Roku

I used to consider myself rather tech savvy.  I have a Masters in Instructional Technology and I even have a Smart Board in my classroom.  However it is getting harder and harder to keep up with the speed of the advancements.  When I subscribed to Netflix earlier this year, we tried everything to get the streamed movies to play on our big screen TV.  But since the TV is 7 years old and still going strong, (thank you Samsung!) the technologies didn't match up.  Other than that, the 50-inch high definition plasma screen keeps us very happy, so there was no way we would ditch it to spend money on a new one.

We tried everything with the help of our sons (aka the younger generation of techies): we bought a Blue Ray, various cables, read manuals and online suggestions, but all to no avail.  We finally abandoned our quest and resigned ourselves to putting the laptop between our laps when we really wanted to watch a 'stream only' movie that was not also available in DVD.  No big deal really.

It's been many years since I have really been surprised with a Christmas gift.  So when our boys gave us a Roku for Christmas this year, I tried to act excited even though I had no idea what it was.  Come to find out that it is an amazing streaming device that works on our TV and not only gives us Netflix access, but tons more.  I didn't know what I was happier about:  the fact that we could now stream movies on the TV or the thoughtfulness of the gift.  (Actually I do know... it is the latter of course.) 

So my final thought is to ask myself if I now have the TV on too much.  I don't think so.  After all, how else am I going to hear the news in Italian?