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Have a few dumb newbie questions


lisadawnsalmons

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lisadawnsalmons

I know they say there are no dumb questions, but I'm about to prove that wrong!  ;)  I am WAY behind in today's technologies, and have just survived off my laptop, wifi and regular cable or satellite.  I have NO idea how to use these new media outlets, like media browser, playon, etc.  I purchased playon and discovered it was not what I thought.  I thought once you 'cast' a video that was all it took not that I had to leave my pc running.  That is NOT an option for me, so does media browser work the same way?  (and please answer like you are talking to a modern 5 year old, lol, I don't get tech talk)  Is this worth it for me, or will i constantly be in "help" topics?  Plus, i saw some type of card mentioned.  Basically, how do i get the media browser content?  like tv and movies?  Is there something I can purchase and get access that way or what.  I would appreciate any help I can get.  Thanks.

 

Also, I will be using a Roku. Can I use media browser on my roku and not leave my pc running in any way?  If so, what will i be able to watch that way?  Only files I upload or other media like tv and do i purchase that, etc. 

Edited by lisadawnsalmons
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CWNashvegas

Hi Lisa Dawn! Welcome!

 

Yes, Media Browser (hereafter abbreviated as MB) does require that something be running on your PC to be able to use it with the Roku. That's probably the deal breaker for you, but I'll also address some of your other questions.

 

The content that MB uses is mostly stuff users already have - lots of people "rip" DVDs to their hard drive. The digital download movies / tv shows for sale at places like Amazon and other online stores can't generally be used because they are protected with what is called DRM (digital rights management) and won't work outside of the applications designed to play it. (Technically most DVDs have a form of DRM as well but that's a whole 'nother discussion. There are also other ways people get content, but I will not discuss those, and you're probably not interested in that anyway.) 

 

The Channels feature of MB does serve up video from sites like Vimeo, but again, this does require that your PC be running in order to access the content. 

 

The card you saw mentioned was probably referring to a tv tuner and cable card. With some additional set up (a program called a "backend" to manage the tv tuner functions) MB can make use of live television. 

 

If you do not have a local (stored on your computer) collection of videos and such that you're wanting to watch, then MB isn't going to offer you much, and if having your PC running isn't an option, then it's definitely not the solution for you.

 

A Roku, all by itself, offers loads of entertainment options. I've been using my Roku a lot over the past week since I upgraded to the Roku 3, and I'm impressed with both the hardware changes in the newer Rokus and the improvements in available channels. I already have Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions (and I also have PlayOn), but there's loads of stuff on Roku channels that don't require any subscription, depending on the sort of stuff you want to watch. Be sure to check out the private channels as well. There is an index at this site: http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/all/.

 

It looks like MB probably isn't for you, but if you have any Roku or related questions, feel free to stick around and ask. I adore my Rokus so I'm happy to help in any way I can. :)

 

Christa

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lisadawnsalmons

Thank you so much for your reply, it was very informative and thank you for fully explaining my questions.  I'm afraid MB wont work for me either, and I am thankful to have the Roku stick and wifi. I have several things I watch on that with Netflix and Hulu Plus, there are just a few CBS shows especially I miss.  Thanks for the Roku link, I didn't know that existed.  Again, thanks for all the help.

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