Roku has shrunk the streaming set top box down to the size of a USB stick that plugs directly into the television.



The new Roku Streaming Stick slots into a TV’s HMDI port making any television smart and providing a full video streaming experience with access to 750 apps or streaming channels including the BBC iPlayer, 4OD, YouTube, Netflix and access to a personal videos or music stored on a smartphone or tablet computer.

“Consumers want a ton of entertainment, a friendly user interface, and options to control the experience with a remote or mobile device. The new Roku Streaming Stick gives consumers more choice for streaming entertainment to the TV than any other device,” said Jim Funk, senior vice president of product management at Roku.

Roku apps for Android and iPhone too

The Streaming Stick condenses the technology of Roku’s very capable set top boxes into the much smaller, discreet stick form. It is capable of streaming TV and movies at up to full HD 1080p and is controlled by a small remote.

Roku apps for Android and the iPhone are also available, allowing streaming content from a smartphone or tablet to the Stick as well as acting like a remote.

Previously available in a similar form in the US that required a special type of TV, the new Streaming Stick costs £50 and will work with any TV with a spare HDMI port.

The Roku Streaming Stick competes directly with the £99 Apple TV as well as Google’s $35 Chromecast, which was launched in the US in July last year but has yet to make it to the UK.

• The Roku 3 streaming box is a small, sleek and unobtrusive box, but not quite as discreet as the Streaming Stick