Roku rolling out new software tech updates
Roku rolling out new software tech updates
The upgrades include AI-assisted voice search, more interactive trailers, and other features.
Roku is constantly trying to innovate with new tech to keep owners of Roku devices at the cutting edge. The company announced the details of its latest software update on Tuesday, introducing a host of innovations coming to help viewers cut down on browsing time, find the title they want faster, see live sports scores at a glance, and more.
Key Details:
- Roku can help: AI-powered voice search will guide viewers to content more easily.
- Sports galore: The Roku Sports hub will now feature live scores on game tiles.
- Go mobile: The Roku mobile app is adding quicker-access shortcuts and more.
Headlining the list of new upgrades for Roku owners is an update to Roku Voice, which incorporates AI into searches. Viewers can ask specific questions about TV shows, movies, and performers, and see the answers brought up directly on the screen. This not only delivers information quickly, but it also helps connect viewers with TV and films more efficiently.
Trailer playbacks on Roku are now more interactive, as you’ll see a button to find ways to watch the show or movie you’re seeing a trailer for when you call up the playback controls. Roku’s Search function is also coming to additional parts of its interface, including the Live TV Zone and the Live TV Channel Guide. That will allow viewers to search for specific channels by name more easily.
The Roku interface will also see show and movie tiles in content carousels, accompanied by small logos of the streamers you can use to watch underneath them. Real-time sports updates, including live scores on game tiles in the Roku Sports zone, and reminders about when your top team is hitting the field or court.
Game tiles in the Roku Sports zone will now come with live scores, but fans can hide them if they wish.
Roku’s mobile app is getting more shortcuts, including Closed Captions, Find My Remote, Sleep Timer, and more. Viewers on the mobile app are also getting the ability to rate titles, and soon, Roku will roll out a navigation bar on the For You page to organize content into categories, like TV Shows, Movies, and Sports, for a less cluttered view.
Finally, Bluetooth Headphone mode is coming to the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus globally, allowing viewers to have a more private listening experience. These updates are rolling out to Roku customers with its next software version, so keep an eye out! Your device should download it automatically, and when it does, you’ll be able to use the new features detailed above on your Roku device.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.