Today, Roku took the wraps off some new hardware, including a more affordable 4K streaming media device, an updated soundbar, and an upgraded remote control that gives you hands-free voice commands.
Roku has also discontinued its Premier line of players, leaving the company with a more streamlined offering of four dedicated player devices and two soundbars with built-in Roku OS streaming capabilities.
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Here’s everything you need to know about Roku’s new devices.
Roku Express 4K+
Roku
$40
Available in mid-May
Roku’s $50 Streaming Stick+, which hasn’t changed much since its debut in 2017, has traditionally been the least expensive Roku device that can also handle 4K and HDR streaming content. But the new Express 4K+ drops the price of 4KHDR to $40, making it one of the most affordable ways to add 4K streaming capability to your TV.
The Express 4K+ uses the same design as the company’s non-4K Express models, with a tiny, rounded body that can cling to the underside of your TV thanks to the included double-sided tape strips, but it also grabs the wireless remote from the Streaming Stick+.
This gives the Express 4K+ the ability to hide from sight (the other Express models use an infrared remote that needs line of sight) and also enables features like Roku Voice and TV power, volume, and mute controls.
You can also add an optional Micro USB Ethernet adapter, something that Express models have lacked in the past.
The Express 4K+ can handle up to 4K resolution, with support for HDR10 and HDR10+. Notably absent are Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The 2020 version of the Roku Ultra is the only Roku device with native support for these Dolby formats.
As with other Roku devices, you can control the Express 4K+ via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa smart speakers, and it also supports Apple HomeKit and streaming from Apple devices using Apple AirPlay, something you won’t find on any other 4K streaming device at this price.
Roku also has a Walmart-only version of the Express 4K+ called the Express 4K. It’s identical to the 4K+ except that it has a traditional infrared remote and costs only $35.
Roku Voice Remote Pro
Roku Voice Remote Pro with optional headphonesRoku
$30
Available now
Until now, all of Roku’s distinctive and simple remote controls have been powered by replaceable batteries. You could use rechargeable batteries if you like, but that requires a separate purchase and a battery charger. As rumored earlier this year, the new $30 Roku Voice Remote Pro fixes that with its own built-in rechargeable battery that charges from any Micro USB connection.
That battery powers some features you won’t find on Roku’s other remotes, including a hands-free way to use the Roku Voice commands and a lost remote finder chime that can be triggered just by saying “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?”
It also has Roku’s other premium remote features, like personal shortcuts; TV controls for volume, mute, and power; private listening via a built-in headphone jack; and the option to press a button for voice commands instead of the hands-free mode.
Roku Streambar Pro
Roku
$180
Available for pre-order today
Available to buy at Roku.com at the end of May and at major retailers in June
Technically just a rename of the existing Roku Smart Soundbar, the Streambar Pro features the same four drivers and sound settings for night mode, speech clarity, and volume leveling.
Thanks to the new Roku OS 10, it also gets virtual surround sound. The big difference is that the Streambar Pro ships with an upgraded remote that has personal shortcut buttons, a private listening feature via the built-in headphone jack, and the ability to trigger a lost remote finder via the Roku mobile app.
Roku also tosses in a set of its wired earbuds so you don’t have to go rummaging around in your drawers for an old set of wired buds.
New Apple TV 4K tweaks the internals and the price
Apple today announced a new version of Apple TV 4K. It's the third generation of what we consider to be the best streaming device you can buy, and Apple's not really messing with things too much. Same general design. Same general function. But the internals have been tweaked that allow this 2022 model (which follows the models released in September 2017 and May 2021) to work better with more TVs — and to allow for a little more flexibility in price.
Here are the big deals: There are now two versions of Apple TV 4K (or SKUs, for those of you who prefer inside-baseball terms). There's a model that's Wi-Fi only with 64GB of storage for $130, or a model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet with 128GB of storage for $150. For our money, we'd just go ahead and spend the extra $20.
Optoma’s CinemaX 4K laser projectors now have faster response times for gamers
Optoma is expanding its 4K UHD home theater projector line by introducing the CinemaX D2 Series. Optoma says this is an upgrade from the previous CinemaX P2 projector, and the improvements are based on user feedback. The series includes the CinemaX D2, a 4K UHD ultra short throw laser home projector, and the CinemaX D2 Smart, which adds smart TV features courtesy of an included Android TV dongle.
Ultra short throw projectors are ideal for people with limited space in their room as they can cast an image on the screen from small distances. Traditional short throw projectors need at least four feet to eight feet of distance from the screen to be able to produce high-quality images, but not all rooms have this much area to spare. That's where ultra short throw projectors can help. The CinemaX D2 Series, for example, can cast up to 100-inch images from less than a foot away from the screen. If you increase the distance a bit more, you get up to 120-inch images.
The CinemaX D2 Series features 3,000 lumens and a 1,800,000:1 contrast ratio, which, oddly, is a bit of a step down from their predecessor, the CinemaX P2 projector, which offers the same brightness, but with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The biggest boost this series offers is an Enhanced Gaming Mode that claims "blur-free visuals and low lag" with the help of its 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz. The 30,000-hour life span (same as its predecessor) seems to be slightly higher than other ultra short throw projectors in this price range as well. Both D2 models have three HDMI 2.0 inputs, instead of the P2's double-HDMI 2.0 and single HDMI 1.4 inputs.
What is Roku? The streaming platform fully explained
Streaming has been around for a long time, but one of the earliest companies to adopt web-based streaming into a self-contained, app-driven device was Roku. Today, watching something "on your Roku" is standard parlance. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?
In this piece, we'll answer all of your questions about Roku. By the end, you'll know if the popular media streaming platform is right for you.
