Roku Channel Store delivers ten new content portals for zero dollars
By Darren Murph 
posted November 22nd 2009 11:35PM
posted November 22nd 2009 11:35PM
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 http://www.roku.com/roku-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 http://www.roku.com/support/faqs.
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 http://www.roku.com 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: http://www.roku.com.false
I'd rather have this content in Windows Media Center. I already have an HTPC near my HDTV, I don't need another box to clutter up my living room.
While I completely agree for myself, this thing is really great for people that don't want to have a computer attached to their TV. While I personally am at the point where I can barely even find a function for a TV without a computer attached, lots of people simply want to watch videos, maybe get RSS-style news updates, etc. The Roku box is simply one option for them (and through personal experience, I will say I believe it to be a very good one).
If Hulu won't allow its content on Boxee and other such platforms, what makes anyone believe it will give the okay to Roku?
You're right. I seriously doubt that we'll see hulu on anything but its website. Especially with them to start charging next year.
partially wrong. the new netflix ads have a roku box right next to the tv that shows the Netflix logo. But yeah, roku will only show up on this website
The only way to crack this nut is to find somebody who wants to put their content out thru streaming. If not Hulu, then ABC.com or CBS/TV.com or Comedy Central or CNN or ... . Start small if need be. Start with channels that are having trouble getting distribution on North American Cable if need be. But start. Prove that people will watch this stuff. With ads and everything. Make a case that others should join in. Then over time you might see things move.
This little box is too amazing, but Roku needs to add a Blu-Ray model, LG and Samsung got them but I think the Roku just kills with it's ease of use
use adblock pluss with firefox.
Wait, the internet has ads?
Dude, download Firefox, use adblock plus, and quit being a whiny bitch.
I never understood the point of Hulu... it's just the same crap that they try to trick you into watching on the television. At least on the television they have better commercials.
And better quality. The only web streaming that's good quality is ABC.com when you have the bandwidth to support "HD" episodes. Even then though, Lost via OTA has NOTHING on ABC's streaming.
-Brian
I have ditched cable and only use Hulu and free iTunes podcasts... I get all my news and favorite shows for free. That's the point of Hulu.
Yep- as BobbyDigital said, free and on-demand is the point. Also fewer commercials.
And some of us have large monitors with which we also like to browse the internet as we watch TV which Hulu is perfect for.
South Park Studios has a really great webcast. HD and everything. It's nice because my cable provider doesn't offer Comedy Central in HD, so it's actually a better experience to watch South Park on the web.
i really need to get a hulu now or maybe i should look forward to ps3 having these apps in future. i wish tv shows showed up on netflix/amazon/hulu right after it aired on tv.
What everyone else said. Reading whiny posts like yours is more annoying than the ads I never see.
Doesn't using adblock plus make you all feel a little bad, though?
What is there to feel bad about? You'd think the website creators who shit all over our faces with ads would feel bad, not us users who block them.
Yay! Twit is great!
Now if only their stream would work on my Xbox with XBMC.
Wake me up when Hulu jumps onboard....
This is the marks the beginning of the end of Comcast.
they, like all the other boxes, have forgotten the most important channel: local media.
I'd rather have my WDTV live which has pretty much no internet media (youtube), but can play everything on my server then a box such as this that can play a bunch of internet sites I have never heard of and no local media.
That being said, if you have a home server, just get PlayOn and you can watch netflix, hulu, local media, and anything on a whole bunch of boxes.
I don't think PlayOn does Netflix HD.
The newer Roku will likely do it in the future, but a lot of people have no need or desire to have media streamed from their computer or network hard drive. Roku is all about ease of use and low power requirements. Adding in a bunch of networking and accessing your local media in a specific format adds to the difficulty for non-techies.
Besides, you can always go get AppleTV if you want that. Have fun.
What do you need local media for?
@ (Unverified):
I would also like to have local media available. I am in the rocess of ripping all my DVD's to my NAS. I heard that Roku will be releasing an SDK in the not to distant future. So I hope that I will be able to stream all my DVD's from my NAS to my TV. In addition streaming my iTunes library to my home theater would be pretty nice addition to. I don't have a HTPC hooked up to my home theater, nor will I be hooking one up.
As soon as Hulu happens on the Roku I'll be buying multiple boxen.
What do you mean another box? Doesn't every one already have a Roku? It's like the de facto entertainment device.
It should. These sites only exist because of the ads that support the site. I run Firefox with Ad Block plus, but I disable it on sites I like that I want to support. You should too. A few ads to keep these sites alive won't kill you.
Many sites with unsophisticated users might not miss a few techies who disable their ads. A site like Engadget could conceivably be hurt badly by the fact that its visitors are sophisticated and know about such things...
Nope. Not doing it for me yet. I have Tivo and can do most of what I want through that. I think the current Roku box is worth getting for many people, if only for the Netflix Live access or maybe Amazon On Demand. But without something else to entice me (like Hulu or cloud streaming or ...) I personally have no need for one.
Haven't got the update yet... lame
@SteveG
ROKU has a message up on their FAQ page that the Channel Store will be avilable in the next few weeks. Also that the user cannot force the upgrade, you will recieve it when you receive it. So it is not exactly here as this article makes it sound, at least for the masses.
BTW, PLAYON is on sale thru the end of November for $19.99. The Promo codeword is holiday . Great deal being it is normally twice that!! PlayOn is great, since I got that I do use my ROKU less, that is for sure.In fact my Netgear EVA2000 has become a much more used and versatile device when coupled with PlayOn. Check it out.
Still no update. Couldn't the announcement have waited.
here, here....
I hate when there are announcements that are vapor....
They should have waited till it was really available.
The update is live (CST).
http://www.roku.com/roku-updates
Try several times for the update to kick instead of the player saying "already updated". Eventually, it started the update.
Update is up (CST).
http://www.roku.com/roku-updates
I love Pandora, now only if I had a Roku. =P
My parents have one though so maybe I'll have to teach my mom how to use the Pandora on it, I think she would love it.
I don't foresee Hulu added but I would love to see Fancast get added to Roku's channels. Something where it would be easy to watch tv shows. I would bet it won't happen but I can hope. ;)
-Lupinus
http://www.theiwr.com/