Roku announces five streaming players, replaces device lineup

Replaces entire device lineup

On Monday, digital media player manufacturer Roku announced five new Internet video streaming devices that will replace all of its previous models, namely the Roku Streaming Stick, 2, 3 and 4.

The new devices are part of the company’s “biggest streaming player launch” in its history, some of which will now feature support for 4K HDR playback, Dolby Digital Plus decoding, and include a headphone jack integrated into the remote for nighttime viewing, to name a few.

At the top of the list is a Google Chromecast competitor called the Roku Express/Express+, followed by three devices meant to replace the Roku 3 and 4 called the Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+ and Roku Ultra, each offering subtle variations of the aforementioned features at different price points.

Roku Express and Roku Express+

These devices are similar to the Google Chromecast and offers a single HDMI output for 720p and 1080p video playback (including upscaling), 802.11n Wi-Fi for connectivity, and a power consumption profile of less than 2.4W while streaming at a price point of $ 30. Meanwhile, the Express+ includes all these features but adds A/V composite video outputs for older device compatibility for $ 40, in a sign that backwards compatibility is available at a small price premium.

Roku Premiere

This device is more of a direct replacement to the Roku 3 and now adds support for 4K playback at 60 frames per second, 802.11ac MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi for connectivity, and a power consumption profile of less than 4.5W while streaming 4K video. This model does not come with a wired Ethernet port, HDR support or a microSD card slot and will be available for $ 80.

Roku Premiere+

This device is more of a Roku 4 replacement that many have come to expect, now adding support for 4K 60fps playback with HDR support, although the company has said it will only support HDR10 for now. The device also includes 802.11ac MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi and 100Mbps Ethernet connectivity, a microSD card slot, and a power consumption profile of less than 4.5W while streaming 4K video. The remote control also features a 3.5mm headphone jack for night listening environments. It will be available for $ 99.

Roku Ultra

The company’s top device builds on the Premiere+ with support for 4K 60fps playback with HDR support, however it also adds support for Dolby Digital Plus decoding, which can be important for home theater environments with surround configurations. The device also includes 802.11ac MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi and 100Mbps Ethernet connectivity, a microSD card slot, a power consumption profile of less than 4.5W while streaming 4K video, and a 3.5mm headphone port on the remote. Other features that the Premiere+ does not have include voice search and a lost remote finder. It will be available for $ 130.

Availability

The Roku Express, Express+, Premiere, Premiere+ and Ultra media streaming devices are now available for pre-order and are expected to ship on October 7th.