Roku has come up with a plan to address their lack of retail presence, and just in time for the holiday buying season.
Just a day after announcing their first OEM partnership with Netgear, Roku has announced that they are looking for other partners with which to license their hardware and software platform. The move opens the door for television and cable box manufacturers to incorporate Roku’s streaming technology in future devices.
"Roku has built an open platform that has been enthusiastically adopted by content providers, many choosing Roku as the first product to launch their service into the living room," Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood said in the official press release. "With today's announcement we are broadening our reach and giving many more consumers access to our product and all the great content it contains, whether they shop on-line or in retail stores."
The new Netgear Roku Player has already launched at major electronics retailers across the US. The $90 device offers 1080p HD video, built-in Wireless-N and Ethernet for internet connectivity, and over 85 available channels. Current content providers include Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu, Netflix, Vimeo, Pandora and more.
Of course Roku had to step up their game in order to compete with the release of GoogleTV, Boxee, and the new generation of AppleTV. More partnerships and a presence with major retailers like Best Buy and Fry’s Electonics should help, since the pricing for the device itself is pretty reasonable. What Roku seems to be lacking over the others right now is style and marketing, but with the right collaborative efforts that may soon change.
