Roku wants to stream everyone's content

The Netflix Player by Roku

(Credit: CNET Networks)

It's been known for a while that Netflix and Roku's four-month-old relationship isn't exactly a monogamous one. But it looks like Roku is hoping to play the video-streaming field even more than we initially thought.

Roku makes the $100 Netflix Player, which enables customers to stream movies from the Netflix site to their TVs. It's a product that could be a hit, if only Netflix could secure partnerships with more of the major movie houses and seriously beef up its "Watch it Now" library.

But Roku isn't waiting around for Netflix to make those deals.

CEO Anthony Wood told an audience Wednesday at the Streaming Media West conference in San Jose, Calif., that his company is focused on enabling its set-top box to stream video from any content provider, according to Wired.com.

"We're opening up the platform to anyone who wants to put their video service on this box," Wired cites Wood as saying. "We're going to release the software developer kit, so anyone can publish any channel, and users can access Web content on their TVs."

Will Netflix feel jilted by the move? Woods says no, that both companies intended to work with others all along.

"They made a small investment in us...and they knew from the beginning that we were interested in working with other (content providers), just like they're interested in partnering with other boxes," he said.

For its part, Netflix announced deals Monday with CBS and the Disney Channel that will allow the movie rental service to stream episodes from current seasons of shows. In July, Microsoft said it would allow Xbox 360 owners with Netflix accounts to stream "Watch Now" movies and TV shows through their game console, without any extra hardware or software.

So who's next, I wonder? Hulu? YouTube? Amazon? I guess Roku figures if there are lots of fish in the sea, why not swim with them all?

[lkrupp]

Yawnnnnnnn...zzzzzzzzz.....

[ev61]

Free content (and perhaps a brick and mortar partner) could really do wonders for the box. We all hate adding devices to our packed HT systems, but those that multitask the best will win out.

[zanely]

My Roku works fine, especially after the latest firmware update that keeps it connected via wireless. The problem with Roku is not with the hardware but with the content available to view. What's available to download is all bargain-bin stuff that you would only buy at if someone put a gun to your head. The Roku won't take off until the content owners fire the lawyers now in control and let marketing people use their smarts to move the tons of merchandise that are locked up in antiquated distribution channels.

[joel90035]

I love my Roku box. One thing that the above article didn't mention and I haven't read anywhere is that Heroes Season 3 is avail via Netflix. Heroes is NBC/Universal which does have some of it's older Law & Order and other shows on Netflix Watch Now. I'd like to see all of NBC shows to pop up the day after. The selection on Netflix Watch Now is 80% crap right now. More tv would be great for me as you can only tivo so many tv shows at once. I've been watching countless hours of old Law & Order's Criminal Intent and SVU and would like to see more current shows. Let's hope the Roku or Netflix sign up more content now. For 100 bucks the Roku is a great device for the bedroom or second tv room.

[neowolfwitch]

I have to say that I love my Roku box, but the content available from Netflix is seriously lacking. I've already "run out" of content I actually want to watch from them, and they haven't added much new content recently. It's my dream right now to be able to stream Hulu through it. I hope Netflix make some more deals with providers, or that some new Roku apps come out soon. One that has been brought up is the possibility of the Roku acting as a VLC or Myth-TV front-end, which would be fantastic! It's a great little box that works really well, for a reasonable price.