Roku To Add 10 Channels & Amazon Search

David LaGesse from U.S. News & World Report interviewed Roku's Tim Twerdahl, and Twerdahl said that Roku is adding 10 "Channels" and a search for Amazon VOD.

But it can be cumbersome to find a title among the 40,000 available from Amazon. Roku feels our pain and will soon add a search function to enable users to pull out a specific movie or TV show.

That's just one of the changes coming to the Roku box in the coming months, says Tim Twerdahl, the company's VP of consumer products. The device maker is working with several other content providers and expects to start unveiling new partners this summer. Roku expects to add about 10 new "channels" by the holidays, turning its device into a wide-open conduit for delivering Internet entertainment to the TV.

The company announced the Amazon deal a couple of months ago and said it would be followed by others. Roku has quietly distributed a development kit to what Twerdahl calls a few "close, big-name" partners.

Any guesses on the 10 channel partners? Hulu? YouTube? 

Comments

[MCW]

You know, WWE has its own demand outlets. With 10 channels coming to the Roku Player, there will have to be a few that you wouldn't expect... hopefully including some outlets that have never done any online streaming, or video downloads. I think adding WWE on demand would be a brilliant idea (Yes people, WWE is a huge business... Raw is the highest rated show on television).

I'd also love things like HBO/Showtime shows, if they were very cheap.

This news can make people nothing more than excited.

[trypu]

all in one search engine

[busy123]

The Netflix "channel" has always needed a search.

[joe]

so how much does an amazon movie cost ?

[Adam Gott]

I am not going to hold my breath but this is what I was waiting for to get a Roku box. I just built a home theater PC (for about $100 using a surplus P4 2.8 gigahertz pc from ebay) and it gets me almost everything on the net (short of HD - the machine is too slow).

I was going to build a second HTPC but I think I may wait and see what Roku does.

[Robert]

They'll almost certainly get YouTube on it. I also don't see why Flickr wouldn't be on it. Both have APIs that are free (and easy) to use. The only reason they wouldn't is that neither of those will make Roku any money from revenue sharing.

As I've said here, I'd love to see Pandora streaming, but I'm not sure why they'd go with Pandora over Sirius/XM (though I wouldn't have a need for that since I don't have any satellite radio subscriptions).

Hulu makes sense because they have some sort of revenue stream to share. However, with the whole Boxee fiasco, I'm not sure the content providers are ready to allow people to view their streaming content the way people REALLY want to view it.

There are potentially hundreds of great channels Roku could provide, but they are as irritatingly secretive about partnerships as Apple is about their products. So, there isn't much of a point in speculating.

[Patrick]

I wish Netflix would come out and make statements against the broadband companies putting bandwidth limits on their "unlimited" services. Going forward, Comcast and Time-Warner are going to have a big impact on any business model that relies on 'unlimited' broadband.

[Del]

Roku needs to do this if they are going to compete with others.

For example:
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/ITV2000.aspx

[Nic]

I use a vga cable from my laptop to my lcd tv and stream ANYTHING I WANT ON THE WEB--including Netflix with good results. VGA cable: $6
Netflix streaming: free with membership
Veoh: download and save or stream for free.
Hulu, watch-movies.net etc free!

[poopster]

search option, menus, screen clutter, remote control clicks and thinking is exactly what people chose not to do by buying the roku in the first place. now that is about to change?

people like it because when they turn it on the movies that they are interested in are already right there towards the top of their queue.

now they're going to have to spell out the name of a movie by choosing on-screen letters? your average person is not going to do that.

[MCW]

"I use a vga cable from my laptop to my lcd tv and stream ANYTHING I WANT ON THE WEB--including Netflix with good results. VGA cable: $6"

It's not easy for most people to do what you're suggesting, and with most laptops, you aren't getting HD streaming like on the Roku Player (When output to your TV). I definitely tried doing it before the Roku Player was released, and there is no argument... the Roku Player is a million times better than rigging up your crappy laptop to your TV.

Roku has a money-back guarantee. I'm sure if you bought it and tried it for just one day, you'd forget all about your VGA cables. You wouldn't need the guarantee.

[Kam]

"people like it because when they turn it on the movies that they are interested in are already right there towards the top of their queue."

I have over 300 movies in my instant queue, and the only way I know how to keep them organized is to move them around one at a time on Netflix.com.

Any additional search capabilities on the ROKU (HOPEFULLY including filter/sort options) would make me a happy, happy viewer.

[Derek]

@poopster: "now they're going to have to spell out the name of a movie by choosing on-screen letters? your average person is not going to do that."

See, e.g., TiVo users -- now going on 10 years.

Roku FTW.

[banter]

So far Roku has exceeded my expectations for it and everything else is just gravy.

[PLB]

I guess the proper and upright readers of this blog are unaware of pornography. Porn rules the Web. It always has. Ten years ago I interviewed at a company in San Jose that alone accounted for more than ten percent of the total daily traffic on the Internet. One company! That's more than GM, IBM, Microsoft, Chase Manhattan or the entire US Government.

If Roku doesn't add porno channels someone else is sure to.

[SteveP]

Hopefully one of the 'channels' is a way to stream content from your own computer to the Roku.

[Chris]

Please be Setanta (please!)

[nic]

" It's not easy for most people to do what you're suggesting...the Roku Player is a million times better than rigging up your crappy laptop to your TV"
First--it is REALLY easy, and maybe it could open someone's eyes to technology. Second--it's not a crappy laptop, I paid $390 for it a few months ago. 3rd: do you own Roku stock? I own Netflix stock, but I still like to go guerilla on the world and rig up a really cool way to play games, stream videos, and stick it to the man. If noone else wants my tips, don't try it. If you have cajones, it is a really easy free way to watch quality web on a tv. Function F4 it.

[ZeroCorpse]

My wish list:

Hulu
South Park Studios
Adult Swim
YouTube
iTV
Comedy Central
ABC.com (LOST reruns, man.)
iFilm

That would be a nice, well-rounded list that would stick it to the cable companies quite nicely.

[ZeroCorpse]

@Nic

Yes, your method works. No question of that.

The thing is, it uses LOTS more electricity, has a noisy fan kick in when the video stream is big, takes up more space, isn't as easy to control from your couch, costs WAY more than a Roku, and ties up your laptop for TV duty.

I watch plenty of stuff on my laptop hooked to a Samsung monitor/HDTV, but given a choice, I prefer the Roku because it's a dedicated device, it's silent, it's easy to use, and it was ninety-nine bucks. Why put my expensive laptop through the paces when I can put a cheap, easy device on TV duty instead?

To each his own, but I think you'd like the Roku if you gave it a chance.

[nic]

Here's a question I'd like answered: Has anyone tested just how much bandwidth the Roku box uses--especially with HD content?
I totally support getting and trying the Roku box--stick it to the cable companies!
It seems to me like the point is to save money and get more out of your internet--but how much does the Roku box end up taking away?
Thanks so far zerocorpse. We would all like to know more about the Roku box.

[Lester]

Nic. HD on Roku uses 2.2 mbps and SD, on top reception, uses 1.5 mbps. Generally, it works out to about a gig per hour. I never have had a problem with my cable IPS about usage.

On the stock point, I don't think that Roku is publicly owned. I doubt that any here would have any ownership interest.

[d]

would like 2 c "hulu" & "mtvmusic", among others!

[ja]

Let's not forget the dandy remote!

[leonardodicrapio]

I think I should start to Netflix that it crashes my TivoHD. Because I shouldn't have to shell out $99 when there is a problem. Personally I think Netflix and Tivo should throw in $50 each to cover the entire cost of a Roku box (and give me a buck profit) since I feel it is both their faults. It's going to be a major Pain In The Ass if I have to use the Roku box, too. First I would have to wire it up (which is a one-time PITA), but then I would have to pick up my Yamaha receiver remote (because I like my Tivo Peanut remote and don't want a Universal Remote) to change from CAB/SAT to DTV (I currently have DVD taken up by my Pioneer Blu-Ray player, but I had my Oppo DVD player hooked up to DVD before and my HD-DVD player hooked up to DTV). I've got other inputs (VCR1, DVR/VCR2, V-AUX). Maybe I could use VAUX for a Roku. Man, what a PITA!

[leonardodicrapio]

I guess I should have said, "I think I should start COMPLAINING to Netflix that it crashes my TivoHD." The streaming video from Netflix is the problem. The problem could probably is partially Tivo's fault, too (because I believe the first couple months of the Series 3's had somewhat faulty hard drives that were more prone to freezing -- however Netflix has been the only thing that has frozen up the drive AFAIK). I have no problems with Amazon's downloaded videos.

[jason]

I want my roku to have a LAN channel or access to an SMB drive or something like that. Would be sweet.

[dAVe]

I really have enjoyed using the Roku to stream NetFlix movies. I would say it was the best $100 I spent on a toy in 2008. What I don't want to see is the little box get crammed with bloatware. I would prefer to see something more in the line of "opt-in" firmware upgrades for things like AmazonVOD, new channel one, new channel two, etc.

[DJ B.]

Roku Rocks! Right now, I'm already very satisfied with it. But this 10 channels more will blow me away. I wish it would be HULU, Youtube, Vimeo, and other web videos. I have enough movies already form netflix and amazon. I think web videos are going to be a welcome addition to the mix and will complement the current programming. I Love My Roku. We will RokU!

[Bryan]

I used to hook up my computer to the TV, but the Roku is so much easier and has better picture. This is the best $99 gadget available hands down. Also way more convenient with a fast start up time and no messing with any cords.

[anchorman]

ROKU needs to add a news channel - BBC or CNN

[BoloMKXXVIII]

One of the channels will be Revision3. Tekzilla announced it this week (10/15/09)

[EVTV]

There is porn on the Roku! EroticVision.TV

The press release is here.

http://www.xbiznewswire.com/view.php?id=115832

[Janet]

@Nic: I'm just confused as to how a $390 laptop is not considered cheap.