Roku Updates Netflix Players with Search and Instant Queue

Roku is known for being the first company to partner with Netflix and deliver instant streaming compatibility to a device other than your computer. These little boxes sit beneath your TV and take advantage of instant streaming video over the Internet.

Up until now, however, the Roku players have offered only limited functionality. Capable of browsing your instant queues of streamable videos, the boxes couldn’t search the full library Netflix offered, or add more movies to your queue – only play them back.

The new update to the players allow owners to search Netflix’s full instant streaming library. You’ll also be able to add movies and TV shows to the instant queue for playback later on. Roku’s update also presents an entirely new interface, showing cover art from what are typically the DVD sets of a movie or television show, with pop-ups appearing on passover display Netflix’s star ratings and show summaries. The new update will be rolled out to all subscribers soon, though a final date has yet to be set.