Just in time for the holidays, Roku has announced an all new Roku Player…sort of.  Actually, the HD-XR model just adds a USB port (not enabled) and support for 802.11n to the HD version of the box.  You can grab one now for $129.99 or opt for the now discounted SD version for $79.99.  For some the $30 for the HD-XR version might not be worth it, but for those streaming users that want to move their box further from their router it might make sense, and who knows, maybe that currently disabled USB port will actually facilitate not only local play from an attached hard drive but enable it to be a NAS.

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If there’s one thing I love–positively LOVE!–about gadgets, it’s their great potential to make my life better, easier, and more entertaining.  And now that I’ve found a possible way to shatter a cable bill by the judicious use of Netflix, DSL and a Roku video device, I’m more inclined to express my love of gadgetry.

Here’s the rundown: a DSL subscription can run about twenty three bucks a month, depending on where you live and what plans are available.  A subscription to Netflix that includes unlimited downloads starts at a measly nine bucks.  The Roku?  Another ninety nine.

So for a hundred bucks to open and thirty two bucks a month, I can essentially get access to a wide-open commercial free library of movies and television shows.  Why would I get cable when this is a possibility?

And now, thanks to this coalition of gadgets, you can overthrow the cable company.  Sounds like a plan to me.

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Today, Roku added Amazon.com’s Video On Demand (VoD) service to its Roku media player. Now you’ll be able to rent and/or purchase Amazon.com’s huge lineup of media directly from the Roku device. This effectively eliminates the need to subscribe to Netflix’s service.

The Amazon VoD upgrade is free and will rollout to users over the course of this week. Quite a significant upgrade, I must say, since you’ll have a buttload of new viewing options for the same $99 Roku box.

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Amazon.com announced that their video on demand service will be coming soon to the Roku Digital Video Player. This will add 40,000 movies to the Roku player, along with new releases and TV shows. Combined with Netflix, this box should keep you glued to the set until your eyes pop out.

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Within the next few weeks, users of the Roku digital video player should expect an update that will enable HD Netflix streams. My question is why in the heck did it take so long?

I guess what matters is that it’s finally here, eh?  This little box is now capable of streaming hundreds of HD streams in addition to the 12,000 standard definition titles. Great value I must say.

Official press release:

SARATOGA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Roku Inc., a leading innovator in digital media technology and maker of the popular Netflix Player by Roku, today announced it has released support for streaming high definition (HD) content. Through the use of advanced compression technology, Roku can deliver instant streaming of HD content over average consumer broadband connections – bringing HD to the mass market at an affordable price of just $99.

“Netflix is a pioneer in streaming HD content over the Internet and the results are impressive,” said Anthony Wood, founder & CEO of Roku. “Adding hundreds of HD titles to their catalog of more than 12,000 streaming titles provides tremendous value to Roku owners.”

Netflix, Inc. is the first content provider to deliver HD content to the Roku player. Additional providers of HD content are expected in the first quarter of 2009. The new software will be automatically delivered to all Roku players free-of-charge over the course of the next few weeks.

“No other HD device delivers as diverse a catalog of HD entertainment along with flexible HDTV connections and incomparable price-value as Roku,” says Richard Doherty, Research Director for The Envisioneering Group. “More and more HD video programming is instantly available, making Roku even more valuable over time than many expensive PVRs and leased services.”

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