As promised back at CES, Time Warner Cable’s newest set-top box is a Roku… and the free “Channel”, comprised of up to 300 channels, is now available to all currently shipping Roku devices – which start a mere $50. As you might expect, access to TWC on Roku requires a traditional cable subscription – and supposedly only works in regions served by TWC. However, unlike Comcast Xfinity or Verizon FiOS TV on the Xbox 360, a TWC broadband account is not required.
Don Wegeng took a look at TWC TV on Roku, and while his initial reaction was disappointment due the lack of On Demand content (compared to the iOS app), he seems pleased overall with the speed of navigating the available live channels and the quality of HD content – once the higher res stream snaps in after a few seconds. However, as you can see from his video walk-thru (below), SD content is rendered with both letterboxing and pillarboxing. Yuck. But, all in all, not a bad first cut. And surely better than every other cable company’s non-existant Roku offering.
But what, exactly, is the use-case scenario here?
You pay a hefty monthly bill for cable, but don’t want to pay a small fraction of that monthly cost for a DVR? I guess it makes slightly more sense for a rarely used secondary teevee, where you don’t want to rent a DVR, a DVR extender, or even a simple STB.
I can (barely) understand the use-case scenario for live cable streaming to tablets in the LAN, since there is no option for a DVR there. But I’m a bit more flummoxed at seeing the utility for this in the lean-back space.
I’ve said this before, what is the point of having a bunch of live streaming channels? It would be just like when I watched TV in the seventies and early eighties. Before I started using a VCR.
Why would someone want to go back to watching TV like they did decades ago?
Dave, I’m glad that you found the video walk through helpful. Sorry for the crummy audio.
That TV is in my basement and is used for gaming and lean-back when someone is working out on our treadmill (which is often in the early morning when there is no interesting live programming on TV). Along with the Roku LT and a couple game consoles, there’s a S2DT Tivo and a TWC HD STB connected to the TV.
BTW, everyone in my family loves the Roku, and hates the TWC STB (so it doesn’t get much use). The old Tivo could be replaced by On Demand if the STB experience wasn’t so awful.
My disappointment with the TWC app is based on my desire to use it to provide a better user experience for watching On Demand. This would also eliminate two monthly fees (STB & Tivo).
Aaron, we still watch a lot of live television – especially when it comes to news, sports, and background noise. And, unlike Chucky, we have multiple TVs. I’d snap this up in an instant if Verizon offered similar. Although, like Don, it’d be even more compelling with On Demand or ability to access DVR-ed recordings like the upcoming TiVo Mini.
I totally don’t care about liveTV, and never used the TWC iPad app until it added on demand.
On demand is pretty cool.
Does it have to be located inside your home network?
Since “a TWC broadband account is not required” one could use this to dump their cable/satellite TV subscription at a secondary home (vacation, office)
Up in the mountains at our extended family’s cabin we only have the option of expensive, mediocre-quality analog cable ($30 for 20 channels on the broadcast tier)
With the decent DSL we have there I’ll be dumping cable soon in favor of a Roku and just add the TWC app.
gonzo90017, Bill, my conversation with Roku was a little open ended and I’m not sure if TWC uses something like IP to determine region, pings a set-top, or nothing at all. The channel page itself says call in for help linking a box not on a TWC broadband connection. So we’ll have to wait and hear from folks trying to travel with the box.
Looks pretty nice. Why doesn’t TWC use these UI designers to make their leased DVR’s and set tops look this good? High Resolution 16X9 graphics and smooth scrolling / UI interaction should be standardized by now.
If a little tiny Roku box can do it, why not larger DVR? I mean the Roku doesn’t even have a hard drive for crying out loud.
I’ve looked at the limited live streaming channels that are available from FiOS on the Xbox 360. It’s just live streaming and I have no way to at least pause what I’m watching. I could deal with something like that for a short time if you could at least pause and then FF to catch up. But without having that it’s too much like when I watched TV decades ago.
I got used to time shifting my TV watching back in the late 80’s. And especially in the 21st century with DVRs being so prevalent, it would be extremely difficult for me to go back to the old ways of watching TV.
I have a TiVo and Roku in one room and a TWC box in another. I was hoping to use the Roku to watch TWC On Demand in the room with the TiVo because I cannot get On Demand through the TiVo. That capability would have been useful for me.
If the Roku app is like the iOS app, then it only works if TWC is also your ISP. When the iOS app was originally launched I was a cable TV subscriber but used DSL to access the Internet, so I called TWC and they offered to install a “limited use” wireless router on my cable line for free that would only allow me use to their iOS app (but no general web surfing). I didn’t want to have another wireless network in my house so I declined their offer.
My guess is that the Roku app requires Roadrunner.
I have absolute confirmation from my Roku contact that TWC broadband is not required and the Channel description says:
You just need to have TWC’s standard TV service (or higher) and an Internet connection (customers without Time Warner Cable Internet service should contact customer care for set-up assistance).
Lisa, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an app update at some point which provides On Demand. I wouldn’t give up hope yet.
I also was hoping for onDemand.
For another point of reference… I do have TWC Internet but I use my own retail modem (which I had to call them to set up). Both the iOS and Roku apps work.
I don’t get any broadcast networks (NBC, etc). Does anyone?
@Chris, I also do not get any of the local broadcast channels. My guess is that the app’s channel feeds are provided from a different (non local) source from the cable TV feeds, and don’t have access to local feeds.
@Dave, while I believe that’s what your Roku source told you, note that elsewhere on the Roku channel description page that you referenced it says “Standard TV and TWC authorized modem required.” I suspect that this is a case where the devil is in the details. It shouldn’t take long for someone to try it and let us know what happened.
Chris: I get the broadcast networks. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if I get the local news.
Best I can tell from the screengrabs and testimonials is the NYC region may get some/all the locals. Haven’t heard confirmation from any other region, tho.
I’ve tried it out, and at least for me, most of the sports channels (ESPN, ESPN2, regional Fox Sports) are not available through the app.
If you’re a big fan of ESPN Classic, though, you’re in luck.
I have TWC (or roadrunner cable) and this doesn’t work. Says I must be connected to their network (which i am).
Time Warner Customer Service told me last week that Time Warner internet service is required. Will not work with other internet providers. Their published information is incorrect. Spent several days trying to set up on my ROKU.
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