Though it seems like Alexa is found everywhere, Amazon's pervasive presence in American homes doesn't necessarily translate to their TV screens...at least when it comes to choosing a streaming platform, that is. According to a newly published analysis, Roku largely dominates the US streaming market with more than 41 million devices across the nation. Surprisingly, Sony holds second place.
Video streaming has practically become the norm these days but most of the focus is put on the streaming service and, from time to time, the devices they stream on. While that's only natural from a marketing perspective, it does take for granted the software that can make or even break the experience. Roku is reminding its customers that it's hard at work in improving its product on all fronts and the Rokus OS 9.1 update is the latest fruit of that effort.
The premiere of Game of Thrones' eighth and final season is quickly approaching, and Roku subscribers who need a way to watch it were given some good news today. Roku has added HBO to its Premium Subscriptions lineup, which means that Roku users can now subscribe to the network and watch its content through The Roku Channel. What's more, Roku will soon flip the switch on Cinemax subscriptions as well, which isn't very surprising considering that Cinemax is a sister channel to HBO.
Home media server software company Plex is rolling out its sleek new user interface on Roku and Apple TV, the company has announced. The UI brings a new television navigation experience that was designed to offer a 'unified, consistent experience' on all the devices and platforms that Plex supports.
Premium network Epix has a streaming service option for viewers who don't have a traditional television plan but want access to the network's content. Called Epix Now, this service provides on-demand access to movies and the network's original shows via supported streaming devices, which now includes Roku and Fire TV. The service was already available on mobile and Apple TV.
With all of the thousands of Alexa skills out there, it's at least a little surprising to realize that Roku has gone all of this time without a skill of its own. That all changes today with the roll out of the new Roku Alexa skill, which will of course allow you to control your Roku devices with voice commands. Alexa is joining Google Assistant and Roku's own voice search, giving users a decent number of options when it comes to voice support.
TCL, the company perhaps best known for its Roku smart TVs, has announced a new deal involving its massive 75-inch 4K HDR Roku smart TV model and retailer Costco. The model's price has been temporarily slashed to $999.99 as a limited time deal, giving consumers the opportunity to pick up a massive screen for a (relatively speaking) small price.
Roku has begun adding premium subscriptions to The Roku Channel, offering cord-cutting access to more than 25 partners, though with some big names conspicuously absent. The launch makes content from Start, Showtime, and others available through a Roku streaming device or a Roku TV.
During CES 2019, TiVo revealed that it will be releasing free streaming apps for popular set-top boxes and smart TVs, including Roku and Fire TV. These streaming apps would allow TiVo DVR owners to access their content on other TVs in the house without buying a separate mini streaming box. That's great news for customers, but it turns out there's a big downside to the upcoming offering.
Smart TVs and set-top boxes are great...until guests come over, use the system, and mess up your personalization. Depending on the platform and whether parental controls are enabled, guests could potentially purchase and rent content from apps linked to the user's card, mess up the content recommendations on their favorite services, and more. Roku is here with a solution to this problem, and it is called Auto Sign Out Mode.
Livestreaming TV service Sling TV has launched a free viewing experience for Roku users, enabling them to browse the service as a guest and watch content without paying. The free access is offered to new Sling TV customers who can access the content without creating an account or signing in. In addition to watching content, guests will be able to buy pay-per-view events without subscribing.
TCL will launch 8K Roku Smart TVs later this year, the two companies have announced. TCL will be the first to license an 8K hardware reference design currently in development at Roku, which already offers a number of smart TVs via TCL. Joining the future 8K TV models will be new 4K and HDR smart TVs that feature voice search/control and far-field microphones.