Is the Roku Digital Video Player the best electronics bargain going today?
We know how heated things are getting between manufacturers and content providers these days when it comes to vying for your digital media streams. And we also love how this competition is giving consumers new options seemingly every day.
The big winner might be Roku, which at $99 is a cheaper option than boxes from Vudu and ZeeVee (though we really like those too), for example, or a Netflix-streaming Blu-ray player, AppleTV or TiVo.
After adding Amazon’s Video On Demand service back in March—and the 40,000-plus titles to go with it—Roku, the original set-top box streamer of Netflix’s Watch Instantly selections, is going to add Mediafly content next, reports CNET.
CNET should know, as its content will be part of what’s streamed to Roku owners via Mediafly. The website aggregates free podcast content from sites all over the Internet, and shoots them to services and devices such as iTunes, iPods, iPhone, Zune, Sansa, iRiver, chumby, and Google Reader to make it easier for you to listen to or view the content.
Right now, the Roku player is listed as “coming soon” in terms of Mediafly-ready devices. According to CNET, “the Mediafly experience on the Roku will include streamlined access to the most popular 500 shows across 20 topics without the need to set up an account or manage any subscriptions.” That’s sports, news, music, technology, travel, business and a slew of other topics at your fingertips.
Plus it is apparently the first of 10 new content partners coming to the player by the end of 2009. We can think of some others we’d like to see (we’re looking at you, Pandora) for Roku, but on the whole we’re pretty sweet on this $99 box.
Two questions for you: what else would you like to see on the Roku player, and are you ready to add it to your equipment rack? If you already have, how’s the experience been? Let us know in comments below.
Love the Roku player. I am hoping that they add more sports interfaces. This would be a good opportunity for the NFL to expand it’s season pass options.
I’d like to be able to stream from my computer to the Roku. I use my computer to record over the air TV, but my computer isn’t near the TV. Streaming to the Roku would make getting recorded shows to my TV a lot easier.
I’d also like C-Span, I can get it over the web right now.
If I could get the Big Ten Network, that would be fantastic.
Agree with Carson. Add Roku (or some other access to network shows on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox) and DLNA (to play movies I have on my home media server).
Hulu would be a great new content source for Roku. Also, it would be really nice if the Roku player were a DLNA certified player, allowing me to stream video and music from my home media server. This would be an affordable option for streaming media to multiple locations throughout the home.
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They just announced the Mediafly deal last week,
I watched Leo Leporte announce that his Twit, network would be among the many providers that Mediafly would stream from their library of podcast, Finely bringing podcast to the masses..
Adding Hulu and other tv streaming providers to the box would be the icing on the cake.
Ken Lawson