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04/11/2010: "Instant Gratification"

For a mere $100, you too can get instant Netflix video streaming to your HD TV. We just got the Roku video box. It's a great little device, especially for the price. It connects to the net via wired or wireless Ethernet, and puts out HDMI or component video. Very easy to set up and use.

Assuming you already have a Netflix account, there's no additional monthly costs. The $8.99 standard Netflix subscription comes with all-you-can-eat streaming video. Not only are there thousands of movies, but there are lots of high quality TV shows like Monty Python, Weeds, and Spongebob (yes, Spongebob).

The Netflix video quality is pretty good. Some content is in HD (720p) but the bulk seems to be in SD. I imagine that the balance will be shifting to HD in the coming months.

The Roku box also can stream Amazon video (usually $5 per HD movie for a 48 hour rental) and MLB.com for baseball. There are also quite a few free channels, consisting of a mix of video blogs, tech news, celebrity interviews, etc. You can also get a few daily international news shows including Al Jazeera.