TCL has priced up its 8K TVs, and if you assumed the step up from 4K would break the bank then you might be in for a pleasant surprise. The company announced its 8K 6 Series sets back at CES 2021 in January, but has now bucked the big TV trends by kicking off pricing at just $2,199.99.
For the cost of the monthly subscription to a handful of streaming services, the new Roku Express 4K+ makes a strong platform play for being your set-top box of choice. As always, Roku's pitch is flexibility and user-friendliness, only this time with a picture quality and system speed upgrade plus a handy voice remote. At $39.99, though, what's left out is just as key as what makes the cut, and that's before the challenge of getting every streaming provider to support all of your fancy new features.
It seems Roku and Google are the latest platforms in a squabble over YouTube, this one concerning the YouTube TV app in particular. A dispute between the two companies resulted in Roku removing the YouTube TV app listing from its platform around a week ago, but now Google is back with a change to the main app that gets around the issue.
![Your Roku may lose YouTube TV soon: Here’s why [Updated]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/rokuout-1280x720.jpg)
If you own a Roku device and depend upon said Roku device for YouTube TV, you might be in for a rude awakening soon. Per an email sent to customers this week on the Roku platform, Google and Roku are in a bit of a dispute. According to Roku, Google is asking to have preferential treatment in search results in the Roku platform - a request Roku suggests they can no longer fulfill.
Back in January, Roku revealed that it had acquired failed streaming service Quibi for its content. The company returned with an update on the matter today, stating that it will rebrand this acquired content as 'Roku Originals,' which it plans to make available on its 'The Roku Channel' streaming service. More than 75 Roku Originals are in the pipeline to launch this year.
Roku is launching a new set-top box, with the Roku Express 4K+ delivering 4K video with HDR10+ support at under forty bucks. Intended to replace the Roku Premiere, the new Express 4K+ sticks with the compact form factor of the Express but upgrades what's inside.
Roku OS 10 is coming, and it promises to be a big deal when it comes to finding, navigating, and playing content whether you've got a Roku TV or a set-top box. It's a timely update, too: Roku says viewing hours are soaring year-on-year, as we spend more time at home and a greater percentage of that time in front of the TV. That means we often need some help figuring out what to watch.
Following its recent Quibi acquisition, Roku revealed that it will be getting in on the original content market with its own shows and movies. Building on that is a newly released trailer for Cypher, an FBI action series that will be free for anyone to watch on The Roku Channel. The company plans to premiere Cypher on March 19.
Roku started out primarily as a maker of DVRs back when such boxes were still en vogue. It then moved on to producing set-top boxes dedicated to streaming services but those are now a dime a dozen. Since then, Roku has relied heavily on its advertising business to keep its name from being pushed into the background but it might soon need to find ways to attract more advertisers and users willing to sit through those ads. Unsurprisingly, its strategy is to create original and potentially exclusive content, a path that may have started with its acquisition of Quibi.
Roku, one of the most popular home streaming platforms, is finally getting a rechargeable remote control -- but the availability is limited and you may not be able to get one any time soon. The new remote is something you'll be able to recharge using a USB cable, eliminating the need to keep a supply of batteries on hand.
TCL has revealed its 2021 TV line-up at CES, the new TCL XL Collection boosting screen sizes and the promise of third-generation mini-LED technology launching later in the year. In addition to even bigger models from TCL than we've seen so far - including up to 85-inches - there'll also be a new TCL 6 Series of more affordable versions.
Quibi will no doubt go down as one of biggest entertainment failures of all time, but the content that was created for the ill-fated platform won't just disappear into the aether. Following Quibi's shutdown at the beginning of December, Roku has announced that it will be the new home of Quibi's various shows, with this content being added to The Roku Channel at some point later this year.