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Roku video streamer opens free Channel Store, lacks Hulu
As if the Roku player — the little $80 streaming media box that could — wasn't already capable enough with its Netflix, MLB.com and Amazon Video on Demand, now it adds ten more channels. They're calling it the Channel Store, and it's full of potential.
So far, Roku adds the following free channels: Pandora, motionbox, mediafly, blip.TV, twit.TV, Facebook photos, Revision3, framechannel, Flickr, and MobileTribe. Yeah, we're yawning too, except we celebrate the presence of our favorite, Pandora, the free music service that's welcome wherever it goes.
Even though we work for the Sheinhardt Wig Company (better known as NBC Universal), corporate collaborator of world's-best video site, Hulu, we still must ask: where is it? Hulu support on this little Roku box was much-rumored, and it's the one everyone wants, but the little box that could, can't. At least so far. We're waiting. Still, this dirt-cheap streaming video box ($100 for the HD version, $130 adds wireless-N) is the best value in Internet video today.
Here's a video explainer:
Via Roku
By Aiden at 10:45 PM ON 11/23/09
I know a few people who might like this and be willing to buy it. Our big screen is already hooked directly to one of our boxes, though, so it doesn't offer us anything.
On a side note: I do not understand the fascination some people have with Pandora, other than that it is free. I have tried it. It is lacking. I have a Rhapsody account, and am more than willing to pay the small monthly fee for so much more capability.
Is it the fee that it seems to get ignored so often in media write-ups?
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Aiden:
I know a few people who might like this and be willing to buy it. Our big screen is already hooked directly to one ...More »