In what seems to be a challenge on the Google Chromecast and its compact form factor, Roku today announced a new product to their lineup, the Roku Streaming Stick.
Retailing at £49.99 in the UK and $49.99 in the U.S, the Streaming Stick is a small device that connects directly to the HDMI port on your TV, conveniently letting you abandon the need for cables and a Roku box altogether whilst staying discretely out of the way.
You won’t find any fancy bells & whistles on the Streaming Stick like you will on the Roku 3 and its motion controller & Micro SD slot; Roku have stripped this device down to its bare essentials. For a feature breakdown & comparison of Roku’s range, click here, it’ll give you a better idea of where it stands.
Even so, the Streaming Stick isn’t full of compromises. There’s still full access to Roku’s content library, iOS/Android devices can still navigate the menus and you can even stream Netflix, YouTube & your own media to the TV screen too. Roku say that they’re also working on a way to stream content from a computer to the TV, so it’ll be interesting to see that feature when it gets released.
Unlike the Google Chromecast, Roku’s Streaming Stick also comes with a dedicated controller, making it far more convenient for shared viewing. After all, I can’t imagine people being happy to leave their phones behind if they need to leave the room, especially if everybody else is watching!
[quote float=”right”]The new Roku Streaming Stick gives consumers more choice for streaming entertainment to the TV than any other device[/quote]
“The new Roku Streaming Stick gives consumers more choice for streaming entertainment to the TV than any other device,” said Jim Funk, senior vice president of product management at Roku. “Consumers want a ton of entertainment, a friendly user interface, and options to control the experience with a remote or mobile device. This new Roku Streaming Stick brings all that and more – and in a tiny form factor.”
Roku’s Streaming Stick packs all of the content we’ve come to expect from Roku, and in light of its affordable £49.99 price tag, it certainly seems like the Roku product packing the most value for money.
What do you make of the Roku Streaming Stick? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
