Today, Roku took the wraps off some new hardware, including a more affordable 4K streaming media device, an updated soundbar, and an upgraded remote control that gives you hands-free voice commands.
Roku has also discontinued its Premier line of players, leaving the company with a more streamlined offering of four dedicated player devices and two soundbars with built-in Roku OS streaming capabilities.
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Here’s everything you need to know about Roku’s new devices.
Roku Express 4K+
Roku
$40
Available in mid-May
Roku’s $50 Streaming Stick+, which hasn’t changed much since its debut in 2017, has traditionally been the least expensive Roku device that can also handle 4K and HDR streaming content. But the new Express 4K+ drops the price of 4KHDR to $40, making it one of the most affordable ways to add 4K streaming capability to your TV.
The Express 4K+ uses the same design as the company’s non-4K Express models, with a tiny, rounded body that can cling to the underside of your TV thanks to the included double-sided tape strips, but it also grabs the wireless remote from the Streaming Stick+.
This gives the Express 4K+ the ability to hide from sight (the other Express models use an infrared remote that needs line of sight) and also enables features like Roku Voice and TV power, volume, and mute controls.
You can also add an optional Micro USB Ethernet adapter, something that Express models have lacked in the past.
The Express 4K+ can handle up to 4K resolution, with support for HDR10 and HDR10+. Notably absent are Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The 2020 version of the Roku Ultra is the only Roku device with native support for these Dolby formats.
As with other Roku devices, you can control the Express 4K+ via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa smart speakers, and it also supports Apple HomeKit and streaming from Apple devices using Apple AirPlay, something you won’t find on any other 4K streaming device at this price.
Roku also has a Walmart-only version of the Express 4K+ called the Express 4K. It’s identical to the 4K+ except that it has a traditional infrared remote and costs only $35.
Roku Voice Remote Pro
Roku Voice Remote Pro with optional headphonesRoku
$30
Available now
Until now, all of Roku’s distinctive and simple remote controls have been powered by replaceable batteries. You could use rechargeable batteries if you like, but that requires a separate purchase and a battery charger. As rumored earlier this year, the new $30 Roku Voice Remote Pro fixes that with its own built-in rechargeable battery that charges from any Micro USB connection.
That battery powers some features you won’t find on Roku’s other remotes, including a hands-free way to use the Roku Voice commands and a lost remote finder chime that can be triggered just by saying “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?”
It also has Roku’s other premium remote features, like personal shortcuts; TV controls for volume, mute, and power; private listening via a built-in headphone jack; and the option to press a button for voice commands instead of the hands-free mode.
Roku Streambar Pro
Roku
$180
Available for pre-order today
Available to buy at Roku.com at the end of May and at major retailers in June
Technically just a rename of the existing Roku Smart Soundbar, the Streambar Pro features the same four drivers and sound settings for night mode, speech clarity, and volume leveling.
Thanks to the new Roku OS 10, it also gets virtual surround sound. The big difference is that the Streambar Pro ships with an upgraded remote that has personal shortcut buttons, a private listening feature via the built-in headphone jack, and the ability to trigger a lost remote finder via the Roku mobile app.
Roku also tosses in a set of its wired earbuds so you don’t have to go rummaging around in your drawers for an old set of wired buds.
Hands-on with the Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Apple TV 4K
The Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Apple TV 4K perched atop an extremely thin OLED television. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
The Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Apple TV 4K is one mouthful of an official name. What it does is much more simple. It is a mount for your iPhone to be used with an Apple TV 4K. And it has MagSafe to keep the phone in place. That's it.
Belkin drops a $50 mount for iPhone video calls on Apple TV 4K
We've previously written that the addition of FaceTime and Continuity Camera to Apple TV 4K is a perfect excuse to have some sort of tripod for your iPhone in the living room. Belkin just took that idea and made it a little easier (and less expensive than our idea).
Enter the appropriately named iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Apple TV 4K. Retailing for just under $50, it's ... well, it's a MagSafe iPhone mount to use in conjunction with video calls on your Apple TV 4K. No cables required. No power needed. Just a simple way to position your iPhone to use when on FaceTime, Zoom, Webex, or the "Sing" feature on Apple Music.
If you don’t see CBS in 4K on YouTube TV, try this
A quick heads up if you have the 4K add-on for YouTube TV but aren't seeing the option to watch Super Bowl 2024 in 4K on CBS: It's likely because you're using a custom sort on your live channel listings. (Which is something you might have done if you want to hide YouTube TV channels that you never watch.) That'a bad enough for the game itself, and it also means you won't be able to enjoy the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 4K.
This is a known problem — and has been for years — anytime YouTube TV adds a new channel to the listing. If you're not using the default sort on the live channel listings, a new channel will appear at the bottom of the listings, which is bad enough. But worse is that it's hidden by default until you actively go in and unhide it.
