By John Bugailiskis
SAN JOSE, Calif. – While TVs continue to grow bigger, their sound is getting thinner claims streaming media device manufacturer Roku. Today, the company is launching its two-in-one Streambar that offers both 4K streaming and cinematic sound from one device for any TV with HDMI inputs.
Roku claims the device will also be the first streaming platform to be compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2 and Apple HomeKit later this year.
“Over the years TVs have gotten thinner, reducing space for built-in speakers, resulting in less impressive sound, while new streaming services have changed the way we watch TV. With the Roku Streambar, we offer an easy and all-in-one solution to that challenge,” said Mark Ely, vice president product strategy at Roku.
“Our engineering teams in Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States have been working together to design and build the Roku Streambar from the ground up to deliver an incredible streaming experience and the ultimate upgrade for any TV.”
The Streambar is very compact (14” wide, 4.2” deep, 2.4” high) compared to many soundbars. However, Roku says while it has a small footprint, its powerful signal processing combined with its four full range drivers helps deliver crisp, clean audio that makes dialogue easier to hear while its angled side drivers can fill a room with immersive sound.
“This is better solution than using an AVR (Audio/Video Receiver)” said Lloyd Klarke, director of product management at Roku. He told Cartt.ca instead of spending hours setting up your AVR, and cluttering up your TV with more wires, owners of the Streambar just have to plug it in and turn it on for it to work as designed. He added that 27 million Canadians now use streaming devices to view content every month.
The Roku Streambar is expected to be available online and at major retail stores in Canada by the end of October for a suggested retail price of $189
Features include:
- 4K picture: Stream movies and TV in HD, 4K, and 4K HDR picture quality
- Four 1.9” full range drivers fill the room with rich Dolby Audio.
- Roku OS helps Roku Streambar produce sound well beyond its size while increasing speech clarity and adding intricate depth to music.
- Simple volume modes make it easy to adjust sound. Automatically lower loud commercials, boost the volume of voices, and optimizse the sound for night listening.
- Spotify is available on the Roku platform and with Spotify Connect, launch a favourite playlist from a smartphone and listen through the Roku Streambar’s high performance speakers.
- Easily stream music from mobile devices with Bluetooth support
