Netflix and the Roku Box Part 3

Netflix started out as a home delivery DVD service but these days we use it mostly for Internet streaming. For as little as $8.99 a month you can access a catalogue of movies and TV shows and stream them to your PC. The Roku box is a very convenient way to take that same content and stream it to your TV.

In my first 2 posts on this topic I have reviewed Netflix and how we started out on a 3 disk plan but are now happily and cheaply on a 1 disk plan with unlimited instant streaming. Check this out in Netflix and the Roku Box Part 1. I then went on to discuss how to use Netflix on the Roku with Netflix and the Roku Box Part 2.

While writing these posts I checked out the feedback on Amazon. 83% of the feedback on Amazon is positive. I regard ratings of 4 stars and higher as positive feedback. And that has certainly been our experience.

I can only recall once when I had a problem with the Roku box when it locked up on me a couple of weeks ago. I put something else on for the kids instead and next time I tried to use it the box was fine. I have to admit that I was getting a little trigger happy with the remote when the ‘incident’ happened. Netflix’s system detected we had a problem and volunteered a discount on our bill that month as compensation. This was a nice touch as it was completely unexpected.

So what sort of problems are the people who are unhappy with the performance of the Roku experiencing? I have read through some of the 1 star feedback and it seems that quality control is poor at times so some people have received dodgy units and then this has been followed up by poor customer service resulting in a few very dissatisfied customers. A small number of poor reviews mentioned installation problems which may relate to faulty units being issued or compatibility with their home theater and/or home network.

We have had no problems with our unit. It is used on our second TV, so it was a great choice for us at only $99. I would recommend that your ‘resident network and home theater expert’ investigate any potential compatibility issues with your particular set up prior to purchase though, so you can side-step that as a potential problem. If you want more information check out: Feedback on the Roku Box by Amazon Customers.

There are other alternatives to access Netflix’s instant streaming content on your TV if the feedback above puts you off. They just cost more money. They may be a better fit for you if you are looking for the other functionality they offer or you already own the unit. Your options are the XBox 360, Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Some Blu-ray players are also Netflix enabled.

You can find more information on these and other options on the Instantly Watch Netflix on your TV page.

We recently (well relatively) received the disk that will allow us to use our Wii player for this purpose. I haven’t actually used it yet. I will let you know how it goes when we do.

As for our decision to go with the Roku Box, it was $99 well spent!

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