Discussions

[Andyo23]

My Mother is in a home with basic cable. No set top box.  She has a smart tv. But is not cable of dealing with streaming services.  Are there any Roku streaming boxes that physically accept this coaxial cable ?

Her TV is difficult so I’m trying to find the easiest way for her to get to her cable channels.

thank you for any help  

[renojim]

@Andyo23, only Roku TVs have a coax input and that would just give you a different version of what she already has - a "smart" TV with a coax input.  I don't know of any streaming device, Roku or otherwise, that contains a tuner, so no coax input.  Can't the current TV be set up to power on to the antenna input?

[Tim_Hare]

It would help if we knew  the make and model of the TV.  Some smart TVs allow you to set them up so they power up directly to a certain input (in your case, the coax).  Some allow you to remove the 'smart' apps or block them in some way (parental controls, maybe).  Some cable companies' remotes are pretty complex for seniors because they support so many functions - but you can find cheap "universal" remotes at a store, set it up for your TV, and the main functions such as power on, channel changing, and volume control, will work.  Once you do that, put the confusing remote somewhere hidden or take it home with you.

[JWS9518]

@Andyo23

I use the Roku boxes as a replacement for cable boxes and use the cable TV app (in my case Spectrum) to view the channels I have as part of my cable package.  If you have a Roku that uses voice commands, your mom could simple say "Hey Roku, Open Spectrum TV" or something similar if it is Comcast, DirectTV, or one of the others, assuming they have a streaming package app.  Then it is a matter of showing her how to navigate through the cable guide and select a channel. 

Another alternative is Xumo, which I haven't used, but I understand it has a number pad on the remote for channel changing, which currently the Roku doesn't have, but would work similarly in regard to cable.