news local: Roku Streaming Stick ready devices will come from Insignia, Mitsubishi, Onkyo, Oppo and others

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Roku Streaming Stick ready devices will come from Insignia, Mitsubishi, Onkyo, Oppo and others

Roku unveiled its miniaturized Streaming Stick at CES, and while we still don't have an exact release date or price tag, the company has produced a list of manufacturers that will deliver "Roku Ready" hardware. That list is comprised of Element Electronics; GlobalVue International, LLC; Haier; Hitachi America, Ltd.; Insignia / Best Buy (which already tried out this strategy once with the whatever-happened-to-the TiVo-powered cTV); Mitsubishi Electric (TVs); Onkyo and Integra; OPPO and TMAX Digital, Inc.(Apex Digital(R) TVs). In case you've forgotten, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs into MHL-compatible HDMI ports to to not only feed video to the HDTV, receiver or other device, but also accept remote control inputs and power, and brings its own WiFi hookup for internet access. That way, users can add this single accessory to make a "dumb" flat panel into a connected TV all without any extra cords or switching remotes, and, if necessary, easily upgrade in the future.

As CEO Anthony Wood mentioned just days ago Roku's current focus is finding companies willing to work together to provide a well integrated experience for the add-on. To make that clear for potential buyers, Roku Ready devices like HDTVs, receivers and Blu-ray players will not only be stamped with a logo to show they're compatible, some will arrive with the dongle packed in. Its due date is set for "the coming weeks" so it shouldn't be long until we nail down the other details about the Roku Streaming Stick -- all currently available information can be found in the press release after the break.

Gallery: Roku Streaming Stick hands-on