Roku Reportedly Developing Wi-Fi Extender to Improve Streaming Video Quality

Citing people familiar with the matter, a report by Bloomberg is claiming that Roku is testing a Wi-Fi extender called ‘Roku Relay’ internally, that improves the quality of streaming video on Roku set-top-boxes by increasing the range of Wi-Fi routers.

Roku

The source adds that while the company has not yet decided whether to release the Roku Relay to the general public or not, the product functions just like similar devices made by competitors like Amazon’s Ero, Netgear, and Linksys.

According to one source, the Roku Relay is made up of white plastic, is about 6 inches tall, 4 inches wide, and plugs directly into a wall outlet. The device has a status button on the front along with the Roku logo and a reset button on the side:


It’s designed to be placed between a Wi-Fi router and a Roku box and will work with iOS and Android apps for set up. It will also be compatible with TVs running Roku software, but not non-Roku products.

The device increases the range of a Wi-Fi router, spreading internet signals further through homes so online video streams better through Roku boxes.

California-based Roku made $325 million or 44% of its revenue from hardware devices last year.

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