Roku Revamps Its Streaming Video Player Product Line

Roku’s latest streaming video players, including the Express+, Premiere and Premiere+, are smaller and more powerful than their predecessors. Here’s a look at their key features.

Priced at $30, the new Roku Express streaming player is built for use with HDMI-equipped televisions. The Roku Express features 1080p HD streaming, a wireless remote control with channel shortcut buttons, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi compatibility and comes with an HDMI cable.

The Roku Express+ version is priced at $40 and is built to be compatible with older televisions that still use legacy composite A/V red/white/yellow cable connections. The Roku Express+ also features 1080p HD streaming, a wireless remote control with channel shortcut buttons, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi compatibility and comes with a composite A/V connecting cable.

The $80 Roku Premiere streaming video player includes HD and 4K video capabilities up to 60 fps streaming and is compatible with HD or 4K UHD televisions. It also offers 4K UHD video playback, as well as the ability to upscale 720p to 1080p on HDTVs and the ability to upscale from 720p or 1080p to 4K up to 60 fps on 4K UHD TVs. The Premiere features quad-core processors, 802.11ac MIMO dual-band WiFi, wireless remote controls and a night listening mode setting that adjusts audio sounds to maintain volume consistency.

The $100 Roku Premiere+ streaming video player includes the same features as the Premiere model while also gaining HDR capabilities, which are not found in the standard Premiere player. The Premiere+ also has a microSD card slot for additional channel storage.

Priced at $130, the new Roku Ultra streaming video player includes all the features of the Roku Premiere+ player, including HD, 4K and HDR video playing capabilities and a quad-core processor, while also gaining Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus decoding for use with home theater surround sound. The Ultra also includes an optical digital audio out port to connect to a receiver or sound bar and a USB port for local media playback.

Roku devices use the Roku operating system and provide access to some 3,500 streaming channels, including 350,000 movies and TV episodes in the United States, according to the company. Consumers can use the included remote controls to operate their Roku devices, or they can use iOS or Android apps with their smartphones. The Roku Express, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+ and Roku Ultra streaming players are available for preorder immediately at Roku.com, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers, and are slated to be available in stores starting Oct. 9. The Roku Express+ player will be available exclusively at Walmart. The devices can be used with specially engineered Roku TV models (pictured) or with other televisions.

The $50 Roku Streaming Stick is a portable streaming video player that features a quad-core processor and works with any HD television. It includes WiFi connectivity, a remote control and provides 720p and 1080p video capabilities.