@sneakypete I’m such a Luddite I wouldn’t know how to set it up.
I wish there was a teenager in my family. One more time I wish I had a child....
@Gefn Yeah,you would. You plug the cord into the back of your tv,where there is a slot that fits the plug. That's it. When you turn your tv on,it configures itself. It will even turn your tv on and off using the ROKU remote. Or if you are going to watch local broadcast tv,you can just use your tv remote to do this.
You don't HAVE to do this,but with thousands of channels to pick from,who doesn't want a recorder? I bought a Channel Master video recorder that is no longer made because it was replaced by an upgraded model,so I can record one show while watching another. Not really sure what is available these days in recorders because I haven't looked. I also have an outside HD antenna (RCA) that I bought from Amazon for $43. I pick up 43 local broadcast channels on it that are free. Don't cost a dime. These are channels like CBS,NBC,ABC,PBS,etc,etc,etc. Most show stuff like tv shows from the 50's,60's,and 70's,and a lot of them are in black and white if you are into nostalgia. Stuff like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone,two of my all-time favorite tv shows.
BTW,out of the thousands of channels you can pull in from your ROKU (Wi-Fi) almost all of them are free,but you will still have to subscribe to and pay for channels like HBO,Netflix,Showtime,The Disney Channel,etc,etc,etc. You actually end up with MORE choices than you had with cable or sat tv subscriptions.
Also,one of the big reasons I went for a ROKU was I got tired of losing satellite signals during rain storms or snowstorms. This doesn't happen with ROKU because it's a Wi-Fi device.