This is basically a marketing move: HBO gets to keep their new programs so customers have to have HBO to see GOT and so forth (HBO gives up its back catalog but I doubt their old shows bring in new subscribers so that isn't a huge loss), Amazon justifies their Amazon Prime price increase and also gets people to buy Fire TV (Amazon Prime is probably not coming to any other device like Chromecast). I would say it's a huge win for Amazon and a so-so win for HBO, so likely Amazon is paying a hefty price to HBO for this ad campaign.
HBO is also sticking it to Netflix with this move. It's clear that traditional premium channels and streaming premium channels are on a collision course and it makes sense for HBO to spread their content juice to someone other than the streaming Goliath. Selling the content to Netflix would give Netflix an even stronger position as it continues to flank traditional cable. While this move makes Amazon stronger, it makes Netflix weaker.
I hope this will help expand Amazon's reach and get their service on to more devices. Netflix needs a legitimate competitor and Amazon looks to become a formidable player in the streaming arena.
I don't think gaming systems and Roku as entries to streaming entertainment are great long-term, mass-market options. They are/were good for early adopters or the more tech-oriented. But for the larger markets, Chromecast, Apple TV, the new Amazon service, and smart TVs is where the market is evolving.
You don't think that the Xbox 360 (with 79.4 million in sales[1]) are a better long term, mass market option than the Apple TV (with 13 million[2])?
Games consoles are not very tech-oriented. The Roku is every bit as tech-oriented as the Apple TV (they're basically the same product by different companies).
I would say the percentage is higher than you think. So much that the Xbox One seems to be designed more like an entertainment system than a gaming console.
I don't game much but I use my Xbox 360 as a glorified streaming device. WMC, Xfinity and Amazon Prime all of them are convenient on 360 especially when compared to Comcast's clunky set top box interface. Ohh did you know Comcast allows me to stream full HD for free on the Xfinity app whereas to do it on their Set Top Box, not only do I have to get a new one, I would have to pay $5 extra per month.
I think you're off base. Roku is a very mature product. Amazon might be able to beat it with marketing, but one could argue that Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon have to catch up with Roku.
You're absolutely right. Roku has been around longer and is more fully featured than many of its competitors, but that's not going to matter in the long-run.
Google, Apple, and Amazon all have substantially more brand recognition and marketing power than Roku. Additionally, those three companies are also building upon their existing businesses to drive their TV devices and strategy. Smart TVs are also going to cut back on the number of people buying these types of devices.
Roku is a fine option, but I don't see it being a big player a few years from now. I may be wrong, but I think they'll ultimately end up serving a niche market.
The Amazon Prime, Netflix apps are front-and-center on the Xbox and PS3 console dashboards. One click install, enter username / password, and you have a very easy to use navigation / search for instantly streaming anything. If you own one of these devices (a lot of people do), it is a pretty easy experience.
The problem I have with devices from Apple, Google, Amazon are that they limit them to make their own content front and center, and often they won't even allow sources outside their own. With a console, I can stream from Hulu, AMZN, Netflix, or a PC in the office. Plus if you add a DLNA server like http://playon.tv, you add hundreds of other sources.
With the Amazon Instant Video app on an iPhone/iPad you can use Airplay to stream to an AppleTV. I've never used it but do this a lot with BBC iPlayer which works really well for me.
Amazon's streaming is on Roku already, with support for Prime and rentals/purchases. I don't see why they'd have any problem with Chromecast. The Fire TV doesn't seem like a product where they intend to make money off of the hardware. It's just a means to get their content in front of more eyeballs.
Their big battle (in my opinion) is that Netflix has a whole lot of name recognition, and that's where making an Amazon streaming box can help. Right now people associate Amazon more with buying physical goods, and less with digital media where their main presence is with the Kindle brand.
I saw a Vizio smart TV that has a red "Netflix" button on the remote. That may change if Amazon becomes a legit competitor to Netflix, but Netflix definitely has a stronghold.
