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Janko Roettgers

@jank0.bsky.social
3.1K followers 52 following 386 posts

Reporter, covering streaming, AR, VR etc. Writing a weekly newsletter at www.lowpass.cc.

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Reposted by Janko Roettgers
Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today in Lowpass: Roku’s sale to Fox started with a very different proposal www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-fox-s...
lowpass.cc
The inside story of Roku’s sale to Fox
Roku sold to Fox because Roku CEO Antony Wood wanted to leave.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Fun tidbit from today's story about Roku's sale to Fox: Roku CEO Anthony Wood wanted a break, but Fox's Lachlan Murdoch wanted him to stay on. And Murdoch was very insistent ... leading to Roku's board essentially telling Wood to ghost him 🙂 The full story: www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-fox-s...
Screenshot of text: But Murdoch wasn’t ready to let this go, and seemingly stalked Wood quite a bit to convince him. “On May 21, 2026, Mr. Murdoch contacted Mr. Wood, asking to meet, but without specifying the reason,” the regulatory filing reads. Wood told his board about the request, which told him to sit this one out and dodge Murdoch’s request.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The complete 1400-word story is behind the paywall, but you can unlock it with a free trial: www.lowpass.cc/upgrade?offe...
lowpass.cc
Upgrade | Lowpass
Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I dug into regulatory filings, and spoke to a bunch of former Roku employees, for a story about how the Roku sales process unfolded -- and why the company decided to sell instead of following the Netflix model. www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-fox-s...
lowpass.cc
The inside story of Roku’s sale to Fox
Roku sold to Fox because Roku CEO Antony Wood wanted to leave.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today in Lowpass: Roku’s sale to Fox started with a very different proposal www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-fox-s...
lowpass.cc
The inside story of Roku’s sale to Fox
Roku sold to Fox because Roku CEO Antony Wood wanted to leave.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
You can do that in VR too? And telling people who choose to live by themselves that they're sad and lonely if they don't constantly browse social apps while watching TV is a bit ... condescending?
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There's also this: "In 1980, 23 percent of American households consisted of one person alone. According to a New York Times analysis of recently released census data for 2024, that share has risen to almost 30 percent." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/r...
nytimes.com
More People Are Living Alone. Here’s Where They’re Doing It.
Solo living can be considerably more expensive than sharing a home. Here’s where people do it the most.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Using a phone to watch videos (or play games for that matter) is also a lot less social than the communal living room experience. And yet ...
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today in Lowpass: VR Glasses are Meta’s big bet on the future of TV www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-vr-gl...
lowpass.cc
VR Glasses are Meta’s big bet on the future of TV
Will people who didn't buy a Quest VR headset really pay $1300 for a TV replacement?
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Also on Lowpass this week: Snap's new Specs can't replace your phone yet, but still require a dedicated wireless plan www.lowpass.cc/p/snap-specs...
lowpass.cc
The curious case of Snap’s new Specs
Snap's AR glasses require a dedicated wireless plan despite not being a full phone replacement.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today in Lowpass: an exclusive first look at Caldera Homes, the new music & smart home startup from Plex co-founder Elan Feingold www.lowpass.cc/p/plex-co-fo...
lowpass.cc
Exclusive: This is the new startup of Plex's co-founder
Elan Feingold is building hardware -- and a free music player for smart TVs.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
For Fast Company, I wrote about using AI as my physical therapist www.fastcompany.com/91596463/i-t...
fastcompany.com
I turned to AI when my doctor couldn’t fix my back pain. It actually helped
Millions of people are asking chatbots for health advice. Doctors say they can be useful, as long as you understand the tech's limits.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Today in Lowpass: The case against Netflix becoming an everything app www.lowpass.cc/p/the-case-a...
lowpass.cc
The case against Netflix becoming an everything app
Netflix is considering reselling third-party streaming services. Doing so might be a mistake.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Update: She has been found and is safe, will delete this in a few... thanks everyone!
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Also on Lowpass today: A scoop 👀 Amazon, Roku are getting ready to launch new streamers www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-rok...
lowpass.cc
Scoop: Amazon, Roku are getting ready to launch new streamers
Both companies had new remotes for still-unannounced hardware pass through the FCC this month.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Today in Lowpass: A look at SideQuest's plans to bring back the pioneering social VR platform Altspace www.lowpass.cc/p/altspace-s...
lowpass.cc
Altspace is coming back this fall
Altspace's social VR service is being resurrected three year after Microsoft shut it down.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
My latest Lowpass story is all about MCP and ChatGPT apps for media services www.lowpass.cc/p/streaming-...
lowpass.cc
Next up for streaming services: AI apps
Spotify and Tubi have already done it. Your favorite streamer may be next to build apps for ChatGPT and Claude.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Bloomberg has since confirmed my reporting: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I'm back from vacation, with a scoop: Sonos will unveil a new pair of headphones at its hardware event next month www.lowpass.cc/p/sonos-ace-...
lowpass.cc
Sonos gets ready to launch new Ace Ultra headphones
With expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, the headphones may support the Sonos Voice assistant.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
For more, check out this story: www.lowpass.cc/p/ramageddon...
lowpass.cc
RAMageddon is coming for streaming
Also: Sonos is launching .... something 👀
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The AI memory shortage is starting to impact smart TVs and streaming dongles. Will that accelerate Amazon's transition from Android-based Fire TV devices to Vega?
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Today in Lowpass: RAMageddon is coming for streaming ... which is bad news for streamers like Netflix www.lowpass.cc/p/ramageddon...
lowpass.cc
RAMageddon is coming for streaming
Also: Sonos is launching .... something 👀
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Sonos CEO Tom Conrad says RAM price increases cost the company $14 million last quarter, but Sonos has no plans for any additional price hikes this year.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
What's that? A special edition of Lowpass this morning? Yes, that's exactly what it is ... www.lowpass.cc/p/netflix-as...
lowpass.cc
One startup's quest to change streaming for deaf people
From walking dogs to working with Netflix: How one founder wants to change streaming for deaf people.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This week, I changed my TV's home screen ... and then wrote about it: www.lowpass.cc/p/android-go...
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
For more, read my full story here: www.lowpass.cc/p/ai-microdr...
lowpass.cc
AI microdramas are here
The future of microdramas is slop ... but there are also exceptions worth a second look.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
It's a very confusing experience to watch the show, and I can't understand how the company didn't catch any of these things during editing. Except, maybe, the point has never been about making something audiences like ... but about using tech investors like.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Except, then, in the very same scene, the Mom turns around and ... the kid shrunk again!
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
But when she later appears in the show, she's suddenly almost as tall as her Mom.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
But the most jarring example is the daughter, which arguably is a central element of the show. It's the illegitimate heir, born out of love! She's 8 years old, and barely reaches to her Mom's chest in the promotional material of the show.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
These kinds of inconsistencies are everywhere in this show. There a dress that keeps changing its pattern, a castle tower that seems to be 2D, and a plate of food that appears out of thin air.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
And then some more.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
It's a huge revelation ... so big that it apparently magically opens his shirt.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This happens over and over again. Here's the same guy in the opening sequence, having a conversation during which he learns he has a daughter.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Then he steps through the door ... and suddenly is wearing his full uniform.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
I first started noticing that something was off in a scene where the king is talking to his mother, who then leads him to another room for an explosive revelation. Here's how he looks like during that first conversation.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
I watched it -- or at least the first few episodes that are available for free. And guess what? It's a mess.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
The company's first AI-generated show, which according to the story helped with the fundraise, is Bound By Fire, a drama about a king who has a child with a commoner, a scheming mom, and ... dragons, for some reason. www.shortical.com/player?deep_...
shortical.com
Shortical: Stories that move fast
Big stories made for your phone. Discover original vertical series built for the way people watch today. Shortical brings cinematic storytelling into quick, addictive episodes you can enjoy anytime, a...
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
In the story, the company says it wants to produce 20 hours of AI-generated microdramas every month going forward. Which is a lot, considering that episodes are 1-3 minutes long.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Take Shortical, for example. It's one of many microdrama startups, and it got some buzz for raising $100 million earlier this month. This Business Insider headline says it all: AI actors helped this micro drama app raise $100 million in financing www.businessinsider.com/ai-series-he...
businessinsider.com
AI actors helped this micro drama app raise $100 million in financing
Israel-based app Shortical secured $100 million from PvX Partners to expand AI micro dramas, highlighting investor interest in the category.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
When I started working on a story about AI microdramas for my Lowpass newsletter this week, I started to notice a familiar trend: Much of the hype around using AI for microdramas seemed to be about headlines and pitch decks, not the actual content.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
My latest for Fast Company: A look at Pokemon Go, which turns ten this week www.fastcompany.com/91571001/ten...
fastcompany.com
10 years later, ‘Pokémon Go’ is as popular as ever
Hundreds of millions of players have walked billions of miles to capture countless Pokémon. But replicating that success in new games has been challenging.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Today in Lowpass: AI microdramas are here ... and they're a bit of a mess www.lowpass.cc/p/ai-microdr...
lowpass.cc
AI microdramas are here
The future of microdramas is slop ... but there are also exceptions worth a second look.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
This has gone too VAR
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
BitTorrent turns 25 today. “Going into it, my plan was not to start a business,” says its founder Bram Cohen. “My plan was to start a revolution.” My latest for The Verge: www.theverge.com/tech/959848/...
theverge.com
BitTorrent’s disastrous, legendary, and controversial story
The file-sharing app launched 25 years ago and unleashed a wave of piracy that would shake Hollywood to its core.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Also, please note: Lowpass subscription prices are going up tomorrow. So if you've thought about subscribing, do it today: www.lowpass.cc/upgrade?offe...
lowpass.cc
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Reposted by Janko Roettgers
Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Today in Lowpass: How digital library app Libby prepares for the AI onslaught www.lowpass.cc/p/libby-over...
lowpass.cc
How Libby prepares for the AI onslaught
OverDrive’s new CEO also has big plans for library streaming service Kanopy.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Today in Lowpass: How digital library app Libby prepares for the AI onslaught www.lowpass.cc/p/libby-over...
lowpass.cc
How Libby prepares for the AI onslaught
OverDrive’s new CEO also has big plans for library streaming service Kanopy.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Today in Lowpass: Broadcasters wanted to charge $43 for the World Cup. Their failure saved streaming www.lowpass.cc/p/world-cup-...
lowpass.cc
How the World Cup became a US streaming success story
Qatar’s hot summer and Venu’s failed launch contributed to better streaming options for US soccer fans.
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Janko Roettgers @jank0.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Ohh look Meta has some AI glasses under its own brand now ... wonder where I heard that before 🙂 www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-ai-gl...
lowpass.cc
Scoop: Meta has more AI glasses coming, with mysterious docking support
The new glasses popped up in an FCC filing, will connect magnetically to a mysterious "debug tool."
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