Less than a month after Roku announced HBO GO was headed to their set-top streamers… the service has arrived. And, at first blush, it looks to offer the same level of programming as found on HBO’s mobile apps — both original HBO programming, like Boardwalk Empire, and a selection of full length movies. I’ll dig in a bit deeper over the next few days, breaking down the content and evaluating the picture quality.
In the interim, it’s worth mentioning the decent amount of angst emanating from some Roku owners on their Facebook page. Folks want the option of subscribing to HBO GO without actually subscribing to HBO… the channel. Which seems entirely reasonable. Except, HBO will continue to make their big bucks through cable and satellite partners that they’d rather not alienate (by competing against). So, for the time being, cord cutters need not apply. Also, some wonder why we’d want HGO GO on another set-top if we already subscribe. Easy. Every episode, of every HBO series, on demand. The HBO channel(s), and even our providers on demand offerings, can’t match that. Plus, I’ve taken Roku on the road to more than one hotel (pic).
Now about bringing HBO GO to Samsung devices and the Xbox 360…