The Roku player is a little black box. Physically, this is probably the smallest tool sitting in the entertainment center. It is an inch in height and less than 5 cm wide and deep. It can be compared to the size of a few CD cases on top of each other. Despite its small size, Roku is a very powerful tool for watching online videos.
How does Roku work?
When most people think of a device that captures a video, they assume that video requires physical storage. For example, if you want to watch a movie on a DVD player, you need a DVD to insert a DVD player. Likewise, if you downloaded a video, you will need to store the video on your computer's hard drive. Roku broke the shape in that respect. As Roku players stream videos, you do not need disk, hard drive, or anything else to store your video. This makes the device so small and simple. As long as you have an Internet connection and a TV, you can watch thousands of titles in minutes.
Roku Streaming Technology
Technology is similar to YouTube. If you know YouTube, you know that YouTube videos will not be saved to your computer. That would occupy too much space. Instead, the video is streamed into the small compressed "pieces" of video data, so there is minimal load time available. Roku downloads and plays videos from different sources and plays them on the television screen with the same technology.
Roku Models
There are currently 3 Roku models: Roku HD, Roku XD and Roku XD S. The models vary by characteristics, so first compare Roku models. See the services offered by each model and the features that meet your needs prior to your purchase decision. There are no recurring fees for possession of the Roku player. Buying a Roku player is a one-time payment, the rest is up to you. You can watch a lot of free videos for viewing or you may be interested in paying a small fee for more videos than you've ever seen for a lifetime! For example, Netflix and Hulu Plus, both of which are available at Roku, offer thousands of movie and television titles that are available on demand.
Roku: What does it contain?
Each Roku player model includes:
- 1 Remote Control
- 2 "triple A" batteries (for remote control)
- 1 Composite (red / white / yellow) A / V cable
- 1 AC Adapter
- 1 "Getting Started Guide"
- 1 Year Warranty