Roku or similar item

[mbf]

I was looking at the Roku LT box as a Christmas gift for my DD who is a college senior and has her first apartment. To save money they do not buy cable TV but just the internet service. I was thinking about buying her a Roku or similar type of item that she can use to stream internet TV shows to her TV (which they currently use just for watching DVD's).

Since I am not really familiar with these types of things I am hoping someone on this board can enlighten me. At my house we have Dish Network and with that subscription comes the ability to stream certain movies and programming online through their site. DD has my password and account and has used the Dish Online service to watch movies on her laptop.

My question is, can you use the Roku box to stream any online video or music to your TV? Or only the channels they have (many of which require a fee like Hulu Plus and that would not be saving her any money either). What I would like to know is if there are any devices like this out there that will transmit streaming video from any site (ABC.com, Hulu, Dish Online) to your TV. Any info you can give would be most helpful as I have no clue on these things. TIA

 

[JB2K]

While Roku boxes (or any other stand-alone internet streaming box) are fine, consider this for the holidays:

Blu-ray players are hitting all-time low prices (and in many cases, are now on par with the few DVD players retailers such as Walmart and Target are selling).

Today's generation of Blu-ray players offer the same streaming services found in Roku and similar boxes (and can be found for as little as $75). Check often for big sales...

Hope this helps someone.

 

[JB2K]

What I would like to know is if there are any devices like this out there that will transmit streaming video from any site (ABC.com, Hulu, Dish Online) to your TV. Any info you can give would be most helpful as I have no clue on these things. TIA

The answer is "no" you cannot pull just "any" streaming video. Roku boxes, Blu-ray players, and other similar devices are equipped with "apps" (much like those on a smartphone) from certain providers -- the most common of those being Netflix, Vudu, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, and lesser-known sources.

For more information, go to http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store , or if you are going to buy an app-enabled Blu-ray player, go to the manufacturer's website...

 

[mbf]

Thanks for the info. That is what I gathered from looking at the Roku site but sometimes I know they don't always give all the info regarding what you can get for free so I thought I might check with people who might know.

I will check the Dish Network Online site to see if there are any players compatible with that site instead. I know we will be keeping our Dish because we do not have access to cable in our rural area.