Roku XD launches at Best Buy

By Geoff Duncan March 30, 2011

Roku‘s streaming video set-top boxes have been on the market for a while now, but the company just landed a major traditional retail partner: as of today, the Roku XD is now available for sale via leading electronics retailer Best Buy. The move marks the first time Roku has brought a product to retailers directly, although last year Netgear-branded Roku units went on sale at a variety of consumer electronics outlets.

Roku XD with remote — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Having sold over 1 million Roku players through online sales only up until now, we are incredibly excited to announce our entrance into brick and mortar retail with nationwide availability from the preeminent consumer electronics retailer,” said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood, in a statement. “Customers can now grab a Roku off the shelf at Best Buy, take it home and be up and running, enjoying their favorite TV show, movie, music, or sports team in just a matter of minutes.”

The Roku HD can stream video at up to 1080p resolution via HDMI (although it works with standard-definition TVs too) and gives users access to more than 100,000 movies and television shows through the likes of Netflix, Crackle, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus—although, of course, separate subscriptions are required—long with access to live and on-demand sports from the NBA and NHL. The units can also stream music from services like Pandora, MP3Tunes, MOG, and Rdio, tap into Flickr and Facebook, and more. The devices connects to home networks via 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, although a wired connection is also an option.

The Roku XD is available through Best Buy stores and BestBuy.com for $79.99.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

Save $50 on the Jabra Elite 10 true wireless earbuds at Best Buy

Jabra Elite 10 in case with lid open.

If you need new earphones, Best Buy has the headphone deals for keeping your wallet happy as well as your love of great music. Today, you can buy the Jabra Elite 10 for $50 off so they’re down to just $200. A significant saving of 20%, they’re perfect for anyone who wants good quality earbuds for less. We can’t confirm how long the earbuds are on sale for so take a quick look at everything you need to know about them then hit the buy button before you miss out.

Why you should buy the Jabra Elite 10
The Jabra Elite 10 offer a lot for the price and we were impressed when we reviewed them in August 2023. They may not have popped up on our look at the best wireless earbuds but they gained a great four star rating.

Audio / Video

Save $200 on this Epson 4K home theater projector at Best Buy

The Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector on a white background.

You don't need to leave the comforts of your home if you want to enjoy a cinematic experience, as you can buy from projector deals instead. If you're interested, you can get the Epson Home Cinema 2350 projector for $1,100 from Best Buy, for savings of $200 on its original price of $1,300. It's a significant investment, but you'll quickly realize that it's worth it once you're watching movies in your living room in 4K quality. You're going to have to act fast though, as we're not sure if the discount will still be available tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Epson Home Cinema 2350 projector
The Epson Home Cinema 2350 projector is capable of projecting videos with 4K Ultra HD quality and sizes of up to 500 inches, so in some ways it's even better than watching movies in the cinemas. The projector offers brightness of 2,800 lumens, which is more than the recommended 2,500 lumens by our guide on how to choose a home theater projector. Once it's throwing movies to your wall or projector screen, you can get a sound upgrade by connecting your soundbar, receiver, or headphones. You'll also be able to easily find a spot for it because of its compact design.

Audio / Video

Snag this JBL soundbar with wireless subwoofer while it’s $200 off

The JBL Bar 500 and Subwoofer hooked up to a TV in a living room.

Your home theater setup will be even better with an audio upgrade because today's TVs don't have enough space in their slim bodies for powerful speakers. If you're thinking about getting one, you should set your sights on the JBL Bar 500 5.1-channel soundbar, which is available from Best Buy with a $200 discount that brings its price down to $400 from $600 as part of today's best soundbar deals. However, you're going to have to complete the transaction quickly, because we're not sure if the savings will be gone by tomorrow.

Why you should buy the JBL Bar 500 5.1-channel soundbar
JBL is one of the most trusted names in the audio industry, so you shouldn't hold yourself back from buying the JBL Bar 500 5.1-channel soundbar. Our guide on how to buy a soundbar explains that it features five channels, namely the standard left and right channel, a center channel to improve the quality of spoken dialog alongside JBL's PureVoice technology, and two more channels that enable surround sound -- in this case, you'll be getting Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound that will make you feel like you're in the middle of a concert or a sporting event. Meanwhile, the "1" refers to the presence of a subwoofer, which is a 10-inch wireless subwoofer that provides booming bass to further elevate the audio of movies and music.