Amazon streaming service goes HD
Set-top box lets users view from 40,000-title inventory
By Danny King -- Video Business, 4/21/2009
APRIL 21 | Amazon.com today started offering titles in high definition that can be streamed directly to TV sets using components such as the Roku set-top box player and TiVo digital video recorders.
The world's largest Internet retailer is offering about 500 movies and television shows in HD streaming form from companies such as Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Amazon said in a statement.
Amazon, which has an inventory of 40,000 video-streaming titles in standard definition, will charge as much as $4.99 to people who want to stream titles to their televisions and $2.99 for those who want to play the titles on their personal computers.
Amazon has been aggressive at trying to attract their customers to its digital delivery service. Last July, the online company, which doesn't disclose sales from its digital titles, replaced its Unbox video download service with its Amazon Video On Demand Service, and last month, made its digital titles available for streaming to TVs through the Roku set-top box.
In addition to the Roku boxes, TiVo DVRs and Sony Bravia TVs, customers will be able to stream Amazon's digital titles through Panasonic Viera TVs, Amazon said today.
Roku and TiVo have similar streaming agreements for Netflix's digital titles.
