Streaming 411

LAS VEGAS - January 7, 2013 via Business Wire

Time Warner Cable announced today that subscribers of their cable television service will no longer require a cable set-top box as long as they have a Roku device.  They will be launching their new TWC TV app through Roku's channel options.  This app is currently available for Apple iPad and iPhone, where subscribers can access Time Warner's video-on-demand library.

Roku users will not be able to watch VOD content, but will be able to access 300 cable networks available through their monthly television subscription service.  Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt says "If somebody wants to use the interface that comes with one device or another, that's fine. We're going to continue to have ours.  If there's a better one - as long as they [subscribers] buy video from us - I don't care."

Roku CEO Anthony Wood says "The availability of a service like TWC TV on an open platform represents significant milestones for both Time Warner Cable and Roku as well as for the industry overall.  More importantly, with TWC TV, customers will have more choice in entertainment than was ever possible before.

A partnership with Roku could also be a serious savings for Time Warner Cable, who will not have to deploy and maintain the cable set-top boxes in their subscribers' homes.  In fact, Britt and other executives are predicting that these set-top boxes will eventually become extinct as connected television and streaming devices continue to take hold in the marketplace.