Skip to main content

Roku reveals 2-in-1 Streambar, new Roku Ultra with Dolby Atmos/Vision support

 

Roku is bringing two updates to its hardware lineup for the year with the new Roku Streambar, a compact quad-speaker and player combo that can wirelessly connect with Roku’s existing speakers, and a brand new Roku Ultra, the company’s most powerful streaming hardware device that now supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.

Recommended Videos

Additionally, Roku announced Roku OS 9.4 that brings Apple AirPlay 2 support to nearly every Roku 4K player on the market.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Here is everything you need to know about Roku’s 2020 announcements.

Roku Streambar

Roku is expanding its lineup of audio products that are also streaming players with its latest 2-in-1 Streambar. At 14 inches wide by 2.4 inches tall, it’s significantly smaller than Roku’s Smart Soundbar but has the same 4K HDR and Dolby audio streaming capability. While it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision — you’ll have to own the new Roku Ultra to get that — it should be powerful enough for many general consumers just looking for a fast and easy way to get better sound out of their TV while also gaining access to the popular Roku streaming experience.

Roku

The Streambar features four speakers: Two forward-facing, and two side-facing. The two forward-facing drivers are focused on delivering high-quality dialogue, and Roku says they will enhance both volume and clarity. The side speakers are angled outwards and are designed to fill a room with sound. The result is unlikely to be quite surround sound but should make the little bar sound a lot larger than it is.

In addition to the single HDMI Arc and Optical port, the Streambar is also compatible with Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, and Roku claims that “intricate depth” is noticeable in music.

The Streambar is compatible with the Roku Wireless Subwoofer and Roku Wireless Speakers, and all can be connected to create a full surround sound experience.

Roku also outfitted the Streambar with their signal processing that is designed to quiet loud commercials, boost the volume of voices, and optimize sound for night listening. Each of these options can be accessed by different, easily accessible volume modes.

The Roku Streambar will be available in mid-October for $130.

Roku Ultra (2020)

The Roku Ultra is getting what has thus far been missing from all the company’s players other than Roku TVs: Support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Now the Roku Ultra can deliver the sought-after picture quality of Dolby Vision content to any TV that supports the format. Additionally, the Roku Ultra can provide Dolby Atmos audio to Dolby Atmos capable soundbars, speakers, or A/V receivers for an immersive sound experience. Roku also added future-proofing support for the AV1 codec, a video codec that is becoming popular with streaming services as a way to improve streaming picture quality.

Roku

Roku also updated the processor with more memory, allowing channels to launch quicker and videos to start faster. They also improved the Wi-Fi reception on the Roku Ultra to have 50% more wireless range (it still also has an Ethernet port). The USB port has been upgraded to USB 3.0, and Roku also added Bluetooth support.

In short, the Roku Ultra (2020) will support more formats, have more and better connection options, and will have a faster operating system.

The Roku Ultra (2020) will be available mid-October for $100.

Roku OS 9.4

Roku OS 9.4 adds a few performance enhancements and customization options. Namely, all 4K Roku players (except the Roku 4) will get Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support.

If you have a Roku audio product, the update will allow multichannel speaker configuration, which means you can adjust the volume of the rear surround speakers relative to the volume of the soundbar to your own personal preference.

Roku is also adding a Live TV channel guide that will allow access directly from the home screen. The update also brings performance enhancements that include faster initial setup and faster response time in navigation/launching content, and a set of updated Theme Packs to customize home screens and screen savers (with new tones when using the various buttons on a Roku remote, too).

The update will first hit Roku devices, including the Roku Ultra (2020) and the Streambar, in the coming weeks before rolling out to Roku TVs in the next few months.

Looking for more? Check out this awesome collection of the best Black Friday Roku deals we found.

Jaron Schneider
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jaron Schneider is a former award-winning commercial filmmaker and long-time digital imaging expert across the field of both…
Cleer’s open-ear earbuds get new features for gamers
Cleer Arc II Gaming open-ear earbuds.

Cleer's Arc lineup of open-ear earbuds have always been impressively well-equipped with features, but now the company has added some bells and whistles designed with gamers in mind: The $190 Cleer Arc II Gaming and $235 Cleer Arc 3 Gaming earbuds are available in either black or white finishes starting February 4.

These new models are essentially the same as their non-gaming counterparts (the Cleer Arc II and Cleer Arc 3), but with one key difference: each comes with a dedicated USB-C wireless dongle for low-latency connections. On the Cleer Arc II Gaming, Cleer says that latency gets under 60 milliseconds and on the Cleer Arc 3 Gaming, it can achieve just a hair under 30 milliseconds. The lower the latency, the better when it comes to gaming (and watching videos).

Read more
How to pick a hi-res streaming service for Sonos
A hi-res audio logo adjacent to a Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar.

If you're a Sonos owner, I know that right now you're probably less interested in talking about streaming services, and a lot more concerned about when (or if) the company will ever finish fixing its "new" mobile app. I wish I had something positive to share on that front, but alas, like you, I'm also waiting for the day when I can once again reliably adjust the volume on my speakers.

I'm confident that day will (eventually) come, and I haven't thrown the towel in on Sonos despite the agony of the past eight months. In the meantime, I want to address a question I've been asked several times: What's the best hi-res streaming service for Sonos owners?

Read more
Get the LG 77-inch C4 Series OLED TV while it’s $1,500 off
LG C4 OLED

LG continues to dominate the OLED TV marketplace and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. From one year to the next, LG OLEDs have been praised for rich colors, unbeatable black levels, and overall brightness, the latter of which is often a sore spot for an OLED display. And because we’re always on the lookout for OLED TV deals, we came across this fantastic offer earlier today:

Right now, when you purchase the LG 77-inch C4 Series through LG, Best Buy, Crutchfield, and a handful of other retailers, you’ll only wind up paying $2,200. The full MSRP on this model is $3,700. We tested the LG C4 Series not too long ago, and reviewer Caleb Denison had the following to say: “[The] LG OLED EVO C4 is so good, we think that everyone should have this TV.”

Read more