Roku Gets the Ultimate Set-Top Box Feature: Universal Search Across Netflix, Hulu, and Others

Being able to watch Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon all on the same device is awesome. The Roku just made that experience even better by letting you search all your streaming services from one, unified place.

This is, in our opinion, one of the best features a set-top box can have, and the Roku is the first device to really get it across this many services. You just head to the new Search app, punch in the name of a movie, TV show, or actor and Roku will search across all your service—Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Crackle, VUDU, and HBO GO—and tell you which services you can find it on. Before, you had to search each individual service to find the movie you're looking for, which is a big pain. If you're still waffling between which set-top box to get, this makes the Roku a lot more appealing—other devices like the TiVo and Xbox 360 have similar features, but the Roku is the only box in the "under $100" bracket with this feature. Check out the video above to see it in action.

The new feature is available today on the Roku 2, Roku LT, Roku HD, and Roku Streaming Stick. Just go to Settings > Software Update > Check Now to download the newest software update, then go here to install the Search channel to your device.

Introducing Roku Search | Roku Blog