Five Roku streaming media players were launched yesterday, including the Roku Express and Roku Express+, which offer low-cost 1080 pixel HD streaming.
At a MSRP of $39.99, Roku Express is the company’s smallest streaming media player, Roku highlights in a press release. A step up, Roku Express+ lists at an MSRP of $49.99 and includes a composite jack and composite A/V cable.
Moving up further in streaming quality, Roku also introduced Roku Premiere (MSRP: $89.99) and Premiere+ (MSRP: $109.99), which deliver 4K Ultra HD or HD-quality video streams at up to 60 frames per second (fps). Roku Premiere+ also provides higher picture quality via high dynamic range (HDR) technology and includes a remote control that functions regardless of where users point it. The remote also includes a jack to enable the user to listen to streaming video privately.
At the top of Roku’s new line is Roku Ultra, which at a MSRP of $139.99 includes HDR support, Dolby Digital Plus decoding, voice search and a lost remote finder.
Roku Streaming Media Players
Roku’s proprietary operating system (Roku OS) resides at the heart of the company’s in-home digital entertainment platform, providing access to more than 2,500 streaming video channels and counting.
Roku’s search engine enables subscribers to conduct unbiased searches across top channels by program or film title, actor or director, according to the company. Channels on which the content is available are displayed in order of price, from free to the most expensive.
Roku also has enhanced the ability of subscribers to connect while away from home. Its Hotel and Dorm Connect services give subscribers the ability to access Roku’s content delivery network (CDN) via public Internet networks. Subscribers can also access Roku’s CDN while on the move via iOS and Android smartphone apps.
“Roku stands for streaming innovation and today we’re celebrating the biggest player launch in our company’s history, including the introduction of the Roku Express player which delivers a complete streaming experience for a shockingly low price,” said Anthony Wood, Roku Founder and CEO. He added that “[w]hether consumers simply want fast HD streaming via an inexpensive device or are looking for a top-of-the-line player with advanced features such as 4K and HDR, Roku is an easy choice.”
