Sky has somewhat surprisingly announced Netflix is launching on its branded Now TV devices made by Roku. That news is accompanied by the release of a new Smart Box with 4K HDR video and voice search support.
Available from today, the Roku Powered Now TV Smart Box with 4K and Voice Search (to give it its full name) offers support for 4K HDR streaming, where available, at 60fps.
The new voice search feature comes via a new remote and will enable viewers to find shows, films, actors or directors, or simply open up apps with vocal commands.
However, support for all of that lovely UltraHD content comes at a much larger cost. The Now TV 4K box is £45.99, compared to the existing Now TV Smart Stick, which is just £14.99.
Related: What is Now TV?
The update will enable owners of the new set-top box and the existing Roku-made devices to log into their Netflix account, alongside other on-demand apps like the BBC iPlayer and All 4. In fact, Netflix joins over 50 apps that are now available across Now TV devices. Others include ITV Player, Demand 5, UKTV Play, Red Bull TV, Sky Store, YouTube and Vevo.
However, while the majority of those apps have always been available, Netflix had been absent for obvious reasons. Sky has been selling these devices for a pittance, in the hope that owners would seek content from the Sky Store, or buy Now TV sport, entertainment and cinema passes. The presence of Netflix on what we’d assume have a loss-making pieces of hardware might convince users otherwise.
However, given the higher price of the new 4K device and the fact a wealth of 4K HDR content is available via Netflix, it makes sense for Now TV to introduce the app alongside this device. If you have an existing Now TV device, you’ll see Netflix within the App Store.
Will you be picking up the Now TV 4K Smart Box? Will the presence of Netflix make this more likely? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
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.
