Roku 3: Turbo charged media streamer on the way, but not for the UK

The Gadget Show  Wednesday 06 March 2013

Watch out Apple TV, there’s a new tiny media streamer in town. The Roku 3 has just been announced today, with new software, revamped innards and even a clever new way to listen – but there’s a catch.

We’re already big fans of the Roku series of ickle internet TV boxes, but with the Roku 3, they’ve just got even better. The new, curvier box packs a faster processor to better power a new look menu system that lets you quickly hop between 750 channels, and an in an unusual twist, the remote control packs a headphone jack: stick in some earphones and audio is then streamed over Wi-Fi, so you can privately listen to what you’re watching, and avoid disturbing everyone else in the living room.

Roku streamer hits 700 channels: Here are seven you have to watch!

The $100 (£66) Roku 3 sounds tempting, but before you whip out your wallet, we’ve got a bit of bad news. We’ve confirmed with a spokesperson that there are currently no plans to bring the Roku 3 to the UK, so we’ll just have to make do with the new look software layout – which the company says will be pushed out to existing Roku boxes.

Either way, it’s a new challenger for the likes of Apple, which seems to have shifted its attention away from the TV in recent months and onto our wrists. Is it the best media streamer out there? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out the Roku LT in action here