Roku options confusing!
 

I'm going to give y'all the specs, and ask that someone match what we have, with what will work best for us please? I've checked and checked with Roku, Best Buy, all the advertising and tech websites and they all tell you all the great things each model will do - but none of them will let you use the process of elimination to select the right one that will actually work for your older TV.

So here's what I need:
LIVE ABC, CBS, NBC. Just plain old normal network TV.
I also need the Golf Channel
Would love whatever other channels are available without having to pay a subscription fee.

I shouldn't have to pay for network TV at all, but I accept that spouse wants his Golf Channel and that means we have to buy a device.

I also know that ROKU has a whole bunch of things that MIGHT work, but I can't figure out if any WILL work.

Our TV: Insignia NS-46E790A12
Discontinued
46" HDTV with 1080 display and 120hz.
TruSurround HD sound system built in.
40,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
400 cd/m2 high brightness.

3 HDMI inputs, 1 PC input, 1 component video input, and one composite input.

1 analog audio output, 1 optical digital audio output, and 1 headphone jack.

A USB port (older USB)

We have xfinity wifi at I believe 100mbps, with enough range and power to handle the entire inside of the house, the lanai, the carport, the shed, the neighbor's carport, and the back yard.

We -might- have to turn the printer off if we have the TV on, since the router can only handle 5 devices at once. But we're okay with that.

I'll add: at some point we'll probably want to add Netflix, or HBO, or other pay channels but for now just having a TV would be great. Spouse is watching DVDs and he's already gone through all the ones we own a few times. I feel so bad for him! Will probably pick something up during the black friday specials. Our budget is extremely limited.

Have you considered an Amazon Fire Stick 4K $49.99 or has been on sale for 24.99. I chose Hulu which is $44.99 a month and has all the sports
channels, golf channel, movies, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, BTN, and more plus DVR. No contract and you can take it with you if you travel. Read up on it...I have not been disappointed. Just a suggestion...also it sounds like you have more than enough internet.

Budget = not paying $44.99/month for Hulu. Not gonna happen, period.

We don't have a 4K TV so it's pointless to buy a 4K Fire Stick.

I'm asking very specifically and exclusively about Roku. We've already narrowed it down to that brand.

Thank you though.

Knock the 100mbps down to 25mbps (plenty of bandwidth to stream 10 channels simultaneously) and buy a TCL 50S425 50 inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV at BestBuy for $280.00 that has Roku built into the TV. The money you save with Xfinity will pay for that 4K TV in less that a year.

25mbps would be minimum IF it was 25mbps 100% of the time, which it won't be. So you will have issues.

You’re not going to get the Golf Channel without some sort of subscription. Hulu and Youtube TV are both good options under $50 and you can add a premium service (HBO, Showtime, etc) if you want. I think both offer a 30 day trial so you can decide which you like. There are other options out there as well. Go to Ditch Your Cable Subscription. Become a Cord-Cutter Today. to see what might fit your needs best.

Also, this page will help you to decide which Roku device best fits your needs.

Roku

Mine is consistently 27mbps using "stats for nerds" functions.

Watching 10 simultaneous streaming channels might require 20mbps maximum. Most channels are less that 2mbps.

Hi, this is all really interesting but has nothing to do with my needs. This is the TV we HAVE. Unless you plan on buying us a new one, we won't be getting a new one any time soon. We are on a limited monthly budget. We could save up for a smart 4K tv and maybe in 2 years we'll have it. But we'd have to live without internet for the next two years.

I have a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, all which require wifi. So we have internet. This will not be changing.

I'm looking for a ROKU that will fit with our TV.

From what I understand, ROKU comes with the Golf Channel. It's hard to find an actual lineup but I found that info somewhere, and can't remember where. Probably has to do with the fact that the Golf Channel is owned by MSNBC, and NBC is one of the 3 big networks that come with Roku.

I'm not looking for advice. I'm looking for factual data. Which of these Roku devices will do what we need it to do?

Posts 6 & 7 really say it all, tap those links and it’s all there.

However, any Roku will do, get the streaming stick that’s on sale that will do what you need. Better deals on all these are likely coming with Black Friday so wait and save more.

Roku

If you tap this link, there is a search box, you can enter any channel you want to see if it’s available. If you enter “ABC” you will see options for ABC News and the regular ABC. If you tap “details” you will also see that ABC News is a free channel whereas ABC needs a subscription plan. You can enter all the channels you are interested in and see if they are free or require a subscription plan.

The Golf Channel needs a subscription plan, it is not free.

Plans such as those mentioned in the previous posts will work but they will cost $40 to $60 per month. If you choose a plan with The Golf Channel then channels such as ABC, NBC etc should be included plus many more.

That is exactly what I'm trying to -not- do. I'm looking for the cross-reference:

I want to go to "roku channel" and get the full, complete list of entire free lineup. Not just the top free channels, or cute scrolling thumbnails of the current batch of movies. ALL the free channels. In a single list. I don't see this anywhere.

The best thing to do is to buy one Roku. Bring it home and give it a whirl. I don't think, I have no proof or link that my statement is a fact I'm just going on my life experience that there is no way to get The Golf Channel for Free. If you devise a way I'm sure it would be a great service to turn on the rest of the Golfing Community to the path you found.

If you happen to buy the Roku through Amazon and don't like it then you can return it so you are covered. I don't think anyone has the direct answer to your inquiry. You are going to have to give it a shot on your own IMHO. Good Luck.

Ok.

Channel Issues & Questions | Help & Troubleshooting | Roku Community | Roku

Go to the forum and do your research. You will find there are hundreds if not thousands of free Roku channels.

Channels from all over the world, developed by all sorts of organizations.

Best of luck.

Now I'm even more confused than I was before. It looks to me, after checking all these bundles and "add-ons" that the things we used to get with "the cord" will be MORE expensive by cutting the cord. If we want ABC and CBS and NBC we have to pay extra for each of them, on TOP of a $40-$50 channel bundle. Amazon says their firestick comes with all kinds of channels - but when you read further down - turns out some of them you have to pay extra for. What you're getting that "comes with" are just apps, so you don't have to download them when you decide you want to pay for them.

I'm looking for FREE lineups. What really and truly honestly comes with these devices. Roku comes FREE with the Roku Channel app, and that app comes FREE with a certain variety of actual TV stations and channels. I'm guessing Amazon does too, with their firestick but I can't find where that information is.

How do I know which one I want, if I don't know how much it's going to cost me in the end? If NBC is only an extra $2 per month we can handle it. But if it's $10 for that, and $10 for ABC, and $10 for CBS, and $10 for the golf channel, and $10 for this that and the other thing, and we STILL have to pay $50/month for the TV service - why in the world would we want to switch out of xfnity, which costs the same and comes with SO much more?

I'm totally not understanding this at all, I don't think.

I understand that, when you buy a Roku stick, one feature that is very important is having TV volume and mute buttons on the side of the Roku remote. Otherwise, you will need to switch remotes to adjust the volume. Some Roku remotes do not have these buttons.

:) From my search I have found that there is no app for the golf channel. You need a streaming service. Streaming services are not free. This may be all correct or wrong. I hope nobody bites my head off for trying to help. :duck: I think your post was helpful and a good solution to try. :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

It's a great suggestion. But it brings me back to my original question: WHICH Roku do I need for the specific type of TV that I have?

A quick search on google said:


“So here are the top 10 free Roku video channels as of July 10th, 2019, according to the Roku Channel Store.

Top 10

1. YouTube: Roku
2. The Roku Channel: Roku
3. Pluto TV: Roku
4. Tubi: Roku
5. PBS Kids: Roku
6. CBS News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/27536/cbs-news
7. Sony Crackle: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/2016/sony-crackle
8. Fox News: https://channelstore.roku.com/detail...x-news-channel
9. NBC News: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/9581/nbc-news
10. NewsON: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/71845/newson”

But I can’t tell if it would work on OP’s TV set for sure. Which Roku stick to get may be answered by giving Best Buy a call.

You don't need a Roku.. You need a TV Antenna! FREE

The only way to get the broadcast networks for "free" by themselves is to get an over-the-air antenna. I've read various posts that suggest you cannot get good signal from all locations in The Villages but this is your only option. You'll get HD quality TV with a good antenna mounted in your attic and properly positioned to receive the signal from the towers. You're going to need an amplified long-range antenna - probably costing you ~$100 not including installation.

Best Over-The-Air Antennas in 2019 | CordCutters

The Golf Channel is owned by NBC Sports. The only way you are going to get this channel is to purchase a device such as the Roku stick and subscribe to NBC Golf or some other service that includes this service. As another post suggested, if you find a way to get this channel "for free" you've probably found a backdoor somehow.

If you get the Roku stick there are a number of apps that aggregate free channels in one place with a nice interface. The best of these I've found on Roku is Pluto TV (Pluto TV). You don't need a fancy Roku stick. I'd probably go with the Roku Premiere or Streaming Stick. Both are under $50 when not on sale. Depending on how your HDMI port is situated on your TV you may need a short HDMI extension as the Roku plugs directly into the HDMI port and for some TV's mounted to the wall this could interfere with the mount or the wall. Check your HDMI port and if you don't have 3-4" of access from the port to any obstruction you'll want to get a short extension cable.

One more point on the Roku, Fire Stick and other such devices. In all cases these products are simply portals that allow apps to run that actually link the TV to the internet. There is no device that I'm aware of on the market that behaves like you've asked for, other than a cable set-top box. You're going to have to scroll through the apps, select the app (such as Pluto TV or the Golf Channel app) that provides the channels you want and then you'll use the interface that they've designed to select the show/channel that you want to watch.

FWIW: It really doesn't matter but your 100mbs internet is not 100mbs at each wireless connection/device regardless of how "strong" the signal is. The actual speed for each device connected to your router/access point is going to depend on a lot of factors, many of which are outside your control and likely beyond the technical capability of most consumers.

The type of TV you have is not an issue. The Roku device will come with a stick that you plug in to an HDMI port on your TV, and a USB cable that you plug in to either the TV or to a wall outlet that will power the device. Then, the stick will connect to your wifi network and you can control the Roku content with the Roku remote. The content will include preloaded APPs, some of which are free and others, that you have to pay a monthly subscription fee to watch. You can also access the Internet and install additional APPs, that were not preloaded on the Roku device. As previously mentioned, I recommend getting a Roku device that has TV volume buttons on the side of the remote so you only need to use one remote. This is especially useful when a commercial comes on that you want to mute. One popular streaming APP service is YouTube TV that does include the Golf Channel. I think it costs about 50 dollars per month.

If you want Local plus Golf channel, then YoutubeTV at $50/month.

Any of the Roku streamers will work for you.

With a Roku device, you are not limited to the streaming apps that come preloaded on the Roku stick. Roku allows you to search the Internet for any app you want and download it to the stick. The type of TV is not relevant, as long as the TV has an unused HDMI input. Most TVs also have a USB port to power the Roku stick. But, if not, you can power the stick with a USB power device that you plug in to a wall outlet.

Yeah I'm only getting around 50mb - which was what I was paying for and they say they bumped it up to 100. I would probably have to restart my router or something to make it effective but it's working fine.

I'm checking this PlutoTV on my desktop computer right now, it looks like it is the kind of thing I'm looking for. It has CBS news and NBC news, and a bunch of movie channels and old TV stuff (Addam's family, yay!).

So - this is something I'm understanding better now. If I had this Pluto..and a Roku streaming (it'll fit just fine, it's a table-top TV on a pedestal), and I wanted to add MSNBC, and ABC, and CBS All Access, and (just for example since this will likely happen later on in the year) Neflix...

Is this something I can do on the Roku without paying $50 to subscribe to a "bundle service" plus having to pay even MORE extra on top of that? Are these a la cart selections possible? Or do I have to have a bundle (like sling TV or apple TV or Fire TV etc)?

Get an HD antenna that will pick-up the local stations for FREE. You can’t get the Golf Channel for “FREE”. All of the legal options to get the Golf Channel and other pay channels we’re listed in previous posts. There are “questionable” ways to stream, using an Amazon Firestick, what you want for $5 to $10 per month such as the Eternal TV app downloaded on the Firestick, but you should investigate your comfort level regarding these thoroughly before using.

The PlutoTV app is free and can be downloaded to a Roku stick in less than a minute. No need to buy anything else.

Not getting an antenna. Also not going to do anything illegal. I'm a computer person, not a TV person. I don't even know how to use a remote very well and would keep looking for the mouse to move menus on the screen. This is all information I need to learn to set this stuff up for hubby, who doesn't enjoy having to learn a whole new way of doing something he had no problem doing the old way - but we just can't afford to do it the old way anymore.

I need to make this as streamlines and effortless and affordable as possible for him, even if it gives me a migraine trying to figure it all out.

I have to smile at your comment, I’m sort of in the same boat. I end up doing practically everything, not because hubby couldn’t do it 10 times better but because after working 16 hour days sometimes he comes home very tired.

If it were up to me I'd just subscribe to Netflix and CBS All Access and watch it on my 27" computer monitor. I can already watch the news free, live, on Youtube without a premium subscription. I don't need any fancy devices, just my computer and an internet connection.

But NoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOOO we have to have teh golf channelz!

The villages cord cutters club. They'll meet Dec 10th at Colony. You can get all your questions answered there... face to face.

You don't want a lot of services. Your tv is just fine and you are correct to only buy a Roku. You can certainly save some money over cable. .

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Best

To summarize, OBB, you're stuck with bigger bills if he just has to have the Golf Channel.

If you are good with those free network news station and need the Golf Channel then go with Sling Blue at $15 and add Sports Extra at $10 = $25/month. They will give you a Roku Express device "When you subscribe and prepay two months of Sling TV"

Sling.com

LOTS of free Movies and TV on Roku devices !

See my earlier posts (6 and 7) for further links and info.

Roku is NOT a service, so to speak. It is the hardware device which connects your TV to the internet and allows you access to content from the internet and plays it on your TV. Think of it as a DVD player and the internet is the DVD. You have to buy or rent the DVDs to play in your DVD player. For the Roku, you have to buy the service so the Roku can play the content (although some internet content is free, the main US networks and the Golf Channel are NOT).

The Roku Streaming Stick or the Roku Express+ should work with your older TV. See Roku

Most network feeds are NOT free. They will REQUIRE you PAY for a streaming service.

The Golf Channel is NOT free, nor is it available over the airwaves with an antenna. You MUST pay for a streaming service to gain access to that channel’s content.

This link, which I posted previously, will show your options to purchase (YES IT IS NOT FREE) a subscription which will give you access to the content (stations) you want.

Ditch Your Cable Subscription. Become a Cord-Cutter Today.

Put in your zip code, select the channels you want to receive, and it will list the services that can supply them.

I don’t think I can make it any simpler or plainer than that.

Buy the cheapest current Roku you can find. This is the key to the investigation into all the things that you desire. You can get a free trial For All The Big Guys. Hulu, Sling, DirectTV Now, Netflix and the Grand Salami of them all YouTube TV. You can investigate your head off once you risk the funds on the ROKU device. I rest my case. I predict you go in another course than the one you are set on now. As long as you get TGC = The Golf Channel.

It looks like the ONLY bundle available in my zip code that has ABC, NBC, CBS, and the golf channel is Playstation Vue for $49.99 a month. But then when I go to check the channel lineup, the Golf Channel and CBS are not in the listings.

There's nothing simple or plain about this, though it should be. You should be able to just click "yes sign me up for Live NBC and all the channels that NBC offers including the golf channel." "Yes, sign me up for ABC live network." "Yes sign me up for CBS All Access." "Yes, add Netflix to this order." Sure here's $20/month for these 4 things, plus whatever you toss in for free.

I find that very difficult to believe. What is your zip code?

32159

and when it asks what I like to watch I plug in

ABC, CBS, MSNBC, the Golf Channel

pacjag, I get the feeling that website you recommended is just faulty. I checked the Hulu website directly and their $49.99 Youtube TV has all these channels. Playstation Vue has them too except the service is being discontinued in January. Hulu has it all, for $44.99 now but is going up to $54 in December.

I might have to do some creative convincing (or maybe club him over the head) to get spouse to change his mind about the golf channel. This is way too much money just for the privilege of watching golf on TV. It'd be cheaper for him to spend the same amount of time actually playing it, instead of watching it.

Pluto TV seems perfectly reasonable to me, otherwise.

That web page does seem to be having issues. There may be some lower cost options out there but I am not aware of them. The Villages club mentioned previously by another poster might be able to help you find a cheaper alternative. Good luck.

I cut the cord, I now have AT&T Now and get everything I need. Golf Channel, MLB Network, plenty of sports channels, get my locals, don't miss paying $200+ per month