There have been a number of set-top boxes released over the past year so consumers can stream content directly into the living room, and there is a lot of uncertainty over which product is the best.
In fact, with the ability to stream content through the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console and several standalone Blu-ray players, there are some consumers who doubt if they need to purchase a set-top box at all.
But there is at least one analyst who has not only picked his favorite set-top, but has posted recommendations to make it even better.
"After spending significant time with the Roku box during some recent sick days, I have concluded that the Roku is still the box that delivers the most punch, especially considering its price," said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey. "That's why the Roku box won our Convenience Quotient analysis on set tops last summer and it's only getting better as the Roku team adds more content."
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If Roku wants to keep its industry advantage on the competition, McQuivey says, it needs to make several important improvements.
The first improvement is to begin streaming Hulu.com directly into the living room, which will give viewers another stream of content that is available on-demand. "The sooner ad-supported TV shows up on Roku, the sooner it's a must-have $99 box for everyone."
As more and more casual viewers begin to watch content on Hulu, the ability to take it from the PC into the living room on a TV is absolutely vital.
The second thing Roku can do to help convince consumers to purchase its set-top box is to become the first set-top to implement Yahoo TV Widgets.
"But the beauty of having widgets on the Roku box is it would immediately relieve Roku of needing to strike separate content deals with every possible content provider. Instead, it can just let content providers develop whatever they want for the platform, making the box more valuable with each passing day."
