Father's Day at the movies: Netflix now connects to your TV!

Does your dad know the identities of both of the actors who played Vito Corleone?

Does he know all the words to the MASH theme song?

Does he ever complain that movie trivia questions are "too easy?"

Has he ever gotten into an argument about whether an Imperial Star Cruiser could beat a Klingon Bird of Prey?

Is there an indent in the couch in the shape of his butt?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, I might have the perfect Father's day gift for you. Netflix recently unveiled its new Roku player. Basically, this $99 box connects your computer to your television, enabling you to watch streaming movies right on your TV. While this isn't the first TV/internet connector, the Roku is far cheaper than previous options. Netflix is promising full DVD quality, and it will currently allow you to stream any of its 10,000 movies and TV programs for free, as long as you're a member.

Admittedly, there are limitations to streaming movies. They don't tend to have all the wonderful DVD extras and are, currently, a little unwieldy to work with. That having been said, Netflix's streaming movies are, essentially, free, and they are insanely convenient. Besides, as more and more content becomes available online, these sorts of interfaces are going to become really common. With a little help from you, your dad could become the coolest kid on the block!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. He still gets a little teary when he remembers his family's first VCR. It was a cute little Zenith, and it just worked its little heart out...