Not sure where else to put this, since the technology forum seems to only be about videogames. Anybody have a Roku? If so, how is the soccer coverage on there. I know they advertise the MLS coverage on the box, but do you have acccess to European Leagues? Barclays Premier? La Liga? I'm a total Roku novice here, but looking into a possible purchase.
I have a Roku, and I love it, but the only soccer you're going to get on there is from MLS, and you have to have a subscription to MLS Live for it. I wish that FoxSoccer2Go would do something with the Roku, as that would be awesome, but, for now, that's pretty much it.
Wouldn't a Mac Mini (or similar) do the same thing (and more) as a Roku? I suggest the Mac Mini since it could fit onto most any shelf, due to its small size, even though other computers could probably be just as good.
sure a computer would work (I have a massive home theater pc next to my tv myself) but there's a lot to be said for simplicity. With a full on computer you've got a lot more complexity than a simple box with a 4-8 button remote. For example to watch web based video streaming services like fox soccer 2 go, netflix, hbo go, etc... on as home theatre pc you need a mouse, a keyboard, and a web browser. On a roku all of these things have been optimized for a remote control. Using the PC versions on an HTPC, not so much. And for some people (like me) that's perfectly fine. But for other members of the household that might not be as computer savvy it gets tricky and it will either not see nearly as much use or you'll have to load up whatever they want to watch every time, so that's something to keep in mind as well.
7spencer7's point is a good one about ease of use. My parents have roku and use it to play stuff from Netflix. Once they added that system their problems with stuttering and frozen images (a problem that had occurred when they were using a Wifi dongle on the back of their TV) went away. I have only visited them once since they got roku so didn't have much time to investigate it but it seems to me that stations like Gol, ESPN Deportes, and Fox Deportes should be seeking to partner with roku in some way. If the major carriers aren't offering decent options, go to the a lacarte route and see how it pays out. I'm very happy with DirecTV but if I could cut my service down to Sports pack and HD only then I would if I could get the other channels I want through other means.