Streaming Box Roku Announces Cable Deal With Time Warner, Which Is Big News for You

Roku 2 Family of Streaming Players (Photo: Business Wire)

The streaming player Roku -- a device that's used to stream content like Netflix, Hulu, TheBlaze TV and other subscriptions through the Internet onto a television -- recently signed a deal with Time Warner Cable to offer an app that will allow it to function like a traditional cable box service.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Eric Savitz for Forbes wrote that Roku announced the deal, which brings its device's use more into a mainstream capacity. Time Warner subscribers who also have a Roku box will be able to stream up to 300 television channels without any additional charges.

Here's how TechCrunch described it:

The new channel will allow Time Warner cable subscribers to log in using their cable credentials and begin streaming live TV in their homes. While Time Warner Cable has made apps like this available on the iPad, iPhones, and through Web browsers, this will be the first time that a connected TV device will have the cable distributor’s programming. Despite previous announcements with CE manufacturers like Samsung and Sony at previous CES events, Time Warner Cable will land on Roku first.

“The big picture is that TV is moving to the Internet,” Roku CEO Anthony Wood said in an interview with Forbes. “All TV eventually is going to [be] over the Internet.”

Forbes reported this breakdown to show that shift is already occurring:

Wood says that about 30% of Roku users to do not use a pay TV service, although the other 70% – and he says the balance has been pretty consistent as the company has grown. Of the 30% without cable service, about 10% came to Roku without previously having cable service. The other 20% drop cable after buying their Roku box.

Roku is already used to stream content like that offered by Netflix. (Photo: Roku)

The deal is being hailed as a milestone for the two companies. It's the first time Time Warner has allowed a third party to access its content and Roku is functioning more and more like a cable box replacement.

TheVerge pointed out that the channels available to be streamed will be limited by what's included in the subscriber's cable package.

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(H/T: Gizmodo)