last100 » Roku

Roku set-top box adds Major League Baseball streaming (MLB.TV)

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:51:51 +0000

Roku’s cheap but increasingly versatile set-top box has added another feather to its bow.

Joining both Netflix and Amazon-On-Demand, the $99 Roku Video Player can now stream live ‘out of market’ and archived baseball matches — in 720p HD no less — courtesy of MLB.TV (US-only).

Fans will of course still have to pony up for a season pass ($35) but that doesn’t seem like such as bad deal now that you can easily pipe that content to a wide-screen TV, and especially if you’re already an owner of Roku’s cheap ‘n’ cheerful little box.

(Also see Dave Zatz’s five suggestions for how to improve Roku’s offering.)

---
Related Articles at last100:

Roku rolls out Amazon Video-On-Demand support

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:31:33 +0000

No longer limited to Netflix support-only, today Roku announced that its $99 set-top box, following a software update, can now be used to rent and purchase movies and TV shows from Amazon’s Video-On-Demand (VOD) service.

Amazon VOD (US-only) has a library of over 40,000 movie and TV titles, with new releases offered on the same day they are released on DVD, something that Netflix is currently unable to match, instead focusing more on back catalog material offered as part of a fixed monthly subscription that also includes traditional DVD rentals by post. In this sense, the two services both compete and complement each other, depending on how much and what kind of content customers want to consume.

The Amazon tie-in also takes advantage of the e-tailers’ expertise in ‘cloud’ computing. Since the Roku digital video player is only capable of streaming not downloads, purchases are stored on Amazon’s own servers, making it possible, for example, to begin viewing a movie on the PC and then continue on the TV via a Roku set-top box.

Video demo courtesy of NewTeeVee after the jump…

Amazon VOD on the Roku from Chris Albrecht on Vimeo.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Internet TV partners: Intel and Adobe, Roku and Amazon, Netflix and LG

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:33:34 +0000

With the Consumer Electronics Show just around the corner, it’s traditional for companies to push out a flurry of pre-show announcements, hopefully clearing the way for more exciting news. Today, a number of industry players announced partnerships relating to getting Internet content onto the TV – a theme that will, once again, be prevalent at CES.

Roku and Amazon

Roku’s set-top box will soon be adding support for the streaming version of Amazon’s on-demand video service. Previously, the hardware was a one trick pony, with Netflix ‘Watch Instantly’ functionality only. From the press release: “Beginning in early 2009, the Roku Player… will offer access to Amazon Video On Demand’s more than 40,000 commercial-free movies and television shows enabling Roku customers for the first time to watch new release movies titles instantly.”

LG and Netflix

LG and Netflix’s partnership isn’t new but it’s taking a new turn hardware-wise. This time, LG is to bypass the set-top box altogether, adding Netflix streaming support to new range of Internet connected TVs.

Intel and Adobe

Flash video coming to a TV near you if Intel and Adobe have their way. The two companies announced that they are collaborating to bring Adobe Flash to Intel’s Media Processor CE 3100, a chip designed for set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, digital TVs and other consumer electronics. This is expected to pave the way for “richer and more seamless Web-based and video viewing experiences”, according to the joint press release. It’s more evidence of Intel’s intention to further spread its wares beyond traditional PCs, and in particular new Internet-connected TVs — see Deja vu: Internet ‘widgets’ coming to the TV in 2009.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Not exclusive to XBox, Netflix HD streaming coming to Roku too

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:47:22 +0000

Last week Engadget reported that the XBox 360’s support for Netflix streaming would include a limited amount of HD content too – initially around 300 titles – prompting many to ask if High Def content would also make its way onto Roku’s Netflix set-top box.

Dan Rayburn quickly followed up to confirm that, despite the lack of an official company announcement, Roku’s hardware was at least technically capable of streaming Netflix in HD, leading to speculation that Netflix HD streaming could be a Microsoft exclusive, for the time being anyway.

Not so.

Hacking Netflix points to a reply posted in Roku’s official support forum from a company employee confirming that Netflix HD support will arrive on Roku’s set-top box by “end of year”. The posting includes a few additional details:

Roku will be using Advanced Profile encodes which will deliver HD at substantially lower bit-rates than what Xbox is offering
The number of titles is up to Netflix but the library will be the same as or larger than the Xbox library
The UI will be updated to run in 720p and more covers will be visible on the screen at a time
And the release will include another major new feature that you’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn about

What that “major new feature” is, nobody knows for sure. My guess would be support for a second online video service, possibly Hulu, which unlike Netflix doesn’t require a paid-for subscription. Were that to happen then Roku’s set-top box would suddenly be a lot more attractive to consumers, widening its potential market way beyond current or future Netflix subscribers.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Roku to open its Netflix set-top box

Steve O'Hear — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:49:51 +0000

Roku is once again talking up plans to open its Netflix-only set-top box to other online video providers. Talking at the Streaming Media West conference, Roku CEO Anthony Wood was quoted as saying:

“We’re going to release the software developer kit [SDK], so anyone can publish any channel, and users can access web content on their TVs.”

Of course, just releasing an official SDK won’t lead to the Internet TV set-top box nirvana that we, and Roku, are seeking. For that to happen, Netflix’s competitors will need to be persuaded that it’s worth their while to actually build something using Roku’s SDK, otherwise poular services such as Hulu, BBC iPlayer or YouTube, for example, may never make it onto the set-top box.

As Dave Zatz advises: Roku needs to “continue working the phones” in order to build the kind of partnerships that will lead to more quality content. Because its content that will ultimately lead to more hardware sales, which is of course where Roku makes its money. “There’s a much larger audience of potential Hulu and YouTube viewers than there are Netflix subscribers”, notes Zatz.

One potential sticking point: Earlier this year Netflix made a small investment in Roku, which could make things awkward as Roku attempts to woo competing content partners.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Report: 100,000 Roku Netflix set-top boxes sold

Steve O'Hear — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:11:59 +0000

It was only yesterday that our friend Dan Rayburn over at Streaming Media was talking down the impact that Internet-delivered video was making in the living room. Or to quote Rayburn himself, his guest post for GigaOm was intended to “set expectations properly”, based on official figures and various estimates, which suggest that consumer facing set-top boxes from the likes of TiVo, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Roku and Vudu that are capable of delivering online video, have sold a lot less than what most people think.

Today, however, Rayburn admits he got one figure wrong. Based on a new source, Rayburn says that rather than selling 10,000 units, the Netflix player by Roku has sold closer to 100,000.

While it surprised me the number was that high, it does seem possible, as that would equal about 1% of Netflix’s 8.2 million customers. Considering the price point ($99) and the fact that the product’s marketing is very focused, to a targeted audience, Roku’s penetration rate would be higher than the average product that has only been on the market for eight weeks. Plus, once you have the Roku box, the content is free.

Rayburn goes on to suggest that it won’t be long before the Roku box outsells the AppleTV (we don’t disagree), especially with the promise that the Roku player will soon support more than just Netflix. “This little device has some real potential to make a real impact in the market”, he says.

---
Related Articles at last100:

How big of an impact is Internet-delivered video making in consumer living rooms?

Daniel Langendorf — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:32:36 +0000

I’ve often wondered this, but my math skills suck. How big of an impact is Internet-delivered video really making in the consumer living room?

Dan Rayburn, the EVP of StreamingMedia.com and the blogger behind BusinessofVideo.com, crunched numbers in a post for GigaOm today and decided that the impact is not nearly as large as we think.

“While it is good to see more content options coming to consumers, adding up all of the install numbers for these devices gives a stark picture of just how small the install base really is,” Rayburn wrote. “The market is still too fragmented, with too many different devices, all limited by a lack of premium content.”

Rayburn bases his analysis on market penetration rates. His point is that the best technologies don’t always win — it’s what consumers adopt. The numbers for TV-connected devices are interesting.

From Rayburn:

Xbox 360: 10.5 million units sold in the U.S.
Netflix: 8.2 million subscribers
Netflix Player by Roku: 10,000 units sold (estimate)
TiVo Series 3: 250,000 units sold (estimate); 750,000 Series 2 and Series 3 units are connected to the Internet via broadband (two-thirds are estimated to be Series 2 devices).
PlayStation 3: 4.9 million units sold in the U.S.
AppleTV: 350,000-400,000 units sold in the U.S. (estimate)
Vudu: 15,000 units sold in the U.S. (estimate)

Adding up the numbers, Rayburn estimates that 19.3 million Internet-to-TV content delivery devices have been sold. Rayburn breaks down the numbers further and concludes: “The real number of consumers capable of getting these content offerings is much smaller — so small, in fact, that they barely register.”

What Rayburn failed to supply is perspective. These numbers are rolled up since when? The Netflix Player by Roku is new. The TiVo Series 3 is relatively new. AppleTV and Vudu are about a year old. PlayStation 3 and Xbox are in the process of rolling out Internet video-to-TV services.

How long did it take other technology advances like the color TV, the fax, the telephone, cell phones, or cable TV — to name just a few — to reach critical mass? Their market penetrations and adoption rates were probably not that much better in their first years.

The fact that Microsoft, Netflix, TiVo, YouTube, Roku, Sony, Apple, and others are rushing to market all sorts of Internet-to-TV products is a sign that they believe Internet-delivered video will be making a big impact in the consumer living room — maybe not now, but soon enough.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Win a Roku Netflix set-top box!

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:00:26 +0000

This isn’t a last100 give-away — we haven’t even got our hands on a review unit yet — but our friend Dan Rayburn over at Streaming Media is parting company with the new Netflix set-top box from Roku.

Also see: Roku delivers first Netflix set-top box

To be in with a chance to win it, all you have to do is leave one comment on Dan’s original post with a working e-mail address. He’ll pick a random winner this Thursday and ship it out at no cost. (Sorry, U.S. residents only). The unit comes with all of the original materials, box, remote and cables, but since it only works with Netflix’s service, you’ll either need to be a Netflix customer, or need to be willing to setup a Netflix account.

As an aside, Anthony Wood, the Founder and CEO of Roku will be one of the keynote speakers at the Streaming Media West show in September in San Jose.

---
Related Articles at last100:

From an RC beer cooler to an ESPN remote, digital lifestyle gifts for Dad on Father’s Day

Daniel Langendorf — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:06:15 +0000

There are only a couple of more shopping days left until Father’s Day, that once-a-year event when wives and kids all across the U.S. buy Dad ties, aftershave, and other things he — let’s be honest here — will never use.

So to make shopping easier this year, we’ve assembled a few digital lifestyle ideas for your husband or Dad. Most of these are more expensive than Aqua Velva aftershave but, since we’re being honest here, these are what Dad might buy for himself, including a remote control beer cooler.

The obvious

The most sought-after Father’s Day gift on the planet will be the new 3G iPhone from Apple, which isn’t available until July 11. Until then, a hand-written IOU redeemable for the iPhone will do. Thankfully, the price is coming way down: $199 for the 8 GB model, $299 for the 16 GB phone. And since it now supports the enterprise with Microsoft Exchange syncing and other business-place features, the grumpy IT guys at Dad’s office will be happy.

Alternatives: none. Sure, we could argue for a Sony Ericsson, BlackBerry, or HTC smart phone, but why bother? Until Google’s Android phones are available — long after this Father’s Day is over — the iPhone will head Dad’s wish list.

Media Man

Dad already has a big screen, HD television and, probably, a DVR like TiVo. Don’t despair. This Father’s Day, give him the Netflix set-top box by Roku ($99). It’s butt ugly — just a square black box — but it delivers more than 100,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix to his TV instantly, without having to wait for the postman.

Acceptable alternatives: the AppleTV ($229) for iTunes purchases, Vudu ($299) for movies on demand, and the Slingbox Pro ($229), which allows you to watch and control up to four video sources from anywhere in the world on a laptop or cell phone.

If Dad is a sports nut — and who isn’t? — then the ESPN “The Ultimate Remote” Universal Remote ($299) is the perfect gift. It’s billed as the first-ever digital media remote with Wi-Fi, meaning it’s a traditional advanced home theater remote but with access to the Internet. And what will Dad do on the Web? Go to ESPN.com, of course.

Lastly, dear ol’ Dad can’t be left watching movies on the Netflix-Roku set-top box or channel surfing with his ESPN remote without the greatest invention known to beer-drinking man: the RC Cooler. Yep, a remote control cooler that brings ice-cold beer to Dad and his lazy buddies. The RC Cooler is available from Solutions for $69.95 and Firebox for $78.30. No word, though, on whether the Cooler is smart enough to go on a beer run.

For the fun of it

The Sony Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable (PSP) and the Microsoft Xbox 360 are so last year’s models. At the top of any Dad’s Day list should be the Nintendo Wii ($249, if you can find one) and the new Wii Fit ($89.99), a quasi fitness game that, if used a little bit each day, is supposed to deliver a healthier, fitter Dad through a variety of fitness activities.

If Dad happens to be a more sedentary gentleman, then the new Grand Theft Auto IV ($59.99) video game will keep him on the couch for hours, maybe days as Niko Bellic wreaks havoc in Liberty City. This should be enough, but if Dad needs more there’s always Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Finally, if Dad isn’t a big video gamer he might still enjoy an activity like billiards. What’s cooler than Dad walking into the local pool hall with a new laser-guided pool cue ($79.95)? When activated, a harmless visible laser provides a precise guide for lining up the 8-ball in the corner pocket.

Shutterbug

If Dad’s hobby is photography, then Canon’s new entry-level EOS Rebel XS (1000D), 10-megapixel digital camera will be greatly appreciated. It will replace the baby of the Digital Rebel line, the XTi, and is a relatively inexpensive, quality digital camera for consumers ($599 body, $699 with kit lens).

To go along with a new dSLR, Dad might like to have the clever Eye-Fi wireless memory card ($99), which uploads photos automatically from the SD card inside the camera to a home network or to photo sharing sites such as flickr, Picasa, photobucket, and Shutterfly and to social networks like Facebook.

Man on the go

If Dad endures a nasty commute to work, then consider buying him the $399 Dash Express, a two-way Internet-connected portable GPS navigator. It delivers surprisingly accurate real-time traffic information that’s invaluable when you want to avoid that hour’s delay on the 405.

To go along with the Dash is the environmentally friendly Smart car, which became available in the U.S. earlier this year. The fortwo passion coupe, which gets 40 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway, will start at $13,500 and the fortwo passion cabriolet will start at $16,590. As these cars are this year’s Mini Coopers, you might want to buy Dad a $99 reservation to purchase the car and let him pick up the tab for the new wheels.

---
Related Articles at last100:

Roku delivers first Netflix set-top box

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:07:43 +0000

When Netflix teased us last month with news that it had secured three more set-top box partners in addition to LG, we speculated as to who they might be. “It’s our bet that we’ll see Netflix compatibility added to a number of media streamers, such as those produced by D-Link and Linksys”, we proclaimed with confidence.

Close but no cigar.

Today Netflix announced that Roku, best known for its line of networked audio players, has become the first company to offer a dedicated set-top box designed to bring Netflix’s ‘Watch Now’ Internet TV service to the television.

Dubbed “The Netflix Player by Roku“, the $99.99 box plugs into a television via a range of ports including HDMI, Component and S-Video, along with analog or digital optical for sound. To connect to Netflix’s streaming servers over the Internet, both Ethernet and WiFi are offered. No hard drive is included, however, since Netflix uses streaming rather than downloads to deliver online video. Configuring the player sounds simple enough: just log-in to your wireless network (if required) and then enter your Netflix account details.

Next is where it gets interesting. For the most part, movie selection doesn’t take place via the television. Instead, users browse the Netflix website on their PC to cue up movies ready for streaming, as they already do when ordering DVDs through the mail. Any cued movies available on ‘Watch Now’ then automatically show up on the Netflix Player ready to be enjoyed on the television. The theory is that a “10 foot User Interface” (TV) isn’t the best for browsing and discovering content from thousands of offerings, compared with the “2 foot UI” of the PC.

Content-wise, Roku’s Netflix Player is only as good as the existing ‘Watch Now’ service which currently offers 10,000 movies and TV episodes – mostly older back catalog stuff – compared to the 100,000 titles available via DVD. The limited content could hold back adoption, although access to the service (aside from the price of the Roku box itself) doesn’t cost any more on top of an existing ‘unlimited’ Netflix subscription.

In hindsight we shouldn’t be all that surprised that Roku has become the first company to deliver a Netflix set-top box. Roku founder Anthony Wood left to join Netflix last April and helped devise the company’s Internet TV strategy, only to return to Roku after Netflix decided to partner with hardware manufacturers instead of developing a set-top box of its own. At the same time, Netflix made a $6 million investment in Roku, reports AP.

A Netflix set-top box and Internet TV service competes directly with Apple’s own AppleTV/iTunes product, along with startup Vudu. However, a bigger threat to all consumer facing set-top boxes are the somewhat overpriced on-demand services from cable and telcos/IPTV providers, who will be feeling the pressure to respond.

---
Related Articles at last100: