Time to think about what to spend your bonus on?
Grygo is the chief content officer for FTF & FTF News.
As Wall Street navigates bonus season, I have another entry in my ongoing quest to provide information about gadgets, services, and consumer goods worthy of your bonus.
This time I am eager to shine the spotlight on Roku, the San Jose, Calif.-based maker of digital media players that have an operating system for streaming digital content to flatscreen TVs.
For starters, Roku is building its first-ever lines of flatscreen televisions, offering clients accessible pricing and the first crack at any streaming advances that Roku is developing, company officials announced at CES 2023 (the Consumer Electronics Show) earlier this month in Las Vegas.
The more accessible pricing may be more appealing to those on Wall Street who expect their bonuses to be under par (or even nonexistent) this year, given the cutbacks, layoffs, and challenging financial markets of 2022.
The full launch of Roku Select and Roku Plus Series TVs, which are Roku-branded HD and 4K TVs, will not be until the spring of this year. When pressed on exactly when in spring, the Roku spokesperson told me “More information on the Roku Select and Plus Series TVs will be available in the coming months.” There will also be a new Roku TV Wireless Soundbar available at the same time.
“The Roku Select and Plus Series TVs will be available in the U.S. beginning spring of 2023 with retail prices ranging from $119 to $999 for the full lineup of 24” to 75” models,” officials say.
The news appears to be a big shift in its business model.
“As an industry leader with two decades of experience in TV streaming, bringing a television to the market that’s made and designed by Roku just makes sense,” the rep says. “We’ve made TV streaming easy and accessible, and we are in a unique position to make TVs that encompass our core values of ease of use and value. And, by introducing our own branded televisions, we have the ability to test and introduce new features and technology on our own products to ensure we’re delivering a great streaming experience for the full Roku TV program.”
Will this move upset Roku business partners who make TVs and flatscreens that use the Roku operating system?
“Roku is deeply committed to our OEM [original equipment manufacturer] partnerships. Roku-branded TVs are complementary to the current lineup of Roku TV models from our valued OEM partners and will give us the opportunity to enable innovation to the smart TV category by testing and introducing compelling new features that will be available to our partners — elevating the entire Roku TV program,” the rep says.
Roku also announced that it is launching “a premium OLED TV reference design, now available to Roku TV partners.” The Roku rep declined to comment on whether the company would be offering a support service for the installation of its new flatscreen systems.
The new flatscreen systems will be offered in 11 models ranging in screen size from 24 inches to 75 inches.
“All HD offerings will include Roku Voice Remotes, while all Plus Series TVs will come with Roku Voice Remote Pros. Roku-branded TVs will offer an expanded audio ecosystem, using the all-new Roku TV Wireless Soundbar … Additionally, all Roku-branded TV models will continue to offer fan-favorite features including Find My Remote, Private Listening, and access to great content like live TV and sports,” according to the official announcement.
While Roku is readying its new TVs, there is news that broadcasting and cable giant Comcast is rebranding a streaming player called the Xumo Box that will be sold via Walmart later this year. I asked the Roku rep about it and was told: “Roku does not comment on other brands’ offerings.”
Roku’s streaming players and audio devices “are available in the U.S. and in select countries through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with service operators. Roku TV models are available in the U.S. and in select countries through licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku Smart Home products, including cameras, video doorbells, lighting, plugs, and more are available in the U.S.,” officials note.
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