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Roku lowers prices across the board: HD box now $69, $99 HD-XR to get 1080p support
Looks like Roku's going aggressive on price with its lineup of streamers in response to Sony's new $130 Netbox streamer, the upcoming Google TV launch, and rumors that we'll see that rumored $99 iOS-based Apple TV arrive on Wednesday. The SD box is down to $59 from $79, the standard HD is now $69 from $99, and the HD-XR with dual-band 802.11n and soon-to-be-enabled USB playback support is now $99 from $129. The HD-XR is also due to get 1080p streaming support later this year; it'll be focused on USB playback at first since most of the streaming channels are 720p right now. Those prices are definitely getting close to impulse-buy territory, especially since a Roku is now one of the cheapest ways to get Netflix and Amazon VOD on a TV, along with other channels like MLB and UFC. In fact, Roku says its goal is to put three streamers in every house -- one next to every TV in the average American home. We applaud the ambition, but we've got a feeling this entire market is about get turned upside down once Apple and Google launch their initiatives.
Roku Channel Store delivers ten new content portals for zero dollars
Roku owners already have access to Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and MLB.tv, but now the set-top box is about to get a lot more interesting. Starting tonight and running throughout the next fortnight, existing owners of the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR will receive an automatic (and free) update that delivers ten new content channels. Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe will be joining the fray, and while we wish the likes of Hulu and other television portals were included, we're holding out hope that such channels will be unveiled in due time. In fact, Roku admits that "many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time." So, have these guys convinced you that you need another box underneath your HDTV yet, or what?
Roku HD-XR Player and Roku SD Player announced (with hands-on!)
We had big hopes the Roku HD-XR streaming player would add local streaming when those leaked pics showed a USB port, but we just got the official launch materials and a review unit, and as of right now the only difference between the new $129 HD-XR Player and the existing model is an upgrade to 802.11n WiFi -- the USB port is for "future use." Now, we're big proponents of 802.11n, so we're not complaining, but we've never had a problem streaming HD Netflix or Amazon with our regular Roku HD Player on 802.11g, so we're not too sure the HD-XR is worth the $30 premium right now. Roku is gearing up to launch a new Channel Store with additional content in the coming weeks, however, so there's a chance this little box will need the extra bandwidth sometime soon -- we'll have to wait and see. Roku's also launching the SD-only Roku SD Player for $79, which might actually be the more interesting product here, as we know tons of people with old TVs in bedrooms and basements who would love some cheap movie streaming. It'll be in the same enclosure as the HD Player and the HD-XR Player, but only have 802.11g WiFi and RCA audio / video outputs. %Gallery-76546% %Gallery-76561%
