Content Access, Voice Features Lead UX Upgrades in Roku's Latest OS

Roku updated its operating system, adding features that let customers get to content faster and customize the user experience, said the company Tuesday. Roku OS 10 improves network and input configurations and performance, it said, and adds support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.

HomeKit is now available on HD Roku streaming devices, such as Roku Express, and select HD Roku TV models, said the streaming platform provider. Roku customers can stream, control and share content directly from their iPhone, iPad or Mac to compatible Roku devices. With HomeKit, users can securely control Roku devices using Siri voice control or the Home app on their Apple devices.

In the new OS, Roku added to its HDR feature set with support for HDR10+. Previous Roku models had HDR and the company added Dolby Vision to select models last year. Hyperlinks on the Roku website Tuesday said “Sorry, page not found” when users attempted to find which Roku models supported the various flavors of high dynamic range.

Roku also introduced a streaming player, sound bar and voice remote. The $39 Roku Express 4K+, available at Roku.com now and at major retailers mid-May, has a more powerful quad-core processor, dual-band wireless network performance and more storage for quicker channel start times, it said. Wired internet connectivity is available through a microUSB input. The $35 Roku Express 4K, a Walmart exclusive, includes a basic Roku remote.

The new Roku Voice Remote Pro ($29) has a rechargeable battery and hands-free voice control, including the ability to control a TV’s power, volume and mute functions. Customers who don’t want an always-on listening device can slide a switch to have the remote operate as previous Roku voice remotes have, requiring a push-to-talk button press for the listening feature to be engaged. Users can also save favorite voice commands for one-touch control, said the company.

For private listening, consumers can plug standard headphones into the remote’s headphone jack. The audio automatically moves to the headphones and the TV goes into mute, it said. The remote remains powered for “months” on a single charge and works with any USB charger, said the company. A lost remote finder allows a user to say, “Hey, Roku, where’s my remote?” to have a chime sound on the device. Users can also use the Roku app to engage the lost remote function.

Instant Resume lets users return to the content they were watching faster -- within supported channels. When they launch a channel again, reload times will be quicker, and they'll be taken back to the place where they left off. Instant resume will be supported on over 15 streaming channels including AT&T TV, FilmRise, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FuboTV, HappyKids.tv, Plex, Starz, The Roku Channel and “more to come,” said Roku.

Within the live TV channel guide, OS 10 users can tailor their experience by hiding individual channels from view and adding channels to a favorites list to create a custom guide view. They can switch between guide views to see their favorites, recently visited ones or all channels, Roku said. The company is “taking the guesswork out of the more complex wireless network and gaming features by automating them,” said Ilya Asnis, senior vice president-Roku OS.

A new automatic network detection feature notifies Roku users of the optimal wireless network band to connect to in their homes for the best streaming experience. On setup, Roku devices recommend the optimal wireless network; when there is a better network connection available, the Roku device will “proactively display a prompt recommending that the user connect to that network for an improved experience.”

A game console configuration mode automatically detects select game consoles and configures supported features to optimize the TV's performance for playing video games, Roku said. When a supported game console is connected to an HDMI port on a Roku TV, the input tile on the Roku home screen changes to the game console icon “so users can jump right into gaming.” The Roku TV will detect the capabilities of the game console and automatically enable settings like low-latency game mode. It will also enable advanced features to “enhance usability and picture quality” for game consoles connected via HDMI. Enhancements vary by TV model but can include HDR gaming, auto low-latency mode, variable refresh rate, high frame rate, and THX Certified game mode.

Voice entry can now be used for select on-screen keyboards to speed data entry, Roku said. Keyboards that support Roku Voice will display a microphone icon, so users can quickly identify if voice entry is an available option, Roku said. Also new to OS 10, when users initiate a voice search within a streaming channel, search results are displayed in a partial overlay with content from the active channel in the first row, followed by rows of other matches from elsewhere on the platform. That gives users “the full breadth of results to choose from, ordered by the best possible match,” said the company.

Roku's latest sound bar, the $179 Roku Streambar Pro, is due on the company's e-commerce site at the end of May and at major retailers in June. It will come with the basic Roku voice remote and has a virtual surround feature that’s said to provide an immersive sound experience.