So my wife and I have been looking at ways to cut cost.  So much so that we started looking at whether cutting the satellite tv out was worth it or not.  It’s hard to do when you have a boy who loves everything from Sid the Science Kid to The Avengers.  We really weren’t sure what we were going to do but $60+ a month towards something we should be using less of kept creeping back into our heads as something to get rid of.  I mean who couldn’t use 60 extra bucks a month.

Enter ROKU.

So before I get into Roku, I will start off by saying that I haven’t been paid to do a ROKU Review.  I am doing this because it pertains to my own personal finance.  Now that, that was said I will continue.

The family and I were having issues with our internet provider.  I would pay them.  They would cash it.  They would refund me the money.  They would claim I didn’t pay them.  This went on for 3 or 4 months now.  Apparently when we moved in September, it messed them all up.  In fact, my wife said that when she called them this last time, that she had 3 different accounts under her name.  They saw where we had been paying.

Since there was such a problem they went and closed all 3 accounts under her name, and opened one back in her name.  Since we were officially NEW customers, they gave us a ROKU box.  Now I have to tell you here that I’ve never seen a Roku box, and didn’t know what it was all about.  Incase your interested here is what one looks like.

 

This is what mine looks like.

 

What Does Roku Do For You?

Hooking up the Roku was as easy as hooking any game system up to the TV.  You plug-in the power source and hook up the Red, yellow, white connector cords to the appropriate input.

I took a few moments to sign up for an account (totally free) and add all the standard free channels, and a few you have to pay for (i.e. Netflix, Hulu plus).  After a couple of days of searching I was in love.  Most of my shows I watch I could get to.  Now note I said most.  You can’t get it all unless you are willing to pay the price (i.e. Satellite TV).  The controller was a bit funny getting used to working but after a few moments you get the hang of it.

There are all kinds of channels.  You can even pull up your Facebook on Roku.  Me personally, I like just doing that on the computer.  There are a ton of free places to watch TV, as well as some you have to pay for.  Now don’t get me wrong, you get what you pay for.  The two channels I use the most are so far (netflix, and Hulu plus).  In my honest opinion, those two channels will make up the most of my viewing, and make it worth the purchase.

How Much Does It Cost

The actually device will vary.  The model I’ve received cost 59.99, with the next step up costing 79.99, and the cream of the crop 99.99.  Now the last two come with a $10 off and free shipping as of right now on Roku website.  That is it when it comes to Roku.  Now there are channels that will cost you  money per month, or per video, or however they charge.  I know that Netflix and Hulu charge by the month, while amazon will either charge by the episode/movie, or they have a prime membership for about $80 a year.  As of right now Netflix charges me $9 a month and Hulu plus charges me $8 a month.  So for $17 a month I can get rid of my Satellite TV, and save $40+ a month.  Worth it to me.

Down Falls?

So far the only downfalls I see are with the internet you have.  If you have horribly slow internet speeds you may sometimes see some delay.  I have noticed on a couple of episodes that it will delay a bit, but that is due to the fact that I live in the middle of nowhere and the best internet I can get is 3 Mbps

Conclusion

I strongly recommend you get the Roku box.  It has fully met my needs so far.  With the box and service, I have no qualms.  The remote is small and could easily be lost.  Other than that It’s worth every penny.