In this episode we will discuss your content choices when it comes to entertainment on the Internet. I want to remind all who may be considering this to be wary of subscription services.  Otherwise you may find yourself spending more per month than you were by having kept your cable or satellite service.

Note:  I have set up my system with only 1 subscription service (NetFlix).  All other investments in this project are one time fees.

Lets Talk Content

There are several hunderds of sites that provide content (Video, Music, and Photos) to your computer.  The trick is getting it to your TV.  As I have previously mentioned I will be relating much of this conversation to the Roku DVP.

There is basically two types of content: On-Demand and Live Streams.  Live Steams are just what they sound like; a live stream of a channel such as CNN or NASA.  On-Demand content is a file that you stream to your network that has been pre-recorded.  This is the most common type.

1. NetFlix and Amazon VOD – Just about every set-top box will include these services.  NetFlix requires a subscription, starting at $8 a month and up.  Amazon is strictly pay as you go where you can purchase or rent content. Both of these services have movies and television shows.
2. Hulu.com (HuluPlus) – HuluPlus is now available on the Roku DVP for $8 a month.  I tested this and even though I am a big fan of Hulu.com, I thought HuluPlus was a rip-off.  Granted you get some great content, put I have a problem with paying for a service and still having to watch commercials.
3. YouTube – I was never a big YouTube user, but recently I have discovered that they have a really great range of content.  You will need to spend some time setting up your subscriptions and/or playlists.  I have found quite a few PBS, and vintage programs available.  YouTube is available for the Roku via a private channel.You can take a look at some of my playlists at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TCGAZ to give you an idea content available.
4. TV.Com – CBS News, CBS SHOWS, TV.COM shows. CNET. Various programming.
5. Roku Newscaster – Roku Newscaster delivers the news instantly from the most trusted sources on TV — CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News, and more. Includes full shows from 60 Minutes, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, and Rachel Maddow.
6. JustinTV – Watch your favorite justin.tv channels on your Roku DVP. Includes category browsing, search, and favorites. Live streams of CNN and MSNBC.
7. Pub-A-Hub – Classic public domain films, TV shows, and cartoons.
8. Pandora – Pandora builds custom radio ‘stations’ based on the songs and artists that you enjoy. Our technologists and musicians have analyzed thousands of songs to create a service that delivers the sounds you love alongside new music you might never have found.
9. Tune-In Radio – Free radio stations from virtually anywhere — all live, right to your TV. Tune in lets you find your favorite stations, or browse by geography or genre.
10. TWIT TV – Founded by industry-respected former TechTV host Leo LaPorte, TWiT contains more than 15 daily and weekly tech-centered shows.

This is not an all encompassing list, and more channels are being added all the time.

Local Content (Your Stuff)

What about your personal DVD library, MP3′s and Photos?  Yes, Roku has various solutions for this as well.  I opted for a private channel called: ‘RoksBox (http://roksbox.com)’.

What is:

Roksbox is a channel on the Roku Digital Video Player that gives you the ability to play your own videos and movies, listen to your own music, and show your own photographs on your television screen. Your media can reside on your computer’s hard drive, on an external drive, on a network attached storage (NAS) device located on your home or local area network, or on a USB attached device (XR and XD|S models). Although Roksbox requires some initial setup work, once you get your network and media files properly configured, you will be able to enjoy all of your media files on the convenience of the Roku player.

In plain English, this is application allows you to set up a personal media server on your computer and allows you to access your video, audio and image files via the Roku DVP.  There is a one time registration fee of $9.  You will most likely need to convert your videos, but once that is done, I can tell you this is really a great add-on functionality.  All of the software required is supplied for the initial registration fee.  You also have a 30 day trial to get it all set up and tested.

Note: As this is hosted locally, the machine you install on will need to be on when you are viewing your local content.

So, What’s It All Mean?

Now that I have done this and am over the ‘Cable withdrawals’, I can say, that I have more if not the same content that I did before.  There are certain channels that I do miss, but for the most part the gains outweigh the losses.  I should point out that this is not a hands free solution, and will require you to dedicate some time to keeping your channels updated.

I started out this series by saying that I did this primarly to save the $70 a month.  After much thought, yes, the money is a great incentive, but not the only one.  For me its more about being able to watch: What I Want-When I Want!

Happy Computing

Part 1 |  Part 2 |  Part 3