The Roku 3 streaming media player comes with a remote control and ear buds.Roku’s new streaming media player, the Roku 3, looks remarkably like its predecessors: a hockey puck. Instead of upgrading the appearance, the company has improved the way the device works, while keeping the price at $100.
For starters, browsing the menus on the TV screen is more intuitive and smoother, which helps because Roku now has more than 750 channels to scroll through. Nine channels appear onscreen, as opposed to three on the older devices. And the flow from screen to screen has improved, making it much easier to navigate and search for new channels and content. A universal search features allows you to find content. (The new interface will be available for older Roku models as a free software update in coming weeks.)
Other improvements include dual-band wireless connectivity, as well as a port for an Ethernet connection. The Roku 3 also includes a USB port and a microSD slot for storage and a remote control app for iOS and Android devices. Even the Angry Birds video game that came on older models has been upgraded, to Angry Birds Space.
The most convenient enhancement is to the remote control, which now has a headphone jack. Roku even supplies a pair of ear buds. Just plug them into the remote, and the TV mutes for private listening.
However, not all change is good. The media player no longer comes packaged with a standard-definition audio/visual cable. In fact, there is not even an input for it. The exclusion means that you have to use an HDMI cable, which provides better resolution anyway, up to 1080p. However, you have to buy your own HDMI cable, because Roku did not include that with the new model, either.
If you don’t have an HDTV, you’re out of luck. Fortunately, I do own one; however, it has only one HDMI port, which is occupied by my cable company. To use the Roku 3, I have to unplug the cable TV, which is really inconvenient, or buy a switch box.
