SMPTE 2012: Roku CEO Predicts DVR Will Give Way to Streaming

By David Tobia
October 26, 2012

During SMPTE’s annual conference this week, Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood suggested game consoles and DVR devices will soon no longer be dominant players in the television realm, as users shift to streaming players and smart TVs.
Wood said that he sees television heading in a direction in which the “end point is where any piece of video is available in any language, anywhere [via streaming]. That is the world we are heading to.”
He added that although game consoles dominate the current streaming market, their lack of growth will hurt them as consumers shift to smart TVs and streaming players. Of course, this supports his self-interest as CEO of steaming player maker Roku, and the release of new game systems within the next few years could change the “flat” growth Wood mentions.
He also said DVRs are “going to go away. That is a stepping stone.” He suggests the DVR will first go to the cloud, and then will simply become integrated into the new on-demand world of television.
Wood also discussed Roku’s newest product, the Roku Streaming Stick. The $100 device is about the size of a USB flash drive and connects devices to Roku’s streaming services.

No Comments Yet