The Roku 3 comes in a red box with all the instructions and extras which I needed. Set up was quick and easy. Signing up for NetFlix took more time than setting up the Roku hardware.

I love the Roku Internet streaming media player which I bought last year from Amazon. It was delivered quickly, packaged up nice and I got it working right away. Within an hour of unpacking it I was signed and up and using Netflix.

Although there are other options (more than Netflix) I haven't been using many of them. At first I did explore other channels, new channels and niche channels but even in Canada (there are more channels available in the US) I get all the television I want through Roku and Netflix.

Roku Beyond Netflix

There are loads of channels for movies, TV shows, games and music.

My favourite channel other than Netflix is Crackle. If you don't want to spend money on anything beyond the Roku box then start with Crackle because you can watch for free. Plus, I have found it to be the most dependable channel with the most variety of all the free channels. You can't say you get what you pay for with Crackle because it is exceptional and costs nothing.

Acorn TV looks great. I didn't sign up yet but I have it on my list. This channel is not free but it is low cost per month, like Netflix. If you love TV shows and movies from the UK this may become your favourite channel.

Below I will give links for finding more channels available with Roku. Getting channels does depend on your location. I hope we get more channels in Canada soon. I'd like to see more of our Canadian TV channels become part of the Internet TV forum. As the cost of cable TV continues to rise I think more people will decide it is not worth keeping both the Internet service and the cable TV too. With the Roku box you can eliminate approximately $100 from your monthly bill (here in Ontario). Instead I paid a one time amount of $100 for the box and then I pay $8 per month for Netflix. That is a huge difference in cost and very hard to ignore a savings that big.

Think about the last time you watched cable television. What did you actually watch?

I don't mean all the time you leave it on in the background or just leave it on because you wanted to watch something and finally settled on some show or other but didn't really care about it. Test yourself during commercials. Can you always remember what you are currently watching before the commercials end? If not, why are you sitting there giving your time away?

The biggest difference I noticed with using Roku is that I actually am watching TV again.

I'm not putting it on as background noise. I'm not watching some show I don't really care about. I'm not channel flipping and settling for something mediocre. When I watch TV now I pick something I really do want to see. Often it is a TV series I wanted to watch but didn't catch all the episodes or lost track of and then it was cancelled and unavailable to see. I find movies I would have loved to see but did not have time (or want to spend all that money for admission and junk food) at the time. It's great.

Plus, there are no commercials. I have lost weight!

I have lost 15 pounds since getting the Roku box. I still have more to lose and I'm working on living healthier and exercising but... without all those commercials advertising food I have not been tempted to snack and buy junk food. I don't get up during commercials to check the fridge. I don't see juicy burgers and chips with dip and all the rest of that stuff - unless I made them for myself. It is SO nice not to have the temptation of food from TV ads. I never would have thought of this as a side effect of dumping cable TV.

The Roku Stick plugs right into the USB port on your computer. The only thing you need to keep track of is the remote controller itself.

An older or refurbished Roku player is about half the cost of the new Roku 3 model. This is a good option if you want to try it out, see how easy it is for you to set up and use.

Roku is a growing company - developing new technology world wide (not just US focused) for people who are not satisfied with cable television.

You can get more versions and gadgets for Roku Players. The new stick player is out now. Older or refurbished Roku players will be cheaper for those who want to test drive it for awhile before spending more.