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Despite surpassing analyst expectations for the quarter, Roku disappointed Wall Street when it shared its fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday. The digital streaming business fell about 18% in after-hours trading, in the minutes following the news release.

Roku posted $188.3 million revenue, when Yahoo! Finance estimates showed $182.5 million. It’s also up from $147.3 million in the same period last year. Earnings per share was 6 cents, much better than the negative 10 cents that Wall Street forecast.

However, the earnings per share for the quarter wasn’t considered comparable to the analyst expectations because of a $2.3 million debt charge. Yet it was still much better than what Wall Street predicted because of significant growth in Roku’s platform business, which includes licensing fees and ad revenue.

Revenue for last year was $513 million, 29% growth from the year prior. The number of active accounts increased 44%, ending the year totaling 19.3 million.

So what’s spooking investors?

There was an issue with guidance. Roku said that next quarter it expects $120 million to $130 million in revenue, beneath the $131.7 million that experts were forecasting.

Investors are also worried about the decline in Roku’s device business. Its player revenue was $102.8 million, down from $110 million in the same period the year before.

The stock drop is a big disappointment for Roku investors, for what otherwise has been a very solid run. Roku went public on the stock market last year and has since nearly quadrupled its share price.

The company went public at $14 per share and closed Wednesday at $51.10.

Roku has a market cap of $5 billion.

Roku Image: TechCrunch

source:TechCrunch

Commentary: Harmony still rules the roost, but that can't last forever. Will the category change drastically or just go away?

I use a $130 Harmony universal remote at home and I tell everyone who has a complex-enough system to do the same. And I've been a happy Harmony camper for more than a decade.

But after spending the last week reviewing Caavo, a $400 universal remote, I've come to view the category in a different way. Yes, Caavo is fatally flawed since it doesn't work with the highest-quality video format available today (HDR), but what it succeeds at is really interesting.

Watch this:Is Caavo the ultimate high-end universal remote?

Caavo basically makes a new TV home page for all your entertainment gear, one that's simpler to understand and use than a bunch of different menu systems spread across myriad devices.

When I described the Caavo universal remote to Jeremy Toeman, my CNET colleague and former VP of product at Sling Media, he nodded sagely and said "Yeah, that whole category is ripe for disruption." I agree. Harmony has been doing basically the same thing for years, and while challengers like Caavo and the Ray Super Remote have tried to challenge the king, they've largely failed. So far.

I still recommend Harmony to everyone, but in the next few years, I wouldn't be surprised to see that changing. Here's how.

Caavo wood like to be your universal remote

Disruption

In this scenario a product like Caavo, or its presumed successor -- one that actually supports HDR and costs less, say $200 -- becomes popular among AV enthusiasts sick of the complexity of the various apps, devices and services needed to watch TV and movies today. If you have a bunch of devices and a surround system and a nice TV, that's a small price to pay for a single, simple set of on-screen menus, along with Alexa voice control, to command it all.

Take it a step further and Caavo partners with a real AV receiver maker, say Sony or Denon, and basically takes over their user interface. I also agree with Dan Jacobsen, who replied to a Twitter thread on my review: Caavo would be better off built into a receiver. That single hub/box would handle all the switching, interface and audio goodness required of a big system.

No TV apps is an issue too as that is the only way to get Dolby vision for many. Can't help but thinking this would be better off as a $1000 receiver

— Dan Jacobsen (@DanJacobsen) 14 Şubat 2018

In the near future Caavo could sell itself to the receiver makers of the world in the same way Roku appeals to TV makers: We'll handle the software, updates and interface, you stick with the hardware. Roku has been very successful in reclaiming the appeal of Smart TV, providing as much disruption as that category has ever seen. It's no wonder the company is getting into audio.

Roku will soon license audio gear too. The goal? "Simplify." Roku

Irrelevance

If you think about it, a universal remote is just a solution to the problem of home theater gear devices not being "Smart" enough in the first place. And by smart, I also mean working together in a way that makes sense. But it's getting smarter, and more to the point, you need less gear these days to enjoy awesome audio and video.

The less gear you have, the less you need a universal remote, which is why I can see the whole category fading into niche high-end-dom, a.k.a. irrelevance, soon enough.

Samsung TVs can replace a universal remote and control your gear directly. Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung's Smart TVs basically mimic a universal remote, allowing control of game consoles and cable boxes for example, and also include a solid selection of streaming apps built-in. Add a nice sound bar, maybe one with surround sound speakers and/or Dolby Atmos, and you've got a complete system, easily commanded by a single clicker, that sounds as good as some receiver-based systems.

For more modest systems, Roku's newest streamers, starting with the $50 streaming stick, come with remotes that can control volume and power on a connected TV. If you've cut the cord and don't need a cable box and its requisite remote, you're set. And both Samsung and Roku's systems are cake to set up because, like Caavo, they automatically recognize connected devices and program the remote keys accordingly.

With a power button at the top and volume on the side, Roku's remote is ready to control your TV too. Sarah Tew / CNET

With the increasing popularity of alternatives to cable, including live streaming services like YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, that cable box remote is becoming less and less necessary for people. You'll still need the TV remote, but with many devices you can turn it on and control volume and mute (and really, what more do you need) with protocols like HDMI-CEC.

Watch out, Harmony

Look, the Harmony Companion remote / hub system is still great, and easily worth the money if you have a lot of stuff to control. The alternatives I mentioned above are all more limited, and flawed in their own ways, in comparison.

Harmony hasn't changed much in five years. Sarah Tew

But recent trends -- a renewed focus on ease-of-use, particularly voice control; a move away from cable boxes and toward streaming; and the increasing popularity of systems like Roku that focus on affordability and function -- could spell the beginning of the end for Logitech's remotes.

The first Harmony hub / remote system came out in 2013, and is pretty much the same today. I'd say it's ripe for at least a new model.

source:CNet

At half the price of the Roku Stick and Chromecast, the Now TV stick is an inexpensive, portable way to watch Sky's streaming services at home on your TV.

Sky launched the Now TV streaming box in 2013 for £10. Six years later, it's again releasing an inexpensive home entertainment gadget.

On Thursday, the company unveiled the Now TV stick, a plug-and-play streaming device priced at £15. The announcement came alongside other news from Now TV, including the rollout of downloads, the option to stream in Full HD, and new broadband packages.

The Now TV stick is small enough to easily move from room to room, or even to travel with. Katie Collins/CNET

Coming in at half the price of the Roku Stick and the Chromecast, the Now TV stick is an inexpensive and portable way to watch Sky's streaming services at home on your TV. A freshly made-over remote now includes a power button and volume controls for your telly, as well as voice search to help you find and jump into what you want with just a single button press.

The Now TV stick offers a limited number of app options, including BBC iPlayer, but it's primarily geared toward people who want to expand beyond Freeview offerings to pick and choose between Sky services. If you're looking for a device to stream Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, though, this isn't the device for you.

Manufactured by Roku, the Now TV Stick should be available around late February or early March.

Shortcut buttons are designed to make navigation easier. Katie Collins/CNET

Sky plans to begin making Now TV content available for download in the spring, starting with its kids content and introducing entertainment and movies in the summer. Toward the end of this year, live and on-demand Now TV content should also be available in Full HD for the first time. Representatives for the company couldn't confirm whether it would charge more for this. The Now TV stick is Full HD ready, so it'll be all set when 1080p content does arrive.

Sky has been offering Now TV broadband and TV packages for around 15 months, but now Now TV broadband will be available as a standalone and contract-free service for the first time. Prices will start at £18 per month for speeds of 17Mbps, rising to £25 for 38Mbps and £35 for 76Mbps.

source: CNET

Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This week the full gang was in town, with Katie Roof, Matthew Lynley and Alex Wilhelm all back in the podcast studio. The trio was joined by Hilary Gosher, a managing director at Insight Venture Partners who helped dig through the news.

The packed week meant some things had to get left behind (Rovio’s dive, and so forth), but, as always, we picked the best of the bunch to chew over. First up: Roku’s earnings results and ensuing share price shellacking. The company was a 2017 IPO, and a breakout success, meaning that its recent dip was all the more interesting since we covered, and spoke about it during and after its IPO.

Next up, Snap’s own share price problems. After an earnings report went its way and the social company’s stock managed to climb back over its IPO price, at last, a combination of things knocked it off center this week, including an analyst downgrade, a celebrity tweet, and its CEO’s massive 2017 payday.

Following, we walked through Airbnb’s new plans for more upscale lodging, and experience-accommodation hybrids. The popular unicorn took itself off the 2018 IPO table, but it will eventually pull the trigger.

All that and we kicked over the Roche-Flatiron Health deal that brings a $1.9 billion exit to the New York City startup scene. Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll chat you all next week!

Equity drops every Friday at 6:00 am PT, so subscribe to us on iTunes, Overcast, Pocketcast, Downcast and all the casts.

source:TechCrunch

The XXII Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, has its opening ceremony Friday.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - AUGUST 8, 2017: The roof of the Fisht Stadium in the Sochi Olympic Park. The stadium to host FIFA 2018 World Cup matches. Artyom Korotayev

Though the XXII Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea starts Wednesday, Feb. 7, the opening ceremony isn't until Friday, Feb. 9 at 6 a.m. ET (5 a.m. CST and 3 a.m. PST). So, there's plenty of time to figure out how to view it. Here are the options.

Live streaming

If the opening ceremony is just a little too early, you can watch it in bed on your device using NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. The app is available on iOS or on Android, Apple TV ($179.00 at Apple), Amazon Fire ($78.93 at Walmart), Chromecast ($35.00 at Dell Home), Roku, Windows 10 ($149.00 at Amazon.com), Xbox, Comcast X1 and some Samsung devices. You can also catch NBC's live coverage on fuboTV.

If the opening ceremony just doesn't fit with your schedule, you can also watch it on demand through NBCOlympics.com.

Watch this:The tech behind Team USA's toasty Opening Ceremony jacket

Channels

NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA and the Olympic Channel will air all the regular Olympic events, but only NBC will have the ceremony. The live coverage starts at Friday, Feb. 9 at 6 a.m. ET (live) AND 8 p.m. ET (taped).

Highlights

This year, the opening ceremony will be hosted by Mike Tirico and Katie Couric. Athletes Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim will be representing the United States during the ceremonies.

Keep an eye out for the Korean teams. After much controversy, both North and South Korea will be walking under the same flag. Also, South Korea is rumored to feature a fascinating look at their culture during the ceremonies.

Watch this:The tech that determines who wins the gold

source:CNet

The streaming service is morphing into a broadband and landline provider with the launch of its latest box.

Sky's streaming service Now TV is branching into a whole new realm, by also offering customers other services they might need at home, including broadband and phone calls.

A series of triple-play packages called Now TV Combos, launched on Wednesday, will be available from July that will allow you to mix and match various streaming services, unlimited broadband packages and calls. You'll be able to use them all without having to sign up to a contract.

Up until today, Now TV has just been a simple, cheap and easy route to accessing Sky TV shows, sport and movies without having to sign up to a pricey monthly contract. Its latest move sees it putting itself in direct competition with the UK's telecoms companies.

A slick new Smart box, both wider and flatter than the original chunky puck, will come as part of any new Combo package, as will a dedicated router. As with the previous box, this one is also built by Roku. As well as the Sky programming you've paid for, the box will allow access to 60 free-to-air TV channels from the same interface.

The price of setting up Now TV in the past has been minimal -- £10 for the box and then a small monthly fee for one or more of several Sky passes. With broadband and calls thrown into the mix the price goes up significantly.

Three speeds of broadband are available -- 17 megabits per second, 38Mbps and 76Mbps -- with a one-off setup fee of £50. This drops to £40 if you go for the 17Mbps option.

The Combo packages will also require one of these routers. Katie Collins

There is also line rental to take into consideration at £18 per month. Depending on the Sky Passes you choose to add on -- from Entertainment, Cinema, Sports and Kids -- a Now TV Combo could easily take you above the £50 per month mark. But Now TV is offering 12 months of special pricing that means for the most simple package you could be paying as little as £28 per month.

Set for a July release, the Now TV Box could be a great option if you know exactly what you want to watch, what speed of broadband you want and don't want to pay over the odds for a more all-encompassing package.

source: CNET