NEW YORK: Roku launched its updated Roku 3 streaming set-top and mobile apps in the U.S. featuring voice-activated search and a new media discovery system dubbed by the Apple TV competitor as the “Roku Feed.”
With a price tag of $99.99, the Roku 3 now has voice search function using a button-activated microphone. This lets the user search for any available video by title, director or actors. The new feature can be activated anytime and anywhere within the firmware.
The Roku Feed will also allow users to mark movies or TV shows that are not yet stream able, but the firmware will notify the user once it becomes available complete with the cost.
Roku said that the new Feed will have further updates in the future. The Channel Store is also upgraded as users now have the ability to search channels by name, according to Apple Insider.
The Roku 2, which the company claims is as fast as Roku 3, is also made available at U.S. stores today. The company said that it has already been upgraded to match the speed of the new set-top. However, the headphone jack on the Roku 2’s remote has been eliminated, but users will be glad to know that it will be on the Roku 3.
In addition, the Roku 3’s remote will be backwards compatible with the Roku 2. One caveat is that the remote is not yet available to be sold separately.
More on the new “Roku Feed,” the company said that it will launch the update today and they expect to complete the updates for current-gen devices before April ends in the U.S. Roku users in the U.K. will have to wait until May to receive the update, according to CNET.
The iOS and Android Roku Remote app also got updated with the new Feeds view. However, Roku said that it will not provide notifications and the user will need to look at the new Feed to see new movies.
