For the Gadget Dad: Roku Media Player

If you’ve been nudging Dad to get a Netflix subscription, the Roku Digital Video Player (a.k.a. the “Netflix Player”) makes a convincing argument, as well as a great Father’s Day gift. Although, with over 50,000 titles available the second you get Roku up and running, it might not be the best way to get Dad off the couch this summer. Check out our full review after the jump.

Easily set up in just a few minutes, Roku streams Netflix streaming movies, as well as Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows, to your TV set through either a wired Ethernet or a 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi networking connection. When Dad (sorry, Moms, we’re being thematic for the sake of the holiday) opens the box, he’ll also find a remote control and batteries, as well as a standard A/V cable — although if he cares at all about video or audio quality, the latter is the first he’ll want to replace (Roku, thankfully, also allows for component video, as well as HDMI and optical audio, connections).

Pros: I’m a gadget geek and usually don’t mind a complex setup if the end result is a better audio/video experience, but Roku was almost too easy to set up. (A good thing!) I was streaming my first movie less than 10 minutes after opening the box, and while the instruction manual was handy, anyone with a basic concept of where video and power cords go should be able to master the setup. From there, you simply turn on your set and follow the on-screen instructions to connect Roku to your home network. Once you’re wired/wireless, Roku’s colorful, carousel-style interface makes it easy to choose your video selection.

Cons: While the decent price ($99.99) and affordable access to a monster video library are definite pluses, having to buy extra cables will put a slight dent in your budget if you’re looking to experience Roku’s full high-quality-video promise. (See our update below on just how much if you want to upgrade directly through Roku.) Having yet one more box for the TV room can also be a little cumbersome, but in Roku’s defense, it’s about half the size of a common set-top cable box and easily kept out of sight.

Givens: As wth any streaming-video source, Roku delivers more if you have maximum bandwidth to devote to it. You’ll need at least 1.2 Mbps to get good-quality streams from Roku, and, naturally, the faster your broadband, the better your experience will be. I tested Roku using both a wired connection and my home’s Belkin N Wireless Router connected to our cable modem and had no lapses in video quality, buffering hangups or related issues in either case. Just keep in mind that if you’re buying Roku for Dad, you might want to prod him for details about his Internet connection beforehand.

Roku features a 30-day money-back guarantee and is still available to ship in time for Dad’s Day — find out more and get your own at Roku.com.

UPDATE: We neglected to mention that , for an additional $19.99, you can indeed upgrade to the three high-definition cables mentioned above (HDMI, component video and optical audio) when you order directly from Roku — considering how much just an HDMI cable would cost if you bought it separately, that’s quite the deal.