roku is a great deal and a great product. I now stream (from netflix) WAY more than anything I watch from directv.
The way it works is you buy the roku (I recommend roku 3, though your entire system has to be HDMI capable), and then never pay another dime to roku. On amazon, roku 3 runs less than $100.00 to purchase.
The roku box sits between your router and your tv, connected to both. It has not hard drive, so can buffer on a few seconds worth of streaming in order to smooth out any bumps on your internet service. However, you DO have to have very good internet service for roku streaming to work well.
There are a few free streaming “channels”, but the paid services have the good stuff. netflix is the 900 lb gorilla, and in my opinion is worth the $10.00/month. Huluplus specializes in replaying recent TV shows, and in my opinion amazon prime isn’t worth paying for just for their streaming (except maybe for a couple of months to watch their exclusive HBO content); in other words, if you buy lots of stuff from amazon, then amazon prime is worthwhile for free 2-day shipping and the streaming part is a nice freebie.
Does ROKU have a USB port? What if I have an external harddrive full of recorded video and want to watch through the ROKU (for some unknown reason)
I guess the TV has more than one port, but its just a question