I was looking at purchasing the appropriate hardware to get WebTV operational. We have a SmartTV which is WiFi capable, so it seemed we had the right hardware to start. Not sure if using an Ethernet connection would be better and possibly more secure if we went through a router, but we need to research this further. We currently have cable TV with hundreds of channels and we watch on average about 5 on a regular basis. None of them are basic TV channels. We had to upgrade the cable package to get the ESPN sports we want, but our CableTV provider only offers a surrogate of ESPN. ESPN itself is not offered by the Cable companies where we live, so WebTV seemed the better way to go for us. The family pointed out that AppleTV offers ESPN where we live but this morning I read this: " Some services like ESPN are available on Apple TV, however ESPN requires you to authenticate your ESPN account with your cable or satellite TV provider before you can watch any of the content." Is this a LOL moment or an FU moment? (sorry moderator, the best I can do).
The wifi would go through the router too and that would be more secure than no router at all. But Ethernet is always more secure than wireless. Someone can sit down the street and see, and potentially hack your wireless network. No so with Ethernet. Plus Ethernet is consistently faster than wifi - though if not a crowded area, that should not matter. FTR, I have Roku and I like it. It supports wireless but my house is wired for Ethernet so I use that.
Tnx Bill for that info. I am leaning toward Ethernet, but as I do not currently own a router, what would you recommend. FYI: Roku seems to have its own media player and stick but I see that the version they sell in my neck of the woods is void of many US channels/content.
How are you connecting now? If you have more than one device in your home that can connect to the Internet, you have a router. It may be integrated into your modem or your WAP (wireless access point). Routers are really pretty simple, low tech devices but it is actually pretty hard to find a basic router anymore. All the makers produce what they incorrectly call "wireless routers" - that is an inaccurate "marketing term for an integrated device that includes a router, 4-port Ethernet switch, and a WAP in the same box. Those are 3 discrete network devices that just happen to share a main circuit board, case, power supply and menu interface. Some even have an integrated cable or DSL modem too, and perhaps VoIP.
We are using a wireless dongle (ZTE HSPA) that moves from the laptop to the desktop whenever someone wants to connect to the internet. We do not have a LAN setup so the devices are standalone. This was what the family preferred due to mobility needs. I do understand that I will have to purchase new hardware for this venture.
The family has asked me to take another look at the Roku 3 Media Player. Looking at 2 routers right now as possible candidates to use with the Roku 3 media player and I I'd like to know if you have an opinion on them. ASUS Dual-Band N900 Wireless Router Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router I also wanted to know about the requirement for a HDTV antenna. I have a HDTV multi-direction antenna on the roof with a HDTV cable to the back of the smartTV. Not sure if this can be useful or not.
Both those routers are dual-band, which is good as it will support older and newer devices at the same time. I prefer routers with external antennas because you can move them around instead of moving the whole router around. This can be important if you need to connect over longer distances and/or through many walls/floors/ceilings - particularly if they contain lots of electrical wires, steel studs, and metal pipes. Both also support printer sharing which is really nice (not an issue if your printer is already network ready). But having your printer on your network is great because the printer can be located just about anywhere and not take up your desk space. And no computer has to be up and running for another computer to print. Requirement? WebTV uses the "web". HDTV antenna is for "over the air" television broadcast reception. The antenna is just another "source" for your TV - just as a connected DVD/Blu-ray player or DVR would be.
I was looking at a Roku 3 setup and there was a high performance HDTV antenna (indoor) in the mix, so we thought that maybe the OTA HDTV antenna could substitute with some insane configuration. .. dumb question but we had to ask. Tnx for responding.
