The Roku Netflix Player is already pretty awesome. The $100 device lets Netflix subscribers stream an unlimited number of movies and Television shows from a selection of 10,000.
But a major improvement is in the works. The folks at Roku told Forbes that they’ll add more content from a “big player” by year’s end.
That announcement got the folks at Silicon Alley Insider speculating about potential partners:
It’s possible the set-top box could plug into Google’s (GOOG) YouTube interface, the same way other gadgets like Apple’s (AAPL) Apple TV and iPhone do. Or Roku might be adding a Web browser with an Adobe (ADBE) Flash plugin to its systems, which could theoretically play video off YouTube, Hulu, or potentially any other company that uses Flash for its video, like ABC or NBC.
If Roku does strike a deal with one or more of the large TV networks, it will be huge news.
Why? Because it will spell a reasonably quick end (say five years) to much of the TV distribution industry.
If anyone with a fast Internet connection, a $100 box and a $9 monthly subscription to Netflix could get both movies and commercial Television on demand, who will pay the money for cable?
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