Comments on: Internet Set-tops May Have a Limited Shelf Life: Analyst

By: Internet Set-tops May Have a Limited Shelf Life - TDG in the News

Internet Set-tops May Have a Limited Shelf Life - TDG in the News — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:18:54 +0000

[...] Internet Set-tops May Have a Limited Shelf Life Ryan Lawler | NewTeeVee | December 8, 2009 Only published comments... Dec 08 2009, 05:15 PM by The Diffusion Group [...]

By: Roku: 500,000 Units Sold, Raising Capital, Eyeing IPO

Roku: 500,000 Units Sold, Raising Capital, Eyeing IPO — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:25:12 +0000

[...] services is expected to be limited, with some analyst forecasting that broadband set-top boxes will make up just 3 percent of connected devices by 2014. That could leave Roku with a limited window for establishing a business before the major [...]

By: JB

JB — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:47:44 +0000

I agree. Roku needs more REAL video content.Most of the free stuff on their now is barely watchable.They throw names around like, MSNBC,CNET and such, but when you go to them its a one liner text. Some free shows are full length. But only about 3 percent.I tried loading Rachael Maddow which is full length, but kept getting error-ed out As an example of how ridiculous the content is, they have a calender channel , that shows a calender.Great to know if your living in a cave for a month at a time.

By: Analysts: Blah blah Internet TV boxes are blah blah a dead end | Products & Tech News

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:29:20 +0000

[...] add Internet content to heretofore unconnected TVs. That’s a good thing. However, analysts at the Diffusion Group believe that the devices will eventually peter out to be replaced by Blu-Ray devices. I [...]

By: jcm

jcm — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:31:35 +0000

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with the title of the article and it's overall suggestion that "the proliferation of new broadband-connected TV sets and Blu-ray players ready to take the world by storm....” as there can be no doubt that the convergence of the Internet and television is moving at a rapid pace. Of course what isn't known is what the final convergence will look like and which player(s) will survive the shake out. I think that Roku is in a good position to be a leader in this burgeoning market; however, the key will be how many more premium (e.g. Netflix, Amazon, Pandora, mlb) content providers can they bring on board in the near future. Ultimately, I think they will need to strike some deals with major content providers like NBC, CBS, ABC, Showtime, Disney, etc.

By: David Simmons

David Simmons — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:28:42 +0000

As a minor counterpoint, I recently bought a Roku box, even though I have a new Samsung TV with the "connected" features. The TV's interactive features are painful to navigate and use, the promised Amazon streaming only worked for a few days before becoming "temporarily unavailable" a couple months ago, and Netflix streaming is nowhere to be found. The Roku box is responsive, easy to use, and delivers what they promise with a minimum of fuss.

It's unfortunate that the TV manufacturers really skimp on the hardware and software, even on pricey high-end TVs. I haven't used any of the Internet-enabled Blu-ray players, so maybe those work better than the TVs. I suppose eventually consumers will get frustrated with "box creep" as their entertainment centers begin to look like equipment racks.

By: Jon Smirl

Jon Smirl — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:16:35 +0000

Encrypted cable signals inside the home artificially suppress this market. To be fair you should include all of the leased cable boxes.

I'm hoping these new FCC actions pry open the set top box. If signal encryption was dropped sales of these Internet boxes would 10x since they'd be able to add the cable channels to their menus.

By: N.L. Goodman

N.L. Goodman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:29:12 +0000

I believe consumers think a box is a box (granted the box audience is more savvy) - IPTV or OTT I don't think really matters, as long as "the box" delivers the content in which they are interested and is affordable.

By: John Swan

John Swan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:22:30 +0000

I'm sorry, is there something wrong with 30 million viewers?

By: N.L. Goodman

N.L. Goodman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:17:51 +0000

Here! Here!