The Celtic Highlander

One of Walt Disney’s favorite attractions was the Carousel of Progress. Presented during the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, Disney seemed especially devoted to this project. The Carousel of Progress is steeped in both nostalgia and futurism, the attraction’s premise is an exploration of the joys of living through the advent of electricity and other technological advances during the 20th century via a “typical” American family.

Beam ahead nearly 50 years later and yes, the Carousel of Progress is still playing in Walt Disney World as the longest running stage show in the history of American Theater. The optimism and excitement about the future of technology was one of Walt Disney’s most enduring legacies and can be heard in the Carousel’s theme song – “The Best Time of your Life” – if you have ever been to this Walt Disney World attraction, then you are probably humming the song to yourself now.

So, what does this all have to do with the Roku? It is our firm belief that we are entering a new golden age of technology that the Father of Imagineering would have found so intriguing and exhilarating that he would have concluded, as he did in 1964, that it would change the world. He would have wrapped himself around the technology and stretched it to the boundaries of space. All of the promises of the last 15 years of technology development are coming to a crescendo that will result in a major shift in social, economical and political change as the choice of freedom ceases the day. The signs are everywhere. Blazing fast computer processors, wireless internet, tablets and touch screens will eventually be attached to every device we own making our lives easier with more time for Americans to engage in what Americans have always done – innovate!

The Roku represents what we believe is the future and promise of a new age of media and communications that will change the world. Once upon a time, watching a movie at home meant ordering a DVD online, waiting for it to arrive, then having it sit on your coffee table for weeks until you were in the mood to watch it. Then came along the Roku—the original streaming player. Now, millions of people use Roku to choose what they want to watch instantly. Whether you’re exploring over 700 channels of movies and shows, delving into what really interests you, or just stumbling across something new, Roku makes it happen easily, instantly and affordably. Movie night—or any night—will never be the same.

• Roku was designed to be amazingly easy to use. With the simple remote, you choose what you want to watch, and it starts instantly. That’s it.
• Roku does not charge a monthly fee. Simply access your existing subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon or watch free content with services like Crackle and Vudu. Enjoy all the free movies, shows, and music. Or browse the latest blockbusters on demand.
• Roku connects easily to your TV and wireless (Wi-Fi) network at home. You’ll be up and streaming in minutes.
• Access all of Celtic Radio channels using the Live365 Channel, right from your HD T.V.

We have put to the test the HD Roku for 30 days and did not encounter one problem. Connection with our wireless access point was as advertised; simply and trouble free. We really appreciated both the HDMI port and the alternative RCA plugs for our older T.V.’s. The Roku is small and portable and can easily be carried to another room in a jiffy or to a friend’s house for that matter. The Roku is the first T.V. streaming device that we consider easy to rent movies and very usable. We used Amazon and really liked the 48 hour rental time. Best of all we found the HD Roku for $48 at our local Walmart.

We highly recommend the HD Roku for its ability to be used on both a HD TV and older VGA (RCA Plugs) TV. If you enjoy listening to the Celtic Radio channels on Live365, then you will love the Live365 channel especially on your HD TV with full color albums, song info and more.

With the Roku and other new products coming on to the market, prepare for the Golden Age of new technology to become the Best Times of our Lives! 5 Stars from Celtic Radio!