Roku Launches New Channel Store with 10 New Channels

[digiblur]

Looks like it is almost here! It's been working great for the beta testers...from what I hear!

Roku Launches New Channel Store with 10 New Channels

Roku is launching a new channel store for the Roku Player, and is adding 10 new channels: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision 3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox, and MobileTribe. The Roku Channel store will work on all 3 Roku Player models and will be available to all Roku customers within 2 weeks, but if you have a Roku Player you can install the update as soon as its available by going to "Roku Player Setttings," selecting "player info," and "check for update."

Hacking NetFlix : Roku Launches New Channel Store with 10 New Channels

[YOUTUBE]JUvpbku500Y[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Here is the PR

Roku Launches Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces First 10 New Channels

Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe all now available on the Roku player


Silicon Valley, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 free channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet radio to video podcasts, professional web content to photo sharing and personal videos, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. New channels now available for customers to add today to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. For the complete list of channels, specific channel descriptions and features please go to Channel Store.

These first 10 channels are just the beginning for Roku. Many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time. New channels will appear in the Roku Channel Store automatically as they become available.

The Roku Channel Store represents an opportunity for content owners and publishers to reach an already large and growing audience of Roku customers. By creating an open platform for delivery to the television over the Internet, Roku has leveled the playing field for content owners.

“The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world’s first open platform designed specifically for the TV,” Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. “Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates.”

To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku’s free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.

All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR models, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. The new channels are in addition to the existing Roku channels already available: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV.

Pricing and availability
The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, customers will be prompted to create a Roku account. Existing customers who do not want to wait for their Roku player to update automatically can manually update their Roku player immediately. Detailed instructions can be found under the Roku Channel Store tab at Roku Digital Video Player | Roku Player FAQs, Help & Support.

First introduced in May 2008, and updated regularly with free software updates, the Roku player family provides the easiest, most affordable and reliable way for hundreds of thousands of Roku customers to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events instantly on their TV. All three Roku players are available immediately at Roku Digital Video Player | Watch Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and MLB.TV on Roku Player starting at $79.99 and include free shipping for a limited time.

About Roku, Inc.
Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media, opening up a new world of entertainment to the TV. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products that give customers the ability to take charge over their entertainment choices, combining high-value content and immediate access to that content at a low price. Its products include: The family of Roku players and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: Roku Digital Video Player | Watch Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and MLB.TV on Roku Player.

 

[digiblur]

Keep an eye on your players, they will update automatically.

We are conducting a slow roll out of the Roku Channel Store software to our customer base. All Roku players will get a software update and receive the Roku Channel Store on their player within the next couple weeks. Currently you cannot update your player manually to get the Channel Store update sooner, but we will alert you once that option is available.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Could Roku carry NHL Gamecenter like it did MLB.tv?

 

[slimoli]

Can I use Roku to playback a HD MPEG2 video stored on my PC ? Thanks.

 

[dlsnyder]

Where's Hulu?

 

[digiblur]

Can I use Roku to playback a HD MPEG2 video stored on my PC ? Thanks.

No... I have seen lots of requests for this in the Roku forums, so I know the developers know about this request.

Where's Hulu?

This is the number 1 request to the Roku folks. I know they would love to put it on the box, they are being quiet on the terms on this one. I'm guessing Hulu wants some big bucks to put it on the box. Just like how YouTube is pulling their API from quite a few boxes pretty soon.

Could Roku carry NHL Gamecenter like it did MLB.tv?

From what I've read from the Roku team, is if the content license holder wants a channel they'll be more than happy to get the ball rolling with them. The SDK is available to developers to start creating their own channels.

 

[Mike0616]

TWIT channel? You have got to be kidding, who named it that?

 

[digiblur]

TWIT channel? You have got to be kidding, who named it that?

Remember ZDTV? Or you might now it as TechTV before G4TV killed it. It's Leo from the Screen Savers.

this Week in Tech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:TWITPodcastLogo.jpg" class="image"><img alt="TWITPodcastLogo.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/TWITPodcastLogo.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@en/e/ec/TWITPodcastLogo.jpg

 

[digiblur]

Time to update everyone... enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Happy to report that the Roku Channel Store upgrade is now available for download. Detailed directions can be found below.

The manual update is available for all models except the Roku SD Player. The SD Player will receive the Channel Store update via an automatic update by mid-December.

Follow these five easy steps:
1. From the Roku home screen, select the “Settings” icon.
2. Select the “Player Info” icon within “Settings.”
3. Select “Check for Update.”
4. Select “Yes” on the confirmation dialog box to confirm that you want to update your player. Please note there is a possibility that the Roku player will state it has the most up to date software already installed. If you receive this notification, please immediately try updating again and it will begin the update process.
5. Once you see a dialog box indicating your player has been updated, select “OK” to restart your Roku player and finish the update.

After the player restarts, click on the Roku Channel Store icon and follow the instructions to link your Roku player to a Roku account. After restart you will see just the 'Settings' icon on your screen. Don't worry, it may take up to one minute for the Channel Store and other icons to appear.

We hope you enjoy all the new content now available for your Roku player. If you have more questions, please checkout our Channel Store FAQs, Roku Digital Video Player | Roku Player FAQs, Help & Support

We know a lot of you have been really excited since the news first broke Sunday night and we have been working very hard to make manual updates available while we slowly begin rolling out the software automatically to our customers.

We hope you enjoy these channels and the whole Roku Channel Store experience. This marks just the beginning as we work to truly make this an open TV platform.

Thanks again for your support!

Brian

 

[Tom Bombadil]

This announcement got me all excited about Roku, so I clicked on the links in Scott's message and looked over their options. Watched the demo. Then clicked on the "specs" link for the two HD boxes.

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

The only HD output option is 720p! There is no 1080i option! My HDTV can't decode a 720p input, all I get is snow from a 720p source. My set can accept 480i, 480p, or 1080i. So the highest res output I could set the Roku HD box to is 480p.

Bummer!

 

[Mike0616]

Remember ZDTV? Or you might now it as TechTV before G4TV killed it. It's Leo from the Screen Savers.

this Week in Tech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That show with Leo, et. al, was the only thing on there that was worth watching. Once they canceled it, quit watching that channel.

Hmmmm... still surprised at calling it "Twit" channel as "twit" has a pretty negative connotation around here.

From dictiionary.com:
–verb (used with object)
1. to taunt, tease, ridicule, etc., with reference to anything embarrassing; gibe at.
2. to reproach or upbraid.
–noun
3. an act of twitting.
4. a derisive reproach; taunt; gibe.
–noun Informal.
an insignificant or bothersome person.

 

[digiblur]

That show with Leo, et. al, was the only thing on there that was worth watching. Once they canceled it, quit watching that channel.

Hmmmm... still surprised at calling it "Twit" channel as "twit" has a pretty negative connotation around here.

The name is catchy and you won't forget it which is why they stuck with the "This Week in Tech". It definitely made me curious and check it out, so it worked.

If you liked watching Leo and Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, etc, check out Revision3 (also available on the Roku), Patrick is on Tekzilla and Kevin is on Digg Nation.

 

[Mike0616]

The name is catchy and you won't forget it which is why they stuck with the "This Week in Tech". It definitely made me curious and check it out, so it worked.

If you liked watching Leo and Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, etc, check out Revision3 (also available on the Roku), Patrick is on Tekzilla and Kevin is on Digg Nation.

Will definitely find the shows and take a look. THANKS!

ZD was an interesting company, managed rather interestingly. When the channel was sold and changed so much, they may as well have totally killed it off to me. That was one of the shows that encouraged me to take the plunge into a DVR many years ago, so I didn't miss any of the episodes.

Thanks again, looking forward to this channel and the others that will be added. It looks like IPTV may actually do what I thought it would long ago, just that it took way longer to get there.

 

[abisdabis]

My forced update went smooth, as expected. I have never heard of most of those channels. I am really enjoying pandora so far. Listening to Holiday music with the extended family over. Can't wait to check out the rest of the channels.

 

[topcats69]

twit stands for... this week in tech. one of leo's podcasts

 

[digiblur]

twit stands for... this week in tech. one of leo's podcasts

I hear an echo

 

[am7crew]

mine still has yet to update.

 

[digiblur]

The update was released to everyone. What does your box say when you try to update?

 

[am7crew]

when I go to check for update is says my box is up to date which obviously isnt true since I only have the 3 channels (Netflix, Amazon, MLB)