Insert the micro SD card into the back of the Roku player. Ensure that the Roku player is compatible with the SD card and you will hear a click sound on successful insertion. You might have to remove the HDMI cable from the back so that you can access the micro SD card slot. Sockpockets (Reddit) One of the weirder Reddit threads for the day has got to be this guy that decided to manually add a microSD card slot to his trusty Nexus 5.It’s far from a polished piece of.

Roku devices have been streaming Internet content since 2008. That would explain why every streaming content player, except for iTunes, supports the Roku brand. Unlike Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, Roku does not have any content to push for. Roku has also opted for the “open source” format, like Boxee, allowing 3rd parties to provide “Private Channels”, another source of content for the Roku devices.

The latest Roku generation (Gen 3), the Roku 3, has seen a major hardware upgrade and a complete UI redesigned and it paid off. The Roku 3 makes a (dumb) TV looks smart, the content is easy to get to and a lag free navigation system.

Roku 3 Specifications
Video Outputs	720p / 1080p
Audio Output	Digital Over HDMI (7.1 and 5.1 surround pass through)
Storage Expansion	microSD card slot for additional game and channel storage
Remote Control	Built in headphone jack and motion-control (uses Wi-Fi Direct). Streaming player includes IR receiver (compatible with various universal remotes)
Networking	802.11 dual-band (a/b/g/n compatible) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
USB Media Formats	Video: MP4 (H.264), MKV (H.264) udio: AAC, MP3 Image: JPG, PNG
Power Consumption	Less than 3.5W (typical) when streaming HD video
Size	3.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches
Weight	5 ounces
Power Input	12V – 1A power adapter

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Design

The device is barely smaller than the Roku XS 2 (3.7 x 3.7 x 1.2 inches) although a bit heavier, 5 vs 3.5 oz. Which should help with placement because of the dangling cords. Personally, I am not concerned about the size, the device would be half hidden somewhere within the TV cabinet/stand area anyway. I do check for heat and adjust the placement for a better airflow if needed. A temperature check was performed after about one hour of streaming showed 94F on the top, the room temperature was 77F.

The back side is compact and crowded with, a DC-IN, a reset slot, a 10/100 ethernet port, an HDMI and a Micro SD slot. On the side is a single USB port for playback media. Gone is the standard AV. Which probably helped with the size reduction.

Roku 3 ports on the back of the device

Setup

Before you start opening the box and jump in the setup, make sure you have a spare HDMI cable because it is not included. Connecting the device to the TV is a matter of connecting the right cable to the right port. Turn on the TV, select the right HDMI port and you are ready to start the software configuration.

The initial setup is pretty much about picking a language and configuring the network connection (Wired/WiFi). The device will be “paired” to a Roku account. You will need to set it up if this is your first Roku device. All is well, except credit card information were asked during the account creation. However, it can be removed later. I assume it is needed to facilitate movie or show purchases on paid channels. There is a safeguard in place where a PIN is required to make purchases. Still, this could be a show stopper for some.

Once the main setup is complete, screen resolution, data rate and other settings can be reviewed.

READ: 'GET A STATIC IP ADDRESS IN WINDOWS'The Roku 3 network settings is pretty basic. WiFi dual band and wired is supported (not all Roku devices support wired connection). A wired connection is DHCP only means no static IP setup of the device. There is no support for VPN or Proxy.

There is a speed test with the Vudu app.

User Interface

The redesigned UI has a better presentation and use of the screen real estate by switching to a grid display instead of the horizontal layout. Nine channels or apps are available per screen instead of five compared to the Roku 2. The icons can be moved around and rearranged for better accessibility. The overall user interface is spacious and very intuitive to navigate.

One oddity is how the menu on the left side, “My channels, Channel Store, etc” and the channels images loops indefinitely. When the last item in the menu is reached, I do not expect to be able to keep scrolling down. But in this case, the menu keeps cycling through. I am not sure what to think about that behavior.

Five different skins are available if you wish to personalize the UI.

Performance.

This is area where Roku 3 scores a lot of points. It does not matter how attractive or well thought the UI is, if the user inputs and data processing are not responsive. The Roku 3 is powered by a dual core BCM11130 clocking at 900MHz (five time faster than the Roku 2). Still, it is not as fast as the Amazon Fire TV, with a 1.7 GHz quad core humming under the hood but it is fast enough.

It translates to a very snappy response when navigating through the menus and all the channels. Loading applications, playing videos and music are very fast.

Remote Control and App Remote Control.

The Roku remote control is an interesting piece of hardware. Operating as a remote control, I found it has the right amount of buttons and the layout is intuitive. Communication with the Roku device is through WiFi Direct instead of Infra-Red. Obvious advantage, there is no more line-of-sight requirement. No need to point at the device and press the buttons. Well, that is cool, but the real benefit with WiFi Direct is a larger bandwidth, up to 250 Mbps compared 25 Mbps with Bluetooth technology.

One of the direct application for WiFi Direct is the headphone port built in the remote. I found the feature very innovative to contain the TV noise pollution to…nothing. The provided purple earbuds are decent and the range is about 25 ft. The headphone volume is independent from the TV’s.

Horizontally, the remote control morphs into a gamepad and support motion detection. I tried the free version of Angry Bird. While it is functional, it is not really a Wii experience.

Roku 3 remote control and the innovative headphone port.

One of the most painful process with those top-boxes setup is when there is a need to type data, such as searches for instance. Unlike the Boxee, there is no keyboard on the back of the remote.

'INSTALLED THE MOBILE APP ON AN ANDROID TABLET OR IPAD AND YOU'D GET AN EVEN BIGGER REMOTE!'

Fortunately, Roku has an app for both iOS and Android which include a virtual keyboard. The app is full of features and can take over the Roku remote, except for the headphone and the gaming pad. Installed the app on an Android tablet or iPad and you get an even bigger remote!

Channels can be started from the smartphone without going through the main menu. Even better, speak the channel name to load it in Roku. It may be not as cool as the Fire TV voice search but it works!

Not as slick as the AirPlay, “PlayOnRoku” will let you stream photos and music directly from your smartphone local storage. “Twonky” supports videos, as well as music and photos. It “worked”, it found all the media servers on my network but felt buggy. I beamed a few movies