Make A Media Server for Roku

[Geek-9pm]

This is a recommendation for a tutorial on another site.
The link is below:
How to Set Up a Home Media Server You Can Access From Any Device

This is new information about how to use some new free software that will work with almost any wireless media device you might have. Not just the Roku. It even works for your smartphone.

Note: The services he recommends might have a monthly charge for some features.  Read the details.

I have yet to try it all, but I seems to fill the bill for what I was looking for.

My laptop does not have a HDMI output. My 10 inch Android tablet has a HDMI port that does not work. Bummer! So I use a Roku to watch movies from Hulu or Amazon prime.

But I would also like to use stuff I have downloaded. So the need to have a home server that can send to the Roku over wireless. I have some stuff that is not available over the internet yet.

That I why I recommend the article on the How To Geek  web site.

The two biggest solutions to recommend are probably Plex and Media Browser. Both work similarly, offering a server you install on a desktop PC, laptop, NAS device, or dedicated home server.
...
Media Browser offers clients for the Roku and some other TV-streaming devices, including Chromecast support. There are also mobile apps for for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 8. Want to use it on a computer? There’s a convenient web-based interface.

Both have fairly similar features, although Plex definitely offers a more comprehensive suite of apps — PlayStation, Xbox, and Fire TV support, for example. However, some Plex services cost money. The iOS Plex app costs $5, and the Xbox and PlayStation app both require a “Plex Pass” subscription that will cost you $5 a month.

Let me know if you like. 

[DaveLembke]

Darn.... was hoping there was a firmware hack or something to edit Roku to add a link to a local file server or something like that. I have the Roku Model 1 and its great, but your locked to only whatever Roku wants you to see. On my BluRay player there was and ability to connect to a cast on a local media server and find it in the devices menu tree and play movies streaming over private local network. Only drawback was that the movies had to be a specific format to work and all this time I have set them up to work on portable devices as AVI and the player wanted WMV. Yet, if you plug a 32GB or smaller FAT32 external hard drive or USB stick into the rear or front USB port on the player it supported both AVI and WMV, so I ended up instead of leaving a system running as a server just selecting what movies or show seasons to add to a thumb drive and pop that onto my blueray and play them that way.

There might be additional features for Roku2 and Roku3 that I dont have. I got my Roku1 for $35 about a year ago in Oklahoma while out on a business trip and hotel tv stunk but they had free wireless. Used my netbook to change its mac address to match that of the roku and get onto their wifi and agree to the free internet access option to create the IP Lease for the  Roku1 that couldnt access the hotels website to accept terms and conditions. Changed the mac address back to original mac address of netbook and turned Roku1 on and instantly had all the channels that were free until I linked Netflix and Hulu to it etc and then added Sling.

Was hoping there was going to be a jailbreaker for Roku in this to add custom links to streams and features etc. 

[Geek-9pm]

For what it is worth.
There is a Roku forum that is involved in updates to the  Roku.
http://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=82200
Roku Firmware 6.1 discussion

Menu rearranged
System Restart option added
Targeted advertising by default added (with opt out)
Audio options to control digital out formats and stereo/surround including 'Auto' settings added
New Roku Media Player app
Seems Faster

[erobby]

I'm running Roku 3 and using my Plex account for streaming.  As long as the plex app is installed you should be able to access your media server from any devicee

[DaveLembke]

Thanks for sharing that.... I havent used the Plex feature yet. Roku is loaded with stream options many of which I havent even explored yet.