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 Roku™ has been making media players for years and with that comes some important
experience that is seen in their latest generation of media streaming
products. The new Roku HD-XR (Extended Range) media player is the highest-end
model of the three offered by Roku and as the name indicates is
capable of streaming high definition content. All players support
Netflix and Amazon VOD (Video on demand) content from a wired
ethernet connection and even through WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) in the case of the HD-XR model. The Roku™ HD-XR Media Player is a compact design (approximately 5"W x 5"D x
2"H) and comes with a simple and easy to use interface for watching
movies. The compact design of the HD-XR still provides impressive connectivity
and doesn't limit features as one might expect. The unit offers virtually
all standard analog video outputs formats and includes HDMI digital video
for more modern displays. Stereo audio outputs are also provided along
with a digital audio (toslink) connection that can provide multi-channel
digital audio from certain programming.
 Netflix
was one of the first companies to provide a wide range of content over a broadband connection to customers. Since the first
Netflix media player rolled out, Roku has released several newer models,
two of which are capable of streaming HD (high definition) content. While
currently limited to 720p resolution, the HD content looks great when
compared to the standard definition versions. The latest Roku™ HD-XR model offers
WiFi (802.11 n/g/b) for fully wireless streaming. Subscribers of Netflix
simply get online and enter the box code displayed on the TV screen and
the media player is ready to go. All of the Roku players support
the simplest configurations with older analog TVs all the way up to full-blown
home theater systems with digital displays or projectors.
 Interfaces
The
Roku™ HD-XR Media Player comes complete with wired and
wireless WiFi (b/g/n) ethernet, HDMI, component, s-video and composite video outputs, along with a digital optical
(toslink) output. The HDMI connection provides both audio and video to the display
over a single cable giving newer displays simple connectivity. Video is limited
to 480p using the HDMI and component video interface, so there is no upconverting
or scaling done in the player. However, most displays have this feature built-in
anyway. For those users with older conventional televisions, the media player
also includes composite, s-video and component analog video outputs along with
a pair of analog audio outputs.
Remote
The Roku™ HD-XR Media Player comes with a simple, yet fully functional
IR remote for accessing and controlling the video content. The remote has a good
feel with large buttons and operates on a pair of standard and easily replaceable "AAA"
batteries. The Home button on the top of the remote takes the user to the
main menu. Navigation buttons and a Select button are used to control
the menu system. The bottom three buttons (play/pause, forward and backwards)
control the playback of the video being watched. There are three forward speeds
and three backward speeds. The left and right navigation buttons also scan forward
and backwards. When scanning through movies and TV episodes, a special
screen appears with segmented clips of the content being played with a time
bar below it. This is similar to selecting tracks on a DVD and allows the user
to see past and future scenes.
 Setup
The
Settings Menu has several sections for configuring the unit. The sub-menus
are for Network configuration (Wired or Wireless), Display type
(4:3, 16:9, & 720p), Audio Mode (Stereo or 5.1), Sound Effects (Low, Medium, High, Off), Screen Saver
(5 min, 10 min, 30 min, Off), Player Info, and Factory Reset. When
configuring the media player for streaming content, the user can select between
wired or wireless connectivity. Users can select from the Choose
Wireless Network screen. All wireless networks broadcasting an SSID can
be seen here with secure connections shown with a lock symbol. User can enter
their WEP or WPA pass-phrase for
security. Our tests were run with a wired connection to ensure consistently high
bandwidth. The video quality indicator displayed on the TV screen showed that we
had a high speed connection.
 Our Display
Type was configured for a 720p display, which is the recommended setting for HDTVs. The Sound Effects level
is selectable and beeps each time the button is pressed. This helps
provide audible feedback to the user when control the player. The Screen Saver
begins as defined by the user. The user can select Player
Info, which displays the software and hardware versions, MAC address (wired
and wireless), IP address, gateway, and serial number. There is also an option
to upgrade the firmware once a new version is released. The firmware version that
was shipped with the unit was current when we checked the server through the user
interface.
Choosing
Movies
 Selecting
Netflix movies and TV episodes to play on the Roku™ HD-XR Media Player is so much better than the previous version of the interface. No longer is the user limited by
items placed in the Netflix Instant Queue. While this option still exists and offers faster access to the content, users can also search and add to the Instant Queue using the Roku interface. Many other genres are displayed on the screen including recommended titles based on previously viewed programs. Some users may find the screen too busy with movies that you may never watch. The user interface is still as easy to use as the earlier versions, but is much more powerful in the current products.
 Once
the movie or TV episode is selected, a description of the program is displayed
along with the user ratings, run time, year, MPAA rating, and genre. The user
can then resume the program from a previous stopping point or play it from the
beginning. There are also options to choose a different episode or remove the
series completely from the queue. There is no hard drive in the Roku™ HD-XR Media Player, but the unit does take several seconds to load data before the video begins
to stream as it queues up in the player. Keeping the unit buffered using a FIFO (First-In-First-out) memory, prevents skipping when playing
a movie even with varying data bandwidth. The design works well and we never encountered
any problems using our Verizon FIOS network while watching a movie or TV episode even in high definition. However, those with slower networks are likely to encounter limited resolution or intermittent playback. The unit tries to determine and arbitrate the best data mode to operate in based on the data rate detected.
Conclusion
The
Roku™ HD-XR Media Player provides excellent video quality for the many HD programs offered to Netflix subscribers. The easy to use and consistant performance we experienced with this media player makes it an easy recommendation. With access to over 10,000 Netflix movies
and TV episodes instantly, there is no reason not to have it in your entertainment system, especially since the feature is included in the Netflix subscription.
The HD-XR Media Player complements what you already have and enjoy in your entertainment system. All that is needed is a TV, internet connection, and a subscription to Netflix. Additional programs can be purchased from Amazon if desired. The Roku player is
solid and connects to virtually any TV thanks to the I/O rich interface on the back of the unit. The
Roku™ HD-XR Media Player is a real winner with all the great features from the earlier model, with the additional capabilities of the new user interface. If you are not benefiting from the online streaming Netflix offers, you should definitely consider one of these Roku media players.
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Kevin Nakano |
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