Roku Steps Up To The Plate, Becomes Major League Baseball Periscope
Roku has swung and seemingly connected a hard technological line drive that's headed out of the ballpark, having forged a deal with Major League Ball that allows those with an MLB.tv subscription to stream games through the set-top box — previously a Netflix-streaming machine — to Tvs.
The San Jose Mercury News has the story:
The new feature is part of a deal with MLB.TV, a subscription service from Major League Baseball that streams video feeds from home and away games over the Internet. Roku officials declined to discuss the terms of the deal.
At this point in the season, an MLB.tv package runs about $35. Great news for Diamondbacks fans in Vermont looking for a way to watch your boys play out the string.
The deal makes you wonder whether a video game console follows suit. Should only be a matter of time.
Live baseball comes to Roku [San Jose Mercury News]
(Photo: afagen)
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Comments:
Can someone please explain to me why this is a big deal? All it takes to do this without a Roku box is a computer, an LCD or Plasma TV and an HDMI/VGA cable. Presumably if you have an MLB.tv account you have a computer, and if you want to stream it to your TV, you clearly have a TV. Buy a cable on Amazon for <$10 and plug the computer into the TV!
I can see the day when cable/satellite TV goes the way of tail fins on cars, love handles on actresses, and the polyester leisure suit. I already watch more Roku than I do satellite TV.
@HurtsSoGood: I believe it was around $100 for the full season. Definitely cheaper than Extra Innings, but far less reliable.
However, you did have the choice of the home or away feed, which is nice, as well as watching that game's highlights on demand.
Ooooooooh, I have a Roku box, this would be a great way to be able to watch Orioles games since I don't have cable.
@HurtsSoGood: For the whole package, it was $120 (I believe) in April. But it is definitely worth it.
Now I hope that they can get the NFL package too!
MLB.tv also has an app on Boxee (which is well maintained).
@theblackdog: Provided that MLB doesn't decide to lock me out because I live between DC and Baltimore, and could technically see games if I got Comcast.
@HRHKingFridayXX: I've had nothing but problems trying to get MLB.tv working on boxee, but I'm running it on my aTV. I usually just launch it right from MLB's site.
@HurtsSoGood: Netflix Online, baby. Now they just need to let it hook up to Hulu, and I'll be all set.
@diasdiem: Yeah...I did it for budgetary reasons...which is why all of my responses are during work hours. I'm considering going with something that isn't comcast...mobile broadband card or what not.
@custommadescare: That will happen shortly after Al Davis returns to his sanity. (Although you can watch online if you have Sunday Ticket, which is nice when you're away from home ...) The NFL likes its total monopoly, TYVM.
I take it that the problems I had heard about from last season are mostly resolved? I have Extra Innings and am happy with that ... when MLB was struggling more with MLB.tv I would not have recommended it because of those problems, but if the technical issues have been worked out, then sure, it would be a great way to follow your team, especially when they're playing day games during the week.
Still subject to blackout restrictions, which means your "local" games will not be available. "Local" in Las Vegas means Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Arizona, San Francisco and Oakland games are blacked out, even though local cable does not offer any channels that carry the latter three.
Cmon Phil, there are no Diamondbacks fans in Vermont. We do keep getting all these pesky Yankee fans moving in, though. V irritating.
@Smashville: I ditched cable for money reasons, since I don't watch a lot of actual TV shows, and most of those I do I can catch online. Originally I wanted to just ditch the HBO tier, but due to a special package deal I had with SuddenLink at the time, my bill would have actually gone UP. So I just stuck with high speed internet, got a Roku box and PlayOn so I could stream Netflix and Hulu on my TV, and saved about $80 a month.
oh god, I hope the Xbox would get something like this. I would wet my pants and soak in it all day, happy.
@erastus25: Some people have a Roku box, an MLB.tv account, and are perfectly happy to stick with their tube TVs for the moment. Me, for example. Hence, this is a huge deal for me, a Red Sox fan living in New York.
That almost makes me want to get my internet back.
MLB.tv = $35
MLB Extra Innings = close to 200 dollars