From the $30 Express to the $100 Ultra there are some familiar names, and one bona-fide newcomer.
Roku's fall 2017 lineup has players: the Express ($30, blue box), Express+ ($40, not pictured), the Streaming Stick ($50, green box), the all-new Streaming Stick+ ($70, gray box) and the Ultra ($100, black box).
I'll start with the most expensive and go down the line. The $100 Ultra, $30 cheaper than last year, is the only one with a headphone jack on the remote.
It's also the only full-sized box, complete with Roku's patented remote finder. Just press the button on the left and your clicker emits a sound, making it easy to locate among the couch cushions.
The back panel is the same as last year but for one omission: no optical digital audio output, a boon for older AV receivers. The Ultra is the only 2017 Roku with an Ethernet port for wired connections.
As usual, Roku throws in headphones. All of its players, by the way, allow private listening via Roku's mobile app, but having the jack on the remote is more convenient.
The Ultra has a USB port on the side for easier file playback.
The Ultra remote, complete with A and B buttons for games you'll never play.
Next in line is the only all-new Roku player for 2017. It's a new $70 streaming stick with 4K resolution and HDR.
Its remote, like that of the Ultra and the standard streaming stick, has something new for 2017: power and volume controls for your TV. It also gets voice search.
Like other streaming sticks, this one is tiny and designed to fit discreetly behind your TV.
So what's this crazy thing? An augmentation for the Wi-Fi antenna, which Roku says boosts reception in weak areas.
TVs can sometimes interfere with Wi-Fi, so the booster is a neat solution (if it works as advertised; we haven't tested it).
It's pretty weird-looking though.
You can take it off if you don't like it.
The $50 Streaming Stick doesn't handle 4K, nor does it include that Wi-Fi extender.
It is the cheapest 2017 Roku with the TV-controlling remote, however.
The $40 Express Plus...
...and the $30 Express...
...are basically identical.
The only difference is the inclusion of an analog cable for older TVs with the Express+.
The Express and Express+ are tiny, but since they use infrared (unlike the others) you'll have to keep their faces exposed for control.
And unlike those of the others, their remotes don't control a TV.