One small step for man, one giant leap for cat videos — Roku now has a dedicated YouTube channel. YouTube and Roku both announced the moved today in respective blog posts. In addition to being able to access YouTube videos in HD, the new service will also include a “Send to TV” option that gives users the option to navigate with their smartphone. For now, only the Roku 3 will have the YouTube app.
After three years of wrangling, Roku and YouTube have finally come to terms on a pact that will add access to the No. 1 Internet video site to the latest generation of the Roku set-top boxes. The YouTube channel launched Tuesday on the Roku 3 in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Republic of Ireland, and is expected to be available on older player models in 2014. The YouTube app on Roku 3s provides support for 1080p HD streaming, and a “send to TV” feature that lets users initiate video playback from a smartphone or tablet on the same Wi-Fi network.
