For $300, you can soon own a 3M projector that shoots out a "120 inch image" and is powered by Roku's channel-diverse ecosystem.
The immediate problem I found upon digging up the device's tech specs? The 10-foot diagonal image that this 1.3 pound projector cranks out tops out at 480p. That's DVD-quality at very best. For comparison's sake, 800x480 is lower resolution than the 3.5-inch screen of an iPhone 4. This is not a replacement for anyone's flat-panel TV.
The problems don't end there with this thing, the most unimpressive "big play" since the vaporware, bowling ball-shaped Google Nexus Q. I guess that's why they buried the announcement on a Friday.
Not only does the resolution max out at 480p, but this thing only throws 60 lumens. To put it in perspective, ten times that is considered dim and barely watchable. I don't care that they're throwing "DLP" around. Lumens are lumens are lumens.
To realistically project your "movie theater-like", 10-foot, DVD-quality image in a manner that looks half-decent, you'd need to be using the 3M Streaming Projector in a cave deep below the Earth's surface. Don't forget to bring headphones or 3.5mm jack-compatible speakers!
The 2.5-hour battery life is a secondary concern to the fact that this device will not produce a decent image in the areas advertised in the ridiculous, fallacious promo reel.
They tout its use in backyards, as well as on patios, decks, and even ceilings (what?). Someone at the ad agency must have squeezed that last one in the day he gave notice. Save using it on a camping trip, all the situations they describe would have AC plugs readily available, so I don't know why they're selling its portability, since outdoor conditions are where it will generate the absolute worst result.
The real reason that they're lying to people in positioning the image quailty is that Roku can't make you buy a new TV to "own" you in their media ecosystem.
Roku & 3M think they can get you to pay a sub-iPad price for a family experience that you might very well desire, but it's one that this projector cannot and will not provide. The tech specs of this compound device make it more Baby's First Projector than something that belongs in the Home Theater category on Amazon. I wouldn't use this thing to give a presentation in a small conference room, let alone watch Netflix on it.
The projector sucks, but what about that fancy, sleek $99 Streaming Stick that replaces your craptastic built-in TV OS with the magic openness of Roku?
It's the high-end Roku box, but in the shape of a thick pack of gum. It plugs right into an HDMI port with no additional cabling. The catch is that it requires an MHL-capable HDMI port, which is only found on some of the newest TVs on the market. Buy a TV before...August? I'd bet big money that this thing won't work on your TV.
I've been railing against Roku's Streaming Stick since I saw it at CES in January because it represents the worst thing that a consumer brand can do. They are mortgaging their brand recognition and customer loyalty to introduce a confusing product, knowing exactly how misleading their pitch is.
When I asked Roku reps at CES when they were going to make it clear that the Streaming Stick wasn't compatible with about 99% of HDTVs in homes across the US, they told me "it's really more of a bundling product, but people do buy new TVs all the time".
"Uh-huh. Bundling...for what? New TVs?" I asked.
"Yeah, like at Best Buy but also some other stuff later this year. Uh, you know, I shouldn't really be telling you this. Wait, you aren't press, are you?"
The most staggering thing is that no press outlet poked or prodded for that answer then or since, and I had it basically volunteered on me.
Here's the thing: I'd love for Roku to succeed and to continue offering a solid competing product to AppleTV. I resent that due to Apple's walled garden approach, I can't watch Amazon Instant content on my AppleTV, among other "new TV" channels. I really do.
This new Roku thing would be a great product for the holidays on another plane of existence. It would be a great Trojan Horse if it could fit inside the city gates.