Roku has unveiled a brand new 4K-ready set-top-box, the Roku 4.
The announcement was widely expected following numerous leaks and rumours, but the Roku 4 is now official.
Visually, the Roku 4 uses a similar design language to the Roku 3, with a familiar flat top and rounded bottom. However, it’s much thinner and flatter than before.
The real enhancements are internal, of course. As mentioned, the Roku 4’s main addition is 4K streaming support at up to 60fps. Take that, Apple TV.
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This is achieved thanks to the Roku 4’s quad-core processor, while Roku has also included a curated 4K Spotlight channel to help with surfacing 4K content.
Another new feature is the Roku 4’s remote finder. Just press a button on the base unit and the remote will emit a sound.
As one of the earliest success stories in the set-top-box streaming space, the Roku 4 has a ready-made and impressive lineup of content to stream, incorporating 300,000 movies and TV episodes. It also has a universal voice search function that will pick out content regardless of the streaming channel.
Related: Amazon Fire TV 4K vs Apple TV (2015)
Roku has also announced the new Roku OS 7, which will ship with the Roku 4, and will be making its way to older Roku devices starting in mid-October. The onus with this new OS appears to be on sharing, remote access, and improved mobile app support.
The Roku 4 is available for US customers to preorder now. It’s expected to hit shops in late October, with a cost of $129.99. We’ll let you know as soon as the company’s UK plans are revealed.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
