The streaming set-top market is about to get competitive -- literally. Roku just announced plans for Roku 2, a trio of set-top boxes that can stream a slew of new entertainment options, including gaming.
Like the previous version of the Roku box, the Roku 2 will come in three flavors: the Roku 2 HD ($59.99), the Roku 2 XD ($79.99) and the Roku 2 XS ($99.99). All three sport a sleeker design, which boasts better energy efficiency. In fact, the company says that these boxes only use about 2 watts of power in standby mode.
All three boxes will have built-in wireless and Bluetooth support. That Bluetooth is needed for the optional Roku Game Remote ($29.99), which will start selling in the coming weeks. Each box also has a MicroSD card slot. Besides the pricing, the big difference between the boxes is that the Roku 2 HD will support 720p HD video, while the Roku 2 XD can do full 1080p HD.
The top-of-the-line XS model can also do the 1080p, and will come packing the Game Remote, as well as the insanely addictive game Angry Birds. It's also the only box in the trio to have both an Ethernet port and a USB port.
Besides the gaming, all three new boxes will offer up about 300 channels of streaming, including familiar content from Hulu Plus, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video, Flickr and Crackle, as well as sports programming from NBA Game Time, NHL GameCenter Live and Ultimate Fighting Championship. New channels set to launch soon include Facebook, AOL HD, and FoxNews.com. Subscriptions and fees may apply, depending on the service.
All of the Roku 2 boxes still supply access to Netflix, but add in English subtitles, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through, and up to 1080p video (XD and XS models only).
Expect the Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD and the Roku 2 XS to start shipping by the end of this month.
Pre-Order the Roku 2:
