Roku Netflix

The concept of on-demand video is not new. Nor is the idea of delivering video to your TV via the Internet. But Roku's US$100 Netflix Player transcends those two individual ideas by combining both into a simple device that works as billed to stream standard definition video to your television.

The Roku Netflix Player represents the first salvo in Netflix's push into the living room with streaming video. Previously, the Web-based movie rental company had announced at CES that it was partnering with LG to provide a box, too. But Roku's is first to market--and as such, garners all the notice.

Compact enough to fit in with other gadgets in your living room, the Netflix Player is unremarkable black, five-inch square that stands just two inches tall. The device sits between your television and your Internet connection (wired or wireless 802.11 b/g). The back of the device is packed with ports, but doesn't overwhelm: The unit outputs HDMI, composite, component, and S-Video ports out the back, along with SPDIF and analog stereo audio.

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The concept of on-demand video is not new. Nor is the idea of delivering video to your TV via the Internet. But Roku's US$100 Netflix Player transcends those two individual ideas by combining both into a simple device that works as billed to stream standard definition video to your television.

The Roku Netflix Player represents the first salvo in Netflix's push into the living room with streaming video. Previously, the Web-based movie rental company had announced at CES that it was partnering with LG to provide a box, too. But Roku's is first to market--and as such, garners all the notice.

Compact enough to fit in with other gadgets in your living room, the Netflix Player is unremarkable black, five-inch square that stands just two inches tall. The device sits between your television and your Internet connection (wired or wireless 802.11 b/g). The back of the device is packed with ports, but doesn't overwhelm: The unit outputs HDMI, composite, component, and S-Video ports out the back, along with SPDIF and analog stereo audio.

The installation screen warns you that set-up make take three minutes; in reality, though, it may take longer if you're not also by your computer. Set-up went smoothly, but in order to activate the Netflix Player, I had to log into my Netflix account on my PC, enter an activation code provided by the box, and then return to the unit.

Entering an access code isn't the only thing you'll need to power up your PC for: Roku says it made a conscious decision to keep the Netflix Player as simple as possible by only allowing you to browse titles in your Netflix Instant Queue (Netflix currently offers over 10,000 movies and television shows for immediate viewing). That means this TV companion will likely provide less of an impulse experience than, say, the Apple TV--which lets you browse options directly from the device--or even than, say, a cable service on-demand system like Comcast offers.

But, the counterpoint--and Roku's reasoning--holds that Netflix users are regularly in their accounts, browsing for titles to add to their disc delivery queue. Using the Instant Queue is simply an elegant extension of that, and it keeps the on-unit navigation down to a manageable minimum.

For regular users of Netflix's service, the Roku Netflix Player makes sense. Beyond the $100 cost of the box--a far more casual purchase than the $229Apple TV or $299 Vudu--you'll need to subscribe to one of Netflix's four plans (the first plan that makes sense for this box is the $8.99 plan for one DVD at-a-time and unlimited hours of "instant" viewing on your PC or through your box).

I found simplicity to be the ongoing theme with the Roku Netflix Player. The remote fit comfortably in my hand, and has a minimal number of keys: A Home button to return you to the main screen, a five-way navigation (four directional arrows and select), and three buttons beneath that for rewind, play/pause, and fast forward.

The software interface was simple and straightforward, too. Navigating through my Instant Queue choices was easy, too: the left-right directional arrows let me breezily scroll through options. The device's settings were buried, though; fortunately, you won't need these often, but if you do, you'll have to first find the settings menu (hidden away and accessible only if you intuit to press the up arrow, as subtly shown on the screen).

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