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Roku's active accounts grew 47% to 20.8M;streaming hours surged 56%

15 points by john58 8y ago

Someone1234 8y ago
Roku is the Switzerland of streaming platforms, in the sense that they're neutral. For example, Amazon and Google have been at war, Google pulled YouTube off of the Amazon Fire Stick, and Amazon refused to stock Google's Chromecast hardware or let a cast occur from the Prime video/music apps. Vudu (Walmart) is also at war with Amazon, therefore doesn't offer the Vudu app on Amazon's Fire Stick. Roku has remained largely out of it, since they have fewer horses in this race. While Roku sells ads and hardware, they don't really compete for streaming space or within retail sales. So you wind up with Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Chromecast all available side by side on a Roku. Roku does need to be careful though, they've been trying to offer paid on-demand content and other streaming services, if they're successful they might make themselves a competitor which could cause the above to leave.
- scarface74 8y ago
  There is something going on between Amazon and Google. Both are on AppleTV even though Apple is a competitor. I don't know why Amazon and Google can't play nice.
  - toast0 8y ago
    Amazon and Google compete for the same customers for tv boxes and voice response boxes; Apple had products in that space, but they appeal to a different group; nobody is going to buy an Apple TV or a homepod unless they're already in the Apple world, buy people in the Apple world are desirable customers, so it's important to have your content there.
scarface74 8y ago
I have mixed feelings about Roku. I have two Roku TVs and two Roku sticks and my next TV will be a Roku TV. But mostly because it is the best streaming platform that is built into TVs. But that's not saying much. The interface is slower than my AppleTVs - even my 3rd Gen ones and I hate the ads that take up half the home screen. On the other hand, I love the private listening and the interface is still better than every other TV just for stuff like changing settings and inputs.
hbcondo714 8y ago
This could be because Roku has more 3rd party apps than the competition. My cable tv provider, Charter Spectrum, has a decent app where I can access live and on-demand tv shows & movies w/o a cablebox and while traveling. That app is available[1] in the Apple & Google Play stores in addition to Samsung TVs and Rokus. For some reason they did not release a version to Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV. Does anyone by chance know why? [1] https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app/ https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app/

15 points by john58 8y ago

Roku is the Switzerland of streaming platforms, in the sense that they're neutral. For example, Amazon and Google have been at war, Google pulled YouTube off of the Amazon Fire Stick, and Amazon refused to stock Google's Chromecast hardware or let a cast occur from the Prime video/music apps. Vudu (Walmart) is also at war with Amazon, therefore doesn't offer the Vudu app on Amazon's Fire Stick. Roku has remained largely out of it, since they have fewer horses in this race. While Roku sells ads and hardware, they don't really compete for streaming space or within retail sales. So you wind up with Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Chromecast all available side by side on a Roku. Roku does need to be careful though, they've been trying to offer paid on-demand content and other streaming services, if they're successful they might make themselves a competitor which could cause the above to leave.

scarface74 8y ago
There is something going on between Amazon and Google. Both are on AppleTV even though Apple is a competitor. I don't know why Amazon and Google can't play nice.
- toast0 8y ago
  Amazon and Google compete for the same customers for tv boxes and voice response boxes; Apple had products in that space, but they appeal to a different group; nobody is going to buy an Apple TV or a homepod unless they're already in the Apple world, buy people in the Apple world are desirable customers, so it's important to have your content there.

scarface74 8y ago

I have mixed feelings about Roku. I have two Roku TVs and two Roku sticks and my next TV will be a Roku TV. But mostly because it is the best streaming platform that is built into TVs. But that's not saying much. The interface is slower than my AppleTVs - even my 3rd Gen ones and I hate the ads that take up half the home screen. On the other hand, I love the private listening and the interface is still better than every other TV just for stuff like changing settings and inputs.

hbcondo714 8y ago

This could be because Roku has more 3rd party apps than the competition. My cable tv provider, Charter Spectrum, has a decent app where I can access live and on-demand tv shows & movies w/o a cablebox and while traveling. That app is available[1] in the Apple & Google Play stores in addition to Samsung TVs and Rokus. For some reason they did not release a version to Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV. Does anyone by chance know why? [1] https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app/ https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app/