This Week’s Bank Review Giveaway: Roku 2 HD Streaming Player

After a great outcome from last week’s Bank Review Giveaway, we decided to bring it back this week with the same simple requirements, but a new prize!

This week you can enter to win a Roku 2 HD Streaming Player, all you need to do is review!

That’s it! Once you’ve reviewed your bank, our team will be notified and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win the player featured above. We’ll help you get started, just click the “Post a Review” button below:

About the Roku 2 HD Player

Roku is one of the top selling digital streaming player. Stream everything you watch on your computer instantly to your TV and it only takes minutes to set up.

Watch Netflix, Hulu and so much more when you connect your Roku to your TV and wireless network. You will not have to pay any extra each month to have movies, shows and music streamed instantly to your TV. Roku 2 offers over 300 channels of movies, shows and more being constantly added. To learn about the Roku 2 HD Player check out their website!

Congratulations to Last Week’s Winner: Nicholas M.

Last week we launched the MyBankTracker.com Bank Review Giveaway contest and had so much fun running it we decided to do it again. We wanted to give a special shout-out to reviewer Nicholas M. for his review of Ally Bank. Thanks again!

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Vision IPTV Extends Reach to Roku Internet STB Platform

Image via WikipediaVision IPTV unveiled the latest addition to its suite of services for broadcasters: the addition of Roku capability to Vision IPTV’s platform for delivery of internet TV and video. This enables broadcasters and video content owners to extend the reach of their broadcast services to a rapidly expanding North American audience who own a Roku set top box. 

Delivering an unrivalled user experience, the Roku streaming player is an easy to use and cost effective way for anyone to enjoy internet TV and video on their TV set, as well as popular on demand services like NetFlix and Hulu. Roku is proving a huge success in the US, where it recently served its one billionth stream, and expects to have sold some 3 million units by the end of the year. 

Vision IPTV has extended the capability of its online video platform for broadcasters and content owners to include broadcast to Roku users, as well as the upcoming Roku 2 player. This allows for a short turnaround in enabling channels or video on demand to be set up and added to the Roku app store as subscription, pay-per-view or free to air. 

Broadcasters can use Vision IPTV’s platform to customise programme schedules, geographical delivery, billing and advertising. Vision IPTV’s traditional broadcast monitoring facilities serve to actively monitor content streaming, ensuring broadcasts are of the highest possible quality and reliability. 

Vision IPTV’s platform supports all of the most popular IP and hybrid set top boxes and devices in the market, enabling broadcasters to deliver compelling TV services to new markets and audiences. 

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Roku Unveils Roku 2 Set-Top Player Family

Saratoga, Calif. - Roku launched Wednesday a next-generation version of its popular TV set-top Internet streaming box, highlighted by a more compact form factor, an interactive Bluetooth remote that will support new video game play, and expanded entertainment offerings.

Roku unveiled its next generation Roku 2 set-top Internet TV players that have been optimized for playing casual video games, like Rovio's popular Angry Birds.

The new Roku 2 is billed as a new family of streaming players that will be available in three (good-better-best) versions -- the Roku 2 HD ($60 suggested retail), Roku 2 XD ($80) and Roku 2 XS ($100). All will be available at the end of July and retailer outlets, including Roku.com, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Fry's Electronics and RadioShack.

The new line introduces popular casual game play, including Rovio's Angry Birds (free with the XS version), to the system.

Game play is better facilitated through the use of a highly responsive motion-control remote that links to the Roku 2 set-top via Bluetooth. It is included in the package with the Roku 2 XS version, and is available as an after-sale option to the Roku 2 HD and Roku 2 XD units.

The Roku Game Remote will be available in the coming weeks as part of a bundle that includes a 2GB MicroSD card for a $30 suggested retail at Roku.com.

Each player includes a MicroSD card slot to enhance the built-in memory, for storage of various casual video games.

In addition to being much smaller and lighter than previous Roku hardware, the Roku 2 players are also said to be more energy-efficient, using less than two watts of power.

The Roku 2 HD player supports up to 720p HD video while the Roku 2 XD player supports up to 1080p HD video. Roku 2 also adds several significant enhancements to its acclaimed Netflix experience, including support for English subtitles, Dolby Digital Plus and up to 1080p HD video quality (on the XD and XS models).

The Roku 2 XS includes the new Roku Game Remote with motion control; an Ethernet port for a wired Internet connection; and a USB port for playing music, videos and photos from a USB drive.

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INTERACTIVE TV NEWS ROUND-UP (V): ROKU, WALMART, S3 GROUP, IRDETO

--Roku in National Retail Deal with Walmart
--S3 Group to Showcase StormTest Development Center at CableNET
--Irdeto to Deploy S3's StormTest Development Center Enterprise-Wide

Due to the large volume of news being generated this week by the Cable Show, we are covering today's stories in abbreviated round-up/summary form:

Roku has announced that its Roku XD player is now available in all Walmart stores across the US, where it is priced at $78. "With the Roku XD player now available at Walmart, customers can get dad the perfect gift just in time for Father's Day," Roku founder and CEO, Anthony Wood, said in a prepared statement. "Whether it's dad-centric flicks, sports or tips for grilling the perfect steak, Roku offers something for dad every time he sits down to enjoy TV." Roku currently offers around 250 entertainment channels on its OTT platform, and says that it will shortly begin offering popular casual games such as "Angry Birds."
S3 Group has announced that it will demo its StormTest Development Center automated set-top box testing solution at the Cable Show's CableNET 2011 technology showcase. "At The Cable Show 2011, S3 Group will test interactive applications, specifically those that support and validate EBIF specifications for interactive TV," the company states in its press materials. "Visitors will see StormTest Development Center in action as it is triggered by the presence of applications in the broadcast stream. With this approach, operators and service providers have the ability to conduct testing as the application is seen on air--allowing real-time confirmation of applications running correctly across the platform. S3 Group will also demonstrate its user interface for test creation which allows non-programmers to easily develop their own automated tests, along with a testing station for up to four STB's simultaneously."
S3 Group has also announced that it has secured its first enterprise-wide licensing deal for the StormTest Development Center: Irdeto, which has been using the solution in regional facilities for the past two years, has decided to deploy it throughout its global footprint. "Irdeto, a global software security and media technology company, conducted rigorous market and technology analysis prior to choosing StormTest Development Center as the platform for end-to-end testing of different features on multiple varieties of set-top boxes," S3 Group states in its press materials. "The company chose to expand with S3 Group due to its robust and reliable testing capabilities and multi-site support for engineers located in different countries."

Roku Player Marches into Wally World

As more and more devices come with Netflix streaming baked in -- would you really be surprised if your next toaster oven had a Netflix label on the side of the box? -- Roku is doing everything it can to keep its low-cost dedicated set-top box relevant. Towards that end, Roku managed to get Walmart to start selling its Roku XD player.

"We know that our customers love having instant access to entertainment on their TVs – and at great value. With the Roku XD player now available at Walmart, customers can get dad the perfect gift just in time for Father’s Day," said Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood. "Whether it’s dad-centric flicks, sports or tips for grilling the perfect steak, Roku offers something for dad every time he sits down to enjoy TV."



The Roku XD player isn't just about Netflix; it gives users access to more than 250 entertainment channels, including Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, Pandora, Rdio, TuneIn Radio, Flickr, Facebook, and a whole bunch more. Roku says it will even offer casual games like Angry Birds in the near future.

Walmart is selling the Roku XD player for $78.