazon, yes.

Edit- already answered

I guess if I bought movies or music in physical form I might use amazon more.

techbrewie said:

True, but there are private channels like Plex that can do it. it does require software to be running on the system being streamed from, but this takes a negligible amount of resources. Works great for me.

Click to expand...

+1 for Plex, also have it for iphone and android. I use this more than anything and was the main reason I got a Roku.
Also installed the Roku controller on my phone for when I'm too lazy to get up and find it.

I also buy lots of stuff from Amazon so Prime is worth it- I'm looking at plastic Ball jar lids and the food saver vaccuum sealer adapter for Ball jars, where else do you find that kind of stuff?

cheezydemon3 said:

I guess if I bought movies or music in physical form I might use amazon more.

Click to expand...

I keep an eye on Slickdeals for when Amazon credit pops up, and use them on already discounted albums or rentals. So far five albums and a few movie rentals on Amazon for $0.

SpentGrains said:

+1 for Plex, also have it for iphone and android. I use this more than anything and was the main reason I got a Roku.
Also installed the Roku controller on my phone for when I'm too lazy to get up and find it.

I also buy lots of stuff from Amazon so Prime is worth it- I'm looking at plastic Ball jar lids and the food saver vaccuum sealer adapter for Ball jars, where else do you find that kind of stuff?

I keep an eye on Slickdeals for when Amazon credit pops up, and use them on already discounted albums or rentals. So far five albums and a few movie rentals on Amazon for $0.

Click to expand...

I love the iPhone controller. I freak my kids out by changing the channels or pausing their shows while I'm "surfing".

It's nice too if you have more than one Roku you can switch back and forth. Only problem is you have to look at the buttons because you can't feel them on a phone screen.

I just got the Nas Banov Roku remote for my phone. I haven't used it yet, but it instantly connected with my Roku, and it has a keyboard option that should make searches much easier.
I also like that I won't have to point at the box.

Falling Skies on amazon is definitely holding my attention.

I use Tune In a lot to stream radio stations. The NPR affliate I listen to most is not the Detroit one, but the one an hour away in Ann Arbor, and the terrestrial signal is crappy, and the Canadian Public Radio Station I also like is encroached by another station as well. So I just use the Roku for them instead.