Thinking about getting one of those Roku things. Any good?

I'm considering getting the RokuXS. I'm leaning to the top one because it has an Ethernet port which would be a handy backup, not to mention the other features it has. I don't need that angry birds thing whatever that is though, nor do I need the gaming features, but the other units don't have what I do need or want so I'm forced to look at the XS.
Anyway, I'd like to know what other's experiences are with this item. I like documentaries and classic TV shows like Columbo, mission impossible etc. I'm interested to see what free content is available if there is anything within my afore-mentioned genres. I'm also considering streaming Netflix..maybe. One of my favorite shows is How It's Made which I have not been able to receive for years. I'm also curious about anyone else's experience with Netflix streaming. While it's far and away cheaper than cable, I still don't want to pay a monthly fee for something not much different from cable.
Thank you.

Uh oh! All I have is an Onkyo TX-RS705 AVR! So the Roku does not work with these receivers? That's a deal killer! I guess I won't be getting a Roku then.
I got all excited reading about How It's Made being on there and everything, then read this.
Can somebody tell me if there is a cheap and easy fix or if I have to run out and by a $1000 AVR?

I'm strictly into watching what many folks don't. I don't like anything they put out today on TV. I'm not a big TV watcher as it is anyway. I am just looking for something that offers the programming I like in which most of it is not available on cable or sattlelite. (Documentaries, classic shows, concerts, etc.) I'm not into any one station or any of todays programming.

I'd rather know it's going to work than set myself up for a huge dissapointment and hassle.

Goody! I like the ol' Dragnet, Adam 12, Columbo, Emergency....I like Documentaries and Doc shows like How It's Made (what has already been covered here), Modern Marvels, Egypt Docs, other Docs of things I find interesting and even soem Huell Howser thrown in for laughs. I'm curious about concert stuff like The Artist's Den and such. I also like classic Sci Fi: The Original Star Trek, classic Sci Fi movies like Colossus, Silent Running, etc. Sounds like a Roku and Netflix will give me what I want.

Thank You! I feel better about it now. It would also seem to me that should I run into an issue I could set the AVR in some way to correct it. (I'm not concerned with 5.0 and 5.1 and 23x2 and whatever as what I like to watch is way way before sound processing like that was even in someone's mind. If I want 5.1 and what not, I pop in a DVD).

Not into Horror at all.
I like the old Sherlock Holmes radio shows. I also like the old Sherlock movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel bruce (I won't watch any other Sherlock movies but those).

Yes, I bought them as well.

Holy cow! I was just looking at content available for Roku and the list of private channels alone is impressive! Then looking at all the Free content that comes with the Roku + the private channels + the third party free channels and then if one adds Netflix you end up with more channels and content than cable and sattelite combined! If I did this and didn't find anything I wanted to watch, I'd have to have myself locked away in a mental institution or something. Now I'm thinking I'd be insane not to get one of these and should have done so sooner instead of living without some of the shows I like for the last 6 years after cancelling cable.

Am I reading correctly? I was reading about PlayOn on the DisasterGirl site or whatever it's called. Do I understand correctly that there is an annual fee? I thought PlayOn was more like a root or hack helper and not a service. I'd much rather learn how to root or mod the thing.