HDTV Almanac - Roku Sticks It to TVs

Started by alfredpoor • Jan 5, 2012 • 3 posts

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#1 Jan 5, 2012 at 8:11 pm

Roku is probably one of the most successful network media players out there, and they seem to keep getting better. The boxes keep getting smaller and programming choices available through them keep growing. It’s a great way to make a dumb TV smart.
But now Roku has decided to think small again. The company has announced [...]

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#2 Jan 5, 2012 at 9:07 pm

I am confused about the "... Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) technology ..." as from what I have read at other sites this is only the play back technology for the playing device and these devices use standard HDMI or USB 2.0 or higher connections to the monitor or TV screen and any current device that has these inputs should allow the device to display HD images/video.
I also read another reviewer who stated that the "Roku Stick" will work with USB ports and not just HDMI??

#3 Jan 7, 2012 at 11:10 pm

David, I believe that the other reviewer is mistaken. MHL is an extension of HDMI technology: http://www.mhlconsortium.org. Initially, it was a way to get video content from your smartphone onto your big screen (via HDMI), but it can be much more (just as USB is more than just a serial data connection). Roku is taking advantage of those capabilities to make a wireless network media player.

Alfred