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Best Buy Stocks Roku

$80 Internet Set-Top Available Through Electronics Retailer

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/30/2011 8:30:00 AM

The Roku XD player -- an $80 set-top that lets users stream video from Netflix and other services over broadband pipes -- is now available for purchase at Best Buy stores nationwide and at BestBuy.com.

Best Buy is the largest national consumer-electronics retailer, with 1,184 U.S. locations. Roku players also may be purchased at Roku.com, Amazon.com, BJ's Wholesale Club, Fry's Electronics and RadioShack.Roku XD

The Roku XD, with a list price of $79.99, is a 5-by-5-by-1-inch box that provides support for up to 1080p HD streaming support and includes 802.11n Wi-Fi.

Access to the Netflix instant-streaming catalog is Roku's most popular feature. Roku provides more than 150 other channels with free and paid content from Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Amazon On Demand, Pandora and Hulu Plus.

While pay-TV operators have become increasingly concerned that Roku and other over-the-top video services would lead subscribers to cancel their subscriptions, research indicates the effect has been minimal. Just 0.3% of U.S. households surveyed said they dropped a pay television service in the last year, according to Leichtman Research Group.

"Having sold over 1 million Roku players through online sales only up until now, we are incredibly excited to announce our entrance into brick-and-mortar retail with nationwide availability from the preeminent consumer electronics retailer," Roku CEO Anthony Wood said in a statement.

Privately held Roku, based in Saratoga, Calif., introduced its first player for streaming Netflix in May 2008. The company was incubated by Netflix, which subsequently sold its stake to venture-capital firm Menlo Ventures.

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