Roku


Roku is a line of digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. The devices offer access to streaming media content from various online services.
The line was introduced in May 2008 with its first model, developed in collaboration with Netflix. The Roku series has been considered influential on the overall market for digital media players, helping to popularize the concept of low-cost, small form factor set-top boxes designed for over-the-top media consumption.

History

Roku was founded by Anthony Wood in 2002, who had previously founded ReplayTV, a DVR company that competed with Tivo. After ReplayTV failed in the marketplace, Wood worked for a while at Netflix. In 2007 Wood's company began working with Netflix on Project:Griftin, a set top box that would allow Netflix users to stream Netflix content to their TVs. Only a few weeks before the project's launch, Netflix's founder Reed Hastings decided the project would hamper license arrangements with third parties potentially keeping Netflix off other similar platforms, and killed the project. Fast Company would cite the decision to kill the project as "one of Netflix's riskiest moves".
Netflix decided instead to spin the company off and Roku released their first set top box in 2008. In 2010 they began offering multiple models with different capabilities which would eventually become their standard business model. In 2014 Roku began to partner with Smart TV manufactures to produce RokuTV's TVs with Roku functionality built in.

Roku streaming players

First generation

The first Roku model, the Roku DVP N1000, was unveiled on May 20, 2008. It was developed in partnership with Netflix, to serve as a standalone set-top box for its recently-introduced "Watch Instantly" service. The companies aimed to produce a device with small form factor that could be sold at a low cost, as opposed to larger digital video recorders and video game consoles. The device featured an NXP PNX8935 video decoder supporting both standard and high definition formats up to 720p, HDMI output, and was capable of automatic software updates—including the addition of new "channels" for other video services.
Roku launched two new models in October 2009, the Roku SD, and the Roku HD-XR, an updated version with 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a USB port for future functionality. The Roku DVP was retroactively renamed the Roku HD. By then, Roku had added support for other services, such as Amazon Video and MLB.tv. The following month, Roku introduced a new feature known as the "Channel Store", where users would be able to download third-party apps for other content services.
Netflix support was initially dependent on a PC, requiring users to add content to their "Instant Queue" from the service's web interface before it could be accessed via the Roku. The channel was later updated in May 2010, to allow users to search the Netflix library from the device directly.
In August 2010, Roku announced plans to add 1080p video support to the HD-XR. The following month, Roku released a refreshed lineup of models with a thinner form factor, consisting of a new HD, the XD, and the XDS. The XD and XDS also included a refreshed remote.
Support for the first-generation Roku models ended September 2015.

Second generation

On July 19, 2011, Roku unveiled its second generation of players, branded as Roku 2 HD, XD, and XS. All three models included 802.11n, and also added microSD slots and Bluetooth. The XD and XS support 1080p, and only the XS model includes an Ethernet connector and USB port. They also support the "Roku Game Remote"—a Bluetooth remote with motion controller support for games, which is bundled with the XS and sold separately for other models. The Roku LT was unveiled in October 2011, as an entry-level model with no Bluetooth or microSD support.
In January 2012, Roku unveiled the Streaming Stick—a new model condensed into a dongle form factor using Mobile High-Definition Link. In October 2012, Roku introduced a new search feature to the second-generation models, aggregating content from services usable on the device.

Third generation

On March 5, 2013, Roku unveiled its third-generation models, the Roku 3 and Roku 2. The Roku 3 contained an upgraded CPU over the 2 XS, and a Wi-Fi Direct remote with an integrated headphone jack. The Roku 2 was also updated with a faster CPU.

Fourth generation

On October 6, 2015, Roku announced the Roku 4; the device contained upgraded hardware with support for 4K resolution video, as well as 802.11ac wireless.

Fifth generation

On September 26, 2016, Roku revamped their entire streaming player line-up with five new models, while the Streaming Stick was held over from the previous generation as a sixth option. The Roku Premiere+ and Roku Ultra support HDR video using HDR10.

Sixth generation

In October 2017, Roku introduced its sixth generation of products. The updates included the discontinuation of the Premiere and Premiere+ models, the introduction of the Streaming Stick+, as well as new processors for the Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Express, and Roku Express+.

Seventh generation

In September 2018, Roku introduced the seventh generation of products. Carrying over from the 2017 sixth-generation without any changes are the Express, Express+, Streaming Stick, and Streaming Stick+. The Ultra is the same hardware device from 2017, but it now comes with JBL premium headphones and is repackaged with the new model number 4661. Roku has resurrected the Premiere and Premiere+ names, but these two new models bear little resemblance to the 2016 fifth-generation Premiere and Premiere+ models. The new Premiere and Premiere+ are essentially based on the Express model with 4K support added.

Eighth generation

On September 19, 2019, Roku introduced the eighth generation of products.
In 2019, Netflix announced that it will stop supporting older generations of Roku, including the Roku HD, HD-XR, SD, XD, and XDS, as well as the NetGear-branded XD and XDS. Roku had warned in 2015 that it would stop updating players made in May 2011 or earlier, and these vintage boxes are among them.

Feature comparison

Roku TV

Roku announced its first branded Smart TV in early 2014 and it was released in late 2014. These TVs are manufactured by companies like TCL and Hisense, and use the Roku user interface as the "brain" of the TV. Roku TVs are updated just like the streaming devices. More recent models also integrate a set of features for use with over-the-air TV signals, including a program guide that provides information for shows and movies available on local antenna broadcast TV, as well as where that content is available to stream, and the ability to pause live TV.
In January 2020, Roku created a badge to certify devices as working with a Roku TV model. The first certified brands were TCL North America, Sound United, Polk Audio, Marantz, Definitive Technology, and Classé.

Software

The Roku box runs a custom Linux distribution called Roku OS. Updates to the software include bug fixes, security updates, feature additions, and many new interface revisions. Roku pushes OS updates to supported devices in a staggered release. OS updates are rolled out to a percentage group of candidate devices to ensure the build is stable before being made available en masse.

Content and programming

Roku provides video services from a number of Internet-based video on demand providers.

Roku channels

Content on Roku devices are provided by Roku partners and are identified using the term channel. Users can add or remove different channels using the Roku Channel Store.

Service creation for Roku Player

The Roku is an open-platform device with a freely available software development kit that enables anyone to create new channels. The channels are written in a Roku-specific language called BrightScript, a scripting language the company describes as 'unique', but "similar to Visual Basic" and "similar to JavaScript".
Developers who wish to test their channels before a general release, or who wish to limit viewership, can create "private" channels that require a code be entered by the user in the account page of the Roku website. These private channels, which are not part of the official Roku Channel Store, are neither reviewed or approved by Roku.
There is an NDK available, though it has added restrictions.

The Roku Channel

Roku launched its own streaming channel on its devices in October 2017. It is ad-supported, but free. Its licensed content includes movies and TV shows from studios such as Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Disney as well as Roku channel content publishers American Classics, FilmRise, Nosey, OVGuide, Popcornflix, Vidmark, and YuYu. It is implementing an ad revenue sharing model with content providers. On August 8, 2018, The Roku Channel became available on the web as well. Roku also added the "Featured Free" section as the top section of its main menu from which users can get access to direct streaming of shows and movies from its partners.
In January 2019, premium subscription options from select content providers were added to The Roku Channel.
The Roku Channel used to only be available in the US., but on April 7, 2020 it launched in the UK, with a different selection of movies and TV shows, and without premium subscription add-ons.

Legal issues

In June 2017, a Mexico City court banned the sale of Roku products in Mexico, following claims by Televisa through its Izzi cable subsidiary that the devices were being used for subscription-based streaming services that illegally stream television content without permission from copyright holders. The devices used Roku's private channels feature to install the services, which were all against the terms of service Roku applies for official channels available in its store. Roku defended itself against the allegations as such, stating that these apps were not officially certified and that the company takes active measures to stop illegal streaming services. The 11th Collegiate Court in Mexico City overturned the decision in October 2018, with Roku returning to the Mexican market soon after; Televisa itself eventually placed a Blim channel on the Roku service.
During the summer of 2017, Roku began to purge future support for several apps from its platform's app store, including suspicious private channels that might be used for piracy. A complication to the removal of these channels occurred in mid-May 2018, when an FBI warning card popped up on several mainstream public channel apps such as YouTube and Netflix, causing Roku to apologize and ask users to do a system update to repair the issue.