Decluttering has become a common theme across UK households during the coronavirus pandemic. As many of us have been spending more time at home, we've been making conscious choices to enjoy a more minimilised space, getting rid of items we no longer need and ensuring that our mental health is no longer affected by the mess we can sometimes leave around us.
Today's (September 28th, 2020) announcement from Roku will be music to the ears of those people, as they announce the arrival of the latest addition to their product catalogue: the Roku Streambar.
“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.”
Described by the company as "the ultimate 2-in-1 entertainment upgrade", Roku promise powerful streaming coupled with premium sound for any TV with HDMI, including their own Roku TV models.
As well as offering vibrant 4K HDR picture quality on compatible screens, the Streambar aims to deliver crisp, clean audio that makes dialogue easier to hear with two front-facing drivers, while two room-filling drivers fill the room with sound. It's even capable of quieting down loud commercials automatically.
Everything you need - including the voice-controlled remote - is included in the package, so you're able to set-up as soon as you purchase. You can even mount the device on a bracket if you're somebody who enjoys your television from a mount on the wall.
That voice control will allow you to control the Roku Streambar by speaking to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant devices, and Roku are working on having the device compatible with AirPlay 2 and HomeKit by the end of the year.
Take a look below for full tech specs:
- Dimensions and weight: Height: 2.4 inches/60.9mm; Width: 14 inches/355.6mm; Depth: 4.2 inches, 106.6mm; Weight: 38.4 ounces, 1088.6g.
- Audio: Four full-range drivers, with a power of 32W RMS/64W Peak. Audio formats: PCM, Dolby Audio; Sound modes: Normal, reduce bass, bass boost, bass off; Speech clarity: Off, low, high; Volume modes: Off, leveling, night mode.
- TV Compatibility: HD TVs: Up to 1080p (1920x1080) with up-scaling from 720p; 4K UHD TVs: Up to 2160p at 60fps (3840x2160) with up-scaling from 720p and 1080p. TV must have an HDMI input that supports HDCP 2.2; 4K UHD HDR TVs: Supports HDR10 an HLG. TV must have an HDMI input that supports HDCP 2.2; the Roku Streambar requires TV with HDMI ARC or Optical outputs.
- Network: 802.11ac dual-band wireless with MIMO (2.4 GHz/5 GHz); Wired Ethernet requires USB adapter (sold separately).
- Mount: Two M6 x 8mm threaded mounting sockets (Mounting hardware sold separately).
- Power: 100-240V, 50-60 Hz AC, 1A
- Compatibility: Works with any TV with an HDMI port; Bluetooth Streaming; Works with Google Assistant and Alexa.
- Model: 9102EU.
The Roku Streambar is expected to launch online and at major retail stores across the UK by the end of October, for a suggested retail price of £129.
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