Roku has announced the addition of the USB Media Player channel to futuristic set-top boxes.

The addition of USB Media Player will let users playback local files connected through USB ports. In other words, the addition will let users of the Roku HD-XR and Roku XDS to plug in a USB storage device, like a hard drive or a flash drive, and playback content stored on them.

The new USB channel will also promises a much easier interface for playing back media and better file support.

Formats supported by the new software include MKV, MP4, MOV (all restricted to H. 264) and WMV/ASF for video; JPG and PNG for images and AAC and MP3 for audio.

Currently, the XDS model sells with a price tag of $100, while the Roku HD-XR has been discontinued.

Interested customers can install the USB Media Player channel free of charge from the Roku Channel Store.