roku

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Amazon's Kindle Worlds will pay writers to write fan fiction.

- Hire your favorite musician to write you a song .

- And now a reading from the worst fan fiction I've ever read.

- Follow Russ Frushtick on Twitter.… Read more

Way back at CES 2013, Roku announced a slate of new channels to go live in the first quarter of 2013, including a PBS app capable of streaming full episodes.

Roku is a little behind on its deadline, but today both PBS and PBS Kids channels are launching on the company's streaming boxes. The PBS app promises content from prime-time shows (including "Nova," "Nature," "Antiques Roadshow," "Frontline," and "Masterpiece"), arts and music programs ("American Masters," "Austin City Limits," "Great Performances"), plus content from … Read more

Here's the good news: Roku and Hulu have teamed up for another sweet deal.

The "special offer for Mother's Day" includes a Roku HD box, a six-month Hulu Plus subscription, a 6-foot HDMI cable, and shipping, all for $79.99 (plus sales tax where applicable -- though I'm not sure why).

Here's the bad news: Unless you spend an extra $14.99 to upgrade to 2-day shipping, there's no guarantee the bundle will arrive by Sunday (meaning this Sunday, May 12, in case you haven't checked your calendar lately). The free-ground-shipping option … Read more

Is there a Kindle TV box on the horizon?

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the answer is yes. Amazon is said to be readying its own streaming-TV box to take on the likes of the Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation -- and every TV manufacturer that now builds smart-TV apps like Netflix and Vudu directly into televisions.

The Seattle-based e-tailer already has an ambitious home video strategy. Amazon Prime customers get thousands of free movies and TV shows (in addition to free shipping of real-world goods) with the $79-per-year membership, and the company is ramping up production of original series as … Read more

Yes, Amazon makes the successful Kindle Fire tablet computer. And yes, it's reportedly considering offering a smartphone.

But a streaming video set-top box? Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Amazon plans to dive into that hardware business, citing "three people familiar with the project who aren't authorized to discuss it." What's Amazon thinking?

It's a crowded market already. Companies such as Roku and Boxee already make set-top boxes that can stream video content to televisions. Consumers can stream video from gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. And they can catch streaming … Read more

Quick housekeeping note: Last month I told you about DietBet, an intriguing site that links you with others for a fun (and potentially profitable) weight-loss contest. I set up a game with a $25 buy-in, then waited to see what happened.

Twenty-eight days later, the contest is over. Exactly 400 people signed up, for a pot total of $10,000. Your Cheapskate is now 8.5 pounds lighter. And in a couple days I'll know how many others will join me in divvying up the pot. Bottom line: This was a huge success for me, and whether or not … Read more

The battle for the future of television is just beginning, but it looks to be a long one. One of the key players is Microsoft, which has spent the past several years morphing its Xbox 360 from a straight-up gaming console into one of the best video-streaming boxes you can buy.

Of course, the current Xbox 360 is getting long in the tooth, and the next-generation model is expected to be announced soon, and to be available as early as the end of 2013. And TV services look to be just as central to the core of that device as … Read more

One of the biggest shortcomings of the otherwise excellent Roku 3 is its lack of an official YouTube channel, although savvy users can get around that limitation with a variety of workarounds, including the "private" VideoBuzz channel. Or at least used to be able to.

VideoBuzz reported on its Facebook page yesterday that it "received a notice from Roku management asking us to close down the channel as we don't own the content which is being streamed by VideoBuzz channel." The channel is set to go offline April 17; VideoBuzz says it's looking into … Read more

Of the 750-plus channels Roku has to offer, there's one big guy missing from the pack: YouTube.

Considering its front-and-center presence on other platforms -- like Apple TV and Samsung Smart TVs -- its conspicuous absence might seem odd. But, Roku's CEO offers a logical explanation, noting that "YouTube insists on using HTML5 for its UI," and seemingly refuses to build a Roku-specific app.

YouTube's absence hurts so bad that even third-party developers have created channels almost exclusively designed to stream YouTube, only to be pulled days or weeks later.

As of this writing, there … Read more