Roku HD1000 High-Definition Digital Media Player
Getting closer but not quite there yet
I am now on my third week with the HD1000, I believe I now can give a fair review.<br /><br />My first week was spent struggling with the networking of the unit.  Normally, networking is not an issue with most users, but in my particular application some tech support would have been nice.  I say \\"would have been nice\\" because there is  very limited effort put forward by Roku on this.  Their website even states that tech support is only available via email, although they are more than happy to talk to you live, if you are placing an order.  The response time is a few days, and then they tell you to call back a long-distance # - not exactly what I had in mind.  Problem was solved on my own.  I would not count on tech support from these guys, you are better off getting help from other users at the Roku's forum ([...])<br /><br />Picture viewing was great.  My 5 mega-pixel picts looked very nice at the 1080i setting.  The mp3 playback was sufficient to playback, but seemed lacking as far as playlists, control, shuffle and format.  Watching pictures and listening to music at the same time is not possible with the limitation in memory, although Roku says otherwise.  In order it to work, you must use a CompactFlash card as a swap drive, otherwise the system will freeze up and you will have to reboot.  This hack is a comprimise for its deficiency in the memory.  Although the ATI chip does suggests high performance, the 64MB (half of which is reserved for video) does not, hence the CF hack.  Using the swapfile does solve all freezing issues.  Plan on using one if you ever buy into the HD1000.  The HD1000 then feels much more robust.  It is then the perfect tool for viewing your high res pictures and a decent mp3 player.  The ATI chip, the component output to 1080i video and the digital output for audio are the right tools for the job.<br /><br />I believe currently the biggest problem is that the firmware development is incomplete.  The video playback is virtually non-existent, as well as the advertised visualizer.  This lack of development of its firmware is what is really holding back this product.  The lack of firmware development is an ongoing topic of discussion at the Roku Forums, although Roku itself, does not seem to be interested in participating.  I can understand why there is a lack of Roku participation in the forums on this topic, it is because there has been a lack of development in the firmware.  The last firmware update was nine months ago.  That's pretty bad, when you consider the fact that the product still does not do what it is supposed to.  I think Roku stopped advertising the fact that the HD1000 will play back mpeg2 streams, but page 15 of the user manual still claims this a viable feature.  The only support for the video playback, is through third-party software, which is really at the beta stage.  You can get some playback, but there are lip-synch and control problems that are inherient with the pending firmware update.  Again, until the firmware is updated, this aspect of the HD1000 is incomplete and insufficient.<br /><br />Although the limited memory issue does present some problems that would be difficult to workaround, I do think that the success of the HD1000 is close at hand, but is directly dependent on the development of the firmware.  I consider myself a person who hopes that Roku will truly be succesful in their endeavours, being that they are the only ones that currently support HD, use an open platform, and do not require server-side software.  I just hope they focus on developing their creation and foster it into greatness, rather than obsolescence.<br /><br />I suggest before buying, the consumer check the progress of the firmware update (to be announced as v1.6) on the Roku Forums at [...] and judge for themselves.  I hope to soon retract all negative comments mentioned in this post if, and when, Roku resolves these problems.<br /><br />(Dec. 11)- I would like to update that the anticipated v1.6is to be released in Decemeber 2004, but it will be a beta release.  Sounds as if it may be a patch for the various bugs, but perhaps it will also have some added functionality.  We will have to wait and see.  Roku's CEO did state on the Roku forums, that a software cycle for this type of product is normally around 12 ~ 18 months!  I am hoping that this upgrade is more than a bug fix, being that it may be a long time for another update after this one and that are a some major outstanding issues! Current software functionality and how frequent a manufacturer updates its software are aspects the buyer should  definetly consider before spending the money.  The Roko CEO also stated that Roku recommends that the buyer purchases their product soley on what it does today, and not what it may be able to do in the future.  If that is the case, it would seem that if you are looking for a media player with functional video playback, then the HD1000 is not for you, today.<br /><br />(Jan 3, 2005) The HD1000, aka the PhotoBridge, is in the process of evolving!  Roku has just released the beta of v2.0.  Although it is hard to believe that the current functionality of the 2.0 beta is the result of nearly a years worth of work, it is a step towards where it should be.  The beta so far does seem to be primarily a bug fix with the addition of video playback functionality, although still quite limited and buggy, nothing ground-breaking (yet) - but again, a work in progress.  Hence, I will update this review and modify my rating when the work is complete.  Hopefully progress will be made at an exponentially faster rate! See what the update addresses and what is to come upon the official release for yourself at...<br /><br />[...]<br /><br />The HD1000 also has been upgraded hardware-wise, to address the lack of RAM.  Apparently, Roku has been shipping 128MB versions (version B, opposed to the original version A with 64MB) for the last 2 months, but did put forward any communications.Good for new customers, but it sounds as if early adopters and recent customers are S.O.L. I wonder if version A owners will find their units obsolete, once apps are created requiring the 128MB.  I fear that Roku will have no options for us other than offering the old Swap Hack.  Personally I have concerns regarding the longevity of my Compact Flash card (used as swap disk), being that flash media has a finite cycle life.