You may think, at first blush, that reviewing Roku is an odd choice for a chronic illness blog. Really, though, it isn’t. We all need places to escape when we’re not well. The cycle of sleeping versus not sleeping wreaks havoc on your body, making it difficult to even get out of bed on some days.

On those days, having some ways to distract yourself from the pain, depression, anxiety, and other myriad things going through your head. Different people enjoy different distractions, but one of my favorite means is through watching TV and movies.

A few years ago, my husband and I decided we were done with cable. It was costing a ridiculous amount each month for many services we didn’t need or want. So we started looking into alternatives, and settled on the Roku.

Roku, in essence, is a computer that supplies streaming content to your TV. It needs an Internet connection of some sort, whether wireless or through an Ethernet cable. There are “channels” you can subscribe to, such as the obvious – Netflix, Hulu, but also lesser-known ones like Crackle and tons more.

You pay for each Roku box once, and then monthly for each channel. The boxes are around $95.00 through Amazon, and each channel runs between $8-20 a month, roughly. Of course, you also pay for your Internet connection. Even so, the overall costs are far less than cable, and as long as you don’t mind waiting a few days for new episodes of your favorite shows, primarily through Hulu, it’s a good option for those looking for a widespread entertainment venue.

From PC Magazine: