Today, Roku has announced slight performance and feature upgrades to its Roku 3 and 2 models, as well as a new search and discover platform. The Roku Feed allows consumers to track entertainment and receive updates when new content is released or goes on sale. Users will be able to search for shows, actors or directors and receive a curated list of results arranged by price. Roku will automatically push this feature out to devices.
The Roku 3 has added a new voice search capability, which allows for users to use the new enhanced remote control to find new content simply by speaking. The updated controller includes a new button to activate the voice search. This feature puts the Roku 3 in-line with Amazon Fire‘s own voice recognition feature.
Meanwhile, the Roku 2 gets a speed bump, receiving the processor previously only available for the Roku 3. It essentially is the flagship model without the enhanced remote.
Pricing remains untouched, although we frequently see discounts on both models. The Roku 3 is available via Amazon for $84.99, while the Roku 2 ships for $64.99.
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Roku Unveils New Ways to Search and Discover Streaming Entertainment; Introduces Upgraded Roku 3 and Roku 2 Streaming Players
New ‘Roku Feed’ Feature Automatically Delivers Availability and Pricing Notices for Recent Movies
SARATOGA, Calif. – April 6, 2015 – Roku Inc., which is widely applauded for giving consumers the most comprehensive and unbiased search, today released new ways for consumers to find and discover streaming entertainment. The ‘Roku Feed’ is a new feature that allows consumers to follow entertainment and get automatic updates on pricing and availability. Roku is launching the feature with a focus on ‘Movies Coming Soon’ taking the guessing out of when a box office hit is available for streaming, which services offer the movie or how much it costs. The company also introduced a new Roku 3 streaming player with voice search and a new faster-than-ever-before Roku 2 streaming player. The new features, updated mobile apps and new players are available beginning today.
“With the biggest lineup of streaming channels available, the most comprehensive and unbiased search, and new ways to discover new movies; Roku players make it simple for consumers to stream the entertainment they want to watch on their terms,” said Roku Founder and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Wood. “Now with a fast and fun way to search by voice, we’ve made the Roku 3 – the best streaming player on the market – even better.”
A Simple Way for Consumers to Find, Discover and Select Entertainment – On Their Terms
With a focus on giving consumers choice and control over their streaming entertainment, Roku Search gives people the ability to find what they want to watch and the power to decide how to watch it. Consumers can search for movies, TV shows, actors and directors and receive all available results listed by price from top streaming channels, up to 17 today. With 250,000 movies and TV episodes available for streaming, Roku Search is a convenient and unbiased way for consumers to view filmographies and discover availability and pricing options they otherwise wouldn’t have known about. Additionally Roku is adding the ability to search within the Roku Channel Store by streaming channel name, making it fast and easy to find favorites like CBS News, HBO GO and Sling TV – to name a few of the more than 2,000 streaming channel choices available today.
The Roku Feed lets consumers know when favorite entertainment becomes available to stream — and at what price. Roku is debuting the feature with the Movies Coming Soon, which can be found under the ‘My Feed’ tab on the TV’s home screen. Consumers simply “Follow” popular in-theater movies they are interested in and Roku will deliver automatic updates in the future as relevant streaming information about the movie becomes
available. Consumers will receive updates in the Roku Feed when a movie is first released to streaming, becomes available from additional streaming channels or changes price.
New Roku 3 and Roku 2 Streaming Players Offer Superior Streaming Performance
Roku upgraded two of its popular streaming players – the Roku 3 and the Roku 2 – adding to the most complete line up of streaming players that also includes the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku 1.
The new Roku 3 now includes a voice search capability adding a fun, fast way for people to search for what they want to watch. Like its predecessor, the Roku 3 is the company‘s top-of-the-line streaming player. It is fast and fully loaded with features. The included enhanced remote control features a button to activate voice search, a headphone jack to enable private listening and motion control to play casual games. The new Roku 3 is available beginning today from Roku.com and retailers nationwide for a MSRP of $99.99.
The new Roku 2 has been upgraded to match the speed and the performance of the new Roku 3. It is the perfect streaming player for those who want to watch video and music without the new Roku 3 enhanced remote. The new Roku 2 offers an extraordinary streaming experience and a snappy performance for a MSRP of $69.99. It is available beginning today from Roku.com and retailers nationwide.
Updated Roku Mobile App and New Features Available Starting Today
In addition to using the included remote control, Roku offers a free mobile app to enable consumers to control their streaming player with their mobile device. An updated version of the Roku Mobile App for Android devices is available today and for iOS devices is expected available this week. The update includes support for the new search and discovery features announced today.
Roku today began rolling out the software update that delivers the new features to all current-generation* Roku players and Roku TV models. The roll out is expected to be completed by the end of April. Under separate announcements today, Roku also shared details on similar new products and features for customers in the U.K., the Republic of Ireland and Canada. More information can be found at www.roku.com/about/pressroom.
About Roku, Inc.
Roku is the creator of a popular streaming platform for delivering entertainment to the TV. Roku streaming players and the Roku Streaming Stick® are made by Roku and sold through major retailers in the U.S., Canada,
the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. Roku licenses a reference design and operating system to TV manufacturers to create co-branded Roku TV models. Under the Roku PoweredTM program, Roku licenses its streaming platform to Pay TV providers around the world who want to use the Internet to deliver entertainment services through streaming players. Roku was founded by Anthony Wood, inventor of the DVR. Roku is privately held and headquartered in Saratoga, Calif., U.S.
*Current generation Roku players are those introduced after April 2011 and include the Roku 3 (4200X, 4230R), Roku 2 (2720X, 4210R), Roku 1 (2710X), Roku Streaming Stick, both HDMI (3500X) and Roku Ready (3400X, 3420X) versions, Roku LT (2400X, 2450X, 2700X), Roku 2 HD (3000X), Roku 2 XD (3050X), Roku 2 XS (3100X) and the Roku HD (2500X).
Roku and Streaming Stick are registered trademarks and Roku TV and Roku Powered are trademarks of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.
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