Roku gives its new streaming player the 4K Ultra HD treatment

With all the brouhaha about Amazon cutting commercial ties with Apple TV and Google Chromecast, it’s easy to forget that the video-streaming space is also populated by other players — such as Roku. Indeed, the Calif.-based company lifted the lid on the fourth incarnation of the Roku Streaming Player today, with the aptly named Roku 4 bringing 4K Ultra HD (UHD) to the mix.

That the Roku 4 now sports a dedicated Ultra HD channel is indicative of the growing prevalence of the super high-quality format, with Amazon offering 4K for its video-streaming service, and Netflix doing the same.

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The device also now offers a neat new remote finder feature, which could prove very useful for anyone who regularly misplaces their remote around the house. All you do is press a button on the Roku 4, and you can hear where the controller is.

Alongside the new device, Roku is also rolling out a new operating system (OS) today. Roku OS 7 now lets you follow movies, TV shows, directors, and actors, so you can be notified when related content is added to a service on Roku.

Then there’s a new feature that lets you connect your Roku device to Wi-Fi networks that require you to sign on through a browser, like Wi-Fi you typically find in hotels and cafes.

The $130 device is available on pre-order today through Roku and other retailers, and is expected to start shipping on October 21. It will be in stores from late October.