Roku OS 10.5 announced alongside new Streaming Stick 4K - Ars Technica

Today, Roku announced a new streamer in its lineup, the Streaming Stick 4K, alongside a “plus” version of the device with a better remote. The company also confirmed that Roku OS 10.5 will begin rolling out “in the coming weeks,” bringing new audio features and improved search and voice capabilities to compatible Roku devices.

The Roku Mobile app also boasts a few new functions, including a feature to fix audio delays on wireless earbuds paired to Roku streamers. We also have a preview of a new wireless soundbar from TCL and a refresh to the Walmart-exclusive Roku Ultra LT.

Roku OS 10.5 and the Roku Mobile app

Sound is a big theme in Roku’s latest release. The mobile app’s new audio/video sound sync feature is aimed at fixing delays for those using wireless headphones with their Rokus. It works by first attempting to fix sync issues automatically, via a headphone-specific troubleshooter. If the issue persists, users can activate their smartphone camera from within the Roku app to visually assist in syncing audio. A preloaded video will play on-screen as it instructs you to point the phone camera at it to allow the app to attempt to properly sync the audio and video.

The Roku app will also enable searching for and saving content to your save list, so you can add them wherever and whenever those precious new recommendations come along. Users will also be able to access sound settings, like night mode and speech clarity, for their Roku devices from within the app, which avoids the need to pull up on-screen menus.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Streaming Stick 4K+ replace the Streaming Stick+ and Roku Express 4K. It looks a lot like the old Streaming Stick+.

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Instructions appear in the Roku Mobile app to fix audio delays using the phone's camera.

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Roku Streambar owners can use their device as a center audio channel in a 3.1 or 5.1 speaker configuration.

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Adding rear speakers achieves the 5.1 surround sound experience.

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Diving deeper into the audio experience, Roku added support for 3.1 and 5.1 Roku speaker configurations. Streambar and Streambar Pro owners can use their device as a center channel for audio, complemented by wireless Roku speakers at either side (3.1) or with another pair of rear speakers, as well (5.1).

Roku voice, the voice assistant summoned with a button (or hot word on Roku devices with a Voice Remote Pro), also received some modest enhancements. When using the voice assistant, a new menu will pop up offering a tutorial on voice controls. There’s also broader support for voice input, now including passwords, PINs, and other login credentials.

Search via voice and text input both benefit from new features that include music and podcasts in search results, as well as expanded abilities to search for content within specific apps. For instance, users can search for comedies solely within Netflix or new podcasts from Spotify.

Roku’s live TV option, which is home to over 200 live channels, can now be pinned to the home screen. As in previous versions of Roku OS, users can customize the channel guide to hide or prioritize certain channels.

New Streaming Stick 4K, wireless soundbar, and Roku Ultra LT refresh

The new Streaming Stick 4K and Streaming Stick 4K+ take the place of the Streaming Stick+ and Roku Express 4k+ in Roku's lineup, melding the two and improving on both. The new streamers boast a 30 percent faster boot-up time (thanks to a new quad-core processor), stronger, faster Wi-Fi (two times faster, Roku says) with dynamic radio and power optimization, HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision support. The main difference between the two versions is the inclusion of a rechargeable, lost-and-found siren-equipped Voice Remote Pro, which comes with the plus version.

We recommended the Voice Remote Pro in our review a few months back, particularly for owners of Roku-enabled TVs, like those from TCL and Philips. Adding rechargeability, a remote-locating siren, headphone compatibility, hands-free voice control, and two customizable shortcut buttons to the TV experience, it’s hard not to see this $30 upgrade as worthwhile for a several-hundred-dollar TV. Adding that $20 onto a $50 device, as is the case with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+, is a slightly different proposition to consider. The Streaming Stick 4K is available for pre-order now, retailing for $49.99, while the plus goes for $69.99. The Streaming Stick 4K is expected to start shipping on October 14, and the Streaming Stick 4K+ ships three days later on October 17.

Roku also refreshed the Walmart-exclusive Roku Ultra LT. The previous $70 (commonly found for $50) set-top box came with an earlier version of the Voice Remote Pro, ethernet, and microSD storage. The refresh will expand the storage (Roku hasn’t yet specified how much), improve Wi-Fi distance and strength, and add Dolby Vision—essentially putting it on par with the current Roku Ultra. The new Roku Ultra LT will be available from Walmart “in the coming weeks” for $79.99.

Lastly, Roku teased an upcoming wireless soundbar made by TCL. The $180 soundbar is light on details at the moment, but Roku says it will support automatic A/V sync, though it will not be compatible with 3.1 or 5.1 speaker setups. It will support 2.0 or 2.1 configurations, however.

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