ROKU TV... Wait for it, it'll be worth!

Roku, the consumer electronics company best known for its devices that deliver Internet video to televisions, is making a more ambitious play for the living room -- unveiling the Roku TV.

The Silicon Valley company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -- a trade show that is ground zero for gadget news -- that it would enter the fast-growing smart TV market.
Roku plans to license its software to television manufacturers, which will build and distribute the Roku TV. Two Chinese electronics manufacturers, TCL and Hisense, are the first to partner with Roku on the smart TV.
Roku is entering a competitive market, with established television manufacturers including Samsung, LG and Sony; and entrants from Silicon Valley, such as Google Inc.'s re-branded Android TV (formerly known as Google TV). Apple has long been rumored to be working on a TV.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll 

"If you think about streaming, the two categories of products growing are set-top boxes like ours ... [and] smart TVs," said Jim Funk, Roku senior vice president of product management. "We want as big a platform as possible for Roku."

Rather than go it alone, Funk said Roku elected to strike partnerships with established TV makers TCL and Hisense, the third- and fifth-largest television manufacturers in the world, respectively.
Colin Dixon, chief analyst for researcher NScreenMedia, said Roku will focus on managing the software and delivering the streamed content while the manufacturers focus on what they do best.
"It solves a really big problem for the middle-tier and small TV manufacturers," Dixon said. "These guys don't have the wherewithal to recruit all the content and applications they need to be successful."
Funk said Roku will bring the uncomplicated Internet streaming experience of its devices to this new smart TV. The screen will draw together all sources of entertainment content in one place -- so viewers can choose whether to watch a program airing on TV, watch a Blu-ray movie, play a video game, stream a TV show on Netflix or listen to music on Pandora.

The remote control will have just 20 buttons, roughly half the number found on other devices.
As with the Roku streaming players, users also will have access to the Roku Channel Store, where they can choose from among 1,200 channels that offer TV shows and live sports, news, music, fitness and lifestyle programming.

The Roku TVs will be available in the U.S. this fall, in sizes ranging from 32 to 55 inches. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Roamio Streaming Devices by TIVO

Ok. For those guys who have never heard about Tivo Roamio I must say that you must learn a little bit about this amazing VCR. Yes, you read it right, it is a digital VCR that has an integrated streaming system and downloadable apps that makes this stuff really complete.

TiVo complimentses Roamio is a completely new internet-based app expertise along with the incorporated DIAL protocol for simple control of apps and streaming content from mobile devices. The built-in TiVo Stream lets you connect for your Roamio over WiFi and stream records and cable stations into a small quantity of apparatuses. According to TIVO they will be launching an app for Iphones and Ipods soon but there's no info on that regard yet.

There are three Roamio versions available that you can find online on amazon or directly on TIVO website: the 149 Roamio, $395 Roamio plus and $541 Roamio Pro, with built in storage including 75 hours to 450 hours of HD content.

You will be able to stream TIVO content and radio as well. Actually, I think there are 4 - 6 radio stations that come along with all boxes.

Out-of-house streaming supports standard cable stations like HBO, NBC or ESPN including streaming services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon.

The revamped UI sports upgraded HD screens and fonts having a personalized dash functioning "the greatest programming accessible". TiVo additionally boasts a twofold operation leap when searching and browsing across your articles.
Other characteristics comprise guide blockers (Pictures, Sports, Humors, etc) in station guides, an improved remote with an RF connection permitting Roamio to be set in another a different wholly and an upgraded TiVo Mini applications with dynamic tuning and Netflix.

The brand new HTML5-established app platform lets the Roamio run such apps as YouTube and Netflix, with faster than with the regular TIvo (this was said by them so I can't promise this will happen).
Regarding the upgraded TiVo iOS/Android app, it now supports distant Season Pass direction and includes a record scheduler plus an increased WishList direction which enables one to add or remove records.