Instant Video Streaming to Your TV

In case you couldn't tell, there's something in common that you can find in pretty much all of our articles. For the most part they are all overwhelmingly positive, and the reason for that is twofold. First of all, we really only like talking about things that we like, and second of all it's because there is so much great technology out there that makes the things we want to do with entertainment easier and better. But this week we'll be getting into video and TV-related things a little bit, including some new ways to tie that into the Kindle Fire, and we're going to find out that there are things coming out for the Fire that can't really be recommended at all. So we'll step up to the task of defending your money by letting you know what is out there that is too expensive, too troublesome, and just plain unnecessary.

But we'll kick off the week with something we can be very positive about: Roku Streaming Players, which have saved me literally like $1000 over the past year.

Roku Boxes like this one allow you to stream video from the internet onto your TV. It has a built-in WiFi connection that transport all of the things you watch online--Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, and Amazon Instant Video--right onto your TV screen so you can watch them from the couch. All of the movies and TV you get with the Amazon Prime trial that came with your Fire works as well.

Odds are that this isn't the first time you've heard about Roku either. In fact, I'm willing to bet we get plenty of great comments from people who already have one and love it. And the reviews across all models are very strong. Basically, the devices are easy to plug into almost any TV bought within the last decade. It comes with HDMI and A/V cables for both HD TV and non, remote, power adapter, WiFi connector, and batteries. Setup is a snap, and then you'll be able to start creating channels from any content online, even things like your Flickr account, giving you easy access to everything right on your TV.

There are 4 different models with ascending capabilities and prices ranging from $49.99 to $99.99. The higher you go up the ladder, the better the video quality and the more perks there are. The top one even includes a copy of Angry Birds and other games that you can play on your TV, but all of them will do the job of streaming video. It just depends how hi-tech your TV setup is.

Roku LT - $49.99                                     Roku 2 HD - $69.99

Roku 2 XD 1080p - $77.09                      Roku 2 XS 1080p - $99.99

Here's where I let you in on a little secret. These things have saved me ten times there price in as many months. I used to have a fancy satellite TV package with a bajillion channels, and it used to cost me about $100 a month. I had all of that, but I still only watched a handful of shows that I liked. First, I got rid of my expensive satellite package, and now I spend maybe $20-30 a month on Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus. It's still more than I could ever watch, but at least it's not breaking the bank. I think it's safe to say I'll never pay for cable or satellite again.

Give it a look and see if it's right for you!