Roku's Premiere streaming boxes are tiny, cheap, and support 4K
Roku doesn't believe that there's one streaming player for everyone.
Launching early next month, two new Roku streaming players focus on affordability and 4K support. The Premiere and Premiere+ will be $39.99 and $49.99 respectively. Both are cheaper than Amazon's $69.99 4K Fire TV.
Both of these are tiny and fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. During a briefing with Roku, I first thought these were new streaming sticks, which tend to be watered-down versions of a full-on player. However, it quickly became clear that, although the form factor is small, these are full-featured streaming devices.
4K support is big for streaming players of this size. Each of them is about as tall as two pencils stacked on top of each other, looking like a thick USB drive. Even if you don't currently have a 4K television, this is a streaming player that can grow with you.
Powering the traditional Roku experience is a quad-core processor and 802.11 (b/g/n) WiFi for a fast connection. Neither the Premiere or the Premiere+ features an Ethernet port. An HDMI port that supports Dolby and DTS Digital Surround sound is on the back, along with a microUSB port for power. An HDMI cable and a power cord are in the box.
The core difference between the Premiere and the Premiere+ is the remote. The cheaper $39.99 Premiere has the regular Roku remote that relies on an infrared sensor for control. This also means the stick needs to be visible since you need to point the remote at it. Roku partially solves this with adhesive on one side of the Premiere, allowing you to stick to the back of your TV.
Roku's Premiere+ uses a Voice Remote that can control fully control volume and power for the TV. It also uses a wireless connection for control. Alternatively, the Roku remote app for iOS and Android works with both.
All of the channels and services that support Roku are available on either of these new streaming players, including the Roku Channel, which aggregates free content for any viewer to watch. The size, price, and 4K support make these a versatile streaming option. Roku will kick off pre-orders today for the $39.99 Premiere, with shipments beginning in October. The $49.99 Premiere+ will be exclusive to Walmart.com and Walmart retail stores when it launches in early October as well.
Stay tuned for our full review of the Premiere and Premiere+ closer to their official launch.
