As the movie world slowly shifts from mail order rentals to streaming, Netflix has taken the first step in streaming directly to television screens with the release of a set-top box. The new player which is made by Roku, is 5 inches by 5 inches and retails for $99. Users can hook it up directly to a high speed connection or purchase a wireless signal for an additional charge.

While the box is a nice concept, there are many drawbacks to it in its current form. The first being that Netflix only has about 10,000 movies and TV shows available for streaming. Most of these are older films that simply don’t have a high demand. High licensing fees and pirating has made it difficult for Netflix to acquire rights to newer releases that are more apt to be watched by members.

The other drawback is that it adds another electronics device to add to your already cluttered entertainment center. While the box is small, it’s still another remote control and more cords to deal with. This is one of the reasons that teaming up with Microsoft and their 360 video game console makes much more sense for the company.

Overall, it simply comes down to whether or not the current choices of streaming movies are worth the $99 investment. There is no extra cost from Netflix for using this box, and early reviews have shown that the quality is good with little to no technical problems. The box can be ordered through the Roku official website.

Source: USA Today