The first 4K Roku TVs will be available this spring
The company will work with Chinese manufacturer TCL on the first UHD sets.
Roku may be best known for its ever-expanding range of streaming boxes, but the company has also spent the last few years trying to get Roku OS installed on as many new smart TVs as possible. It's proving to be a hard task, as most people normally upgrade their set once or twice a decade, but Roku TV sales have eclipsed the one million mark. With 2016 shaping up to be the year of 4K, Roku is reinforcing its commitment to Ultra HD content, announcing today that it's teamed up with Chinese electronics company TCL to launch the first 4K Roku TV sets in the spring.
Like Roku's boxes, UHD Roku TV sets will come with a number of 4K apps. Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube and Vudu are notable inclusions, but Roku also features a Spotlight Channel that includes a curated collection of 4K content. CNET reports that one model, the UP130, will also include the Roku 4's smart control features, which let you search for content using your voice and easily locate the remote should it go missing.
On top of that, Roku says it has also released its HDR reference design, allowing TV makers to begin incorporating the technology into their future 4K Roku TVs. The company has Dolby on board and will work with the company to implement Dolby Vision HDR into its sets. HDR technology doesn't change the number of pixels you'll see on the new Roku TVs, but it will mean you'll see a brighter image with more contrast. Worth bearing in mind if you're in the market for a new 4K TV.
