Subj : Roku has two new budget streaming sticks, including a cheaper 4K To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Apr 23 2025 17:00:08 Roku has two new budget streaming sticks, including a cheaper 4K HDR model, and there's a surprising upgrade out of the box Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:55:24 +0000 Description: Roku just dropped the new Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus, which aim to push value further with easy access to streaming services and a voice remote included in the box. FULL STORY ======================================================================Roku has announced the new Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus They replace the Express and Express 4K+ You get a voice remote in the box, plus a compact design, but the Streaming Stick 4K is also sticking around Roku has introduced two new streaming sticks that slim down the overall build even further, and aim to stretch the value by including one of the brands most popular accessories. The Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are the smallest sticks from Roku yet, and represent the new entry points to the brands lineup, replacing the Express and Express 4K+ . Both aim to offer most of the features youd want to see in any streaming device stick or box and are priced competitively at $29.99 / 29.99 for the Stick and $39.99 / 39.99 for the Plus (we're waiting on Australian pricing to be confirmed). Preorders are open now, and the official shipment start date is May 6. These are the smallest and most compact devices from the brand so far they're super-slim sticks that are only slightly thicker than an HDMI port. That slim design should make it easy to plug the Stick into the HDMI slot on the back of your TV, and Roku says the design wont block your other ports. Thats a pretty nice upgrade, and the brand says these sticks are over 35% smaller than other brands, though it stops short of naming the others. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff/Future) The overall design of the Stick and Stick Plus is pretty simple: there's a physical power button and a USB-C port, although Roku doesnt want you to plug either stick into a wall socket; rather, it says you can just plug the USB cable right into the back of your TV, as these dont need a huge amount of power to run. The other appeal is portability, something Roku thinks is becoming a bigger trend. If youre heading on vacation to a hotel or an Airbnb, given how small the Stick or Stick Plus are you could grab the stick and cable to bring it with you to access your favorite streaming services away from home. Thats pretty nice. As the names suggests, the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Stick Plus give you full access to the Roku platform, so youll get easy access to all of the best streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Max. That classic experience with the promise of future updates is all still here. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff/Future) The biggest change is that Roku is including a voice remote in the box with the Stick or Stick Plus. This way, you can simply use your voice to ask for your favorite shows and pull up other content. This also levels the playing field with the Amazon Fire Stick lineup , as the entry-level Fire Stick HD (priced at $34.99 / 39.99 / AU$69) does ship with an Alexa voice remote as well. Rokus Streaming Stick supports up to an HD experience (up to 1080p resolution), while the Streaming Stick Plus delivers up to a 4K experience with support for HLG, HDR 10, and HDR 10+, depending on the TV you plug the stick into. If youre looking for support for Dolby Vision youll need to opt for the Streaming Stick 4K , a pre-existing model that retails for $49.99 / 49.99. If youre already sold maybe youve been after a more affordable streaming stick from Roku and dont need support for Dolby Vision the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are up for preorder now directly from Roku priced at $29.99 / 29.99 and $39.99 / 39.99. Well be going hands-on and testing both of Rokus new sticks as soon as we can. You might also like Roku fans are furious with a new ad shown before you even see the home screen it's a test for now, but it's not a good sign of things to come Roku Ultra (2024) review: a souped-up streamer with a fantastic remote Amazon just dropped the Fire TV Stick HD, and it comes with a nice surprise in the box ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/streaming-devices/roku-has-two-new-budge t-streaming-sticks-including-a-cheaper-4k-hdr-model-and-theres-a-surprising-up grade-out-of-the-box --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .