Posts Tagged ‘Roku XR’

Roku HD-XR Player and Roku SD Player announced (with hands-on!)

Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 27th, 2009

We had big hopes the Roku HD-XR streaming player would add local streaming when those leaked pics showed a USB port, but we just got the official launch materials and a review unit, and as of right now the only difference between the new $129 HD-XR Player and the existing model is an upgrade to 802.11n WiFi -- the USB port is for "future use." Now, we're big proponents of 802.11n, so we're not complaining, but we've never had a problem streaming HD Netflix or Amazon with our regular Roku HD Player on 802.11g, so we're not too sure the HD-XR is worth the $30 premium right now. Roku is gearing up to launch a new Channel Store with additional content in the coming weeks, however, so there's a chance this little box will need the extra bandwidth sometime soon -- we'll have to wait and see.

Roku's also launching the SD-only Roku SD Player for $79, which might actually be the more interesting product here, as we know tons of people with old TVs in bedrooms and basements who would love some cheap movie streaming. It'll be in the same enclosure as the HD Player and the HD-XR Player, but only have 802.11g WiFi and RCA audio / video outputs.

Gallery: Roku HD-XR Player unboxing and hands-on

Gallery: Roku HD-XR and SD Player press images

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Roku HD-XR Player and Roku SD Player announced (with hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku XR Slightly Less Underwhelming With Addition Of 802.11n and USB [Roku]

Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 19th, 2009

Spy shots of the new Roku XR Netflix streaming box over at Engadget seem to indicate that upgrades like 802.11n and a USB port are on their way—but that isn't nearly enough to justify getting one.

After all, Roku players only stream media from a handful of sources while an HTPC opens up the entire internet for playback on a TV. Plus, nettops and other small PCs are becoming extremely affordable. Unless the XR costs next to nothing, it makes more sense to save up for an HTPC. In the end, you might recoup the added expense by ditching your cable service. [Engadget]

802.11n, NetFlix, roku, Roku XR, Streaming, usb

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Roku XR adds 802.11n, USB port and a longing for something more

Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 19th, 2009

Hard though it may be to believe, the Roku has been rockin' the lives of Netflix fanatics for nearly 1.5 years, and if you were thinking an updated version was in order, you'd be on the right train of thought. Images delivered to us today prove that a refreshed iteration is on the horizon, with the Roku XR (model number N1101) retaining the same overall look and feel as the original but adding in niceties like 802.11n wireless support, a USB socket (presumably for loading up media locally) and a 2.5A power input (as opposed to 1.5A). You can also see that the dedicated reset button has been yanked and the bundled remote is exactly the same; in fact, we're told that the old remote controls the Roku XR sans issue. There's no word yet on a price or release date, but we're guessing we'll know significantly more prior to Christmas. Oh, and yeah -- you're not the only one thinking this is quite the underwhelming update, but hey, maybe it'll street for $9.99.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: Roku XR adds 802.11n, USB port and a longing for something more