Three new streamers will be joining the Roku 3 for the 2013 holiday season… as Roku continues to confuse consumers by reusing product names (despite differing features and channel support). The new Roku LT, Roku 1, and Roku 2 sport the updated look introduced with the R3 and we’ll continue to recommend the $50 model to digital media n00bs over the $35 Google Chromecast (and others) given its ease of use and broad content offerings. For ZNF readers, we’d direct folks to the Roku 2 or Roku 3 — both of which feature dual-band wireless and remote with clever headphone jack. While the Roku 3 remote also includes the Hillcrest-powered motion control for gaming, we rarely-to-never take advantage of it (and are banking on better gaming from Apple TV and Sony). However, the sprightliness of the Roku 3’s beefier processor might alone be worth the $20 premium. Beyond the silicon, the Roku 3 is the only model to offer Ethernet support and USB connectivity for accessing personal content.
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But none of these new Roku's will support the new Netflix delivery system. A missed opportunity.
So now I can get a new Roku2 to go with my old Roku 2 models and my new Roku 3 model I got earlier this year.
Do all of them use the same processor as the ROku 3?
According to the chart, the Roku 3 has a 5x more powerful processor - so it's entirely possible the new models run the same processors as the devices they replace. At the very least, those processors aren't nearly as potent as the Roku 3. And I really dig the snappy R3 experience. (Not to mention the first "Roku 2" was really the third of fourth Roku platform...)