Quick update: Netflix Player from Roku

Jun-3-08, 1:41 pm by Hanford
File under: design, User Interface, tech, fun

Hi readers (both of you!) -- Here's a quick post that I hope to expand on soon: the Netflix Player from Roku has shipped and is getting great reviews. Since January 2005 I was doing user interface design, UI prototyping, and user testing on this project, and I'm really happy to see it launch and get such great feedback.

The Netflix player is a small box that you hook up to your TV, and it wirelessly streams movies so you can watch instantly. If you've got a Netflix account already, it's a $100 one time fee, and then you get unlimited hours of movie playback -- all included in your monthly Netflix subscription.

I want to write more about the development, because we had one of the most progressive UI design processes I've ever seen for a consumer electronics product, and I think it shows when you use it.

Here's a video of it in action (this guy has an incredibly slow net connection, but he video gives a good cross-section of the UI):

The press and public are loving it. Here's what's being said about it:

"this one-time $100 expenditure is practically a no-brainer" David Pogue, The New York Times

"the most impressive product we've seen attached to a TV this decade" Richard Doherty, Envisioneering Group

"a streaming video box friendly enough to rival the Apple TV -- or to give your folks" Ryan Block, Engadget

"I've been using the Player and I have to say, I honestly love it to death If you're a Netflix fan, put one on your wish list immediately." Christopher Null, Yahoo! Tech

"it is better than any other set-top box I've ever seen" Saul Hansell, The New York Times

"This is one of the most elegant and surprisingly usable devices I've seen in a long time." John Biggs, CrunchGear

"Worth buying if you're a Netflix customer (or thinking of becoming a Netflix customer)" Brian Lam, Gizmodo

"the Roku-Netflix combination [is] a far better deal than its competitors." Peter Svensson, Associated Press

"it's a no-brainer for the 8 million-plus Netflix customers out there. If you're not one, this is an added reason to become one." Peter Svensson, Associated Press

"the Netflix Player by Roku is a true gem." John Biggs, CrunchGear

Congrats to Tim, Donna, Marcello, William, and the rest of the Netflix and Roku crew! I had a blast working on it, and I'm really proud of the results.

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Mark Hurst wrote: Aug-12-08, 6:37 am

I have a Roku and like it a lot. Nice work!

Jon wrote: Jun-4-08, 6:12 am

Congrats Hanford! And I read an article that said it had already sold out completely and was now on 2-week back order. You rule!

James wrote: Jun-4-08, 3:03 am

Now there are three! :)

Great work, are there plans to open this up for third party development?

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