TCL-made Roku TVs were CES mainstays for a few years there, and then, no more — whatever happened, it looks like Roku is now taking matters into their own hands. At CES 2023, we’re seeing the first Roku TVs, as the longtime TV streaming giant makes its first foray into owning the screens they’re streaming on.
Instead of needing to rely on other TV manufacturers to ship TVs with their streaming interface, or rely on sales of streaming sticks and boxes, Roku TVs will be the whole package in one — Roku fans get the Roku experience all in one set, with the simpler, easier-to-navigate interface they’re known for, and Roku gets a more reliable outlet for their services, without having to rely on others to ship with their software.
Roku TVs Select and Plus Series
There’s nothing here that will compete with the TV giants of the world on quality — the OLED, Micro LED, and QLED TVs from the likes of Samsung, TCL, LG, and many others will be more technologically impressive. Instead, Roku TVs are going for value and volume.
The TVs are split into two series — Roku Select and Roku Plus, which will include HD (presumably 1080p) and 4k panels, respectively. There will be 11 models available between 24″ and 75″. That’s a lot, and the most expensive of the lot will sit at $999, so Roku is hoping to pitch value, making those affordable and in a range of sizes that will work for a lot of different folks. Helps that the TVs will connect easily with the suite of TV gear Roku has out now, including their soundbars.
The Roku TVs will retain major features from past TVs, such as Find My Remote, Private Listening, and live TV and sports, among others. The Roku Select HD TVs in the lineup will come with the Roku Voice Remote, while the Plus Series 4k TVs will come with the Roku Voice Remote Pro. So, if you are particular about having advanced features on your remote, the Plus Series may be the better choice.
The Roku TVs, both Select and Plus, will be available from spring 2023 with a price range of $199 to $999.
Roku TVs OLED Reference Design
While they won’t be making an OLED TV that will be commercially available, Roku did announce that they have made an OLED TV reference design available to all its TV partners, such as Philips, TCL, JVC, and Hisense. Roku’s hope is that those TV brands will use the reference design to produce a variety of Roku-branded TVs with all the good things that come with OLED panels, including deeper blacks, better contrast and saturation, and smoother visuals.
The difference here is that the reference design is meant to be an OLED on the affordable side — affordable being relative, given we’re talking about OLED here, but it’s clear the company wants Roku TVs that are accessible to as many folks as possible.