Just a few days after Amazon unveiled its new Fire TV, Roku is hitting back by refreshing much of its device lineup. Today Roku is introducing new devices in the Express, Streaming Stick, and Ultra lines, and though it may not be making sweeping changes to all of them, what's new is definitely worth a look. On top of all of that, the company is also revealed what will be changing in Roku OS 8.
Roku offers 'channels' in the form of apps, and those apps point users to a specific service like Netflix. Cartoon Network is the latest network to launch its own app for the Roku platform, and frankly it is about time. The popular network's content can now be viewed on Roku set-top boxes, streaming sticks, and smart TVs, the company has announced.
Roku looks set to undercut Apple's new Apple TV 4K with some affordable Ultra HD of its own, with chatter of a new midrange streaming stick. The new adapter, the Roku Streaming Stick+ with 4K HDR, is said to be one of a number of set-top boxes and dongles that the company is working on for 2017, though that's not the only hardware in the pipeline. Indeed, the way you interact with your Roku looks to be getting a big change, too.
Hisense has announced its new R6 4K lineup of Roku smart TVs, offering Roku fans an option for playing Ultra HD HDR content sans an external streaming device. The new lineup features television sizes from 50-inches to 65-inches, and it has a bunch of functions including an upscaler to boost the resolution of non-4K content for the higher resolution.
Subscribers have been impatiently waiting for it, and now it is finally here: the new Hulu TV experience has arrived on Roku media devices. Though Amazon Fire TV is increasingly wooing consumers, Roku is arguably the most popular media streaming devices in homes, and so it made Hulu TV's lack of support for them a major sticking point.
You're nobody in tech if you don't have a smart speaker, and it seems Roku may be planning to enter the fray with a home companion of its own. The company is best known for its streaming media sticks and set-top boxes, easy ways to add services like Netflix, Amazon, and Showtime straight to your dumb TV. Now, though, it's looking like Roku wants to take on Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and the upcoming Apple HomePod.
Roku has announced the launch of its own channel, one that is, appropriately, called 'The Roku Channel.' This channel provides free movies for all Roku users located in the US, though it is supported by advertisements. The channel is available on both Roku smart TVs and on Roku streaming boxes and sticks, and it doesn't require any logins.
Roku, a significant player in the streaming media market, has revealed that it has filed papers with the SEC for an IPO, and is looking to raise as much as $100 million. While the company originally began with a simple set-top box that focused solely on Netflix, it now produces a number of streaming media devices and smart TVs, each with support for a wide range of services.
Chinese company TCL introduced a bunch of TVs in May including the 4K-toting P-Series lineup. That product line was supposed to launch in the near future in 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, but the company has changed its plans. If you were hoping to get a relatively cheap 4K Roku smart TV, you still can, but only in one size due to TCL's recent decision to cancel a couple models.
It's been a little while since we've heard from RCA, but the company is back today with a line of three new TVs running Roku OS. The televisions are surprisingly affordable as well, with the largest 50-inch set only coming in at $499 MSRP. Why, in an era for $20,000 88-inch televisions, are RCA's new sets so inexpensive?
AT&T has announced the arrival of DirecTV NOW on Roku set-top boxes and streaming sticks, bringing the relatively new service to one of the most popular cord-cutting devices on the market. The service is available via the newly launched DirecTV NOW Roku app, which is available for download in the U.S. now in the Roku channel store. In addition to launching the app, AT&T is offering Roku owners a long trial period to give them a taste of the service.
TCL has unveiled its latest lineup of Roku smart TVs, the C and P Series. Both the C-Series and the P-Series bring with them technologies like Dolby Vision HDR and a 4K Ultra HD resolution. The C-Series tops out at a 75-inch size while the P-Series is 65-inches on the largest end of the spectrum. Preorders will start on May 26 through Amazon, where the 55-inch P-Series model in particular will be offered at a special lower launch price.