BSkyB started investing in Roku last year and it's leveraged that involvement to develop this new Now TV set-top box. Going on sale today for just £9.99 (including shipping), it brings a rebranded Roku 2 XD (no gaming remote) with software built for Sky's IPTV platform and a curated list of additional channels. Notably missing from the list are Netflix, Lovefilm, ITV Player, and 4oD, however Now TV (of course), iPlayer, Demand Five, Spotify, Facebook and several Sky channels are included. It gives up a bit in flexibility compared to the standard player, but the ultra-low entry price certainly makes for a compelling option. Roku is facing more competition than ever with new game consoles, Google's Chromecast and even Apple's TV ambitions, we'll see if partnering with traditional providers makes it the "operating system for TVs" CEO Anthony Wood wants it to be.
For Sky, this is just part of a multi-pronged plan to move its TV offerings into the future, detailed in today's earnings report. Starting in September it will offer a WiFi equipped Sky+HD box to customers as the standard, and low cost wireless adapters to those with older hardware that isn't already connected. It's also enhancing Sky Go, with plans to add 10 new channels in the next year while marketing Sky Go Extra more. Finally, it's adding more content to the Catch Up TV and Sky Store VOD bundle -- check the PDF linked below for more details.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Comments
Source: Now TV, Sky FY 2013 earnings (PDF)
Every company with a video streaming service seems to be targeting Britain's youth at the moment. In the last six months, the UK has been introduced to the BBC's iPlayer Kids app, Sky Kids and YouTube Kids, to name just a few. Now it's the turn of No...
While Sky might be busy readying its new Sky Q service, the company has also found time to show Now TV customers some love. Just five months after it launched its second-generation Now TV streamer, Sky has ramped things up a bit by introducing the ne...
Despite sinking billions of pounds into the production of blockbuster movies and hit TV shows over the years, Disney decided it was best to let companies like Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Sky handle the online distribution of its content. This has mean...
While the new Apple TV has been available to order for over a week, UK-centric apps have been a bit thin on the ground. Less than a week after the BBC confirmed that iPlayer is coming to the streamer, Sky has gone one better and released an app for...
Sky knows that more and more UK families are shying away from building costly DVD and Blu-ray collections and embracing on-demand services like Sky Movies and Now TV. To be the best, you need the best streaming catalog though, which is why the comp...
