Saratoga, Calif. –
said Wednesday that eight consumer
electronics companies have signed on to develop devices for its Roku Streaming
Stick.
The eight
companies said to be “working closely with Roku” include Element Electronics,
GlobalVue International, Haier, Hitachi America, Best Buy’s Insignia,
Mitsubishi Electric (TVs), Onkyo and Integra, and Oppo and Tmax Digital (Apex
Digital).
The Roku Streaming Stick, which is due to launch
shortly, is billed by Roku as “an easy and cost-effective” method for CE
manufacturers to add the Roku streaming platform to a device featuring Mobile
High-Definition Link (MHL)” connectivity.
New “Roku Ready”
devices will carry the Roku logo on their packaging, indicating they will work
with the Roku Streaming Stick. In addition, select devices will be bundled with
the Roku Streaming Stick so consumers can immediately receive the full benefits
of the Roku streaming platform, the company said.
The Roku Streaming
Stick was unveiled in January as a tiny, wireless streaming player the size of
a USB flash drive. It features built-in Wi-Fi, a processor, memory and software
that is updated on a regular basis.
Once plugged into
a MHL-enabled device, the Roku Streaming Stick will stream video and music and
enable casual game play from the Roku platform’s 500-plus entertainment
channels.
When paired with a
TV, the Roku Streaming Stick integrates the Roku functionality into the TV user
interface, giving the customer the ability to use the TV remote to access
streaming services.
MHL is a standard for
linking handheld devices to a TV’s HDMI input, providing power and other
critical elements to the Roku Streaming Stick.
When it arrives at
a price to be announced, the Roku Streaming Stick will be sold separately and bundled
with select consumer electronics devices, Roku said.
