roku

Several media and technology industry veterans are teaming up to back Fanhattan, a San Mateo, Calif.-based digital startup that has developed an iPad app that integrates content from Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, ABC and other online video services. 

Roku struck a deal that will make the over-the-top video provider the first company to deliver Rovio's popular Angry Birds game to the TV. 

Internet radio site Pandora expanded into comedy, debuting six free comedy channels. In addition to letting listeners create personalized comedy stations based on their favorite comedians, Pandora has created comedy channels for genres such as political comedy, working class comedy and PG comedy.

Pandora's comedy channels are also available on TV to Web surfers with connected devices such as Roku's over-the-top video receiver and TiVo's Premiere DVR. More

Peel said it is looking at retail opportunities for its wireless device and mobile app, after raising $16.7 million in its second round of funding. 

Lightspeed Venture Partners led the investment in Peel, which makes a free app and a $99 wireless device which allows viewers to control their TVs, cable set-tops and other devices by swiping an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. 

Attorneys at YouTube have reportedly asked over-the-top video provider Roku to remove a an unlicensed channel from its service. 

According to Zatz Not Funny editor Dave Zatz, a Roku user built a channel that allowed owners of Roku boxes to surf YouTube videos. But Roku wasn't authorized by YouTube to add the channel to its content offering, which include channels for Hulu, Netflix and other Internet video providers. 

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related news we didn't have room for in this issue:

Sportskool, a Grace Creek Media-owned VOD content provider that specializes in sports training/instruction videos (note: for more on Grace Creek's acquisition of the company from Rainbow Media, see the article published on itvt.com, January 2nd, 2009), recently launched two new, original channels--Sportskool Yoga and Sportskool Fitness--on the Roku OTT platform.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue.

Because the [itvt] editorial team has been busy this week working on the TV of Tomorrow Show 2011, we are covering recent news in round-up/summary form. We anticipate that it will take us a few days to catch up with all the news we plan to cover: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular daily news coverage will return shortly.

mDialog, a company best known for providing an in-stream advertising solution for iOS devices (i.e. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch), said Wednesday that it is extending its platform to the OTT market via support for the Roku platform.

OTT specialist, Roku, said Monday that national "lifestyle and entertainment" cable network, WealthTV, has launched its 24/7 linear HD feed, as well as a range of VOD titles, on its Roku streaming player. While Roku has previously launched linear feeds from international partners such as YuppTV and ChannelLive, WealthTV--which will be offered for a monthly subscription of $2.99--is the first US cable network to be made available on its platform. "WealthTV fans that can't get our network from their local video provider can now enjoy our vicarious living programming line-up via Roku," WealthTV founder and CEO, Robert Herring, Sr., said in a prepared statement.

Due to the large volume of news generated by the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place last week in Las Vegas, we are covering stories in this issue in summary/round-up form. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.