Yeah, I thought the WD Live box was small but the Roku seems to be even smaller than that.
I believe (cant confirm as I dont have mine) that the Roku doesnt have an inbuilt connection setup to change DNS and uses whatever your modem is saying. So to access US services you would need say Unblock Us dns addresses in your modem settings.
The WD Live on the other hand has inbuilt changeable settings and you can have it only using unblock us DNS. After I have a play with the Roku this week I will post up a review of each one.
$25 a month for UNLIMITED ADSL might be worth a look
Came up on one of your ad banners
That cheap plan is only available in exchanges that they own the hardware
for other hardware it's about $40/month but no contract. $50 joining fee
and you get an infiniterewards card which gives you access to adult cinema tickets at kids or student discount prices.
unblock-us now supports nick.com so see full episodes of nickelodeon shows
before Australia gets them.
ol' boy (25-06-12)
Jamisiah, can you confirm AFL is still available on demand, note it says 2010
regards Allover
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
Got my roku yesterday. A more polished performer than the wd live, though you have to register the receiver which is a bit of an ordeal because if you follow instructions half the channels will be missing.
Will post more up after I have more of a play today.
I noticed the other day that a new app is available for my Samsung Smart tv, a Quikflix app. Allows me to, with an account, stream movies and tv shows to my telly from the quikflix company. Dont know why i would want to though?
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Statistically, if you wait long enough, everything will happen!
Recently Netflix, the pioneering TV online and HD movie streaming service declared that they have no immediate intention to start their service in Australia. But it doesn’t mean that you are unable to stream Netflix in Australia. There are simple trick to watch with all of their amazing contents.
Evening All - I have just purchased a WD TV Live Streaming Media Player for the grandkids to watch when visiting (as they have already killed one Boxee remote) & can't seem to get Netflix working. When in the services directory there is no Icon for Netflix. When I check the About tab in the setup folder & select Online Service Info there is a Netflix ESN number with a green tick next to it. The model number is WDBGXT0000NBK-01. I have also installed the latest firmware.
Have you got unblock-us installed and running on one PC and followed unblock-us instructions to set up your device with their VPN?
Yes I have. It works on the Boxee just cant get it to work on the WD
Change your ip addresses?
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
Hi allover - Yes changed IP addresses. Checking Western Digitals website it mentions about geolocation in the firmware.
Just chuck Unblock Us DNS numbers in your modems settings. Reboot your modem. Cant remember if there is a factory reset in the WD, but if there is do that as well.
I had the same problem when I got mine, issues with no Netflix icon. I think the above is what I did.
Edit : Looking at post 1, it seems to be right.
Sanity, comparison of WD and Roku, note your comments above, but which one would you give to your untech friend to use once set up?
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
I still havent got around to doing a review on both yet, but basically :
The Roku is the more polished performer. I can only comment on the XS model as thats what I have. The remote doesnt have to be pointed at the device for it to work which is very handy. One downside is you have to make a roku account to activate the device. As well as a vpn/unblock us, you will need a valid US credit card (see my thread about US credit cards).
The Roku does NOT have inbuilt settings to change DNS, it will onlu go off what your modem is telling it. The WD has changeable network settings so you can confine them to the device.
It does come down to what they want to watch because different devices have different services. Roku has Amazon Instant Video, where WD does not. WD has Vudu HD movies, Roku does not. They are just 2 examples.
I have noticed more lock ups with the WD requiring a restart than the Roku.
Only the top off the line Roku XS has an ethernet port, while the WD has it by default. If your friend (like a lot of Australians) has an average internet connection, this could be an issue. The bigger the distance between the device and your modem could be an issue due to the limitations of wireless. My house is smart wired so its not an issue for me as I have an ethernet point in every room.
The Roku has more services available than the WD via its channel store, but realistically, most people are going to only want a device for the major services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus etc.
I cant really split them , as I use Amazon so use the Roku, but also use Vudu HD, so go in to the other room if I want to watch something on that.
Summed up , it depends on what you want to watch, but roku is the more polished performer and feels a better quality unit. Note only the roku XS has an ethernet port, cheaper models are wireless only.
Once setup correctly, either would suffice for an untech person.
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