Roku rolling out Backdrops, Smart Picture and more
April 10, 2024
Roku is adding more ways to personalise and elevate the viewing experience. Over the next few months, Roku has announced it will introduce Backdrops, Roku Smart Picture, and updates across browse, discovery, and the mobile app across all US devices.
“We want our platform to be relevant to how you watch TV, whether you purchased a device today or years ago,” said Preston Smalley, Vice President of Viewer Product at Roku. “With personalised Backdrops to suit your mood, Smart Picture for crystal-clear visuals, and better ways to help decide what to watch, we’re setting a new standard for streaming excellence. This is the future of TV, tailored just for you by Roku.”
Backdrops
Roku’s new feature Backdrops instantly transforms users’ TVs into a work of art and makes it the centerpiece of the house. Users can browse through a wide catalogue of free artwork, including famous classics, museum collections, abstract designs, and more, and choose the art to update the vibe of their room. Users can select their favourite artwork or upload digital art or family photos to curate their very own collection to display.
Roku Smart Picture
With Roku Smart Picture, users can get the best picture quality for their Roku TV device without having to change the settings. As apps stream, Roku Smart Picture adjusts the backlighting, uniformity, and colours based on the type of TV. Additionally, Roku Smart Picture automatically optimises the brightness and colours and selects the best picture mode – i.e., sports, movies, vivid, and standard – for the content being watched.
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Roku City is TV’s biggest digital downtown that on average reaches more than 40 million active accounts every month. According to internal Roku data two in three Roku users would take a trip to Roku City if offered. Roku has announced its bringing TV and movie cars to the streets of Roku City. From an ice cream truck to a secret agent’s favourite sports car, these dynamic additions will add a new layer of Easter egg fun to screens.
Take browse and discovery to the next level with:
· IMDb ratings: In the coming weeks, Roku users can expect to see IMDb ratings across entertainment details pages, keeping them in the know on what peers have rated TV shows and movies before diving in. Roku is also populating a new row within What to Watch that will feature highly rated IMDb titles, so users can tune in with ease.
· Trailers: With trailers coming to entertainment details pages across the platform, viewers can seamlessly preview TV shows or movies.
· Save List Updates: We’ve made your Save List even smarter. Now, when a TV show or movie on your Save List drops in price or when new seasons or episodes are available, we’ll let you know with badge updates right on the entertainment tile, bringing titles that may have been at the end of your list right to the front.
Roku Mobile App
As an extension of the Roku streaming experience, the Roku Mobile app helps users discover new content, control your TV, launch apps, and more. Updates to the app include:
· New navigation bar: Users will now be able to browse between five universal tabs: Home, Search, Remote, Devices, and Account.
· Top Searched TV and Movies: With the new ‘Top Searched TV and Movies’ row, users can scroll through what’s popular with other streamers and tune in. The row will be populated with daily searched TV shows and movies from across the platform.
· Search updates: With a full keyboard, searching has never been easier, and now the results will be more visually immersive while searching or browsing through new categories, actors, and other topics.
Availability
All software updates will be available to Roku users in the coming months. Roku Smart Picture is coming to all Roku TV models. Any Roku-branded TV purchased in the spring of 2024 and onward will come with Roku Smart Picture as the default, and those purchased before that date will need to enable it (in picture settings).
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