Being that the Amazon Video On Demand service came to Roku about a month ago it's nice to see that they are keeping quick with updates and supporting HD downloads. There's no details on resolution but as for pricing it should be the same as any other Amazon HD outlet like TiVo—HD TV shows are $3 and HD movies are $4-$5. With Netflix and Amazon support, the $99 Roku box is shaping up to be a pretty solid purchase, here's hopping for new additions, Hulu, in the future...

Amazon Video On Demand Announces Launch of High Definition Movies and TV Episodes
Customers can now purchase HD TV shows from Amazon Video On Demand and rent HD movies from compatible devices including those from Roku, TiVo, Sony, and beginning today, Panasonic

SEATTLE – April 21, 2009 – Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that customers can rent box-office favorites and purchase top TV shows in HD from Amazon Video On Demand.Customers can select from more than 500 HD TV shows and movies from major studios and networks including Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Showtime Networks. Top titles available now in HD on Amazon Video On Demand include new-release movies such as "Frost/Nixon," "Twilight" and "Yes Man" and hit TV series including "Californication," "The Tudors," "Smallville," and "Gossip Girl."

"Our customers have been asking us for two things: HD and the ability to watch movies and TV shows instantly on their television," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president Music and Video. "Today we are thrilled to begin offering HD and to add the distinctive Panasonic VIERA CAST®-enabledHDTV lineup to the growing number of televisions and devices supported by Amazon Video On Demand. We plan to continue making it easier than ever for customers to instantly enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies in HD from the comfort of their living rooms."

With movies and TV episodes in HD, Amazon Video On Demand is providing customers with even more choices for entertainment. Customers can now order and watch movies and TV shows in HD on their televisions through compatible devices including: the Roku digital video player, TiVo Series3, HD, and HD XL DVRs, and the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link. Starting today, Amazon Video On Demand's entire library of 40,000 titles, plus HD titles, are also available on Panasonic VIERA CAST® enabled HDTVs. Using these devices, customers can now rent HD movies for $3.99 - $4.99. Customers can also purchase and watch HD TV shows online on MACs or PCs, through compatible devices, or download them to their PC for offline viewing for $2.99.

"Panasonic is thrilled to be working with Amazon's Video on Demand service, an association we see as another step in providing the ultimate entertainment experience for the consumer. Both Panasonic and Amazon are extremely consumer centric and this functionality will provide the consumer with a myriad of entertainment choices." said Merwan Mereby, Panasonic vice president of New Business Development. "It's fitting that Panasonic and Amazon have joined creative forces to create this unique entertainment vehicle. Panasonic's VIERA CAST HDTVs have garnered numerous best of awards, while Amazon is a pioneer in transforming in-home movie entertainment. The consumer will have access to a vast selection of movie and TV entertainment at their finger tips with just a click of a button."

"The addition of Amazon's HD offerings to the Roku digital video player is a tremendous enhancement for our customers," said Tim Twerdahl, vice president of consumer products at Roku. "Amazon's vast selection of high-quality content is the perfect complement to Roku's instant delivery of top movies and TV shows directly to the TV. The combination of Amazon Video On Demand and the $99 Roku player is an incredible value to customers."

"This is a great day for our customers because our best-in-class HD offering just became even better with HD movies and TV shows now being offered by Amazon Video On Demand," said Tara Maitra, vice president and general manager of Content Services and Advertising Sales at TiVo Inc. "Adding HD content from Amazon Video on Demand to an existing vast library of options shows once again that with a TiVo remote you truly can have it all. Consumers can access Amazon Video On Demand HD movies and TV shows, all with the simplicity people have come to expect from TiVo."

"Striving to deliver high-quality content directly to customers, Sony is excited to have HD movies and television shows from Amazon Video On Demand delivered directly to BRAVIA televisions," said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of TV Marketing for Sony Electronics.

For more information and to see the growing list of HD content, please visit www.amazon.com

Amazon Video On Demand is offered by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Starting today TiVo lovers can expect to see Amazon HD availability on their Series 3 / TiVo HD boxes. HD content is priced about the same as normal SD downloads with HD TV shows starting at $3 and newly released HD movies at $4-$5. There's no details yet as to the quality of the picture or download speeds, but from the beta testing HD downloads are supposedly "outstanding" and handle surround sound very well.

With Amazon HD VOD, Netflix streaming HD, and the recently announced Blockbuster OnDemand, TiVo is slowly working to make paid internet content available on your TV. This is all great news but what about some Hulu love? Please TiVo, we beg of you...

THE FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR: HIGH DEFINITION DOWNLOADS FROM AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND COMING TO A TIVO DVR NEAR YOU

ALVISO, Calif. – April 21, 2009 - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the availability of HD movies and television shows for download from Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) directly to their television set. Starting today, broadband connected subscribers with a Series3™, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL will have access to high quality HD downloads available from Amazon Video On Demand.

Movie and television lovers from coast to coast can browse through hundreds of selections, all without having to leave their living room and at the fraction of the cost of purchasing a Blu-ray disc. High definition episodes of current TV seasons will be available for purchase at $2.99 and top new release HD movies will be available for rental from $3.99 - $4.99. The experience is made even better with the vast majority of titles providing Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, offering a full surround sound experience.

"Consumers are seeking affordable entertainment alternatives to an expensive trip to the movies. With HD downloads for movies and TV shows, TiVo and Amazon can transform any night into a memorable movie experience, all for a fraction of the cost of the theater," said Tara Maitra, general manager and vice president of content services and advertising sales at TiVo Inc. "Our customers now have access to a new world of ultra high quality HD television and movie choices available when the DVDs are released, something no other DVR, cable, or satellite company can match."

TiVo Search, which is optimized for HDTVs with a wide screen display, will include HD results from Amazon along with broadcast and cable programs when a user performs a search.

"TiVo is enabling customers to access our unparalleled library of hit movies and TV shows, bringing them directly into the home where friends and family can watch from the comfort of the couch," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president music and video. "Together with TiVo, Amazon Video On Demand is excited to offer HD and increase the selection, quality, and convenience for the TiVo community."

To activate their broadband-connected TiVo DVR, subscribers can log onto Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/videoondemand/tv. After a one-time registration, they can use the remote to search and browse the Amazon selections right from the TV screen, then download the selection directly to the TiVo DVR. To receive more information on how to download HD content from Amazon via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/amazon.

Amazon on Roku pretty much works like it does on other devices, like Tivo. Old movies are $10, new ones are $15, so on and so forth. Content is streamed directly from Amazon's server (via your account), straight to the Roku box.

Also worth noting is that the $100, Netflix-playing digital video player, will now sell on Amazon's site for the same price. Roku says the update will hit this week, and will be free for Digital Video Player owners.

ROKU NOW OFFERS ACCESS TO AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND

Digital Video Player Instantly Connects Consumers To Over 40,000 New Titles

SARATOGA, CA, March 3, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular Roku digital video player, today announced that customers can now watch movies and TV shows from Amazon Video On Demand. With Amazon Video On Demand, Roku customers can for the first time purchase or rent new release movies the same day they are released on DVD and watch commercial-free TV shows the day after they air– all from Amazon's extensive selection of more than 40,000 movie and TV titles.

"We are excited to give our customers access to Amazon's massive catalogue of top movies and TV shows – including many new releases", said Anthony Wood, Roku CEO and Founder. "The launch of Amazon Video On Demand on Roku demonstrates our commitment to creating an open platform that instantly delivers the entertainment consumers want directly to their TVs."

The compact Roku player connects directly to any TV and uses a broadband Internet connection to deliver DVD-quality video instantly. Roku customers can now choose from Amazon's enormous selection without paying subscription fees, waiting for downloads, or running out to the video store.

"The $99 Roku player provides our customers with tremendous value and a compelling entertainment experience," said Roy Price, director of Amazon Video On Demand. "Consumers are looking for inexpensive and hassle-free ways to watch their favorite movies and TV shows, and the Roku player meets that need head-on."

How It Works:
- Connect the Roku player to your TV and your broadband Internet connection (Wi-Fi is built in for ease of set-up)
- Browse Amazon Video On Demand's extensive selection right on your TV
- Rent or purchase and instantly watch any of more than 40,000 choices, including top new releases and the latest TV shows

Over the course of the next week, current Roku customers will receive a free and automatic software update giving them access to the Amazon Video on Demand service. All Roku player customers will continue to have access to Netflix Instant Watching with unlimited access to more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes for a low monthly fee.

The Roku digital video player is available for purchase exclusively at Roku.com and Amazon.com.

About Roku
Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products and business solutions to bring rich media to the end user. Its products include: The Roku Digital Video Player and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.

Not there, you notice is Hulu. BUT, Vizio says they're in "deep talks" with them. So Hulu, directly integrated into your TV, looks likely. The connected platform runs on Yahoo widgets and Adobe Flash Lite, and you can develop your own widgets with Yahoo's SDK. It'll start in two TVs this fall, eventually expanding to Vizio's entire XVT line. Not all of the services were up and running, but overall, it looked and performed well—easy to use, and not intrusive.

The crazyass QWERTY slider remote, on the other hand, might not be so simple, but it's fully Bluetooth 2.0 compliant, meaning you can do more than control your TV with it.

VIZIO ANNOUNCES NEW AND EXCITING “CONNECTED HDTV” PLATFORM WITH
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY (802.11n)

- VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform gives HDTV viewers unprecedented choice and access to
Internet-based content streamed directly to their VIZIO HDTV without the inconvenience and expense
of a PC or set top box.

- VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform provides a fully customizable and dynamic entertainment
experience with built-in wireless (802.11n) to access on-demand movies, music, news, weather,
sports, gaming and social networking services.

- Content and service providers are rapidly expanding and now include Accedo Broadband, Adobe®,
Amazon®, Blockbuster®, Flickr®, Netflix®, Pandora, Rhapsody® and Yahoo! ®

LAS VEGAS, NV (CES) and IRVINE, CA - - January 7, 2009 - - VIZIO, America’s TV and
Consumer Electronics Company, announced today the unveiling of its “Connected HDTV”
Platform, which enhances the HDTV viewing experience by bringing personalized
entertainment, information and social networking content into the viewer’s living room. With
unprecedented choice and control of web-based and local content from a wide range of popular
content providers and services, including on-demand movies and music, news, weather, sports,
gaming and social networking services, this platform will be integrated as a key feature into
VIZIO televisions shipping to retailers nationwide this Fall 2009 in time for the busy holiday
season.

VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform is designed to compliment TV viewing. At a single touch of
the VIZIO customized remote control, viewers can access their favorite Internet content from the
easy to navigate on screen display, without interrupting the TV program they are viewing. With
built-in wired and wireless (802.11n) networking, VIZIO televisions with the “Connected HDTV”
Platform will provide true plug-and-play connectivity right out of the box.

“In our recent report on the future of the television, Evolution of the Television - From Passive
Consumption Device to the Entertainment Center of the Home, we noted, 'The television has
evolved from a passive consumption device that received limited over-the air programming, to
the entertainment center of the home where multitudes of activities come together,’” stated
Nathan Safran, Analyst at Forrester Research, Inc. “While broadband set top boxes that deliver
content into the home are interesting because they establish a new way of delivering content to
the television, they have had limited appeal because of the up-front equipment outlay and
because content has been restricted to a single partner. However, when streaming media
capability is integrated directly into the network enabled television, it becomes a game changing
proposition, and is the next step in the evolution of the television, as it eliminates the equipment
outlay for the set top box and gives the viewer a broad range of content to choose from.”

“As consumer demand for content and information grows exponentially, we want to address
what our customers are increasingly looking for – the ability to enjoy their favorite content and
services from the comfort of their living room easy chair,” said Laynie Newsome, VP Sales and
Marketing Communication and Co-Founder of VIZIO.

Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Market Research at DisplaySearch also noted, “In a
hyper-connected world, TVs will start integrating more completely with the various sources of
available content. According to a recent study DisplaySearch conducted, 22% of respondents
wanted access to web-based information and more than 31% already watch movies from on-
demand services.”

Along with the expectation of anywhere, anytime access, consumers crave variety and the
freedom to choose from a wide set of entertainment and information sources. “Our ‘Connected
HDTV’ Platform is a key element of VIZIO’s Consumer Ecosystem, which places the VIZIO
HDTV as a focal point, allowing viewers to seamlessly connect to information and entertainment
sources that they want, when they want them,” said Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP. “The platform
also provides an unprecedented opportunity for Internet-based service providers to develop and
deploy innovative applications to a large consumer audience.”

VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform will incorporate the Yahoo! Widget Engine, which provides
an open platform enabling a new class of Internet services, called TV Widgets, to thrive in the
TV environment. The platform will also include support for Adobe Flash LiteTM, which will
enable developers to deliver rich applications, content, and video over the Web to the television
itself.

Leading popular content and service providers are working with VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV”
Platform to bring a very wide variety of entertainment, information, social networking and other
applications to consumers, including:

Accedo Broadband (www.accedobroadband.com) — Accedo’s popular casual gaming service,
Funspot®, allows viewers to play a variety of fun games from the comfort of their favorite
armchair. Games include Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Sudoku, and QuizzMaster.

Adobe (www.adobe.com/flashplatform) — Adobe Flash® Player and Adobe Flash Lite are on
over 98 percent of connected computers and more than 800 million devices, and deliver more
than 80 percent of Web videos worldwide. Both players are part of the Adobe Flash Platform
and ensure that content and applications are presented consistently in the format users want.

Amazon Video on Demand (www.amazon.com/vod) — Amazon Video On Demand plans to
make its massive selection of over 40,000 movies and TV shows available to users of VIZIO’s
“Connected HDTV” Platform, providing users with the total on demand entertainment solution.
Using the VIZIO television’s built-in Internet connection, Amazon Video On Demand plans to
give customers the ability to browse, shop and instantly watch everything from hit new release
movies to classic movie favorites and individual TV episodes and seasons.

Blockbuster OnDemand (www.blockbuster.com) — One of the nation’s leading digital movie
services, BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND makes thousands of titles, including the newest
releases, available for rental and purchase. The service is available on an a la carte basis, no
subscription necessary, and includes content from the major Hollywood studios as well as more
than 30 other studios, television-content distributors and foreign and independent content
providers.

Flickr (www.flickr.com) — Flickr, a Yahoo! company, is one of the world's leading online photo
and video sharing communities where people explore, find and manage pictures and video clips
of life's daily moments with friends, family and the world. The Flickr TV Widget helps users
make their favorite photo content available to the people who matter to them. Consumers can
view, share and organize photos with friends and family or check out what interesting new
photos were recently posted by others — all in the social setting of the living room on their large
flat panel television.

Netflix (www.netflix.com) — Since launching its streaming functionality in January 2007, Netflix
has grown its catalog to more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes to watch
instantly on the TV via a number of Netflix ready devices. Netflix members pay as little as $8.99
per month for unlimited instant streaming and unlimited DVDs from a catalog of more than
100,000 DVD titles in more than 200 genres.

Pandora (www.pandora.com) — Based on the Music Genome Project begun in 2000,
Pandora’s personalized Internet radio and music discovery service delivers personalized
playlists built from a database with over 550,000 songs analyzed by more than 30 trained
musicians and assessed against nearly 400 distinct musical attributes.

Rhapsody (www.rhapsody.com) — Rhapsody’s award-winning digital music service gives
consumers access to more than six million songs on their PC, on their portable device and in
the home. Now, VIZIO “Connected HDTV”-enabled users will have living room access as well to
Rhapsody's extensive music catalog, professionally programmed music channels, personalized
recommendations and thousands of themed playlists.

Yahoo! — Yahoo! provides the best of the Internet in perfect harmony with the simplicity and
reliability of the television. The innovative Yahoo! Widget Engine, which will help drive VIZIO’s
“Connected HDTV” Platform, will offer VIZIO customers an enhanced viewing experience by
bringing to market a new class of interactive applications called TV Widgets. Initial Yahoo! TV
Widgets available will include Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! News, and Yahoo! Finance, soon to be
followed by Yahoo! Sports and Yahoo! Video. Yahoo! Video puts a wide range of news, sports,
lifestyle, and entertainment video content in one place for users to enjoy on their TV via the
Internet. Additional well-known content providers already developing TV Widgets for deployment
include CBS, Showtime®, TwitterTM, The New York Times® and MySpace®.

By collaborating with leading content, service and technology partners to create a truly
compelling and personalized user experience, VIZIO sees its new advanced platform as part of
its continual evolution to deliver consumers more of what they love. “The quality of the platform
partners that we are attracting validates our approach. Our partner list will continue to expand,”
stated Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP. “This platform offers innumerable opportunities given VIZIO’s
hefty HDTV market share and growth expectations for the future.”

Amazon's Video on Demand library has about 40,000 titles and releases movies on the same day they hit DVD, and anything you buy on the Roku box can be accessed on your PC or Mac too. Like Netflix, the streams will scale to your bandwidth. I think this officially makes the $99 Roku box the best value in standalone VOD boxes, since it explodes the Roku's catalog weakness by giving it access to new titles.

AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND BRINGS CUSTOMERS NEW-RELEASE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO THE ROKU DIGITAL VIDEO PLAYER

Roku adds a convenient way for customers to enjoy movies and TV shows from Amazon Video On Demand; Amazon Video On Demand connects to PC, MAC, Sony Bravia Internet Video Link, TiVo, Roku and more to come soon

SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 5, 2009—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it will offer customers the ability to instantly purchase, rent and watch digital movies and TV episodes from its popular video service, Amazon Video On Demand, via the Roku Digital Video Player. Beginning in early 2009, the Roku Player, which currently supports only the Netflix service, will offer access to Amazon Video On Demand’s more than 40,000 commercial-free movies and television shows enabling Roku customers for the first time to watch new release movies titles instantly.

With an easy-to-use interface that customers can enjoy from their couch, Amazon Video On Demand and the Roku Player will enable customers to:

∑ Access and add to their virtual library of purchases via Amazon Video On Demand’s Your Video Library, and re-watch them anytime on the Roku Player or online with a PC, MAC or other compatible device.
∑ Watch new release movies the same day that they are released on DVD. Hit titles such as “The Dark Knight,” “Hancock,” “Pineapple Express”, “Tropic Thunder” and hundreds more that are not currently available on the Roku Player.
∑ Enjoy instant playback, no downloading, no waiting and no subscription fee.
∑ Browse Amazon.com's huge selection of over 40,000 movies and TV shows for rent or purchase.
∑ Enjoy Amazon Video On Demand’s high-quality video through its use of the advanced h.264 codec and an automatic bandwidth detection feature that seamlessly plays back the best quality file at either 300, 600, 900 or 1200 kbps.
∑ Easily setup their Roku Player using its built-in Wi-Fi connection and begin watching videos within minutes.
∑ Connect their Roku Player to any television set using HDMI, Component Video, Composite Video, S-Video, Stereo Audio or Optical Audio connections.

“With the subscription-free $99 Roku Player that connects to any TV, customers can now choose and watch their favorite new-release movie instantly, and access all of their titles from their video library,” said Roy Price, director Amazon Video On Demand. “Amazon Video On Demand’s large selection makes the Roku Player the perfect choice for hassle-free On Demand movie and TV entertainment.”

"We are excited to add Amazon's massive catalog to our player – including new releases and top movie and TV titles,” said Anthony Wood, Roku CEO and founder. "This makes the Roku Player the ideal choice for watching Internet content directly on TV.”

[Amazon]

One TiVo user spotted this "Available in High Definition" option in their Amazon Video on Demand menu system. Clicking on the option did nothing, but it's probably pretty safe to assume that TiVo didn't add the choice for aesthetic reasons alone—though the company does enjoy their endless word list UI so maybe we're reading to much into it after all. [Twitter via Engadget]