It's coming sometime... maybe??!!!
Or, at least, that's what some sources might have you believe after Roku launched their latest model for the USA a few days ago - March 5th, to be precise - as a direct replacement for the Roku 2 XS.
However, a spokesperson for Roku has since confirmed that there are currently no plans to bring the Roku 3 to the UK. So unfortunately, when it comes to opportunities to buy Roku 3, UK purchasers are going to have to wait. Apparently, the best we can hope for is to be included in the rollout for the new software layout which the company says will be pushed out (via a FREE software upgrade) to existing Roku 2 players (including the Roku LT, Roku HD [Model #2500] & Roku 2 XS) by May 2013.
For those of you who would like to know what to expect from this new user experience, the following video (originally posted on the Official Roku YouTube Channel) will give you a brief glimpse:-
Now, having watched this through a few times, one of the things that struck me was how nearly all of the search results shown in the video were for either Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus or Vudu... none of which are available to Roku users via the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This made me question whether UK owners would actually benefit in any way from this "new Roku experience" if it were even offered in this region.
Some of you may also recall an earlier improvement to the Roku software layout, again first introduced for Roku owners in the USA, which offered a one-stop search facility for movies, tv shows or actors via the new 'Roku Search' function linked to HBO Go, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Netflix (US) and Crackle. Again, there was a preview of it on the Official Roku YouTube Channel, which I am also going to include here for ease of reference:-
Anyway, the point being that this earlier 'improvement' was also of little or no use to UK Roku owners, by virtue of the fact that the services (i.e. channels) that it searched were not available in this region. As a result, you didn't find this "Roku Search" feature included on any UK models and, therefore, I suspect that (when the "new Roku experience" is rolled out come April/May) there will (once again) be no such software upgrade offered, here in the UK.
Whether a separate upgrade, specific to the UK, will materialize at a later date... I really cannot say. Let's just hope that Roku do have plans for their continued expansion, here in the UK, and that they don't take as long over introducing them as they have done in the past. Needless to say... if there is any news about a Roku 3 UK release date, or any other Roku 3 update, we'll be the first in the UK to let you know the time has come to make your Roku 3 upgrade !!
Meanwhile, if you are interested in finding out about the Roku 3 (which is currently only available in the USA & Canada), then you can read a little more via this post on the Official Roku Blog:-
Introducing Roku 3
As well as confirmation of some of the details provided above, there is a photo of the Roku 3 and some additional information about this new model, including an invitation to find out exactly why the new "Action Packed. Fully Loaded" Roku 3 player is cool enough to have been labelled "the new standard in streaming" via a link to the official Roku website at the end of the post.
Speaking of the official website, if you really want to look into the nitty-gritty of the Roku 3 (purely out of interest, from a UK point-of-view, don't forget) then you can check out the dedicated support section for the Roku 3 via this link:-
Roku 3 Streaming Media Player - Roku (USA) Official Support
Also, if any of you would like to view an online PDF of the 'Quick Start Guide' for the new Roku 3, sometimes referred to as the Roku 3 'User Manual', you can do so by clicking on this link:-
Roku 3 Quick Start Guide
As I've said before, these guides are a useful way to see exactly what is included with the various models of the Roku streaming media player, as well as to gain an insight as to what is involved in setting them up. Just remember that the Roku 3 is NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UK and that your choices currently remain limited to the Roku LT and Roku XS, as outlined in my previous post entitled 'It's Time To... Choose Your Roku !!'.
Finally, to watch a complete unboxing of a brand new Roku 3 and get a different perspective on the NEW user interface (UI) referred to above as the "new Roku experience", then you should check out this YouTube video, uploaded by the folks at LogicLounge in the USA:-
If you like what you see, then you can find out more on the LogicLounge Website, which is essentially a social media news blog covering the latest web technology news. Alternatively, you can watch more of their videos via the LogicLounge YouTube Channel, where you can browse hundreds of tech videos featuring the latest tech news, reviews and how-to's. Just tell them who sent you !!
So, while we still don't know if we'll get the Roku 3 for the UK before 'Anarchy In The UK', we do know that there will be more UK-related Roku 3 info posted right here on this blog VERY SOON...
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PLEASE NOTE: There have now been several IMPORTANT UPDATE(S) since this original post about the Roku 3 streaming media player. You can EASILY ACCESS all of these Roku 3 UK Updates by clicking on the following LINK: Roku 3 UK - Update (Complete List)
If you'd like to see GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE as to the existence of a UK Edition Roku 3 player, then you should ALSO make a point of reading the introductory paragraphs to my Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #26 that includes a PACKSHOT PHOTO showing the front of the box which (itself) features images of the CHANNEL ICONS for UK ONLY CHANNELS such as BBC iPlayer and NOW TV which can only mean one thing...
So, if you're one of those people who have been asking themselves, "when will Roku 3 be available in UK?", rather a lot lately... I believe the answer to that question is about to be revealed any day now !!
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For now, though...
That's all folks !!
So you were right. No search feature for the UK, making the upgrade a purely cosmetic issue. Poor.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jim. Thanks for your observations and for taking the time & trouble to leave a comment. It's much appreciated. Right now, I'm still getting acquainted with the "New Roku Experience" or (at least) the part of it that's been included on UK Roku players but I fully intend to publish another "Roku 3 UK - UPDATE..." post in the near future to outline the HIGHS & LOWS of what this update means for UK Roku users. My initial reaction was much the same as yours, from the sound of it, and there's a distinct possibility that I may still contact Roku to see if I can get them to perform a ROLL BACK to the previous software version on my Roku player. Anyway, like I say, you'll get my full thoughts on the subject soon but, for a company that's looking to expand globally with their product(s), you'd think they would do so whilst still maintaining the same functionality that's included with the USA version(s). This sort of thing could easily damage BOTH the reputation of their company AND the success of their player(s) in the short term PLUS, if they don't sort it out quickly, things could turn out pretty badly in the long run, too. So, let's hope they're keeping their eye on the ball, so-to-speak, with their operations in the UK & elsewhere (outside of the USA) because how they deal with this from now on could well prove to be crucial to their planned global expansion in the future. Are you listening Roku?
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