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ROKU LAUNCHES NEW STREAMING STICK: Roku is launching a new HDMI streaming stick priced at $50. The device will give users access to Roku's library of over 1,000 streaming channels, including PBS and Showtime. The new device is half the price of previous Rokus and supports all TVs with HDMI, which Roku's previous streaming stick did not. Users can control the device with an included remote or from a mobile app for iOS and Android. The new streaming stick will be available in April. Roku is one of the most popular streaming devices in the United States, according to our recent report on connected TVs. (Engadget, Roku)
MORE ON DISH-DISNEY INTERNET TV DEAL: Dish signed a deal with Disney that gives the satellite TV provider rights to distribute Disney’s content over the Internet. Neither company has provided specific details on how these rights would be used, but the deal lays the groundwork for Dish to launch an Internet TV service in the future. More importantly, the deal also gives Dish a huge advantage over competing Internet TV providers. Other burgeoning Internet TV providers, such as Verizon's OnCue and a service recently announced by Sony, have yet to sign deals like the one between Dish and Disney. (Gigaom)
SKYPE COMES TO THE BROWSER: Skype, the video chatting service with over 400 million users, is coming to Microsoft's Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail). Users of Microsoft’s email service can now conduct Skype video chat through the website. Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Skype has recently faced growing competition from browser-based services, such as Google Hangout. (TechCrunch)
HBO GO LAUNCHING ON PLAYSTATION: HBO Go, HBO's streaming service for pay-TV subscribers is coming to Playstation. The service will launch first for Playstation 3, and shortly after for the new Playstation 4. The service will give HBO subscribers access to Boardwalk Empire, Game Of Thrones, Girls, and True Detective. HBO Go has been hugely popular on other streaming platforms, including Apple TV and Google's Chromecast. (TechCrunch)
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