Roku announces streaming-ready Roku TVs – moving beyond just set-top boxes!! [CES2014]

Until now Roku’s entertainment was through its set-top boxes (streaming players). But now, it is getting into the TV hardware business directly to provide consumers a simple and powerful entertainment experience in today’s connected world. Roku has partnered with top global TV manufacturers to place its software in television sets as part of a Roku TV platform.

Hisense and TCL are the first manufacturers, Roku will be working to produce Roku TV, but further partner announcements are planned for later this year. Roku TV models will be ranging from 32 to 55 inches and will be available in major retail stores starting this fall, but at CES 2014, we’ll be getting a first look at what’s in store.

With its emphasis on keeping Roku TV UI simple, it just provides a Roku home screen and removes all of the complicated layers and menus, unnecessary features and settings. Roku TV will have full access to the Roku Channel store just like Roku streaming players which is filled with more than 31K movies and 1.2K channels that feature TV shows, live sports plus news, music, kids, food, science, tech, fitness, foreign language and others – more options than all the other Smart TVs in the market.

Roku TV will feature just 20 remote-controlled buttons – half the number of traditional TVs – so consumers will only need to interact with the necessary controls. And speaking of controls, Roku TV can be navigated via mobile devices with the Roku app for iOS or Android as well as support casting standards including DIAL.

“Of course we’re still making our popular Roku players alongside Roku TVs,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Now consumers will have a choice for how to get Roku on their TVs.”

The details on pricing, are planned for later this year. Stayed tuned in our CES coverage page for more details.

Source : Roku Blog