The $99 Netflix-streaming Roku box now supports Amazon Video On Demand HD. Nice upgrade for such a cheap box, though note that unlike the Apple TV, the Roku has no internal storage. Even if it did, Amazon VOD doesn’t work like that: it is a 100 percent streaming service. When you “purchase” content (you can also rent most items, including TV shows *coughiTunesStorecough*), you are simply paying for unlimited streaming rights, which naturally require an Internet connection any time you want to watch it.
This also means that you cannot download and take rented or purchased Amazon VOD content with you on a Roku, nor can you transfer it to a portable device.
I’m not bashing the Roku, Netflix, or Amazon VOD. I just think some context is in order versus Apple’s polar opposite business model of selling downloadable content. The Roku really is a brilliant device, and I know a few people who could not be happier with theirs.
