Netgear-branded Roku box now available
Branded version of Roku XD set-top box marks the first time a Roku box is available on store shelves.
Editors' note: As of July 2011, this product has been discontinued and replaced by the Roku 2 XD.
A Netgear-branded Roku XD box is making its way to several retailers.
Dubbed Netgear Roku Player NTV250, the device is the Roku XD featuring Netgear branding. It enables users to access several channels from Roku's service, including Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix, Pandora, and others. The offering also includes the ability to view Flickr photos and UFC content. Unlike the competing Apple TV, which boasts 720p video content, the Roku XD supports 1080p content.
Netgear isn't selling branded versions of Roku's HD or the company's Roku XD|S.
Netgear is listing the device for $90, a Roku spokesperson said in a phone interview. But it can be purchased in some stores for less. Fry's, for example, is selling the device for $80 in its online store.
The launch of the NTV250 marks the first Roku device that's going be made readily available in brick-and-mortar store shelves across the U.S., according to a Roku spokesperson. The device will be offered at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and several other places. Roku currently only sells its devices online. With the help of the NTV250, Roku can attract a whole new set of customers, the spokesperson said.
Roku will be announcing similar agreements with other companies, however the Roku spokesperson wouldn't say which companies it might partner with.
Until then, consumers can get their hands on the Netgear-branded set-top box at some retail locations now--including Best Buy--though not all of the retail partners are currently listing the device. Those who would rather not wait can buy the identical Roku-branded box online now for $80.