Roku reveals Streaming Stick partners, release date 'soon'

Roku announced Wednesday a slew of new partners producing HDTVs that will be compatible with its upcoming Roku Streaming Stick, a USB-sized device that turns certain TVs into SmartTVs.

Nine manufacturers are now on board with MHL-enabled HDTVs including Element Electronics, GlobalVue International, Haier, Hitachi, Insignia, Mitsubishi Electric, Onkyo and Integra, OPPO and TMAX Digital.

The Streaming Stick may be small but it works by plugging into a TV's HDMI port. Specifically, it requires a Mobile High-Definition (MHL) enabled link to devices with the port.

No specific products were named in Roku's announcement, nor were their release dates, but they will stand out on store shelves with a special "Roku Ready" logo on their packaging to indicate they're compatible with the stick.

Some products will also come bundled with the device, though no specific product examples were given by Roku.

Streaming soon in a tiny package, but when?

The Roku Streaming Stick was first announced earlier this year and packages all of the smart TV apps associated with the regular-sized Roku players into a USB-sized stick.

The stick itself features a Wi-Fi receiver, an onboard processor, memory and the Roku software to stream the service's moe than 500 channels including Pandora, Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO Go.

It requires an MHL-enabled port to provide sufficient power to the stick, which doesn't transfer through a regular HDMI port.

Roku hasn't announced the exact release date or price for the Roku Streaming Stick, but has said it will arrive in stores in the "coming weeks."