Netflix / Roku Digital Video Player Gets Amazon Video

March 3rd, 2009

Netflix / Roku just rolled out access to Amazon Video on the Netflix / Roku box, now dubbed the “Roku Digital Video Player.”

To activate the service, you first link the Roku box with an Amazon account, by entering a code displayed on your Roku box and setting up a five digit PIN. This PIN must be entered anytime you want to rent / purchase content.

On the Roku box, a new Amazon Video section appears. It displays five categories, movies, TV, special deals, your video library, and getting started. Under special deals are some really cheap content (movies under $2, TV seasons under $15, free content, and Oscar Winners. After you rent / purchase content, they show up under the video library.

I tested out some free content, purchased a television show and rented a movie.

The Good

• The video quality was acceptable (better than Hulu and Boxee on the Apple TV, but not as good as iTunes content)
• Because the content streams, it starts playing almost immediately.
• Overall, the UI is pretty clean and intuitive, with choices limited to left, right, and play, with up and down navigating up and down the menu hierarchy. The playback interface looks exactly the same as the Netflix Watch Instantly content, complete with dots representing streaming quality, except the little bar at the bottom is colored blue as opposed to red.

The Bad

• Most of the Amazon Video content overlaps with the Apple TV, and pricing is very similar. The annoying 24 hour rental limitation is also in place.
• Lack of HD content. This might be good or bad — the current Battlestar Galactica episodes are $1.99 (non HD) as opposed to $2.99 in iTunes (HD). Truth be told — I’ll likely do without HD to save a buck or two.
• Some of the Amazon Video content overlaps with the free Netflix Watch Instantly content, which makes little sense — in my world, free trumps a paid rental (plus time limitation) every time. Buyer beware, and I plan to check Watch Instantly before renting any Amazon content.
• It seems you must to enter your PIN before every rental or purchase.

Conclusion

The addition of Amazon content really enhances the Netflix / Roku box, essentially duplicating the content rental / purchase capability of the Apple TV. In some ways it’s better — I think the interface is easier to use, and the streaming content means more immediate playback, and storage is a non-issue. At only $99 in addition to a Netflix account, which many people are already paying for anyhow, the Netflix / Roku box is almost a no-brainer.

At present, the Apple TV is only winning in two ways: video podcasts, and its use as a media extender to play back a large amount of video content, music, and photographs stored on our Mac Mini.

Apple really needs to do something to improve the Apple TV. Let’s hope based on recent updates to their entire desktop line, an Apple TV update is imminent.