14 DAY TRIAL // Roku has just announced that it has expanded the retail availability of its streaming multimedia players as the Roku XD unit can now be purchased from Best Buy stores across the United States as well as from the retailer's website for $79.99 US.
The Roku XD was launched in the second half of 2010 and is the cheapest player in the company's lineup to support Full HD video playback.
In addition, the unit also features 802.11n Wi-Fi and 100Mbit Ethernet connectivity, a Roku enhanced remote control that supports instant replay, back and options buttons, composite and HDMI video outputs as well as analog stereo and digital over HDMI 5.1 surround sound.
The power consumption of the unit is rated at a mere 6W when in operation and it measures just 125x125x30 mm, which means it can be stored virtually anywhere next to the HDTV.
As far as the available content is regarded, users can choose between an wide array of free and subscription-based channels such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Major League Baseball, MP3Tunes, Pandora, RadioTime and others or on-demand services such as Amazon's VOD.
“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 Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku.
“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,” concluded the company's rep.
The Roku XD is available for $79.99 at Best Buy across the United States. The list of retailers who sell Roku media streamers also include BJ’s Wholesale Club, Fry’s Electronics and RadioShack.