Roku 2 launch week continues. Our official Roku 2 XS review can be found here, but we fully expect additional details to trickle out… Such as three unannounced “channels” that are clearly on horizon. Although there’s still no sign of YouTube on Roku.
As you can see from the product box shot above, EPIX and Texas Hold ‘Em are on the docket. EPIX is a premium cable channel that offers a variety of movies – both on your television and online. And it looks like Roku might be the very first set-top box in the mix. However, HBO with HBO GO is the very best value in premium entertainment and I’d choose it over EPIX in a heartbeat… except for that small matter of watching HBO GO on a HDTV.
I remain unconvinced I’ll be spend any significant time (or money) playing casual games on my Roku 2 XS. But, despite my disinterest, it looks like Texas Hold ‘Em will be joining Angry Birds at some point in the near future.
From the Roku 2 launch blog post that was published, unpublished, edited, and republished we know Major League Soccer (MLS) is expected to join Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Basketball Association (NBA) streaming offerings. While other outlets have seemingly confirmed this partnership, timing and pricing remain a mystery.
Thanks to Scott of Satellite Guys for cluing me into EPIX!
Epix isn’t so hot. They crop new releases and almost all catalog titles are in 2.0DD even if there is a 5.1DD mix available. I’ve sent them multiple polite emails on this for years and they haven’t responded to me but once.
According to BigSoccer boards MLS MatchDayLive started on Roku this weekend. It’s an extension of their already existing internet package.
That was the partially aborted announcement… However, it’s not actually available on my Roku box or shown in the Roku Channel Store web page – and as I mention Roku removed that bit of news from their new hardware announcement. Perhaps it’ll be (re)announced and available for real some time soon?
Do you know how much that package typically runs?
I’m going to check my Roku again… someone in the forum reports seeing it available now. (And it looks like online MLS access run $60 for five months.)
Still not seeing it in the Channel Store… perhaps it’s a private channel only for the moment. The way that could work – assuming you have a MLS streaming subscription, they’d provide the private channel code to gain access via Roku. Or maybe they’re testing it and it has been visible and not visible at various times. Hm.
MLS MatchDay Live was published as a public channel late Friday evening. I just checked, and it’s still under “new channels” in the Channel Store. More information here: http://www.rokuguide.com/channels/mls-matchday-live
Well I know what I’m seeing (it ain’t there) and I believe that you see it. So I just confirmed on my Roku XS that it is NOT listed in the Channel Store. HOWEVER, I fired up my 2010 Roku XDS and it IS there. So Roku’s still got some tweaking to do in regards to their new platform…
And maybe that’s why they held back the announcement and didn’t update the web channel listings? Besides, Roku would get more bang for their buck announcing this jointly with MLS on some other day instead of grouping it with new hardware.
That’s interesting – the channels on old-Roku and on Roku not necessarily matching up. I hope this doesn’t come across as a shameless promotion of my website, RokuGuide.com, but this means I may need to highlight those channels that are only one or the other generation. My Roku 2 was shipped and should be here in a day or two. I’ll do some comparing between the two and see if there are any other differences. Thanks for noticing this – I’m not sure I would have. Great blog, also.
Add Vudu and I might consider buying one, not before.
I got all the Andry Birds. Any new ones coming out?