Turns out, the so-called Netflix box could be even cooler than initially thought.
The tiny black device from Roku was introduced to the world in May as the first box that could stream Netflix's "Watch it Now" option directly to a television.
But the company is saying there could be more where that came from.
(Credit:
Roku)
Roku's vice president of consumer products, Tim Twerdahl, said Wednesday that, yes, more content partners are coming, but, no, he's not saying who just yet. That makes the $99 price tag look that much more attractive.
So who will it be? YouTube seems obvious, as they've been partnering with a bunch of hardware makers lately: Panasonic, Sony, Apple, Hewlett-Packard.
Or what about Hulu, as my colleague and CNET's resident home theater expert John P. Falcone suggests?:
The Netflix vids use the VC-1 codec, but the box can handle H.264 as well. Of course, because all of these players--Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Sony--are already trying to sell you videos, it's unclear why they'd want to provide a free competitor that's just a click away. So even if a Hulu option is technically feasible, business considerations may keep it relegated to the drawing board. But hey, we can dream, can't we?
Either way, Roku will have to differentiate. Rumors are flying fast that at E3 next month, Sony or Microsoft (or maybe both) will announce support for Netflix's "Watch it Now" feature as well, for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, respectively.
And though far more expensive than $99, both game consoles have large install bases, and are also far more functional beyond just streaming video.
Trips to the video rental store may be a thing of the past sooner than thought.
Netflix and Blockbuster are already offering DVD rental service by mail. Amazon.com, Microsoft's Xbox Live, and Netflix deliver movies directly to the PC. TiVo, Vudu, and Apple TV--not to mention cable and satellite companies--are doing the same for TV sets. Local independent stores notwithstanding, the only major brick-and-mortar options left for renting discs are Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery, which is close to bankruptcy, and Blockbuster.
(Credit:
Blockbuster)
But The Hollywood Reporter says Blockbuster may be giving customers more reasons not to visit its stores. The rental chain is said to be making a set-top box that will allow video content to be streamed directly to a television. The announcement should come sometime later this month, according to THR
A Blockbuster spokeswoman said it is "talking to numerous companies" about ways it can provide "access to media content across multiple channels--from our stores, by mail, through kiosks, through downloading, through portable content-enabled devices--so it's not surprising that there are rumors out there."
The service would take advantage of video-on-demand technology from Movielink (which Blockbuster bought last year) that allows movie downloads from Universal Studios, Paramount, Sony Pictures, MGM, and Warner Bros.
There was no mention of price or how such a service would work in the report. But let's think about this: to compete with Apple TV or Vudu, the device would have to cost around $200, and rentals of movies and TV shows should be around $3 to $4 each, which would be slightly cheaper than rentals of new releases from Blockbuster currently. The big advantage Blockbuster would enjoy over Apple TV, Vudu, and TiVo, it seems, would be selection. Considering its longstanding relationships with the studios, it would likely have the largest library of films and TV shows to choose from. See my colleague John Falcone's excellent comparison of set-top rental boxes.
No matter the details of the how the device would work, this represents a new direction for Blockbuster and the video rental market. Money spent on DVD ownership and rentals has been decreasing steadily for the past four years, according to the Digital Entertainment Group, which tracks sales of disc media. And though there's no indication Blockbuster would eliminate its brick-and-mortar stores, a streaming video service would clearly cannibalize some of that business.
Assuming the report is spot-on, and Blockbuster attempts to make this transition to digital content, it's time to wonder how much longer physical media will be a factor for mainstream movie renters.
Although streaming video on the Web is nothing new, it has yet to make its way onto YouTube. But that could change over the next 10 months, co-founder Steve Chen tells Sarah Meyers in a Pop17.com video report posted Thursday.
Meyers' report, cited on Friday by one of Pop17's sponsors, TechCrunch, highlights her personal interest in the prospects for live video on the Web and includes a brief interview with Chen at at the Terminal 5 club in New York.
Live video has long been on YouTube's wish list, Chen says amid the din, but with Google's resources at hand, it's expected to become a reality sometime in 2008.
(Credit:
BMG)
Sony BMG, one of the top four music labels, will begin offering music videos from the likes of John Mayer, the Dixie Chicks and Beyonce.
On Tuesday, the companies said that they will stream the videos from the artists' profile pages. Sony also said that it will also include some audio tracks available as well.
The companies will split the advertising revenue, according to a statement. MySpace has also agreed to promote Sony artists throughout the site.
Record labels are looking to expand into different distribution outlets outside of Apple. Independent bands have flocked to MySpace to promote themselves, but Sony provides MySpace with legal music content from established artists.
- prev
- 1
- next
