@ jlsoaz

As time passes and more users contribute to your thread it becomes conceptually more interesting from my viewpoint -
But in your most recent post, with respect, you appear to have failed to mention the very important tool that would need to join the party, namely "the home computer" . . . . and where would your networked music, internet radio favourites and presets be "located" . . . . currently Radio Roku IMHO is far too unreliable, how do you envisage resolving this issue?

alanmc wrote:

@ jlsoaz

As time passes and more users contribute to your thread it becomes conceptually more interesting from my viewpoint -
But in your most recent post, with respect, you appear to have failed to mention the very important tool that would need to join the party, namely "the home computer" . . . . and where would your networked music, internet radio favourites and presets be "located" . . . . currently Radio Roku IMHO is far too unreliable, how do you envisage resolving this issue?

Hi:

I think the answer is that the home computer is not as necessary as all that, in this equation. Presets are presently stored onboard the Soundbridge and not on a home computer. Favorites are I think stored either on Radio Roku or on the Soundbridge. The only thing that the home computer seems necessary for are for playing songs from files, and that is not a necessary pat of the equation, only an optional one.

So, the DVP, if it played audio (which would make it a DMP or some such) would simply be internalizing the tasks already carried out by the Soundbridge.

As to the weaknesses of Radio Roku, the way around that on a Soundbridge is basically to store presets and then one can access stored radio stations even during a Radio Roku outage. True, it would be bad to get DMP users all into using Radio Roku if Roku intends simply to neglect Radio Roku until an emergency strikes, but I think it could in theory be used for improved TV-screen-based searching of stations? Or, one's computer could be used to search for stations via Radio Roku or some other method, just as one presently has to use one's computer to search Netflix. It's not an ideal solution, but it's not the end of the world.

@ jlsoaz

Regrettably, IMHO I don't believe the DVP as you currently know it could within a Home Cinema Audio System replace the role of an attached SoundBridge.
I think the statement Anthony made was nothing short of playing to the audience . . . . in order to dip-his-toe in the water to check-out the responses.

One must be very naïve to believe that Roku even thinks about putting the features of a $199 Soundbridge into that cheap and nasty $99 video player.

Have a look at the Soundbridge forums to see how Roku complies to its announcements of upcoming features or deals with feature requests and bug reports of its customers.

This is just another one of Mr. Wood's marketing tricks to keep the interest up.

Regards
Klaas

KlaasV wrote:

One must be very naïve to believe that Roku even thinks about putting the features of a $199 Soundbridge into that cheap and nasty $99 video player.

Have a look at the Soundbridge forums to see how Roku complies to its announcements of upcoming features or deals with feature requests and bug reports of its customers.

This is just another one of Mr. Wood's marketing tricks to keep the interest up.

Regards
Klaas

Hi Klaas and AlanMC:

You bring in the question of whether or not Roku is sincere in claiming to want to know if this would be a good idea. I'm not much good at reading those tea leaves. My first question wasn't that. It was whether it is technologically possible. The answer seems to be clearly "yes". I think this includes that it could perform all functions presently performed by a soundbridge in a Home Theater system.

The next questions include whether or not some (not all) of us customers would want to see it, or think we would want to see it. (There is a difference between saying something on a forum board versus voting with our dollars were the product to hit the market). The questions also include whether Roku would want to meet any demand we expressed, whether they have the resources at this very demanding time, etc.

For what it's worth, I took the Roku rep's question at face value. I think they probably have had some internal discussions about this.

Lastly, as to canibalizing their own sales, one additional factor they also would want to look at is what the competition is doing and likely to be doing in the future. If one can get both audio and video on a TIVO or similar device (I'm not sure who is presently offering what) then customers would have a variety of options.

In the end, I will gladly admit that buying a separate DVP and a separate Soundbridge are still reasonable options, but I enjoy looking ahead, from both a tech and business analysis point of view, and I think some at Roku will recognize that even if they presently can rest on their laurels for a second, in the long run they will want to think through and consider all possible improvements even where it might mean overlapping products.

jlsoaz wrote:

KlaasV wrote:

One must be very naïve to believe that Roku even thinks about putting the features of a $199 Soundbridge into that cheap and nasty $99 video player.

Have a look at the Soundbridge forums to see how Roku complies to its announcements of upcoming features or deals with feature requests and bug reports of its customers.

This is just another one of Mr. Wood's marketing tricks to keep the interest up.

Regards
Klaas

Hi Klaas and AlanMC:

You bring in the question of whether or not Roku is sincere in claiming to want to know if this would be a good idea. I'm not much good at reading those tea leaves. My first question wasn't that. It was whether it is technologically possible. The answer seems to be clearly "yes". I think this includes that it could perform all functions presently performed by a soundbridge in a Home Theater system.

The next questions include whether or not some (not all) of us customers would want to see it, or think we would want to see it. (There is a difference between saying something on a forum board versus voting with our dollars were the product to hit the market). The questions also include whether Roku would want to meet any demand we expressed, whether they have the resources at this very demanding time, etc.

For what it's worth, I took the Roku rep's question at face value. I think they probably have had some internal discussions about this.

Lastly, as to canibalizing their own sales, one additional factor they also would want to look at is what the competition is doing and likely to be doing in the future. If one can get both audio and video on a TIVO or similar device (I'm not sure who is presently offering what) then customers would have a variety of options.

In the end, I will gladly admit that buying a separate DVP and a separate Soundbridge are still reasonable options, but I enjoy looking ahead, from both a tech and business analysis point of view, and I think some at Roku will recognize that even if they presently can rest on their laurels for a second, in the long run they will want to think through and consider all possible improvements even where it might mean overlapping products.

There already is audio and video on demand content on Tivo. I can watch Amazon on demand stuff and other free streaming stuff. And I can listen to Live365.com streams too. If Roku wants to sell more DVPs they will over audio and video as an option.

@ jlsoaz & billc124

Thank-you for the viewpoint you expressed, but I stand by what I previously stated, in that whilst Anthony was asking users if they wanted Internet radio in the Roku DVP box, he went on to state that it could be done . . . .

Of course virtually anything that has been discussed in this whole thread could be done with a development programme, however if you re-read what I wrote you’ll see that I clearly stated “I don't believe the DVP as you currently know it could . . . .â€

[quote="alanmc"]@ jlsoaz & billc124

Thank-you for the viewpoint you expressed, but I stand by what I previously stated, in that whilst Anthony was asking users if they wanted Internet radio in the Roku DVP box, he went on to state that it could be done . . . .

Of course virtually anything that has been discussed in this whole thread could be done with a development programme, however if you re-read what I wrote you’ll see that I clearly stated “I don't believe the DVP as you currently know it could . . . .â€

Short answer yes with an if, long answer no with a but...

@ jlsoaz

You will continue to hold your views, and likewise my opinions are most unlikely to change . . . . Time will tell - Thank-you, this is my last post in this thread.

alanmc wrote:

Sales of Plasma TVs are to be banned by our government here in the UK

Source please. I've not heard about this.

alanmc wrote:

a 42-inch Plasma TV consumes 830 watts of electricity in comparison with only 330 watts for a flat-screen 42-inch LCD and 320 watts of a 32" CRT

Whilst it's generally true to say that LCD consumes less power than Plasma, it's important that you compare the latest generation of each technology. Both have made improvements in terms of power consumption. For example, that 830 watts number must be on an older set as my 50" plasma consumes 460 watts according to Samsung.

alanmc wrote:

this is my last post in this thread.

Oops, I was writing my post above whilst you posted this... hope it's not your last post as I'd really like to know where you heard plasma TVs are to be banned in the UK.

Hi HarryDymond,

I'd really like to know where you heard plasma TVs are to be banned in the UK.

according to the following reports they might be banned in all EU countries:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... blitz.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 99665.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... 268295.ece
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/795 ... television

Greetings
dupondt

dupondt wrote:

according to the following reports they might be banned in all EU countries:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... blitz.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 99665.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... 268295.ece
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/795 ... television

Greetings
dupondt

Thanks for the links. I do remember now hearing about this but the headlines for these stories are mostly misleading. It's not that plasma sets are to be banned, it's that inefficient sets are to be banned, and it's most likely that those sets will be plasma.

However, that's not to say that all plasma sets will be banned - there should still be some which are efficient enough to survive (for example mine doesn't seem too bad relative to some).

HarryDymond wrote:

dupondt wrote:

according to the following reports they might be banned in all EU countries:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... blitz.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 99665.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... 268295.ece
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/795 ... television

Greetings
dupondt

Thanks for the links. I do remember now hearing about this but the headlines for these stories are mostly misleading. It's not that plasma sets are to be banned, it's that inefficient sets are to be banned, and it's most likely that those sets will be plasma.

However, that's not to say that all plasma sets will be banned - there should still be some which are efficient enough to survive (for example mine doesn't seem too bad relative to some).

For what it's worth, when AlanMC made his point about energy use of plasma TVs, I started this seprate thread in the General Roku Forum:

http://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?t=20340

Your own finer point about not banning all plasma TVS, but allowing those that are energy-conserving, also seems of interest.

I wonder why we never heard about OLED TVs in these energy use discussions. Maybe they're not to market yet.