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The new Roku Ultra streaming box includes Dolby Vision and improved wireless range

Now put the optical port back, you cowards.

Roku ultra on purple background
Image: KnowTechie

Roku just refreshed its top-end streaming box, the Roku Ultra, which now supports Dolby Vision HDR. That makes it one of the better streaming devices, and puts the standalone device on par with many of the TVs that come with Roku as their operating system. It’s still $99 as well, which will please everyone (except me, since I bought the prior version not that long ago).

It’s not just a feature update though, with upgraded WiFi that Roku says comes with 50-percent more range. It’s still got an Ethernet port for those users who prefer wired, although it’s still 10/100 so no Gigabit port. Maybe next time, eh? Oh, and it now comes with a high-speed HDMI cable in the box.

The Roku Ultra will also get support for the AV1 codec, which will bring better visual performance and other improvements once more platforms adopt it as their standard. A new update to the Roku OS will be rolling out over the next few days, which brings AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support “to select 4K devices,” which will please anyone in the Apple ecosystem.

Roku streambar

Image: KnowTechie

The last thing announced was a new soundbar with Roku built-in, the $129 Streambar. It’s pretty much the Roku Ultra put inside a compact soundbar, so you can upgrade your streaming device, and your TV’s speakers in one fell swoop.

You can order both from Roku.com right now, with shipping slated for October 15.

What do you think? Interested in either of these new Roku devices? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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