Roku introduces new players, brings Roku 3 to Canada

Roku Canada is bringing in three new players to better your family’s viewing experience. Among them is the flagship Roku 3 ($109.99) player equipped with dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB ports, and upgraded remote with motion-control for gaming and a built-in headphone jack. The Roku 2 ($89.99) also has the dual-band wireless and remote with headphone jack, while the Roku 1 ($69.99) comes with 1080p HD video support.

The Roku 3 is already available on Roku’s site and retail stores but you’d have to wait a bit for the Roku 1 and 2 for their October release.

Roku for Android update lets you play videos directly from mobile devices

Roku just released its latest update for its Android app that allows a few Android devices to directly stream video from the phone or tablet to your Roku player. The models currently supported are the Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nexus 4, HTC One, and 2012 Nexus 7. Video playback also needs these devices to be running on Android 4.0 or later and your Roku player to be running software version 5.1 or higher. The usual stability improvements and bug fixes have also been included in this 2.3.0.2083614 update.

Roku expands to Canada, announces availability of players in Best Buy and Future Shop

Roku just announced the availability of its popular streaming players—the Roku 2 XD and Roku 2 XS—at Best Buy and Future Shop stores around the country and online as well.

The Roku 2 XD offers you the best value for streaming video and music on TV, has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, and supports 1080p HD video. The Roku 2 XS is the top-of-the-line version that has the XD's features but also comes with an enhanced remote with motion control, an Ethernet port, and a USB port. The players retail for $89.99 and $109.99, respectively.

CES 2013: Roku beefs up content deals, 700 channels now available in US

Roku has announced more content partnerships here at CES 2013 in Las Vegas. New channels for US-based Roku users include Blockbuster On Demand, Fox Now, PBS, Vevo, Syfy, and Dailymotion. Roku has also locked in Amazon's Cloud Player, Spotify and iHeartRadio which are unlikely to be offered in Canada. This now brings Roku's channel lineup to around 700 so even if Canadian customers get a franction of that number, it is still significant amount of streaming content. Roku can also run apps like the Time Warner Cable app (US-only) that effectively turns it into a cable box, pretty cool.