Roku on Monday announced 5 new streaming devices to better compete with the Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV, and other competitors. The devices include a $30 Roku Express, a $70 4K HDR Streaming Stick+, and the $100 Roku Ultra, and they are all available for pre-order now, with an official launch date of October 8.
The Roku and Roku Express+ cost $30 and $40 respectively, and are perfect for those looking to stream to the TV for the first time, or looking to extend their current Roku experience to other TVs. They’re very similar devices, but the Express+ has both HDMI and composite A/V output for more connectivity options.
The Roku Streaming Stick features a quad-core processor and 802.11 AC dual-band MIMO wireless, a voice remote that includes TV power and volume buttons, and it streams in HD. It costs $50. The Streaming Stick+ adds faster wireless and support for 4K Ultra HD and HDR (60 FPS), and it will set you back $70.
Finally, the Roku Ultra is the company’s most powerful and feature-packed media player. It too can stream HD, 4K and 4K HDR, and it also includes an ethernet port for wired connectivity, a micro SD slot, and a new voice remote with headphone jack for private listening. The Ultra is obviously the most expensive, priced at $100.
The hardware announcements come just days after Amazon unveiled its $70 4K HDR media streamer, and shortly after Apple debuted the 4K Apple TV at $180. Roku says what sets its platform apart is that it offers unbiased access to over 5,000 channels, apps, games, and the newly-launched Roku channel.
Source: Roku