I got my invite! But it's only valid on on mac, android, iOS devices or roku3. I have a rokuHD, roku2xd, and roku1. Freaking lovely. I guess I'll at least test it out on the mac and my phone. You get a free week trial with the invite, but until they offer full roku support, i'm not buying a subscription. What a bummer.

I've gotten good enough streaming with my laptop that I mostly get what I want, but don't know what I'm missing.

Will a Roku 3 give me benefit?

Is it just a platform for streaming things you could get over the internet anyway? Right?

And how is the quality?

Do I have to worry about viruses on my hardware? ie. does it run through just my wi-fi.

And how real are the quality of channels? I'm not interested in the local news from Norman, Oklahoma (especially if that is a quality channel on their 2,000 channel list).

93gobears;842448067 said:

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I've gotten good enough streaming with my laptop that I mostly get what I want, but don't know what I'm missing.

Will a Roku 3 give me benefit?

Is it just a platform for streaming things you could get over the internet anyway? Right?

And how is the quality?

Do I have to worry about viruses on my hardware? ie. does it run through just my wi-fi.

And how real are the quality of channels? I'm not interested in the local news from Norman, Oklahoma (especially if that is a quality channel on their 2,000 channel list).

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The Roku 3 provides HD-quality streaming. The benefit is that, instead of streaming on your laptop (possibly slowing down your laptop), you are using a dedicated device AND it connects via HDMI to your TV, which is a lot better than a VGA or something like that from your laptop to your TV. Roku's utility is pretty dependent on access to its "channels" - apps like WatchESPN or HBOGO require a log-in from a major cable/satellite provider (and that log-in must be associated with an account that receives the channel).

There's also Netflix, Hulu Plus, et al. (again, subscriptions required), and of course YouTube. There are also free, but ad-supported streaming services like Flickster and others (I haven't used those).

For the price, I think the Roku 3 can't be beat. No need to worry about viruses on your hardware.

grandmastapoop;842448074 said:

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The Roku 3 provides HD-quality streaming. The benefit is that, instead of streaming on your laptop (possibly slowing down your laptop), you are using a dedicated device AND it connects via HDMI to your TV, which is a lot better than a VGA or something like that from your laptop to your TV. Roku's utility is pretty dependent on access to its "channels" - apps like WatchESPN or HBOGO require a log-in from a major cable/satellite provider (and that log-in must be associated with an account that receives the channel).

There's also Netflix, Hulu Plus, et al. (again, subscriptions required), and of course YouTube. There are also free, but ad-supported streaming services like Flickster and others (I haven't used those).

For the price, I think the Roku 3 can't be beat. No need to worry about viruses on your hardware.

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Thank you GMP, you answered my suspect questions.

I'll admit even with a laptop and HDMI connected to a flat screen the usability suffered. For the price I might just jump.

Just logged in this AM for this first time. On a free one week trial now. It now works for ALL roku devices (not the really old ones, but the Roku1, Roku2, Roku2XS and XD, Roku 3, LT, HD and Stick. That's as of 2 days ago, so that's sweet. You have to talk to someone from India to get it set up, and you have to give them your CC number, which they bill for $20 after the 7 day trial, if you don't cancel. They have a roundabout way of setting you up. They send an email that says "forgot your password? click here" and then you do, and 3 hours later, you get a temp password to finally sign in. The picture quality is very good, but not HD. Still, it's very good. Only thing is, and I had a feeling this would be the case...it's delayed by a FULL 2 MINUTES. For me, that's kind of a deal-breaker for sports. Might as well just watch the next day if you can't see it happen live. I hate the idea of cheering for something that's already happened awhile ago. Anyhow, that's my report on this. It's nice, but for sports, the delay is a bit annoying. You know it's delayed because you can see the "LIVE" time on CNN.

Thanks for the report. What's the verdict on Pac 12 Networks? I assume none are available through this service, is that correct?

No Pac12 networks. Not even a sports park yet, but that will be coming soon. my guess is that it will have big10 and sec, but not pac12 at first. Hope I'm wrong. I'd also love to have nbcsports (the old vs network) and fox1. A bear can dream.

This is the best place for current updates. Or if you twitter, you can follow them that way, too.

https://www.facebook.com/sling

SlingTV is now available to all. Just released today. And the sports pack includes the rest of the ESPN channels, as well as SEC network. Still no word on Pac12 networks, but for 25 bucks, this is a great deal. No contracts. No cable box rentals. Cancel anytime. Free 7 day trial. Cal has a couple upcoming games on ESPNU. This is fantastic!

Oh, and they're adding AMC! Better Call Saul, baby!

https://www.sling.com/package

You can send them an email requesting that they add Pac12 Networks. I did. It's info@sling.com. Thinking they'll have B1G and Pac12 and maybe a few others as another add on pack. I'd gladly pay another 5 bucks just for Pac12. NBC Sports would be nice, too. The old Versus.