Roku hits 1 billion streams to televisions
Roku has delivered 1 billion streams via its set-top boxes, the company said yesterday.According to Roku, which also announced that it has sold 1 million set-top boxes, the average user watched 11 hours of content on a Roku device in December. The company said that at the end of 2010, its set-top boxes had 135 channels available, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video On Demand.Roku currently sells three set-top box units, the Roku HD, the Roku XD, and the Roku XDS. Prices start at $59.99.Roku, which launched its first set-top box in mid-2008, finds itself in a real battle among several set-top-box makers, including Logitech and Boxee. But one of its top competitors is Apple, which announced late last year that it would sell 1 million Apple TV units by Christmas. However, unlike Roku, which offers content from several different companies via channels, Apple offers television and movie rentals through its iTunes platform. Apple also provides access to Netflix's streaming service and Flickr images.2011 is shaping up to be another hard-fought year for set-top-box makers, and Apple and Roku seem to be at the forefront of that fight.
