回顾:Roku 4流4K视频与更强大的模型

Roku is taking a lead on 4K, making ultra-high definition support the defining feature of its new Roku 4 机顶盒. 总要有人做第一名, 虽然目前还没有太多的4K内容, Roku正在帮助电视爱好者找到并播放这些节目. That gives it a critical differentiator over the new Apple TV, which doesn’t support 4K.

使用Roku 4不需要超高清电视, and there's a lot to like about it even with an HD set (which is how we tested it). The box has a quad-core processor and triple the RAM of the Roku 3, 在我们的测试中表现完美. Combining its hardware with the existing quick-start feature for Netflix and Amazon meant we never had to wait more than a few seconds for content. Roku 4包括802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi, which is helpful for 4K streaming because it has strong throughput. 观看4K视频需要HDCP 2.2个HDMI接口. The 机顶盒 also includes optical digital audio for the first time, (something we weren't able to test) and upscales SD video to 720p.

Roku has thrown some variety into the screen savers this time, and automatically shows 4K nature images when the screen is inactive. 我们喜欢它们的丰富和细节，即使是1080p. Those screen savers are customizable, but more on that later.

We didn't have to wait long to test out the remote finder, 因为遥控器在凌乱的电视房间里很容易丢失. Press a button on the box and the remote plays a sound of your choosing until you pick it up and press a button. 它发挥了应有的作用，是一个有趣的谈话话题.

硬件的改进只是故事的一部分. Roku has long been a master of the perfectly intuitive user interface, and the company has released an OS update (to OS 7) that adds useful new features without crowding the controls.

Roku早在3月份就推出了My Feed功能, letting users identify movies currently in theaters that they want to stream when available. 我的Feed在OS 7中获得了新功能, 因为用户现在可以关注任何电影, 电视节目, 演员, 或者他们想要的导演. When something new is available, My Feed lets you know with helpful on-screen indicators. You'll see a number in parentheses in the left-hand navigation that lets you know how many new items you have available, then a purple triangle next to every item in the feed that's been updated. We suspect that many people are spontaneous in their streaming video watching—simply browsing around until they find something good—but the My Feed improvements are a boon for planners who don’t want to miss a thing.

OS 7 and the updated iOS and Android Roku app combine to make Roku's new Hotel and Dorm Connect feature possible. We haven't testing this yet, but look forward to doing so later this month during 流媒体西部. This feature gives Roku owners a way around Wi-Fi accounts that require a sign-in. Connect the Roku to a hotel or dorm Wi-Fi network and enter the sign-in 信息 through the app. Once connected, the app passes the credentials over to the Roku. It's a smart idea, and one that makes the Roku an essential travel companion.

出于其他原因，这款应用值得更新. Those high-resolution screen savers in the Roku 4 are customizable: Using the app, 车主可以替换自己的照片, 是否高分辨率. The controls are easy and its fun having favorite shots show up on the TV, 这是苹果电视用户非常熟悉的. The app also includes new tools for searching and managing the feed, as well as playing content. These should have been in place when the app was first launched, but better late then never.

The Apple TV will certainly continue to outsell Roku models, but it shouldn't. Roku has known that the future of TV is apps for years now, and it creates dead simple user interfaces that make content discovery a pleasure. The Roku 4 continues that with a forward-looking attitude.