By Staff Writer – John Federico (@gadgetboy)

When Roku launched their original Roku Player with Netflix, I knew it was going to be a hit. I ordered it the moment it was available and was glad I did – it sold out in a matter of hours.

When it arrived, I was quite pleased with how easy it was to connect to my home network over wifi (802.11g) and to my HDTV. Of course, it didn’t offer HD content at the time, but it had an HDMI connector and both companies (Roku and Netflix) promised HD capabilities over time.

Sure enough, as the Netflix streaming catalog expanded, HD playback capability arrived on the Roku box a number of months later. Since then, Roku has added access to Amazon’s Video on Demand and MLB.TV – both are premium content that require suitable account setup on both services.

Today, Roku has announced even more improvements and updates with the launch of The Roku Channel Store, a selection of internet video and audio content channels that can be played on your Roku, Roku SD and Roku HD-XR set top box.

The “store” moniker is a bit of a misnomer because as of right now, all of the new channels are free. They include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. A complete list of channels can be found here.

To me, the best tidbit of information in today’s announcement is the open accessibility for channel creators:

“To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku’s free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.“

Wait – did Boxee just get a competitor? Sort of.

Roku owners can’t add their own channels via RSS feeds, nor use bittorrent to download media files, nor does one have to pay for Boxee. However, considering that you still need suitable computer hardware to run Boxee, I’d call it about even. Actually, no – it’s not even since a Roku player with HD capability only costs $99 – far less than a suitable machine required for Boxee.

IPTV is finally starting to heat up. It’s about time. This is going to be fun.

Official Press Release:

Roku Launches Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces First 10 New Channels

Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe all now available on the Roku player

Saratoga, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 free channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet radio to video podcasts, professional web content to photo sharing and personal videos, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. New channels now available for customers to add today to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. For the complete list of channels, specific channel descriptions and features please go to http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store.

These first 10 channels are just the beginning for Roku. Many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time. New channels will appear in the Roku Channel Store automatically as they become available.

The Roku Channel Store represents an opportunity for content owners and publishers to reach an already large and growing audience of Roku customers. By creating an open platform for delivery to the television over the Internet, Roku has leveled the playing field for content owners.
“The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world’s first open platform designed specifically for the TV,” Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. “Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates.”
To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku’s free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.

All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR models, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. The new channels are in addition to the existing Roku channels already available: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV.

Pricing and availability

The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, customers will be prompted to create a Roku account.

First introduced in May 2008, and updated regularly with free software updates, the Roku player family provides the easiest, most affordable and reliable way for hundreds of thousands of Roku customers to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events instantly on their TV. All three Roku players are available immediately at http://www.roku.com starting at $79.99 and include free shipping for a limited time.

About Roku, Inc.

Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media, opening up a new world of entertainment to the TV. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products that give customers the ability to take charge over their entertainment choices, combining high-value content and immediate access to that content at a low price. Its products include: The family of Roku players and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.

Press Contact:
Brian Jaquet Roku, Inc.
408.849.4117 (office)
415.235.4844 (cell)
brian@roku.com
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Tags: Amazon , Blip.tv , Boxee , Facebook , flickr , Internet Television , IPTV , Netflix , Online Video , Revision3 , Roku , Roku Channel Store , Set Top Box , Video on Demand , VOD