Items tagged with Roku TV
It's been a while since we visited the ongoing feud between Google and Roku. When we last broached the topic, we were hopeful that the two companies could work out their differences over YouTube TV on the Roku platform. Unfortunately, over a month later, the two companies are further entrenched in their positions on YouTube TV access. Now, Google is offering YouTube TV customers with Roku TVs free hardware to ease their pain. Google sent the following message to select YouTube TV customers: To ensure our loyal YouTube TV members have a great watch experience (including the ability to watch 4K content on our optional new add-on service coming soon!), we want to offer you a free TiVo® Stream...
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Roku today yanked YouTube TV from its list of available channels for customers, after it says that Google decided not to renew its contract. This means that Roku users who haven't already added the YouTube TV channel to their account will no longer be able to do so. However, Roku is taking steps to protect customers that already have the YouTube TV channel installed. According to Roku, "users like yourself retain access to YouTube TV while we work to reach an agreement." Roku plans to continue blocking new channel adds and protecting existing YouTube TV customers "unless Google takes actions that require the full removal of the channel." The company also cautions users against removing the channel...
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When we talk about YouTube TV, it's often because Google once again raised prices on subscribers, making the service more unpalatable to the general populous. But a new price hike isn't why Google is gaining attention today; instead, it's because of policies that smart TV platform leader Roku claims are predatory and monopolistic. Roku sent an email to current YouTube TV subscribers using its platforms over the weekend, describing how negotiations with Google have broken down. According to Roku, it "cannot accept Google's unfair terms as we believe they could harm our users." Roku sheds a little bit of light in the email on the impasse by saying that it won't agree to Google's "anti-competitive...
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TCL took the Smart TV market by storm with its affordable 1080p and 4K offerings that came bundled with Roku functionality and the familiar stubby remote control. In recent years, the company has increasingly added in higher-end features while still trying to pay homage to its value roots. TCL’s latest intersection of premium features with pricing that won’t break the piggy bank comes in the form of its new 2020 6-Series Quantum Dot (QLED) Roku TVs. What’s special this time around is that these TVs use mini-LED backlighting technology, which can rival OLEDs when it comes to black levels and contrast ratio. The mini-LEDs are backed by up to 240 Contrast Control Zones...
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With many folks around the country still stuck indoors due to the coronavirus -- and bored out of their mind as a result -- many out there are wishing they had a larger TV for gaming and watching movies in their extended downtime. Not surprisingly, Best Buy currently has some very impressive deals going on a couple of large Roku 4K Smart TVs from TCL that could be the perfect cure for shut-in blues. The first of the TVs is the largest offering, and it's a TCL 75Q825 with a 75-inch a $K UHD HDR panel and mini-LED backlighting. Mini-LED backlighting allows for more precise local dimming and more uniform illumination. TCL also fits the TV with Quantum Dot technology for improved brightness...
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Amazing deals on big-screen TCL Smart TVs should be no surprise to regular HotHardware readers, but Best Buy is currently running an especially tasty deal on one of the company's largest offerings. The 75-inch 4-Series 4K HDR Smart TV (75S425) is currently available for $699.99, which makes for a $300 discount on the normal price. We haven't seen any leaked Black Friday ads make their way to the internet just yet, but we can't imagine that you'll find another quality set like this for $700 when those deals land in a few weeks’ time. With that being said, if you're a Best Buy Elite member and happen to score a better deal between now and Black Friday, you can always take...
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It's becoming harder and harder to find TVs these days that aren’t "smart" straight from the factory. Smart TVs with their integrated internet connectivity and media platforms make it easier for hardware OEMs to track your viewing habits (by default) and make additional revenue from advertising. Roku is looking to take its ad-related business to the next level with new pop-ups that are delivered to customers when commercials are playing on their Roku TVs. The folks over at Cord Cutter News noticed that Roku has recently started placing pop-up ads during commercial breaks during both cable TV and over-the-air programming on Roku TVs. (Image courtesy Cord Cutter News)...
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If you're in the market for a new 4K television, and can't wait until Black Friday to score a stellar deal, Amazon has some pretty amazing prices right now on two TCL TVs that just might be up your alley. The TVs in question measure 43 inches and 55 inches diagonally respectively, and both feature the highly popular Roku TV interface. First up is the TCL 43S425, which features a 43-inch 4K panel. This TCL 4-Series television support HDR and features an LED-backlit panel. The television includes three HDMI 2.0 ports (HDCP 2.2 support), while one of them supports HDMI ARC. The TV also has integrates nicely with Alexa and the Google Assistant. For example, once you enable the Roku skill in...
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TCL has just revealed its 2019 lineup of 4K Roku TVs, and as usual, the company is bringing a wealth of features at price points that undercut its rivals. The new big screen televisions include the all-new 8-Series along with updates to the exiting 5-Series and 6-Series lineups. Both the 6-Series and 8-Series models are adopting Quantum Dot (QLED) color technology that has long been championed by Samsung. TCL is promising 100 percent color representation in the DCI-P3 color space and that its new TVs will deliver more saturated colors across the board. The QLEDs are used in conjunction with high performance mini-LEDs which helps to boost contrast performance, delivering inky blacks in darkened...
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If you’re in the market for a big screen TV, there have been waves of great deals rolling in over the past few weeks to satisfy your buying urges. Today, we’ve got another smoking deal, this time on a 55-inch Smart TV from Sharp. In this case, we’re talking about the Sharp LC-55LBU591U, which is a 55-inch 4K HDR TV for those that are looking for more budget-minded entry. More importantly, this is a Roku TV, which means has a built-in Roku Smart TV interface giving you easy access to multiple streaming platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, YouTube TV, HBO Go and numerous others. You’ll also have access to Roku’s own streaming...
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In case you haven't been paying attention, there have been some rather amazing deals on smart TVs recently. In particular, TCL Roku TVs have been available at incredibly low prices over the past few months. When we last visited TCL's 55-inch 55R6176 Series Roku TV, it was selling for a pretty hot (at the time) $579.99, which represented a $220 savings compared to the regular price. However, Electronic Express (via Rakuten) is selling the same TV for $549.99. While that is only a $30 additional savings over the last hot deal, there's more where that came from. If you apply the coupon code EE74 at checkout, Rakuten will take an additional $75 off the price of the television,...
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Roku has just announced a new enhancement for owners of Roku streaming devices and Roku TVs. Thanks to a new Amazon Alexa skill that is now available, you will be able to use any Alexa-enabled device to control your Roku hardware. While customers that have Roku Voice Remotes can already bark voice commands, this new Alexa tie-in opens up voice control to a broader Roku audience. In order to enable this newfound Alexa functionality, your Roku devices will need to be updated to Roku OS 8.1 or higher and you will also need to enable the new Roku skill. Amazon’s entire family of Echo devices are supported including the Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Dot and display-equipped Echo Show. Once enabled,...
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Over the past weeks, we've seen a number of excellent deals on big screen TVs as we gear up for Super Bowl LIII, which will feature the Los Angeles Rams doing battle against the New England Patriots. The weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are perhaps your last best time to score a smoking deal on a TV until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to close out 2019. Best Buy is definitely getting into the gridiron spirit with a magnificent deal on the Hisense 55-inch 4K Roku TV (55R7E). The television has a regular MSRP of $499.99, but the retailer is currently selling it for a low $299.99. Delivery is free depending on your location (putting in my zip code in central North Carolina showed no...
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When it comes to smart televisions, TCL has carved out a nice chunk of the U.S. market for itself over the past few years. The company's Roku TVs offer a blend of compelling performance, excellent value and of course, Roku integration. Best Buy is currently running a Labor Day promotion on the TCL 55-inch 5-Series 4K HDR TV (55S515). Like other TCL 5-Series TV's, the 55-inch model features Dolby Vision HDR along with HDR Dynamic Contrast technology thanks to its iPQ Engine. Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos audio technologies are supported, and you'll find three HDMI 2.0a ports with HDCP 2.2 (one supports ARC) along with dual 8W speakers. On the connectivity front, there's a single Ethernet...
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Earlier this year, Roku announced the Roku Connect platform for allowing devices like Roku TVs and settop boxes to wirelessly communicate with smart speakers and sounders. One of the first fruits of that new initiative is coming in the form of the new Roku TV Wireless Speakers. Roku’s primary mission is to allow users to quickly and seamlessly add high-quality wireless speakers to their Roku-powered TV. Roku says that Roku Connect allows its product to be uniquely positioned in the market as it can "optimize sound for the picture and ensure audio video sync". Rather than taking on the soundbar format, the Roku TV Wireless Speakers instead come as a pair of black towers (similar...
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Up until now, if you wanted to enjoy Roku on your television, you needed to purchased a dedicated set-top box or HDMI dongle. Now you have two more options -- purchase a Hisense or or TLC smart television with built-in Roku support. This is a vision Roku first shared with the public back at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January, and it's now come to fruition. "Just like our Roku players, Roku TV offers an exceptional streaming experience filled with endless entertainment choices. But we didn’t just stick a Roku player inside the TV. We enhanced the Roku operating system to power the entire TV experience," Roku CEO Anthony Wood explained in a blog post. "That means we’ve...
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