Roku Hones Hybrid Box

Roku said it’s developing a hybrid set-top box that will reach production later this year and be offered to pay TV partners that are involved in the company’s Roku Powered program.

The hybrid Now TV Smart Box, which looks a lot like the new Roku 4 model, will enable operator partners to offer linear and streaming services on the same platform. Sky will be the first Roku Powered operator to deploy it as part of its Now TV service in the U.K, Roku said.

Introduced in 2014, Roku Powered is a licensing program in which pay TV operators tap Roku hardware and customized interfaces to deliver apps and services to the TV. In addition to Sky UK, other operators on board with that program include Telstra, Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia.

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