It's that time of the month where we reflect on some of the best apps to hit the App Store in February, 2016. The apps mentioned in this video include Foodie, Twofold Inc., Thrive Market, Blackbox, Super Tribes, Just2Do, AC: Identity, Movesum, Music Memos, and Infuse. Let us know which app is your favorite by leaving a comment below!
DROID Turbo 2 owners, it looks like you may finally soon taste Marshmallow.
Verizon has updated its DROID Turbo 2 support page with info on an update to Android 6.0. Included in the list of all the goodies that you’d expect to get with a bump to Marshmallow, like Google Now on Tap and improved app permissions, as well as “the latest security patches.”
Apple has been arguing with the government lately about whether or not it should be forced to help the FBI access an iPhone 5c that belonged to an attacker in the San Bernardino shooter. That’s not the only legal battle that Apple is currently involved in, though, and today a judge handed down a ruling that could have some influence in the San Bernardino case.
Update: Chromecast might come standard in your next TV, if a new report is to be believed. Word on the street is that Google will partner up with Vizio first to pack "Chromecast-like" functionality straight into the TV.
Original review below...
There wasn't much the original Chromecast could improve upon – it was versatile, reliable, easy to setup and dirt cheap. Despite not having much room for improvement, somehow, Google found a way.
Had you asked me two months ago what the original was missing, I would've said that it needed a few more compatible apps to round out the catalog and maybe a better app. But, considering its highly affordable sticker price, there wasn't much to complain about.
But the first Chromecast's successful design and sales meant two very important points for the new Chromecast.
First, because the original already worked so wonderfully, there's little in the way of truly new features on Google's latest streaming disc; by and large the biggest change is a cosmetic one. Chromecast has traded its stick format for something a little more pragmatic: a circular disc attached to an HDMI cable.
Secondly, expanding on the first point, because the original was so expertly crafted and priced below the competition, that means the market, at this point, is relatively well-saturated with these little gizmos.
It all raises the question: "why then, if the change is mostly cosmetic, should you buy a Chromecast 2?" The short and potentially not-so-sweet answer is that maybe you shouldn't, unless you really don't have anything better to spend $35 (£30, AU$49) on.
Now, that said, for anyone who doesn't already own one of these near-flawless, original streaming devices or can't stand the buffering issues of the previous generation, I'm glad to report that the new Chromecast is easily the best streaming device at its price point.
But before we get into the nitty gritty details, let's rehash the story of how the original stole our hearts.
The idea behind the Chromecast was to bring smart functionality to the series of "dumb" TVs that hit the market before smart TVs rose to popularity near the end of the last decade.
Like the original, the new Chromecast plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port (make sure it has one of those before you buy it) and streams video from your mobile phone, tablet or PC.
Here's the odd part: it doesn't have a remote or a user-interface per se. Google's little streamer will sit there like an electronic canine waiting for your other devices to tell it what to do.
It's different in that way from its main competition – the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Streaming Stick – the two devices that only came about after Chromecast's debut. All of these devices can take streaming content from apps like Netflix, Sling TV, HBO Now and, in Amazon Fire TV's case, Amazon Prime Video, and toss it onto your TV.
But more impressive than any individual external detail or snippet of code is its price. The new Chromecast only costs $35 (£30, AU$49), around $10 or £5 less than its closest competitor. At roughly the cost of two Blu-rays, it's tough to turn down.
The Chromecast's calling card is the ability to sync with your mobile phone, tablet and PC. Few devices work as seamlessly with your electronics as Chromecast does, and any that do require you to be bought into a particular family of products.
Chromecast vs. Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick: Chromecast is by far the cheaper streaming stick and can outperform Amazon's streaming device, thanks to its new-and-improved 802.11ac Wi-Fi antenna. Both Amazon products – $99 (£79, about AU$140) for the box and $39 (£35, about AU$56) for the stick – come with a remote, but also rely heavily on a subscription to Amazon Prime to function at their fullest potential.
That said, if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber you won't be able to watch the service on Google's streaming stick – Amazon's mobile app doesn't support Google Cast functionality.
Chromecast vs. Roku 3 and Roku Streaming Stick: Here's a story of David and the Goliath. The circular Chromecast does much of what the $99 (£79, about AU$140) Roku 3 does, though it depends more on your phone, tablet and PC to keep pace. Roku is known for having thousands of channels of content and universal search functionality that allows you to search multiple sources at once.
Google has adopted the latter into the latest version of its Chromecast app, but doesn't have near the amount of channels Roku has. If you're looking for full-size streaming device with access to any and every streaming service, Roku can't be beat. If you're looking for a simplistic solution to putting audio and video on your TV, however, Chromecast is the way to go.
Chromecast vs. the new Apple TV: Apple TV, like Amazon's streamer, favors its own ecosystem, at least in terms of hardware. On the software side of things, Apple opened up its app store to every developer for the first time in the history of its home entertainment device, making it a bit more well-rounded than the Chromecast. It also includes a new remote and an 802.11ac antenna, identical to the one found in the new Chromecast. That said, Apple TV costs a whopping $149 (about £96, AU$200).
The new Chromecast is a relatively impressive feat of engineering. Antennas are wrapped along the exterior to maximize reception, while the inside packs enough basic circuitry to get things set up and running smoothly.
The shell is a big departure from the USB stick-style original, and it's one that you might either love or hate, depending on where the Chromecast comes to rest in your media center.
I expected the 2015 Chromecast iteration to be as accessible as its predecessor, an inconspicuous addition to our home entertainment setup that doesn't require any additional hardware or lengthy installation process.
I was right about most of it, but "inconspicuous" might not be the best way to describe the new Chromecast's color variations of Coral (Red) and Lemonade (Yellow). These colors highlight the top side of the disc that will hang from the HDMI port on the back of your TV. You'll find the Chrome logo proudly emblazoned on top, and only one port along the bottom edge that connects to a micro-USB cable used for power.
Let's talk about the disc itself. It's on the smaller side – at 2.04 x 2.04 x 0.53 inches (51.9 x 51.9 x 13.49mm), it definitely fits in the palm of your hand – and the switch from a plastic stick to a hanging disc is a practical one, essentially performing the same function as the extender Google sold with the first Chromecast.
But that means the Chromecast now dangles from the back of your TV instead of resting firmly in its port. It doesn't impact performance, nor has it ever come loose during testing, however, I could see it being a bit distracting for TVs with HDMI ports located on the side.
The last two important details on the design is the small reset button along the outer rim that corresponds to a status LED, and the magnetic back that allows the HDMI cable to stick for easy transportation. It's a minor detail and you might not ever use it, but these are appreciated subtle nuances that won't go unnoticed when you get one for yourself.
That said, I find the overall design itself to be polarizing. You'll either appreciate the pragmatic change from a rigid stick to a hanging disc, or you'll find it gaudy, odd and at least a little irritating. There's no middle ground here.
The process takes all of five minutes, most of which are spent actually downloading the Chromecast app from either the Google Play Store or iOS App Store. (Though, you can also use a PC or Mac by going to Google's "Getting Started" homepage.)
You'll be asked to connect the Chromecast to your home wireless network (unless you have the Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast that came out in July 2015. Finally, you'll be met with a settings screen that will let you to choose to enable Guest Mode and wallpapers.
When you're not actively streaming something to the Chromecast, it will enter a screensaver mode that can display images from Google Photos, Facebook, Flickr, curated artwork, the weather and even headlines from top news sources.
Unlike the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick, there's no central hub for apps. Chromecast is either taking content from your phone, tablet or PC, or simply displays pretty pictures until it's told to do otherwise.
That said, the Google Chromecast app – discussed at length on the next page – serves as the main spot for checking out what content is available to stream and which apps you already have installed that work with your new streaming dongle.
In terms of both content and performance, the new Chromecast is better than its predecessor ever was. Plus, with new apps arriving every other month, the new-and-improved Chromecast app that helps with content discovery and the 802.11ac Wi-Fi antenna, Chromecast is smarter, faster and better than it's ever been.
And while much has changed since the original (HBO Now, Sling TV and Showtime Anytime didn't even exist three years ago) release, one thing hasn't: the Cast button.
The Cast button is the rectangle with broadcasting bars (it looks like the Wi-Fi symbol) in the corner of most apps. Anytime you want to take content from your phone or tablet and send it to the big screen, press the button and select your Chromecast from the dropdown list.
There are thousands of apps that come with the Cast button built in, from Netflix, HBO Now, Spotify, NFL Sunday Ticket and Twitch here in the US to Sainsbury's Movies and TV, Blinkbox, BT Sport, NowTV, Napster and, of course, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport in the UK. But this is just the tip of the ever-expanding iceberg.
The biggest point that needs to be made about content is that every app that works with the original Chromecast will work with the new Chromecast and vice versa. The Chromecast 2 can't really do anything the first one can't – it just does it faster.
However, that might not matter, as that means Chromecast inherits the vast wealth of apps that Google and third-party apps have built for the original. We've listed the main apps above, but there are plenty of lesser-known apps worthy of attention, too.
In particular, I like Plex, Artkick, Big Web Quiz, Deezer and AllCast, and I find more every week that scratch an itch that I didn't even know I had. This will get even better once Google releases the new-and-improved Chromecast app for iOS and Android. (We were unable to test the app out for the full review. We will promptly update this space once the app goes live.)
The new app promises a universal search function that, like Roku or Android TV, allows you to either type in or say the name of a movie and TV show and Chromecast will pull up a list of every source for that content. This can ultimately save you money by showing you content on the services you already pay for in one fell swoop, instead of individually going into every app or accidentally dropping money on something you already paid for on another platform.
Also interesting is "fast play," a sort of prediction algorithm in the Chromecast app that determines what you might watch next based on your previous choices. The feature then starts to pre-buffer the video before you start it, eliminating the loading time before each video.
Finally, guest mode is the other new, notable feature that will allow friends of friends and distant family connect to your device without being on your Wi-Fi network. They'll need to be on Android and in the same room as the Chromecast, but fulfilling those two requirements will allow anyone to stream a funny video or great new song to your Chromecast without having to pester you for a password (and potentially compromise your super secure connection).
The only app sorely missing from Chromecast's arsenal is Amazon Prime Instant Video, which the company has reserved for their own line of streaming products, the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. You'll be able to stream it from a PC or Mac (which I'll touch on shortly), but the absence of Amazon means that the Chromecast is incomplete on its own.
The other potential problem with Chromecast is that it hasn't yet fully embraced gaming in the same way its competition has. Games are few and far between, and generally feel like shovelware put out by third-party developers.
Google announced at its annual I/O conference that it was going to take steps to change that with a more accessible API, pointing to games like Angry Birds Go!, Driver Speedboat Paradise and Just Dance Now as three games to look forward to on the Google Play store.
If you're looking for a casual gaming experience like the one you'd find on your phone, Amazon Fire TV, Nexus Player and the new Apple TV offer that in spades. Heavy gaming fans should consider the Nvidia Shield console for its on-demand game-streaming service, GeForce Now.
These are sore points, but ones we're ultimately able to forgive, thanks to Google doing so much else right on the product.
For those inclined to wonder about video and audio codecs, the new Chromecast supports H.264 1080p, H.264 720 x 480, MPEG-4, VP8 video and AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/WAV, Vorbis audio files.
But the true beauty of the device is that it's not limited strictly to your phone or tablet. Install Google Chrome on any PC or Mac, and you'll be able to send any web page to the streaming dongle. Video quality using the Chrome browser on Netflix is better than average, and for the most part looks quite good minus the one or two times it needs to stop and buffer.
So how does the Chromecast perform in the living room? I'm glad you asked.
By and large, the performance is much better on the new Chromecast. Videos load faster and crash less while using apps like Netflix and YouTube, while songs switch with less dead air while using Deezer, Pandora and Spotify.
"So," you might ask, "is Chromecast loading the video (or song) off my phone? Is my phone basically stuck serving as a music or movie player while using the new Chromecast?"
The answer's actually quite interesting. Chromecast essentially works as a proxy device. It understands where the stream is coming from and then uses its own internal antenna to take over streaming duties, freeing up your phone or tablet's bandwidth to browse the web, serve up the next song or do some social networking without causing the stream to putter out.
But, despite some major improvements to the area, streaming still isn't absolutely pristine. You'll occasionally have to disconnect and reconnect to the device to jump start a laggy video and sometimes video can feel a bit behind the audio. Finally, there's still a two- to three-second pause before videos while Chromecast works its magic to take the heavy lifting off your phone and onto the device.
Overall, the new Chromecast's performance is notably snappier and, once connected, powers through videos with minimal buffering.
The new Chromecast isn't perfect. But it's as close as it might ever be.
Major improvements, like the new 802.11ac internal Wi-Fi antenna, and recent app additions, like HBO Now, Spotify and Showtime Anytime, feel like they add a new level of depth to a deceivingly deep product.
It's still the best way to sharpen up "dumb" TVs and by far and away is the cheapest way to get Netflix in your living room. Which, speaking of, this is still one of the best tech deals in town.
The main offender here is that streaming still isn't 100% pristine, and, despite the new internal antenna, there's nothing this Chromecast can do that the previous generation could not. And while the design is more pragmatic for A/V enthusiasts with hard-to-access TV cabinets, some might find the colorful circle on a cable slightly polarizing.
I've said it once, and I'll say it 100 more, but the new wireless antenna is nothing short of astounding. It creates a near seamless streaming environment with less lag and less buffering time than almost anything – even full size set-top boxes – on the market.
And at an insanely low price point, it's tough to pass up. Google did a great job pricing and positioning the Chromecast as the easiest and cheapest way to get apps like Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and Pandora into your living room without breaking the bank.
Finally, the new Chromecast app promises to add tons of new functionality, like universal search and fast play, improving the way you'll find content and cutting the time it takes to get the stream started.
As a fellow editor pointed out in our early hands on review, we're still looking for a native way to stream Amazon Instant Video from a phone or tablet to a Chromecast, or mirror iOS devices to the TV with it. It's not wise to hold your breath for either, as Amazon and Apple obviously aren't fans of the ultra-cheap Chromecast.
The other obvious downside is that the Chromecast doesn't include a remote. It's a tough fix, especially at this price point. But the option to use a good ol' fashioned IR blaster would've been appreciated, even if it seems like overkill to the majority of tech-savvy streaming video fans. A few more apps, including more support for games, would be appreciated, too.
As much as I love the new Chromecast, it may not be worth replacing an existing old Chromecast if you already own one. That said, the new version is the most affordable choice for anyone who hasn't bought into Google's streaming platform yet.
Alternatively, you could also give yourself the excuse that you need to get a second one in the house, or have one in a bag for travel. After all, it packs up nicely in its new, smaller form factor. If you decide you can spare the small expense, you'll not be disappointed for paying under 40 bucks for a streaming device of this quality.
Update: Check out these great Roku 4 deals!
Original review below...
The Roku 4 has big shoes to fill. It's taken over two years for this latest model to come out – the Roku 3, which we dubbed "the gold standard in streaming," came out in 2013 – but the end product has justified the wait.
The new, $129 (about £85, AU$180) Roku 4 is faster, more well-rounded and more open than any product the company has released before, borrowing from its predecessor and adding more to its legacy in equal measure.
It's faster because it's sporting a new quad-core processor for 4K, 60 frames-per-second video streaming. It's more well-rounded, thanks to the universal search function that scans streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Vudu, YouTube, M-Go and the Google Play Store for movies and shows and displays the cheapest option first. (Of course, it will scan the UK/AU equivalents when it eventually reaches those territories.)
Roku is still the most egalitarian streaming set-top box of the day. It doesn't care if you pick Netflix over Amazon, or Vudu over Hulu. It doesn't want to sell you an Rdio subscription, and it couldn't care less if you join YouTube Red.
At the end of the day, all Roku's new device cares about is getting you to the content you want through the most affordable means possible. It's entertainment on your terms, the epitome of the cord-cutting movement.
If the best analogy for the Roku 3 was a hockey puck, the closest sports relative of the Roku 4 would be a frisbee: it's wider, by far, but shorter overall.
The Roku 4 measures in at 0.8 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches, or 2 x 16.5 x 16.5cm (H x W x D). The flatter top allows you to stack items on top of it (the Amazon Fire TV fits perfectly, in case you're wondering), and these dimensions seem like a true feat once you learn what's under the hood.
The Roku 4 is rocking a quad-core ARM processor, an 802.11ac Wi-Fi antenna and 1.5GB of RAM. All of this allows the system to play 4K TV shows and movies, however, it strangely doesn't support HDR content. There's not a lot of storage on the Roku 4 when compared to other streaming systems – there's only around 256MB. But, in its defense, games are sparse and individual channels don't take up much space on their own.
Read: Where to watch 4K TV shows and movies
Spin the system around to the back, and you'll find a new addition to the standard lineup of ports. The Roku 4 is the first streaming box from the company to house an optical audio out connection, a huge boon for A/V enthusiasts who have needed to run the HDMI cable through a soundbar or receiver before connecting it to their TV.
Other ports include an HDMI 2.0a (which supports HDCP 2.2, obviously), a USB 2.0 and 10/100 Base-T Ethernet ports. There's also a microSD card slot that will support up to 128GB of extra storage.
However, it's worth noting that the slimmer profile and addition of high-powered hardware have introduced two new problems that were absent in the Roku 3: heat and noise.
Even when the Roku 4 isn't playing a TV show, I hear an audible humming noise coming from the box. Now, this might not be a major concern if it's going in your living room next to some already-noisy game system, like the Xbox One or PS4. But, if it's going in your bedroom or a quiet spot in the house, prepare for a faint "bzz" sound all hours of the day. Interestingly, the Roku 4 is noticeably hotter than any other device in my media cabinet.
Neither of these were deal breakers once I had my favorite shows and movies on the screen (even though, at times, I can hear the device over the sound of the TV), but they're something to be prepared for.
If you've used a Roku 2 or a Roku 3 remote, you'll be intimately familiar with what to expect on the Roku 4. The Roku 4's remote is almost identical to the Roku 3's.
The major differences are that the A and B buttons have lost their color, and it no longer comes with the iconic purple wrist-strap, something that I actually quite liked about the Roku 3's pad.
The remote sports four branded buttons for quick access to Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Rdio and Sling TV. With the exception of YouTube, these are probably the four most popular streaming services on the platform.
Also returning is the built-in microphone that supports voice search and an audio jack for private listening, with a set of volume control buttons located on the right side of the stick.
It was mentioned before in the Roku 3 review, but it's worth reiterating that the remote's built-in amplifier really isn't powerful enough for high-end headphones. (Earbuds are your best bet.)
The last feature worth pointing out is the remote-finder button, located on the back of the box. Anytime you lose the remote between the cushions, you can press the button to cause the remote to emit a customizable tone. The tones can be changed from the settings menu found inside the gorgeous new 1080p interface, which is up next.
Before you can check out the snazzy new interface or take on the world of Ultra-HD streaming, you'll first need to set up your unit.
If you're new to Roku, you'll be forced into creating an account before you can get anywhere. The account setup only takes a few seconds and is incredibly simple, however it does require you to input a credit card, which allows for easy debiting should you decide to shell out for pay-to-view content.
I understand the reasoning behind entering the credit card information, but it seems unnecessary if you already pay for services like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime and don't have any intention to spend money on content.
Existing Rokuites upgrading from second or third generation units can simply authorize the box online and add it to their inventory, and the process takes but a few minutes.
Once the box is up and running, you'll be asked to pick your screen resolution – 720p, 1080p or 4K. You can change the resolution from the settings if you decide to step up to a higher-resolution screen, however Roku warns that it may require a factory reset in order for it to take effect.
Choosing any one of the latter options – 1080p or 4K – will bring up the gorgeous new 1080p interface. The Roku 3 only mustered a 720p interface and the difference is immediately noticeable. Images and apps look sharper, and the themes feel distinctly less Windows XP and more Windows 10.
Speaking of, there are four themes available right out of the box that change the color of the background, the screen saver and the noise the remote makes when you press remote-finder button. During my time testing the unit, Roku pushed out a free fifth theme for Halloween.
If that trend continues, it will help the system appear more vibrant over the coming few years, especially compared to its stagnating predecessor. Roku also offers six premium themes (including two Star Trek options) which run anywhere from 99 cents to $4.99 (approximately £0.65/AU$1.40 to £3.25/AU$7).
The rest of the interface is largely unchanged from the rest of the Roku family.
The main screen works as a central hub, with separate spaces for Home, My Feed, Movie Store, TV Store, News, Search, Streaming Channels and Settings, all of which are explained in detail below.
Home is where you'll find a list of all the channels you have installed on the Roku 4, ordered by installation date.
My Feed was a new feature introduced at the tail end of the Roku 3 that allows you to track films and TV shows. Say you want to know when a new episode of The Simpsons is available to watch. You'd search the show using the remote, add it to the My Feed section and then anytime it becomes available on Hulu or FOX's streaming apps, you'll be notified.
Movie Store and TV Store are two of my least favorite functions on the Roku 4. Selecting either of these will take you to MGo storefront where you can purchase films or shows at varying prices. If you already subscribe to any streaming service, these two options will likely go unused, however will loom over the experience at all times.
News is a video content aggregator that's similar, but not nearly as effective, as the one found on Android TV. You can select a channel (like technology, entertainment or business, for example) and Roku will spit out a few suggestions from YouTube.
Search is the piece-de-resistance of Roku features. Using the built-in microphone on the remote or a text search, you'll be able to inquire about TV series and movies, as well as specific actors, actresses and directors.
Search pulls in data from 20 different apps (Acorn TV, Amazon Video, Blockbuster On-Demand, CBS All Access, CinemaNow, Crackle, Fox Now, FX Now, HBO Go, Hulu, M-Go, Met Opera On Demand, NatGeo TV, Netflix, Popcorn Flix, SnagFilms, Starz Play, Time Warner Cable, Tubi TV and Vudu) and will list search results from least expensive to most expensive.
Streaming Channels is, for all intents and purposes, the storefront for new channels on Roku. There are over 3,000 channels on the store and around 100 "hidden" channels that can only be accessed by entering a channel code on Roku's website, triggering a download on your local system.
Settings is pretty self-explanatory.
While Amazon and Android TV act as storefronts for content, Roku sees more practicality in showing you all of your options before making a choice. And with 3,000 channels ranging from the streaming mainstays like Netflix, HBO and Vudu to the obscure (there's actually a station called "Firewood Hoarders"), finding something to watch is rarely a problem.
If you're in the US, you'll want to make your first stops at the shop YouTube, Vudu and Crackle for free movies and TV shows, as well as HBO Go, Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Sling TV, FX Now, Starz, Hulu and Plex, if you subscribe to any of those services.
(If you've never owned a Roku before, it's worth pointing out that the last bunch of services do not come free with the hardware and require separate monthly subscriptions.)
If you're in the UK, check out Sky's Now TV platform (Sky being a shareholder in Roku), the ubiquitous Netflix and Demand 5. However, as a user pointed out in the comments, it's not all pie in the Sky for the UK audience. Amazon Prime still doesn't offer an Ultra-HD option in that territory, nor has the BBC upgraded its iPlayer channel for the 4 yet.
Once you've downloaded the essentials (and assuming you own a 4K TV), US folks should check out the curated 4K Spotlight Channel. The channel serves as a hub for 4K content, and is probably the easiest way to find Ultra-HD TV shows and movies. As of this writing, I count over 130 movies or series to watch in 4K, a number that should give some pause to the dogma that there's nothing to watch in Ultra-HD.
Audio apps of note include Rdio, Pandora, Vevo and Spotify. However, unlike PlayStation Music on the PS4, the latter requires a premium subscription in order to get anywhere. Admittedly, this barrier to entry makes the Roku 4 one of my least favorite music streaming devices, losing major ground to the new front-runner, Google's Chromecast Audio.
Similarly, there are a few fun games, but the Roku 4 is far from the best gaming system on the market. Titles on the store are usually cheap knock-offs or revamps of classic games from the '70s, '80s and '90s. Some of the titles worth checking out are Tetris, Retaliate (a knock-off of Galaga where you have to collect bullets before you can shoot) and Snake.
But while the Roku 4 doesn't win many points in the music or games categories, it has probably the most sports channels of any other platform. You'll find both the NFL Channel and NFL Sunday Ticket in the Roku 4 channel roster, as well as apps for the NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS, college sports and tennis, not to mention some of the more extreme fringe sports that get covered by the Red Bull TV, GoPro and UFC apps.
As far as content is concerned, Roku has the most diverse streaming video options of any set-top box. It might not do games or music as well as the competition, but if you're looking for a straight streaming device, it's hard to do much better than this.
Before I go off making big, bold claims like "it's the fastest streaming system on the planet" (it's not, but it's close), or "you'll never see buffering screens again" (trust me, you will), understand that more than any other factor you need to have a super solid internet connection to get the most out of the Roku 4.
Before receiving my unit for testing, Roku asked two questions: What's the average connection speed at my house, and am I using an 802.11ac router?
If your answer to those questions are less than 10Mbps and no, then the Roku 4 might not be any faster than the Roku 3 you already own.
While testing the unit at home with an Apple AirPort Extreme that consistently puts out around 30 to 35Mbps download speed, I found the Roku 4 to be noticeably – though not quite mind-blowingly – faster than its predecessor. Titles on Amazon and Netflix still take a second or two to pop up when I browse their channels, but videos did start almost immediately after I select them.
Regardless, you'll find rewinding and fast-forwarding less of a time sink on the new unit, thanks to the improved processor. And the new hardware allows for a fairly rapid transition when going from a channel or game back to the home screen.
Overall, the unit seems to spend less time buffering than the Roku 3, which is to be expected, but it's still to be determined whether if or how much faster the Roku 4 will be when compared to the new Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
Say all heck breaks loose at your home – you lose your remote and the remote-finder button goes haywire. Roku has thought of this very scenario – or at least something close to it – and has updated its mobile app.
Not only will the app act as a stand-in remote, but it can also check the channel store and add channels to your unit remotely. Tack on search and screen casting functionality, and together it's a fairly competent iOS and Android app.
While it's comparatively heads and shoulders above the previous-generation app, I still didn't find it as useful as the Cast button that comes built into iOS and Android apps, or the complete screen mirroring functionality available to Apple TV owners that use iOS and Android TV users with Android TV players.
Now, are you likely to lose your remote? No, probably not. And you might not ever need to touch the Roku app. But, it's nice knowing that a moderately useful option is available should you decide you actually need or want it.
Where other streaming boxes feel like a storefront (Nvidia Shield and Amazon Fire TV, I'm looking in your direction), the Roku 4 feels like a true entertainment hub, built with the users' best interest – not their wallets – in mind.
And to that end, Roku has the widest, most diverse set of channels, scoring both Amazon Prime Instant Video and Google Play Movies and TV Store in the US. There are still some unripe fruits on the Roku tree – convincing Spotify to remove the paywall would be a nice start – but by and large the device takes streaming video seriously and does an impressive job.
In fact, it might actually be a curse that Roku, as a platform, does streaming so well. Because so much of what makes the Roku 4 spectacular is available on any of the other Roku streaming devices, you might want to consider the Roku 3 or even Roku 2, if you can stand a slightly grainy user interface and longer load times.
You might not need to shell out for the 4K player if your TV isn't quite up to snuff yet or, in a worse scenario, your internet connection peters out at a less-than-stable 10Mbps.
That said, the Roku 4's OS and remote are still some of the best, most feature-rich in their class, even if the latter's built-in headphone amplifier leaves a lot to be desired.
So, what sets the Roku 4 apart from the competition? Like its predecessors, it comes with a remote – a missing component of the brand-new Chromecast 2 – it supports 4K, unlike the new Apple TV, and isn't tethered to one ecosystem, like the revamped Amazon Fire TV.
There's still the sore point of it placing M-Go content in the start menu, but most users will turn a blind eye to it in favor of the streaming services they already shell out for at the end of every month.
Almost everything about the design of the unit is smart and well thought-out. I liked the wider footprint coupled with a flatter profile. Plus, the optical audio out connector allows me to run a cable directly to a soundbar without passing a signal through the TV.
The Bluetooth remote also feels like one of the best yet. It iterates on the Roku 3 remote that just came out over the summer, and integrates voice search into the weighty and solidly built stick.
Inside the box, the quad-core processor gives the Roku 4 a snappy response time, while the 802.11ac Wi-Fi antenna makes sure streaming videos start faster and don't fall victim as easily to the dreaded buffering screen.
Of course, this all only works to complement the already-amazing egalitarian operating system that Roku has spent the last five years putting together. Voice search plays in harmony with the universal search function that scans 20 different sources for content. Roku Feed keeps you up-to-date on the movies that are just about to leave theaters, while over 3,000 channels of content keep you occupied while you wait.
Right, so almost everything about the design is great … with the minor exception of the new heat and noise problems. When it's on, expect to hear a faint buzzing noise at all times and a solid 20-degree increase in temperature.
And while the operating system is one of the best, it comes with a major downside for the Roku 4: you don't need the Roku 4 to take advantage of its many great features. If you don't want 4K or own an 802.11ac router in your house, then there's little reason to pick up a new $129 (about £85, AU$180) box.
Finally, and these are small quibbles rather than end-all, be-all complaints, it's not the best gaming device in its category (that honor belongs to the Nvidia Shield). Nor does it necessarily make for the best music player – an award that I'd currently give to the Chromecast Audio.
If your current streaming situation fits the bill, the Roku 4 is easily the best home entertainment investment you can make in 2015. The device caters to a modern, must-own-everything-immediately crowd that already owns a 4K TV set and comes with a price tag that's slightly higher than other products in the category. That said, you get what you pay for – a high-end, quad-core ARM processor doesn't come cheap.
More than anything else though, the Roku 4 cemented my love for Roku's operating system that does its best to put the consumer ahead of the business. It's not flawless in its attempt (the M-Go TV and Movie store on the home screen are evidence of that). But, the universal search function that scans 20 different sources for content in every inquiry shows that Roku wants to put your streaming needs ahead of a bottom line.
Roku has become one of the rallying cries of the cord-cutting movement, and the fourth iteration of the streaming box doesn't shirk that responsibility.
If high-end specs aren't what you're looking for, and you have the patience for an aging system, save yourself some dough and pick up the video streaming-only Roku 2 or casual game-ready Roku 3 instead. If you want a top of the line player to match your top of the line TV, however, the Roku 4 is the unequivocal best choice in streaming boxes.
Days after a rumor suggested that Google may be planning to make tweaks to Android N’s Settings app, a new report has surfaced that says that Android N may bring notification shade changes, too.
