Have you heard of Roku? The first box that brought streaming videos from Netflix
That's about to change in a hurry: Roku boxes have just hit store shelves at your local Best Buy
The closest thing in retail stores so far has been Apple's
More Roku sales should translate into higher consumer awareness of online video services in general and of the Big Three -- Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon -- in particular. I cut my cable and bought a Roku months ago, and I really don't miss the hassle of TV schedules. It's not perfect yet, but software updates can work wonders down the line. It's already good enough that I wish I could buy stock in Roku, the company, or at least peruse its financial statements. Well, if Pandora is going public, then Roku can't be far behind.
Will Roku be the next impulse-buy success story? Add Netflix and Amazon to your Foolish watchlist, and you'll be sure to hear all about it.