Hef's not exactly known for his tech punditry, but the latest issue of Playboy says Hulu is eventually coming to the Roku video player. We don't have to tell you how big a deal that would be -- we're sure half of you would drop cable immediately in favor of the charming $99 box -- but we've got our doubts about this particular rumor, since the networks and cable companies seem intent on keeping Hulu far, far away from the living room at the moment. Here's the thing, though: although Roku PR just told us they're "not sure" where this info came from, they wouldn't give us an outright denial, so something very well could be up -- only time will tell if there's truth here or if we're all just dealing with another of the bunny's airbrushed fantasies.

Roku hooked us up with an early preview of Amazon Video on Demand in HD for its Video Player, and while we didn't have much time to poke around, but what we saw was mostly impressive. Video took a little longer to buffer in than Amazon SD or Netflix's HD streams on our 10Mbps cable connection, picture quality was noticeably better, although still not at Blu-ray levels. Apart from the HD content, the experience on the Roku box is essentially same as always: there's still no search in the interface, so be prepared to hunt around for what you want -- anything other than popular or blockbuster titles requires a little digging. Selection and pricing seem to be about on par with Apple TV / iTunes, but you're getting a little less for your money, since audio is stereo-only compared to Apple's 5.1 encoding. That's a potential dealbreaker for us, but it might not matter to you, and Roku's $99 Video Player is now an undeniably appealing way to beef up your HD content options. Short hands-on video after the break.

We don't know if you ever gave any thought to the hardware behind Roku's digital video player, but the company announced it is continuing a partnership with NXP to use the PNX8935 decoder to bring all that sweet Netflix, Amazon and more to your TV. Anyway you cut it, many have found the h.264 and VC-1 decoding capabilities worthy of paying the Roku's $99 price tag, we suppose it's not up to NXP when Amazon will let us get at any HD content or Netflix adds to its high definition library, so we'll just say job well done and look forward to what these two have planned in the future.

Roku was nice enough to upgrade our player for Amazon Video on Demand a little early, and we're basically impressed -- although we're not in love with SD video and stereo audio, it's hard to complain about a free service update. Actually, that might be the best thing about the newly-rebranded Roku Video Player: Roku's opening the platform to third-party channels, so eventually the $99 box will be able to stream from all kinds of sources. Amazon is just the first additional channel built using the new tools, and for the most part, things work just like Netflix -- the interface has been only slightly modified to enable selecting content from the box itself instead of from your online queue. We're talking really slightly: there's no search interface, so it's sort of like having lots of categorized queues. One minor complaint: the rental clock starts when you purchase content, not when you start playback, which isn't necessarily the most flexible setup, but it makes sense given the streaming-only nature of the service, we suppose. That said, purchasing is easy and fast, and we had no problems streaming in the highest-available quality on our 10Mbps cable connection -- Max Payne didn't look super-awesome in SD, but it was certainly watchable. Bottom line? It's perfect for a bedroom, but we're way more particular about the home theater -- Roku tells us the Video Player can actually do 1080i and 5.1 if the content is there, so hopefully we'll see someone leverage those capabilities and turn this thing into a $99 Apple TV / Vudu killer. Quick little demo vid after the break.

Amazon Video on Demand has been in private beta on the Roku Video Player for about a month now, but now everyone can stream rentals and purchases to their TVs. The free Roku update enabling the service will roll out this week, and once it's installed, you'll be able to browse, rent, and purchase any of Amazon's 40,000 movies and TV shows. The interface is an extension of the familiar Netflix interface, slightly re-jiggered for selecting content directly from the box instead of the web, and payments are authorized with a five-digit PIN so the kids can't go on crazy buying sprees. Not a bad little bump for the $99 box, but until Amazon gets HD and surround audio we don't know if it'll be enough to take on the competition. Full release after the break.

We knew good and well that Roku's movie set-top-box would be supporting Amazon Video On Demand in the not-too-terribly-distant future, and apparently the private beta has begun. Over at the Roku forums, an official has made clear that demand was exceptional and the pool of private beta testers has now been chosen. Sadly, there's no mention of when Roku plans on sharing the love with the public at large, but Dave Zatz has appropriately pointed out that YouTube could be following close behind. Still, we have to concur that the most pressing question has yet to be answered: will this Amazon VOD be offered up in glorious high-def? Pretty please?

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

This is it, folks -- the shootout you've been waiting for. We've worked with our brethren over at Engadget Classic to assemble an end-all HD Netflix roundup, which pits the BD-P2500, BD300, TiVo HD, Xbox 360 and Roku Netflix Player against one another. We know you're salivating at the thought of it, so rather than just telling you who emerges victorious, we'll point you over and let you dig in yourself.

Still waiting for the high definition streaming-enabling update for your Roku Netflix Player? From the support forums comes the post-Christmas tip that anyone who hasn't been blessed by the rollout gods yet, can force it upon themselves simply by manually checking for an update 3 times within a 30 second period. We cannot take responsibility for any person or persons losing the Mandate of Heaven or being ejected from the Garden of Eden as a result of following these steps, but if all that happens is 720p movie bliss, you can totally blame that on us and the Roku team.

[Thanks, Bob]

Roku just enabled HD Netflix on its movie set-top-box yesterday (or earlier, for a select few), but DVICE has already taken the time to show us what it's all about. The update was said to be painless to download and install, and the new high-def UI was much appreciated. Unfortunately, there's no mention of the actual streaming quality, but we're hoping to have a review of our own cooked up soon to give you the details there. 'Til then, enjoy the interface shots in the read link below.

A few lucky Netflix Player owners have been enjoying the spoils of Netflix in high-definition all weekend, but for those not selected to join the elite in the first wave of rollouts, all is now well. Roku has just announced that every last one of its Netflix Player customers are now eligible for an upgrade that brings along HD Netflix support, just as we knew would happen. Slipping in just under the wire, are we Roku? Either way, we appreciate the tidings of joy.

Good thing Netflix / Roku got those finicky quality issues ironed out, as the latest firmware update is all about clarity. Version 1.5, which is evidently being pushed out in waves, is allowing individuals to stream high-def Netflix content. So, for those of you lucky enough to have the new firmware already, how do things look and sound? Are you pleased? Not really? Speak up below!

[Thanks, TheManTheyCallJayne]

And there was much rejoicing, as Roku and Xbox 360 owners that noticed a distinct lack of clarity in their Instant Watch streams should be seeing much better today. Netflix didn't say which lever was pushed / pulled to achieve the desired result, but thanks to work with "content distribution partners and key carriers" the dreaded one-dot should be long gone. The final report is yours, with boxee users the most recent to logon, anyone still enduring vintage VHS-quality video and lackluster HD, or enyoing the high quality promised land thanks to a newly unclogged series of tubes?

[Via CNET]

We can't say for certain that Netflix is at fault here, but it's beginning to sound like Roku isn't at all / entirely to blame for recent quality issues that have been plaguing users. For weeks now, Roku Netflix Player owners have noticed an almost universal drop in quality dots (which range from 1 to 4 in order to show quality levels), with many finding the new feeds "unwatchable." CNET recently had a talk with Tim Twerdahl, vice president of consumer products at Roku, about the issue, and according to Tim, all he knows is that "Roku didn't make any changes." Furthermore, we've seen comments in our own posts noting that other Netflix-enabled boxes are also seeing the quality drop. The worst part is that there's still no definitive solution in sight, so we suppose our only advice is to kick back and watch Netflix and Roku bicker over who's really to blame.

[Image courtesy of AeonScope, thanks Tyler]

Call it coincidence or call it fate, but it seems something is afoot in the land of the Roku Netflix Player. Out of seemingly nowhere, a fair amount of users are finding that their once beautiful downloads have turned to pixelated iterations of their old selves, and to no fault of their internet connection. As the story goes, some users have found that their box is forcing streaming at "one-dot," or the lowest quality selection available, rather than the four-dot connection they were using just last week. As you'd expect, the quality of the one-dot stream is rather dreadful, and for those who've tried forcing a higher quality setting, they're stuck waiting eons for buffering and such. Have you too encountered this issue? Or are the internet elves looking out for you?

[Image courtesy of PreGameLobby, thanks Tyler]