Roku

HBO Go on the Xbox: Great, if your cable provider allows it

Can your game console act as a TV replacement? Very nearly, now that more and more video apps are hitting consoles at a record rate. HBO Go, which has become a symbol of sorts for the potential of app-based on-demand entertainment as a cable accessory, has hit the Xbox, joining Roku, Android phones, the iPhone, and the iPad -- and, of course, smart TVs and laptops, too.

Unlike IP-based cable provider apps like Time Warner and Xfinity, HBO Go works anywhere in the U.S. just like Netflix, provided you have a subscriber log-in that comes from signing in via your cable provider. Oh, there's one more thing: not all cable providers allow HBO Go to work on the Xbox. Depending on who your provider is, you'll either (a) not be able to use HBO Go, or (b) be able to use it on certain devices, but not others.… Read more

Get a free Roku box when you buy a lifetime PlayOn license

PlayOn slings TV shows from your Windows PC to various devices, such as tablets, smartphones, game consoles, and media center boxes, and the like.

It's a compelling solution for cord-cutters--folks seeking to dump their pricey cable-TV subscriptions.

Typically, PlayOn charges by the month or year ($4.99 and $39.99, respectively), but you can also pay $79.99 for a lifetime subscription to the service.

And right now, when you buy a lifetime PlayOn subscription, you'll get a free Roku LT streaming media box.

Given that the latter sells for $50, this is a pretty sweet deal. The … Read more

Control your Roku box with free Android app

I love me some Roku boxes. They're cheap, easy to use, and capable of streaming everything from HBO Go and Hulu Plus to Netflix and Pandora. Oh, and don't forget the awesome CNET TV channel, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

Of course, another box means another remote, and Roku's clickers are so small they can easily vanish into the couch cushions, never to be seen again. (Well, unless you look.)

Here's a handy alternative: Roku for Android, which brings a full-featured remote to your Android phone or tablet. (It's also available for iOS.)

The app connects to your box via your home network. I quickly and easily linked my Republic Wireless LG Optimus S to both an older Roku XR and a new Roku LT.… Read more

Multideal Monday: Roku box, Fitbit, Nook Simple Touch, and more!

I'm writing today's post on a laptop running Zorin OS, a Linux variant that looks and operates a lot like Windows 7. That has nothing to do with today's deals--just thought I'd mention it. It's pretty cool.

In the market for a Roku box? Antivirus software? How about a dirt-cheap home theater receiver? I've got you covered, and then some. That's right: it's a multideal Monday!

1. Today only, Woot offshoot Moofi has the Roku XD-HR streaming media player for $59.99, plus $5 for shipping. This is the flagship model of … Read more

The 404 995: Where the damage is done (podcast)

Leaked from 404 Podcast 995:

Apple Mac OS X 'Mountain Lion' takes more bites out of iOS. Get started with iMessage for OS X. Low Latency No. 10: Good artists copy, great artists steal. Apple PR maintains a blacklist of journalists that it refuses to talk to. Bathroom break video : Live television texting-while-walking fail.

Get a $5 Amazon Instant Video credit when you register a compatible device

This is an update of a deal I posted a couple months ago.

Lately I've become a big fan of Amazon Instant Video, which makes video rentals so much easier than, say, two trips to my local Redbox (one to get the movie, another to return it).

You pay extra for the privilege of on-demand rentals, but sometimes--like when it's 20 degrees outside--it's worth it.

And if you own a Roku box, Web-connected HDTV or Blu-ray player, or any other device that's compatible with Amazon Instant Video, here's your chance to score a free rental … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1574: Live from CES 2012 with Roku marketing VP (podcast)

We are broadcasting live from the CNET stage at CES 2012. Today, we welcomed Charles Seiber, Roku's marketing vice president, and picked his brain about the future of the tiny video-streaming box. With all the connected TVs showcased at CES, how will Roku fare in the future?

Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360)

RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)… Read more

Roku to sell streaming players in U.K. and Ireland

Making good on its promise to sell streaming players internationally by the beginning of 2012, California-based Roku announced today that both the Roku LT and Roku 2 XS are for sale in the U.K. and Ireland.

This comes hot on the heels of Netflix's expansion of video streaming in those same countries.

"Roku launched the first ever streaming player to deliver Netflix to consumers in the U.S. and now we are among the first to bring Netflix to residents of the U.K. and Ireland," said Clive Hudson, Roku's vice president and general manager … Read more

Juice app streams photos, music from Android phone to Roku box

You've snapped a bunch of cool vacation/party/family photos on your Android phone; now you want to show them off on your TV. If you have a Roku box and three extra bucks, you're good to go.

Juice for Roku turns your Android device into a media server for your Roku box, wirelessly beaming photos and music to your TV. It also doubles as a remote. It's a fairly limited app with a few quirks, but overall it works well.

The beauty of Juice is that it requires no desktop component, no server program that routes photos and music via your PC. That's the modus operandi for the majority of media-sharing solutions, but Juice spares you that extra hassle.… Read more

Roku's Streaming Stick shrinks the Roku box into a dongle

I've called the Roku LT "tiny," but it's about to look downright chunky.

Roku announced the Streaming Stick this morning, which essentially squeezes all the functionality of a typical Roku box (including Wi-Fi, processor, and memory) into a a device that looks like a USB flash drive. It doesn't require an additional power cable or a separate remote, instead allowing you to use your TV's standard remote to navigate Roku's software. Roku's platform currently supports over 400 channels, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Pandora, MLB.TV, HBO Go, MOG, and Rdio.

Roku sees … Read more