Roku HD: A full review of the 2012 model of Streaming-Media device – Part 2

Streaming on the new HD is WiFi only as there is no Ethernet port on it. Therefore, a strong WiFi connection is required for uninterrupted supply of content, most of which is HD at 720p. The built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi chip is in there for connecting to the Internet, and while it’s not dual-band like the old Roku XDS, there are not any performance issues. The device can be connected to HDTVs vis the HDMI port at the rear end. This increases the quality of the picture and sound.

Included in the pack are AV cinches, a power adaptor (with a small size) and a remote control. The remote control is quite simple in the new device. There is a directional pad with an OK button in the centre and a menu button. The most appropriate thing in the remote are buttons for most watch apps, Netflix, Pandora and Crackle.

Where the new device offers many apps like Netfilx and Hulu Plus, there are a couple most watched applications missing in the bunch: YouTube and Vudu. A YouTube channel is apparently in development for Roku, but that’s been the rumor for months, and it has yet to appear. And while Vudu’s content library is largely redundant if you have access to Amazon’s, the fact that the Wal-Mart-owned service now offers a disc-to-digital option, including compatibility with cloud-based Ultraviolet titles , makes its lack of availability on Roku notable.

The inclusion of Plex has made the Roku a more desirable device than Apple now. Although the local media streaming app does not come at par with Apple’s AirPlay and iCloud connectivity, but now there is a channel to stream the local media from laptop or the cloud storage to the device.

All-in-all the device has become more powerful than the competition in the market but still the difference in LT and HD has not been defined in clear ink.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on May 10 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.