1 week ago
It doesn't look excessively different, but there's much personalization and ads.
Roku has updated its homescreen for nan first clip successful a decade, pinch nan institution calling it a "dynamic, smarter experience." However, it doesn't look each that different. Everything is still successful various shades of purple and Roku City is still disposable arsenic a screensaver.
There are immoderate changes beyond nan aboveground level. This update is centered astir personalization, truthful a customer's astir utilized apps get featured prominently. There's besides a caller "top picks" conception that recommends apps and programming. This will see genre-based picks based connected viewing habits and caller releases from existent streaming subscriptions.
This doesn't sound excessively different from really existent smart TVs grip things, but Roku has ever been known for its elemental and uncluttered interface. Today's update surely brings much clutter into nan mix, including a caller "marquee" advertisement spot that takes up a ample chunk of nan screen. It's worthy remembering that Roku makes astir of its money connected ads and not its hardware.
"More than 100 cardinal households will consciousness nan quality nan infinitesimal they move connected their TV—and it opens up a better, much powerful acquisition for our partners arsenic well," CEO Anthony Wood wrote successful a blog post.
The update does bring 1 caller feature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The institution says nan caller homescreen level will accommodate to really households usage Roku devices. This is to accommodate "multiple group surviving successful homes." For instance, a child's chamber TV mightiness person a different homescreen than TV successful nan surviving room, and truthful forth.
This description is rolling retired correct now to US-based customers, though it mightiness return a while to scope each user. Roku says "additional countries will travel successful nan coming months."
