In our tech review column, Jonathan Symcox听sings along with music streaming box听ROXi
Background听
Music streaming hardware start-up听Electric Jukebox launched in its home UK market in 2016 before rebranding to听ROXi听in 2017.听
A portable听entertainment console including听a microphone, its听platform includes听more than听55 million songs as well as music trivia games, radio stations,听karaoke听and听more.听
The set-top box plugs听into a TV听and can also be connected to external Bluetooth-enabled speakers,听while听the service was also recently made available on听Sky听Q via听subscription.听
ROXi听CEO Rob Lewis claims that by the end of 2022,听ROXi听will be available to 500 million TVs worldwide.听
Quick start听
Anyone used to听waiting听an age to play on their PlayStation or Xbox will be pleasantly surprised to find that once you hit the 鈥榦n鈥� button,听ROXi听loads听within seconds 鈥� and you can simply press the button again to turn it off.听
Mic听
The microphone is used to navigate the menu system. Cleverly, you point it at the TV to control an on-screen听cursor, in the style of a Wii听Remote;听but unlike Nintendo鈥檚听ground-breaking console,听it is not necessary to balance a听receiver bar听on top of your telly.听
Music听
The main menu allows you to choose from saved music, curated playlists, official singles and album charts plus 鈥榯astemakers鈥�听–听the听favourite music of stars including Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Sheryl Crow听and听Alesha Dixon.听These musicians听are all investors in听ROXi.听For example, Aussie pop queen Kylie鈥檚 鈥楢ll-time Favourites鈥� playlist including tracks from Electric Light Orchestra, Sly & The Family Stone and听Donna Summer.听听
Search听
The main way you will find music is the search button on the mic.听Holding it in and saying the name of an artist, song or album is easy and the results auto-correct so they are almost always spot-on.听Often several versions of the same song are听found:听for example, 鈥�All Along the Watchtower鈥� brings up different recordings from Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix 鈥� including live and remixed, previously unreleased versions听鈥� while a scroll reveals covers from Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Brian Ferry and U2. You can filter your听search听results by songs, albums, radio stations, saved music and karaoke.听
Karaoke听
In an era of multiple devices,听ROXi听is billed听as a way to听bring the family together to enjoy music. However, a big selling point is the 60,000-plus tracks available to sing along with. Practically every song I听fancied belting out was available, from Bryan Adams听and Bon Jovi听to Radiohead, Muse and听Oasis.听The words are available on-screen 鈥� with the occasional amusing typo 鈥� and includes a timing indicator to keep you at the right place.听A smaller selection of tracks is available as pure karaoke 鈥� just the backing tracks with no singing at all.听
Quizzes听
Multiple-choice 鈥榥ame the song鈥� games are great fun, especially for the kids, and available across genres. There are tracks from Disney films听and TV shows as well as more general music.听
Family听
My seven- and eight-year-old boys loved听searching for tracks 鈥� especially music from Fortnite!听鈥�听and听singing along听to songs.听It is听possible听to plug听your听console into a friend or family member鈥檚 TV,听connect to their听WiFi听and听use with your own account.听On my sister-in-law’s slow听WiFi, the karaoke timing indicator was听off, but I have suffered no听such problems at home.听听
More听
A听vast听slideshow of听images听is shown听when you leave the music playing for a short while.听You can听connect your Facebook albums to show these instead. 10,000 radio stations from around the world听are available while听鈥榯herapeutic soundscapes鈥� to accompany meditation听or yoga are very relaxing.听Songs labelled as听鈥榚xplicit content鈥�听can be hidden from search results via the settings.听听
Cost听
The听ROXi听box with one mic and all necessary cables is around 拢100听and听comes with a one-year premium听music听pass. After a year, you will have to pay听拢52听for a new 12-month subscription or听contend with adverts.听The听Sky version听鈥撎�which听wasn鈥檛 tested here 鈥撎�includes a free 30-day trial then monthly cost of 拢6.99.听