The Birth of Roku: Pioneering Streaming Technology

Anthony Wood helped transform the media landscape…twice. First, in the early 2000’s, when he invented a device that let you record, pause, and re-watch live TV. The DVR was a game-changer, but the company Anthony built around it—ReplayTV—was eventually out-maneuvered by TiVo. Unfazed, Anthony developed another piece of hardware; one that would tap into the growing power of the internet by letting TV’s stream digital content. In 2008, he launched the Roku box, a $99 device that connected your TV to the internet, with a remote simple enough for your grandmother to use. It’s hard to imagine now, but Anthony initially had a hard time convincing investors and media execs that the Roku—and streaming devices like it—would completely change the way we watch TV. Today, Roku has grown into an expansive media company that creates and distributes content to more than 65 million accounts worldwide.

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