Last week I wrote about how I attended a Roku event in Vancouver, and I was pretty excited to preview the Roku Smart TV and hear about VMedia, a channel just added to Roku that will let you stream all of your favourite cable channels to your Roku-equipped TV for less than $20 per month.
I also previewed the just-released, all-new line up of Roku streaming players. They’re easy to use, have one of the lowest price points I’ve seen in streaming players, and there’s no end to what you can watch on them because Roku is adding new channels each week.
With these brand new streaming media players Roku gives you even more than it did before, and it’s easier to access too.
- When you open up the home screen you get instant access to over 2,500+ channels and that includes more than 100,000 movies and TV shows
- Roku has an unbiased search function that lets you search for what you want to watch across ALL channels. Search pulls up the price of the content and where it’s available to watch within the Roku universe, and it lists it from free to the most expensive
- With Hotel and Dorm Connect you get easy access to the Internet when you’re away from home. Just use the included remote or the Roku app and you can access your favourite entertainment from anywhere
- The Roku mobile app works as a keyboard, gives you voice search, and you can plug in headphones and listen to whatever you’re watching privately
Here’s a quick look at the devices Roku has just released today.
Roku Express and Roku Express+
The Roku Express and Roku Express+ are entry-level streaming players and are more affordable than any other Roku device that’s hit the market before, but these tiny devices have the power to stream hours and hours of entertainment.
The Roku Express is for TVs that are equipped with HMDI ports, while the Roku Express+ is a streaming solution for older TVs that only use the legacy Red/White/Yellow connections. This is an amazing solution considering we all have older TVs we don’t use anymore because you can’t connect cable or a media streamer to them.
With each device you get Fast 1080p HD streaming (if your TV supports 1080p) and remote control that gives you quick access to all of your favourite channels. With the Roku Express you also get an included High Speed HDMI cable and the Express + includes the A/V cable.
Roku Premiere and Roku Premiere+
4K streaming is here, and there’s no shortage of 4K entertainment to pick from when you have a Roku Premiere or Roku Premiere+.
Just plug in the Roku Premiere or Roku Premiere+ and bring home stunning HD and 4K video up to 60 fps. These streaming players have fast, quad-core processors, work on both HD and 4K UHD TVs, and they can upscale any content from 720p to 1080p on HDTVs and 720p or 1080p to 4K up to 60 fps on a 4K UHD TV.
They both include an IR remote that gives you complete control over your Roku, and with the Roku Premiere+ you can enjoy private listening by plugging headphones into the remote. These two streaming players also work with the Roku app, giving you the same channel access, voice control, and private listening.
The Roku Premiere+ also has a few other features. It supports HDR for bigger, bolder colour and depth, has an Ethernet port for wired connectivity, and has a MicroSD card slot for extra channel storage.
Roku Ultra
The Roku Ultra is the ultimate streaming player. It delivers the total package, with support for HD, HDR, and 4K up to 60 fps.
The Roku Ultra offers everything you get with the Roku Premiere+, but it has a few other features you’ll love: Dolby Digital/ Dolby Digital Plus decoding for advanced home theater surround sound, optical digital audio out port so you can connect your Roku Ultra to your receive or sound bar, and a USB port for your own media.
The Roku Remote that comes with the Roku Ultra is a point anywhere remote that gives you a headphone jack for private listening and gaming buttons if you want to play some of the games available on your Roku. There’s even a Lost Remote feature so you can easily find your Roku remote if it’s tucked in your couch cushions.
Keep your eye on Best Buy for the brand new lineup of Roku devices. They’ll be available in October, and they’re just in time for you to bring home media streaming or brilliant 4K entertainment for the upcoming holidays.
