Netflix-Dedicated Set-Top Now Streaming HD
Roku player get new software to do 720p
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/22/2008 5:40:00 AM
Hardware manufacturer Roku says that its “Netflix Player by Roku,” a set-top device which connects to the Internet on one end and a TV set on the other to deliver Netflix’s streaming movie service, is now supporting high-definition streaming of Netflix titles.
The $99 Roku box, which was first released last May to deliver standard-def Netflix titles in 480-line-progressive (480p) resolution, can provide instant streaming of content in the 720p HD format through a software update that will be automatically delivered to all Roku players free-of-charge over the course of the next few weeks. Netflix first started streaming HD titles to Microsoft’s Xbox game console in October.
“Netflix is a pioneer in streaming HD content over the Internet and the results are impressive,” said Anthony Wood, founder & CEO of Roku, in a statement. “Adding hundreds of HD titles to their catalog of more than 12,000 streaming titles provides tremendous value to Roku owners.”
While Netflix is the first content provider to deliver HD content to the Roku player, Roku says it expects to get HD content from unnamed “additional providers” in the first quarter of 2009. The Roku box is one of several “media extender” devices, including set-tops from Vudu and Apple, that can easily deliver on-demand movies to the TV set using the Internet.
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If cable doesn't soon deliver 1080p (as does satellite), these internet technologies will spell the death of pay cable. Wall Street knows this. Cable MSOs: Where are your 1080p feeds?
Adam Smith - 12/22/2008 3:44:00 PM EST -
Download video & high bandwidth streaming video sucks!!!
Download set top boxes and download portable players ( ie Blockbuster, Sling box, XBOX 360, Apple TV, VUDU, Hulu, PS3, Boxee, Silverlight, joost ) and high bandwidth streaming video ( ie Netflix ) are things of the past, only to be replaced by the technology used by service providers such as MyTVPAL ( mytvpal.com ).
Service providers like MyTVPAL ( www.mytvpal.com ) offer 1080p instant blu-ray streaming video on demand and live tv over PC Player, set top box, and I think they will have a portable device out soon.
Keep in mind also that P2P is on the way out because it uses to much bandwidth, both up and down, and is unstable. I?m refering to service providers such as VUDU ( a one trick pony ) and Joost, who latest foray into portable video on demand on the itouch / iphone is freezing, buffering, and providing a horrible user experience even on my 6mbps connection.
Streaming video is a great addition for live tv an video on demand, but at the end of the day only those technology companies like Matrixstream ( www.matrixstream.com ) will be able to support the best quality over the best effort public internet when doing a triple play ( set top box, PC Player, and portable device ) because currently where Netflix requires 8mbps for 720p streaming, MyTVPAL ( www.mytvpal.com ) can support 720p streaming a 3mbps and 1080p blu-ray streaming at 6mbps.
Keep the above in mind when considering the average person today in the United States and Canada has between 1.5 - 3.0Mbps. So While MyTVPAL ( www.mytvpal.com ) can service the majority of broadband users today in the United States and Canada in both 720p and 1080p today it will be years before Netflix can service a fraction of the broadband population in high definition instant video streaming.
At the end of the Day service providers such as Netflix and Blockbuster will have evolve to provide a service like MyTVPAL or suffer the consequences of not providing low bandwidth, instant playing, 1080p blu-ray high definition platform that we?ve come to expect from MyTVPAL ( www.mytvpal.com ) on PC Player, set top box, and soon I would imagine, portable player.
Comment Guy
Bob Winters - 12/22/2008 11:59:00 AM EST
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