Roku today introduced the latest model of its popular Streaming Stick. The new dongle features a quad-core processor which makes it faster than any previous Roku Stick, the company also claims that the new dongle has “more processing power than any other pocket-sized stick in the industry.” It provides 8x more processing power than its predecessor so it’s a pretty powerful little device that’s going to bring smart features to a regular TV as long as it has an HDMI port.
The new Roku Streaming Stick features private listening via a smartphone or tablet using the Roku app for iOS and Android. It supports dual-band MIMO wireless for better connectivity. Users can cast video from Netflix and YouTube directly to the TV and can access over 3,000 streaming channels using the stick. A remote is included with the package for easy navigation.
The stick runs Roku OS 7.1, the latest version of the company’s operating system, it improves the search and discovery experience by adding new categories with the Roku Feed that allows users to view popular TV shows and movies in one place. Users can watch the content immediately or follow it in the Roku Feed to get automatic updates on when the price changes or when the movie or TV show becomes available to watch for free.
Roku OS 7.1 will be available on the new Roku Streaming Stick when it starts shipping later this month. The new OS update will be sent out to current-gen Roku players and Roku TV models via a software update in the next few weeks.
The new Roku Streaming Stick costs $49.99 and can be pre-ordered today from roku.com and Best Buy. It will be available later this month from national retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and others.