Roku has agreed a deal that will give its set-top box users access to Amazon’s video on demand (VOD) content.
The agreement means owners of Roku digital video players will be able to instantly purchase, rent and watch digital movies and TV episodes from the Amazon service.
Currently the Roku player only supports Netflix.
Amazon’s VOD service has more than 40,000 commercial-free movies and television shows, including instant access to new release movie titles.
Rental prices range from USD $0.99 to $3.99 per view.
The deal with Amazon, which will kick in during Q1 2009, is part of an effort by Roku to widen its content offering.
Tim Twerdahl, Roku’s vice president of consumer products, said Roku owners should expect more content to become available in the first half of 2009.
“We’re looking to create an open platform for a number of different business models and content types,” he said.
With Netflix providing a subscription-based model and Amazon a transactional one, Twerdahl said the company was now working hard to get ad-supported video on the Roku player.
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