I was reading an article a few days ago about that. Also a number of people who buy HDTVs but don't actually have an HD source or have it hooked up incorrectly.

I'm not sure the folks at TiVo would agree with that. I expect a lot hinges on exactly what is meant by first. First to have the idea of what a new gizmo might do, first to have a credible design to implement the idea, first to have something sort of working on the lab bench, first to demo to outsiders, first to run trials outside the lab, first to announce product, first to get samples to press reviewers, first to sell a few, first to start volume production etc.

Also, it is my experience that it is rarely a single person who "invents" things these days. It is usually a team and usually that team builds very heavily on the earlier work of many others in the industry - evolution not revolution. I had personal experience of digital video on magnetic disks before 1988. Digital video recording on tape (eg professional uncompressed D1 and consumer compressed DV) was already well established before TiVo or ReplayTV. Avid were also there with digital video editing from hard disks. VCRs with timers had been around since the 80s. See some history of EPGs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_program_guide. See US patent 5293357 filed in 1990 "Method and apparatus for controlling a television program recording device" (http://worldwide.espacenet.com/textd...DX=US5293357):

"A method and apparatus for controlling a VCR or other television program recording device for unattended recording of television programs based upon user selections from an on-line television program schedule system, converts the on-line television schedule listings for the user selected programs into event timer information and loads the event timer information into an event timer."

It wasn't a huge leap from all of those existing pieces to a DVR/PVR.

Hardly ... that was a request for info on available services.

www.roku.com/uk

Looks more limited than Apple TV as you can't play content from a NAS.

In the UK, that's LoveFilm. I'm sure LoveFilm would be keen to get on there particularly as Roku's only announced sales outlet so far is Amazon.

You can get live USA tv on likes of fox CBS abc NBC for free

May pick one of these up for baseball come April. Have an appletv already but it gets a pain moving it around different rooms, and I don't need another device to stream media from my nas, so a 50 quid streamer only is perfect.

The thin end of the wedge ... the start of the slippery slope ... the ...

It does support streaming MLB.tv if you subscribe...

I was thinking the more buying side of it rather than the Amazon prime bit.

Surely with something like this they need to pretty much have all the "popular" streaming services, I have pre-ordered but will cancel if it does not have 4OD, 5OD, ITV, IPLayer Lovefilm et al as the WD Live player for example has several streaming services so it is only natural that they have to go one step further, unless I am missing the point off it?

Its all to do with what deals they have. Proprietary devices also receive income from the streams.
It is known that 30% of everything goes to Apple for the Apple TV.
Obviously Roku cannot achieve and may in fact take as little as zero just to sell the device.

Source?

Apple don't make any money from streaming services such as Netflix on the Apple TV, they only make money from videos sold via itunes which is hardly unique as Sony and MS both make money on videos sold on their devices as do other companies.

Well there seems to be chatter than perhaps Amazon Prime/On Demand could be coming soon to the UK and the lack of Amazon content in the UK/europe is the reason the Kindle Fire wasn't released in the UK or internationally. If their video service did launch then it would be certainly make the Roku more compelling overall.


Good to see a UK site up and running, disappointing that none of the terrestrial catch-up services are featured. I wonder if they are actively persuing them? First thoughts are I'll probably hold off, but if Samsung don't put their fingers out and release the app for my 6100 (i.e D6000 series) by the end of the month, I might just get the £49.99 model just for Netflix .. and actually, thinking about it, the Roku is so small, I could quickly and easily take it and connect it to the TV in my bedroom as well so might be a worth while option regardless.

That was a crappy move by Samsung BTW, why on earth only restrict it to their super expensive models...

I do, and it's one sub for access on pc/ roku/ appletv, so for my pretty specific usage it's perfect.

The Roku is a piece of CE equipment its got a defined purpose and to be successful in a market it will have to supply the services available in that market.

Do you have the expectation that Roku's devices should meet your expectations regardless of cost.

That road simply leads to failure.

You squeal crippled you are wrong.

The general drift of this thread is ample evidence that I am right.

How do you do that, I have an appleTV any everything has to come via my computer. or am I missing something, I can be a bit thick sometimes.

Yep, it looks like a separate 'non APP' deal for access to Apple TV.

Maybe they removed the APP store so as not to create issues.
On ther iPad, did Apple ever enforce their 'pay by APP' rule for streaming APPS then?

The apps get round it by redirecting you to there website, if they were to bill you from within the app then it would cost them 30% but none of them do it that way for that reason.

You have to jail break it but it's very easy to do via guides online. Or pay for a service like atv flash that Is more idiot proof.

cool, thanks. I have my itunes library including films stored on a NAS, could i watch my films (and less important play my music) if I was to do this. (the films have all come from itunes or a itunes friendly digital disk/blu ray)

They were all meant to have a convenient big button within the APP to 'BUY' This was meant to be mandatory.

Obviously to a user the quick iTunes payment might seem far more convenient. Everything is thus already done for you.

No one has implemented that, apps like netflix, lovefilm, kindle require you to buy via there website.