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Tag: Roku

  • Roku Enables Nielsen Four-Screen Measurement

    Roku Enables Nielsen Four-Screen Measurement

    Roku has enabled Nielsen four-screen measurement across traditional TV, connected TV, mobile, and desktop.

    Nielsen ratings are the gold standard for gauging the popularity of TV shows. Nielsen’s Four-Screen Ad Deduplication is a major step forward in its Nielsen One plans. Nielsen One is slated for release in December 2022 and will be a cross-media measurement platform.

    “Marketers are increasingly investing in CTV to follow consumers. However, brands want consistent measurement across screens,” said Kim Gilberti, SVP, Product Management, Nielsen. “Marketers can now better evaluate CTV inventory’s unique reach and frequency in conjunction with their entire Roku buy in a comparable and comprehensive manner, and advertisers can reduce waste and help ensure that relevant ads are delivered to the right audiences across devices. This release brings us one step closer to providing comparable and deduplicated metrics across screens with Nielsen ONE.”

    “We believe that all TV ads will be accountable and measurable,” said Asaf Davidov, Head of Ad Measurement and Research, Roku. “Our direct consumer relationship, our scale, and our tech all make us uniquely positioned to work with Nielsen to make measurement simpler and more accurate as marketers shift spend to TV streaming.”

  • Roku and Google Settle YouTube TV Spat, Agree to Multi-Year Deal

    Roku and Google Settle YouTube TV Spat, Agree to Multi-Year Deal

    Roku and Google have settled their spat over YouTube TV, agreeing to a multi-year deal that will keep YouTube TV on the platform.

    Roku and Google have been at odds since April over terms for renewing their agreement for YouTube TV streaming. Google wanted access to more customer data than Roku was willing to give.

    “We have only asked Google for four simple commitments,” a Roku spokesperson told WebProNews at the time. “First, not to manipulate consumer search results. Second, not to require access to data not available to anyone else. Third, not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs. Fourth, not to act in a discriminatory and anticompetitive manner against Roku.”

    Roku ultimately pulled the YouTube TV app from its platform. Google retaliated by including streaming TV in its standard YouTube app for Roku.

    Despite the dispute, it appears the two companies have reached a new agreement, as announced by Roku on Twitter.

    It’s unclear at this time which company backed down from its demands.

  • Roku Loses YouTube TV App

    Roku Loses YouTube TV App

    Roku has officially lost the YouTube TV app, after previously warning its customers of the possibility.

    Roku warned customers earlier this week they could lose access to YouTube TV due to a contract dispute. Unlike many contract disputes, money was not the issue. Instead, Google was more interested in customer data than more money.

    “We are disappointed that Google has allowed our agreement for the distribution of YouTube TV to expire,” a Roku spokesperson told WebProNews. “Roku has not asked for one dollar of additional financial consideration from Google to renew YouTube TV.”

    Much of the issue hinged around Google’s data practices, with Roku endeavoring to protect its customers from the search giant.

    “We have only asked Google for four simple commitments,” the spokesperson continued. “First, not to manipulate consumer search results. Second, not to require access to data not available to anyone else. Third, not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs. Fourth, not to act in a discriminatory and anticompetitive manner against Roku.”

    Given the scrutiny Google is already under, playing hardball with Roku is not a good look for the company, and may create further problems down the road.

  • User Data at Heart of Roku and Google/YouTube TV Dispute

    User Data at Heart of Roku and Google/YouTube TV Dispute

    Roku has accused Google of “predatory, anti-competitive and discriminatory” actions regarding its YouTube TV streaming service.

    Roku is the number one streaming platform in the US, making it a major factor in the success of TV streaming services. Meanwhile, Google’s YouTube TV has quickly become one of the most popular cable TV alternatives.

    According to Deadline, however, Roku is warning its customers they may not be able to access YouTube TV in the near future. While many disputes in the industry are often the result of money, Roku says Google is not asking for “a single additional dollar in value” in the current negotiations.

    Instead, Roku says Google is “attempting to use its YouTube monopoly position to force Roku into accepting predatory, anti-competitive and discriminatory terms that will directly harm Roku and our users.” In particular, Deadline reports Roku is accusing Google of trying to “manipulate the user experience to siphon data and tilt search results in YouTube’s favor,” with the company more interested in customer data than charging Roku more.

    In addition, Google may require Roku to upgrade its devices with more powerful chips to accommodate YouTube TV, something that would be a costly endeavor.

    It is not clear when the issue will come to a head and potentially disrupt service, although the end of April is a strong possibility, as it coincides with many media contract deadlines.

  • Google Play Movies & TV App Ending Roku and Smart TV Support

    Google Play Movies & TV App Ending Roku and Smart TV Support

    Google has announced it is ending support for its Play Movies & TV app on Roku and smart TVs by LG, Samsung and Vizio.

    Google has been moving away from its Play Movies & TV app, with the eventual goal being to replace it with Google TV, which the company unveiled in September 2020. In the meantime, the company is steering users toward its YouTube TV streaming service.

    Starting 6/15/2021, the Google Play Movies & TV app will no longer be available on Roku, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs. The YouTube app will be your new home for movies and shows. Just log in with your Google account in the YouTube app today, you’ll have access to all of your past purchases, and will be able to browse, purchase, and rent new content.

    Google says past purchases will be available in YouTube, Google Play credits can be used in YouTube and Play Family Library purchases can be viewed on YouTube. Watchlists will not make the transition, however.

    As 9to5Google points out, one disadvantage of of this approach is that YouTube TV doesn’t offer the wide range of 4K support as a dedicated app, like Play Movies & TV app.

  • Roku Looks to Expand Into Original Content

    Roku Looks to Expand Into Original Content

    Roku is expanding into original content, moving beyond merely streaming content, according to a recent job listing.

    Roku has been manufacturing digital media players for over a decade. The company’s software also serves as the basis for a number of smart TVs, and Roku has its own channel where it plays licensed content.

    Many streaming services, however, have been expanding aggressively into original content. Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV+ have all seen significant success producing their own shows and movies, and Roku apparently wants in on the action.

    In a job posting on LinkedIn, the company is looking for “a Lead Production Attorney to work on its expanding slate of original content. The position reports directly to Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Programming & Distribution.”

    There is little additional information on Roku’s plans, but the company did purchase Quibi’s content library when that service shuttered. Hiring a Lead Production Attorney is the next logical step, putting the pieces in place to capitalize on its purchase.

  • The Over-the-Top Marketing Juggernauts Have Arrived

    The Over-the-Top Marketing Juggernauts Have Arrived

    “Netflix versus Disney is the right comp,” says Laura Martin of Needham. “Netflix just raised price and Disney is now saying they are going to do a $12.99 bundle for Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Disney Plus, That feels like bundling is a smart idea and free services feel like a better value. I think what we are going to get for the first time in over-the-top is the marketing juggernauts have arrived. Guys who market things for a living. This is what Disney does better than any company in the media space.”

    Laura Martin, Managing Directory of investment banking firm Needham & Company, discusses how the game is changing for over-the-top (OTT) with the arrival of Disney Plus, in an interview on CNBC:

    I would call Roku the winning aggregator of all over the top platforms. They’re now in 30 million homes out of 120 million US homes. This means you can’t watch Apple Plus, Disney Plus, Warner Brothers Plus, and Disney Plus without going to Roku because they are reaching 30 percent of connected households. That gives them pricing power against those juggernauts. 

    Netflix versus Disney is the right comp. Netflix just raised price and Disney is now saying they are going to do a $12.99 bundle for Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Disney Plus. You are getting three services for $13. Really, four streams from Netflix is now $14 after the recent price increase. That feels like bundling is a smart idea and free services feel like a better value. I think what we are going to get for the first time in over-the-top is marketing juggernauts have arrived. Guys who market things for a living. This is what Disney does better than any company in the media space. 

    Disney+ Takes Netflix Growth Negative In a Significant Way

    I think it takes Netflix growth negative in a significant way in the US. Bob Iger has said he wants 90 percent awareness of Disney Plus by the time they launch on November 12th. To do that, that means they are putting it in every single theme park, they are buying billboards, they’re going on ABC which they own, they are going on ESPN which they own. They are going on everything. He said it was the most important media launch initiative since he’s been there. Bob Iger got there in 2005.

    The Roku channel is all ad-driven, meaning free. It looks like NBC is going to launch ad-free. CBS has news that is ad-driven. So I think we are going to get 50 percent of viewing with no subscription fee that is ad-driven. I think it is going to be cluttered. In my opinion, you won’t go from three average SVOD subscriptions to five.

    OTT Marketing Juggernauts Have Arrived, Says Needham’s Laura Martin
  • Bringing Digital-Like Concepts to TV Will Not Cause Digital-Like Growth

    Bringing Digital-Like Concepts to TV Will Not Cause Digital-Like Growth

    Brian Wieser, a well-known advertising expert at Pivotal Research, says that simply bringing digital-like concepts to traditional TV will not by itself cause digital-like growth. He says that growth would only come if TV could appeal to new kinds of advertisers.

    Brian Wieser, Senior Analyst at Pivotal Research Group who covers all things advertising from an investor perspective, discussed on BeetTV how technology is changing TV advertising:

    Advanced TV Technologies Are Really More About Optimizing

    A lot of Advanced TV technologies are really more about optimizing. They’re really more about making the workflows more efficient. They’re also about load-balancing in terms of maximizing or optimizing reach and frequency. Maybe even one day they can help contribute to reduced commercial loads because they can identify better ways to reach different audiences with different units, which then just allows media owners to reduce their ad loads.

    Bringing Digital-Like Concepts to TV Will Not Cause Digital-Like Growth

    I don’t believe it causes growth in advertising. Bringing digital-like concepts to traditional TV will not cause digital-like growth. The only thing that would cause growth above and beyond the trajectory that TV is on is if TV can appeal to different kinds of advertisers. The direct-to-consumer marketers, for example, would be a segment of a marketer that isn’t really meaningfully in TV.

    If there are technologies or if there are platforms or if media owners can find ways to sell to those advertisers, now it’s not a given but it’s an example, of where there could be incremental spending. That’s the only thing that will cause any different growth for the industry.

    Any of the Ad Tech Players Could Play in TV

    Any of the Ad Tech players could play in TV. I mean certainly, we see right now the bigger players would be Roku and The Trade Desk when we think of publicly traded companies that are trying to play in what we will broadly define as this space. There are other companies, WideOrbit, of course, Mediaocean, there are many other infrastructure players who don’t necessarily sell media, but ultimately they’re the ones who have to help provide the tools to help realize the improvements that the industry needs.

  • LinkedIn Launches Lynda.com Roku Channel

    LinkedIn announced a new Lyda.com channel for the Roku platform, touting it as a “way to transform your living room into a learning workshop.” The channel gives viewers access to 4,000 courses.

    “Whether it’s to learn new business skills, creative, or technical skills you can now master them at your leisure on the big screen (popcorn not included),” a spokesperson for LinkedIn tells WebProNews. “Or use your TV as an extra screen, freeing up your laptop or desktop to actively work alongside our instructional videos.”

    The channel gives both members and non-members a new way to access content and keeps continuity across devices so members can begin a course on one device and pick up where they left off on another.

    LinkedIn acquired Lynda.com back in April, and has since become an important part of its business. It was the source of $41 million of revenue for the company in Q3.

    Lynda.com has over 4,000 courses with new ones being added each day. It features over 150,000 videos with industry expert instructors like David Allen, Deke McClelland, and Ben Long.

    The company says it will a lot more Lynda.com news in the coming year.

    Image via Lynda.com

  • Here Are the Best TVs for Netflix, According to Netflix

    Here Are the Best TVs for Netflix, According to Netflix

    At the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this past January, Netflix unveiled a new program called Netflix Recommended TV, “to help consumers identify smart TVs that offer better performance, easier menu navigation and new features that improve the experience for Internet TV services.”

    Now, the independent smart TV evaluation program has just produced its first picks.

    Without further ado, these are the TVs on which Netflix is slapping its stamp of approval:

    LG 4K UHD TVs w/ webOS 2.0

    Sony Android Full HDTVs

    Roku TVs from Hisense, Insignia, and TCL

    “We’re particularly excited about the Instant On functionality supported by Roku TVs and the Sony Android Full HDTVs. These TVs wake up quickly, remembering where you left off, similar to how smartphones and tablets behave today. These Sony and Roku TVs are also capable of turning on and launching Netflix with the press of a single button, making getting to Netflix faster than ever before. The LG 4K UHD TVs with webOS 2.0 have made special optimizations to make streaming services like Netflix launch much faster, and all of these devices offer improved user interfaces, allowing you to move seamlessly between live TV and Internet TV services,” says Netflix.

    Shoppers will be able to see which TVs Netflix recommends, as they will sport a special seal of approval.

  • Cable TV Cutters Have Plenty Of Options This Christmas

    Cable TV is one of the worst investments a family can make today. There’s only so much to watch, and lot of it is never on when you want it to be. That’s why cable cutters are on the rise, and it’s easier than ever to say goodbye to your cable TV provider over the holidays.

    Cable cutters have a multitude of options when it comes to streaming video solutions with Google, Amazon, Roku and Apple all offering compelling hardware. The question during the holidays is which company offers the best value. For the purposes of this article, we can ignore any potential sales and focus solely on base value.

    First off is the Google Chromecast – the $35 streaming stick that connects to your TV via HDMI. It’s small and unobtrusive, but it requires that you either own an iOS or Android device. If you have a mobile device, you can “cast” video from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and many others onto the Chromecast. It also interacts with Google Play so you can watch all the movies and listen to all the music that you’ve bought via the service. What’s that? You haven’t bought anything on Google Play? Well, Google is offering Chromecast buyers $20 in Google Play Movies credit and free trials to Google Play Music and Hulu Plus during the holidays.

    Starting out, Amazon couldn’t really compete with Google on price as its Fire TV was a full-fledged set top box that went for $99. That all changed this year, however, when Amazon introduced the Fire TV Stick – a $40 streaming stick that directly competes with the Chromecast. Amazon promises a device with 4x the storage and 2x the memory of the Chromecast hence the $5 markup. It also has access to Amazon Instant Video so Prime members will be right at home with this one. Another benefit is that the device ships with a dedicated remote so users don’t have to own a mobile device to use it.

    Roku, the first company to really nail the set-top box concept, also has a streaming stick in stores this holiday. The Roku Streaming Stick, which retails for $50, is kind of a best of both worlds between the Chromecast and Fire TV Stick. It offers all the same services as the previous two while allowing users to control either via included remote or their smartphone. Roku is also offering a special deal where first time buyers get over $40 of movies, TV and music from Hulu Plus and Rdio Unlimited.

    Finally, Apple is offering its premium Apple TV to buyers looking for something that keeps them in the comfy, conformist Apple ecosystem. Staring at $99, the Apple TV is the only set-top box you’ll see on this list as the company has not released a streaming stick. It’s also likely that Apple will never do so. The set-top box format allows the Apple TV to do a lot more than a streaming stick, like play games. The only problem is that it’s a set top box so those looking for something that won’t stick out won’t find it on the Apple TV.

    So, which one of these fine products should you get for the aspiring cable cutter this Christmas? It really depends on their needs, but there’s a simple question that can easily decide which to get. Do you or the person in question own a mobile device, and are they comfortable using it? If so, the Chromecast is a great choice thanks to its low price and compatibility with dozens of mobile apps. If they don’t own a mobile device, the Fire TV is the next best bet.

    Image via Google Chrome, Twitter

  • Black Friday Ads 2014: Best of Amazon

    Black Friday Ads 2014: Best of Amazon

    Black Friday ads for 2014–what does Amazon offer? Quite a bit, especially if you’re shopping for electronics. In fact, they have a pretty impressive list of wares that Black Friday shoppers will likely make note of and compare to other retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

    Amazon has teased sales for more than a week now, with decent prices on everything from cameras to warm winter gloves. The official Black Friday 2014 ads were finally confirmed today, however, providing shoppers with plenty of gift options from which to choose.

    So what’s included in Amazon’s Black Friday ads for 2014? Make your list and check it twice, and you’ll be prepared to snag some fabulous online deals.

    1. Toshiba 50″ LED LCD HDTV for $199–this is a dollar less than the same size offered by Best Buy.

    2. 32″ LED LCD HDTV for $79–this one amazing deal finds Amazon undercutting both Target and Kohl’s.

    3. 40″ 1080p LED LCD HDTV for $119–t his deal is a direct response to Target’s Element 40″ HDTV–also priced at $119. Amazon doesn’t disclose the brand of the TV they are selling, however, so it’s hard to tell which will be the better of the two deals.

    4. LG G3 Android Smartphone for 1 cent with 2-year contract–this is a standout deal for anyone in need of a new Android smartphone, provided you were planning on signing on the dotted line for a 2-year contract.

    5. HTC One M8 Windows Smartphone for 1 cent with 2-year contract–this is a similar deal as the Android, as the contract is required.

    6. Roku LT HD Wireless Media Player for $28–this beats Walmart’s deal by $11.

    7. Panasonic 3D Blu-ray Player for $35–this is the least expensive anyone has seen since last December, when the price was $49.

    8. Beats by Dr. Dre Studio 2.0 Over-the-Ear Headphones for $199.99–the least expensive anyone has found these on sale is $210.

    There are additional 2014 Black Friday ads on Amazon, but these are the ones that beat out their competitors. Watch their website closely to see when shoppers can take advantage of these Black Friday ads 2014. Do they actually mean Friday or are some of these deals available on Thursday evening instead?

  • Firefox For Android Gets Chromecast, Roku Support

    Firefox For Android Gets Chromecast, Roku Support

    Mozilla announced that Firefox for Android will now let users send supported videos to their televisions via Roku and Chromecast.

    In a blog post, the company explains:

    You might be entertaining friends and want to share a clip from your recent vacation or a news video from sites like CNN.com. Whatever the reason, sending videos to your TV has never been easier. All you need to do is find and start to play a video in Firefox for Android. You’ll then see the ‘send to device’ icon in the video playback controls and the URL bar. Tap on the icon for a list of connected Roku or Chromecast device(s) that are on the same WiFi network. Simply select the device you want to send your video to.

    You can choose the content you want to view in your living room and can play, pause and close videos directly from the Media Control Bar in Firefox for Android. This appears at the bottom of the screen on your Android phone when a video is being sent and stays visible as long as the video is playing, even if you change tabs or visit new Web pages.

    Of course the Chromecast app itself lets you mirror your Android device’s screen (at least for the growing list of supported devices), and more and more apps (including Chrome) enable casting on their own.

    The addition of Roku support is the standout feature with Mozilla’s offering. While it doesn’t offer any specific plans, the functionality would seem to suggest that Firefox could add support for additional streaming devices.

    Image via YouTube

  • Less People Use Game Consoles For Netflix As More Use Media Players

    Less People Use Game Consoles For Netflix As More Use Media Players

    People are using digital media players more and video game consoles less to watch Netflix on their televisions, according to a new report from GfK.

    Consoles are still the most common hardware for Netflix viewing on TVs, but things appear to be trending in a different direction.

    According to the report, 28% of those who stream Netflix on a TV use a digital media player (Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, etc.) compared to 15% last year and 6% in 2011. Ownership of such devices has increased from 2% to 21% since 2010, it says.

    28% reported using streaming capabilities built into their TVs compared to 20% last year and 13% in 2011. Meanwhile, those reporting console use dropped to 43%, down 5 percentage points from 2013, and nearly 20 points from 2011, when it was 62%.

    “The wide variations in devices used – and in preferred device by age – speak to a need for Netflix and other SVOD providers to optimize the user experience for each situation,” said David Tice, Senior Vice President at GfK and author of the report. “Not only do the device interface and remote control need to be user-friendly, but things like on-screen font size and menus need to be age-appropriate. With a quarter of Netflix users also being Amazon Prime or Hulu viewers, there is a potential battle in user experience as well as in variety and exclusivity of content.”

    As long as we’re on the subject, here’s a look at some new titles getting ready to hit Netflix.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • Roku Has Now Sold Over 10 Million Players

    Roku Has Now Sold Over 10 Million Players

    Streaming device maker Roku is celebrating a pretty significant milestone today. The company has announced that it has sold more than 10 million of its streaming players in the US. Roku debuted its first player, the Roku DVP, in May of 2008. Since then, Roku users have streaming over five billion hours of programming.

    Alongside its announcement, Roku gives its argument for superiority:

    “Today Roku players feature more than 1,800 channels – that’s 1,000 more channels than available on other streaming players. And because of this vast selection of entertainment, Roku players stream more than other streaming players. In fact, new NPD data found that Roku is the popular choice among streaming players and accounts for an aggregate 37 million hours of video streamed per week compared to Apple TV at 15 million hours, Chromecast at 12 million hours and Amazon Fire TV at six million hours.”

    Recently, Roku launched the first Roku TVs, smart TVs with the Roku platform baked right in, a little over seven months after debuting them at CES. Roku used two manufacturers for their new TVs – TCL and Hisense. The former’s model are now available and the latter’s models are available for preorder.

    It took Roku nearly five years to sell its first five million players. The company has doubled that in the past year and a half.

    Image via Roku

  • Roku TV, Smart TVs Built on Roku, Now Pre-Orderable

    If you’re a big streamer and your Roku box or Roku stick is the most-used device attached to your TV, you can finally cut out the middleman. Roku has just launched the first Roku TVs, smart TVs with the Roku platform baked right in, a little over seven months after debuting them at CES.

    Roku has two manufacturers making their new smart TV – TCL and Hisense. The former comes in 32-inch, 40-inch, 48-inch and 55-inch models and starts at $229 for the smallest, going all the way up to $650 for the largest. They are 1080p and 120Hz and are available for pre-order now. The latter will be available in 40-inch, 48-inch, 50-inch and 55-inch models, and will hit retailers in September. Prices on those have yet to be announced.

    According to Roku, the experience is a comprehensive one – not just the equivalent of “sticking a Roku player inside a TV”

    “Just like our Roku players, Roku TV offers an exceptional streaming experience filled with endless entertainment choices. But we didn’t just stick a Roku player inside the TV. We enhanced the Roku operating system to power the entire TV experience. That means we’ve applied our philosophy of simple and powerful across the entire TV – from the home screen to the remote control to picture settings. Combining the Roku OS with our partners expertise in TV hardware design, manufacturing and scale, we’re thrilled to deliver the best Smart TV in the market,” says CEO Anthony Wood.

    Image via Roku TV

  • Roku Debuts New $50 Streaming Stick

    Roku Debuts New $50 Streaming Stick

    Roku has just announced a new streaming device that is clearly aimed at competing with the highly-popular Google Chromecast and the like. It’s called the Roku Streaming Stick, and it’ll run you $49.99.

    Oh, the Streaming Stick already exists? True. Roku first unveiled their Streaming Stick back in 2012. At the time is cost $100 and plugged into the MHL port of “Roku ready” TVs–not exactly all that appealing to many in the market for a cheap, easy streaming device. It didn’t even come with a remote. The new Roku Stick, apart from its much-lower price tag (the old one still costs $69.99), but it also plugs into your HDMI port. It comes with the classic Roku remote as well.

    According to Roku’s Jim Funk, you can expect the new HDMI version of the Streaming Stick to sport all the functionality of Roku’s set-top boxes.

    “This new tiny player plugs discreetly into an HDMI port – perfect for those beautiful wall-mounted TVs – and packs the complete Roku streaming experience. That means access to 1,200+ channels of movies, TV episodes, music, news, sports, kids’ shows and free programming streamed in up to 1080p HD video, plus a TV user interface featuring the beloved Roku Search,” he says.

    Roku just recently added a YouTube app, as well as WatchESPN and WATCH Disney apps.

    Funk also hints at the device’s future capabilities, although rather vaguely.

    “Users can also cast Netflix, YouTube and personal media from their devices to their TVs and additional mobile features such as the ability to cast content from a computer to the TV are on the way.”

    The HDMI Streaming Stick will hit stores (and online) next month, and you can pre-order now.

    Image via Roku Blog

  • Roku TV Is The Latest Smart TV On The Block

    For years now, there’s been a rumor that Apple would finally ditch its set top box Apple TV and just make an actual television. After all these years, we’re still no closer to finally seeing such a device. You’d think it might just be impossible to transition from a set top box to an actual television, but Roku is proving that notion wrong at CES.

    Roku announced this morning that it will be bringing its own television to CES in the form of the Roku TV. Now, it won’t actually be making its own televisions, but rather it will be partnering with TV manufacturers to pre-load televisions with its smart TV software.

    Since all the major TV manufacturers already have their own smart TV platforms, Roku has had to team up with some of the lesser known manufacturers to get the Roku TV out on the market. TCL, which Roku claims is the third largest TV manufacturer in the world, is the first partner and will be selling Roku TVs later this fall. Hisense, another small Chinese TV manufacturer, has also signed up to offer Roku TVs later this year.

    “Consumers will enjoy the ease and satisfaction of Roku TV while manufacturers leverage our design specifications, content relationships and software expertise. At the same time the content community will gain additional distribution and revenues through an already popular and trusted streaming platform – now in the TV,” said Roku Chief Executive Officer Anthony Wood. “I’m very excited about our partnerships with TV manufacturers and the first Roku TV models planned for release this fall from TCL and Hisense.”

    Roku TVs will be available in sizes from 32 to 55 inches. There’s no word on pricing yet, but they will be available in both the U.S. and Canada in the fall.

    It’s certainly an interesting concept, and one that Google has already exploited for its own Google TV software. With Roku TV, Roku will be able to get into more homes through those that upgrade to larger televisions through cheaper manufacturers like TCL and Hisense. As the year goes on, Roku will most likely snag even more partners to expand the reach of its platforms.

    Image via Roku/Business Wire

  • Roku Gets a YouTube Channel, Complete with HD Streaming and ‘Send to TV’ Feature

    Roku Gets a YouTube Channel, Complete with HD Streaming and ‘Send to TV’ Feature

    Roku is the latest set-top device to get a YouTube app. Starting today, Roku 3 owners in the US, UK, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland can now stream YouTube videos on the big screen with their device – in HD when applicable.

    You can also shoot videos from your phone to your TV via Roku.

    “Control YouTube on Roku from that sick new phone you just got, turning your TV into your personal JumboTron. Just connect your device to the same Wi-Fi as your Roku,” says YouTube’s Sarah Ali.

    Roku began to let users stream video to their TVs from their mobile devices back in August.

    “The YouTube channel rounds out our industry-leading selection of streaming entertainment just in time for the holidays and the annual year-end best-of video lists like YouTube’s own list of top trending videos released last week. Whether it’s finding a helpful tutorial, listening to the latest music, or watching your favorite videos for hours on end, YouTube has something for everyone and today we couldn’t be more pleased to announce the launch of this much-anticipated channel on our platform,” says Roku’s Ed Lee.

    This isn’t the only new content app to hit Roku in recent memory – just last month Roku added the popular WatchESPN and WATCH Disney apps to their lineup.

    Image via Roku Blog

  • Roku Now Sports WatchESPN and WATCH Disney Channels

    Roku Now Sports WatchESPN and WATCH Disney Channels

    Roku owners can now rejoice in the knowledge that their holiday seasons will be filled with much more sports (as long as their cable provider supports it, of course). Today, Roku became the latest device to get the WatchESPN app, which allows users to stream live content from a handful of ESPN-affiliated networks.

    As with all streaming devices that offer this ESPN content, it’s all tied to cable providers. If you want to stream WatchESPN programming through your Roku, you’ll have to be a paying customer of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Midcontinent Communications, Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Cox, AT&T U-verse TV, Charter or Google Fiber.

    Google Fiber just announced their deal with Disney for WatchESPN and Watch Disney last month.

    Roku users get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Goal Line, and ESPN Buzzer Beater right away, and the additional Disney content (WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD) later this month.

    “We’re always working hard to grow our entertainment selection and we’re very excited to add these premium brands to our platform of 1000+ streaming channels. Happy streaming,” said Ed Lee, Roku VP of content acquisition.

    WatchESPN and Watch Disney are the latest channels to come to Roku, who has been beefing up their offerings pretty consistently in recent months. Roku recently announced Redbox Instant and Spotify as new options for users. Earlier this year, the company announced a significant milestone – 5 million players sold and over 8 billion streams.

    Image via Roku Blog

  • Set-Top Box Market Growing, Despite Other “Smart” Devices

    Set-Top Box Market Growing, Despite Other “Smart” Devices

    For the past half-decade or so, set-top boxes have been getting smarter. Not the ones provided by cable companies, but boxes from Roku and other companies have been trying to provide quality streaming services to living rooms for years. Now, in an era when nearly all new TV sets have ethernet ports and Netflix apps pre-installed, how will the boxes that led us here fare? Pretty well, if new analyst numbers are to be believed.

    ABI Research today predicted that the “smart” set-top box and dongle market will ship 18 million units by the end of the year. This prediction is higher than one made earlier this year, specifically because the dongle sub-category has been pioneered by Google. One month ago, Google announced its Chromecast dongle for TVs. The device is designed to stream contend from mobile devices onto TV screens (though apparently only approved content).

    The overall set-top box and dongle market, ABI predicts, will grow 10.8% between now and 2018. This modest growth will mainly come from emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. Dongle devices in particular are predicted to take off, with low prices driving demand and pressuring TV manufacturers to keep software costs down. The eventual break-up of regional cable monopolies will also play into the need for low-priced set-top and dongle streaming TV solutions.

    “If Sony secures the rights to distribute live cable channels from Viacom, partnerships such as this allude to a content future quite different from the one many are accustomed to today,” said Sam Rosen, practice director at ABI. “Content holders are already forging more direct relationships to viewers and this would be a natural step forward, but the Pay TV operators are likewise evolving and adapting to this changing market environment. The amalgamation of Pay TV and OTT will become increasingly important, suggesting Google TV’s vision might have come too early but might grow into this role as a bridge or new entrants like Microsoft’s Xbox One might fully realize this unified vision.”

    (Image courtesy Google)