Right now, Roku is one of the popular streaming devices introduced earlier in collaboration with Netflix. When the device was launched, the idea behind it was unique, and it is one of the low-cost, compact set-top boxes. You can use a Roku device to stream live TV channels like News, Sports, etc. Moreover, we can access other streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and a lot more on your Roku device.
History of Roku
- Roku was founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood, the founder of ReplayTV, a DVR company. It started as a company that designed media players.
- And while being the founder, Anthony worked side by side with Netflix for a while.
- In 2007, Roku began working with Netflix on a Griffin project.’ This project was to design a set-top box allowing Netflix users to stream its content on their TVs.
- But sadly, before the project launch, it was killed by Netflix founder Reed Hastings. He, at that time, thought that this project would hinder the license agreements made with third parties.
- Although the project was terminated, Netflix decided to spin off the company to not waste the good work.
- In 2008, it released its first set-up box and started its legendary journey.
- By 2010, it released various models with different capabilities and decided that this would be its business model.
- After years of development, they partnered with Smart TV manufacturers to produce TVs with built-in Roku OS in 2014.
- As of July 2022, they have over 63 million active accounts.
Journey of Roku’s Evolution
Below you will get to know the various Roku models based on the generation and their functions.
First Generation
The first generation of Roku models consists of a DVR option, released on May 20, 2008. Models Roku SD and Roku HD-XR were released in October 2009, and Roku HD was released in November month of the same year. Later, Roku HD, Roku XD, and Roku XDS released in September 2010.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p | 1080p | 2160p (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku DVR (N1000) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | Yes | b/g | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku SD (N1050) | No | 480i | No | No | No | Yes | b/g | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku HD-XR (N1101) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | a/b/g/n dual-band | IR | Yes | 256 MB | No |
| Roku HD (N1100) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | Yes | b/g | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku HD (2000) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | Yes | b/g | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku XD (2050) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku XDS (2100) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g | IR | Yes | 256 MB | No |
Second Generation
The second generation models consist of Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 XS, released in July 2011, and Roku LT in November 2011. Roku HD, Roku LT in April 2012, and Roku Streaming Stick, MHL in October 2012. Lastly, in March 2014, Roku Streaming Stick HDMI was released.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p | 1080p | 2160p (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku 2 HD (3000) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 256 MB | Yes |
| Roku 2 XD (3050) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 256 MB | Yes |
| Roku 2 XS (3100) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g/n | IR, Bluetooth | Yes | 256 MB | Yes |
| Roku LT (2400) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku LT (2450) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku HD (2500) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku Streaming Stick, MHL (3400, 3420) | No | 480p | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n dual-band | Wi-Fi Direct | No | 256 MB | No |
| Roku Streaming Stick, HDMI (3500) | Yes | Neither | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n dual-band | Wi-Fi Direct | No | 512 MB | No |
Third Generation
The third generation of models includes Roku LT, Roku 1, SE, and Roku 2, released on September 2013, and Roku 3 in March 2013. Roku 2 and Roku 3 on April 2015.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p | 1080p | 2160p (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku 3 (4200) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g/n dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct | Yes | 512 MB | Yes |
| Roku LT (2700) | Yes | Both | Yes | No | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku 1, SE (2710) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku 2 (2720) | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku 2 (4210) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g/n dual-band | IR | Yes | 512 MB | Yes |
| Roku 3 (4230) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | b/g/n dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 512 MB | Yes |
Fourth Generation
The fourth generation model is the Roku Streaming Stick, released in April 2016, and Roku 4, released in October 2015.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p | 1080p | 2160p (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Streaming Stick (3600) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | No | a/b/g/n dual-band | Wi-Fi Direct | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku 4 (4400) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 1.5 GB | Yes |
Fifth Generation
Roku’s fifth generation model includes Roku Express, Roku Express +, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere +, and Roku Ultra. These models were released on October 2016.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p60 | 1080p60 (HD) | 2160p (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Express (3700) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Express+ (3710) | Yes | 480i | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Premiere (4620) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | IR | No | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Premiere+(4630) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct | No | 1 GB | Yes |
| Roku Ultra (4640) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 1 GB | Yes |
Sixth Generation
For the sixth generation of Roku devices, it offers you Roku Express, Roku Express+, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Streaming Stick+, and Roku Ultra, all on October 2017.
| Models | HDMI | 480p, 480i | 720p60 | 1080p60 (HD) | 2160p60 (4K) | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Express (3900) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Express+ (3910) | Yes | 480i | Yes | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | IR | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Streaming Stick (3800) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | No | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | No | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Streaming Stick+ (3810) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | No | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Ultra (4660) | Yes | Neither | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 1 GB | Yes |
Seventh Generation
The seventh generation of Roku models includes Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+, and Roku Ultra, released on September 2018.
| Models | HDMI | HD | 4K | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | HDR10, Dolby Vision | Dolby Atmos | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Premiere (3920) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | b/g/n | HDR10 | Yes | IR | No | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Premiere+ (3921) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | b/g/n | HDR10 | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | No | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Ultra (4661) | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10 | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 1 GB | Yes |
Eighth Generation
For the eighth generation of Roku devices, you have Roku Streaming Stick+, Roku Express, SE, LE, Roku Express+, Roku Premiere, Roku Ultra LT, and Roku Ultra, released in September 2019.
| Models | HDMI | HD | 4K | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | HDR10, Dolby Vision | Dolby Atmos | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Streaming Stick+ (3810) | HDMI 2.1a | Yes | Yes | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10 | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes*, for long-range wireless receiver | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Express, SE, LE (3930) | HDMI 1.4b | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | No | Yes | IR | Yes*, for power | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Express+ (3931) | HDMI 1.4b | Yes | No | No | b/g/n | No | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes*, for power | 512 MB | No |
| Roku Premiere (3920) | HDMI 2.0a | Yes | Yes | No | b/g/n | HDR10 | Yes | IR | Yes*, for power | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Ultra LT (4662) | HDMI 2.0a | Yes | Yes | Yes | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10 | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | No | 1 GB | Yes |
| Roku Ultra (4670) | HDMI 2.0a | Yes | Yes | Yes | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10 | Yes | IR, Wi-Fi Direct, Voice Search | Yes | 2 GB | Yes |
Ninth Generation
Ninth-generation Roku devices consist of Roku Express 4K and Roku Express 4K+, released in May 2021, and Roku Ultra and Roku Streambar, released in October 2020.
| Models | HDMI | HD | 4K | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | HDR10/HDR10+, Dolby Vision/HLG | Dolby Atmos | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Express 4K (3940) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | Yes, with a compatible USB Ethernet adapter | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | Yes | IR | Micro USB | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Express 4K+ (3941) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | Yes, with a compatible USB Ethernet adapter | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | Yes | Voice | Micro USB | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Ultra (4800) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | All | Yes | Voice, Headphone Jack, Lost Remote | 3.0 | 2 GB | No |
| Roku Streambar (9102) | Optical, HDMI 2.0a (ARC) | Yes | Yes | Yes, with a compatible USB Ethernet adapter | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | HDR10, HLG | Yes | Voice | 2.0 | 1 GB | No |
Tenth Generation
The tenth generation of the devices includes Roku Streaming Stick 4K, Roku Streaming Stick 4K+, Roku Ultra LT, released on September 2021, and Roku Streambar Pro, released on May 2021.
| Models | HDMI | HD | 4K | Ethernet | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | HDR10/HDR10+, Dolby Vision/HLG | Dolby Atmos | Remote | USB | Memory | Micro SD Slot |
| Roku Streaming Stick 4K (3820) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | All | Yes | Voice | Yes*, for long-range wireless receiver | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ (3821) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | No | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | All | Yes | Voice, Headphone Jack, Lost Remote, Rechargeable | Yes*, for long-range wireless receiver | 1 GB | No |
| Roku Ultra LT (4801) | HDMI 2.0b | Yes | Yes | 10/100 Mbps | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | All | Yes | Voice, Headphone Jack | No | 2 GB | No |
| Roku Streambar Pro (9101) | Optical, HDMI 2.0a (ARC) | Yes | Yes | Yes, with a compatible USB Ethernet adapter | a/b/g/n/ac dual-band MIMO | HDR10, HLG | Yes | Voice, Headphone Jack | 2.0 | 1 GB | No |
FAQ
No, you cannot record shows on Roku because it does not have built-in storage space for downloading or recording shows.