Netflix and Roku bring Netflix streaming to the television
The $99 Netflix Player by Roku launched as a simple set-top box for watching Netflix's internet catalog directly on a television. It was an important step in moving subscription streaming away from the PC and into the living room.
Исторический контекст
Netflix had introduced PC streaming in 2007, but watching long-form television and movies at a desk was a substantial limitation. Apple TV, game consoles and other digital-media adapters were beginning to connect televisions to internet services, creating an emerging market for dedicated living-room streaming hardware.
Что произошло
Netflix and Roku introduced the Netflix Player on May 20, 2008. Connected through Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the small box could stream Netflix's catalog of more than 10,000 Watch Instantly titles to a television for subscribers on eligible Netflix plans.
Последствия
The Roku device helped establish the model of an inexpensive appliance whose primary purpose was to deliver internet media to a TV. It also demonstrated Netflix's strategy of placing its streaming service on third-party consumer-electronics devices rather than building a closed hardware ecosystem of its own.
Связанные люди
Источники
- A win for digital distribution as Netflix set-top box debutsArs Technica
- Netflix unveils Web-to-TV boxLos Angeles Times