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.