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Roku’s Bet on Smart TV Appears to be Paying Off

Hisense Roku TV 4K ULEDRoku TV, the company’s smart TV platform, has been gaining traction and adding partners since its debut a few years ago. It essentially takes the software and user experience Roku’s offered in its streaming boxes and HDMI sticks, and embeds it directly in TVs from a number of manufacturers. This week, The Motley Fool’s Adam Levy took a closer look at the platform, declaring Roku TV a success and a win for all those involved — but especially for Roku itself.

Levy examines how Roku TV makes good business sense for Roku’s TV partners, including resources saved since manufacturers don’t have to develop their own smart TV solutions. TV makers can also leverage Roku’s strong relationships with retail partners to get better placement for its models.

Despite those perks, Levy figures Roku is still getting the better end of the deal, especially since it gets to keep all revenue generated after a customer buys a Roku TV.

It certainly looks like the company’s aiming to expand upon its winning formula. At CES, Roku announced a slate of new partners, with 2020 seeing models from Hitachi, JVC, Magnavox, Philips, and more.

Regardless of manufacturer and model, customers can expect a few key features throughout the Roku TV lineup, including HDR10 (high-dynamic range), Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, and voice support via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Beyond the TVs themselves, there’s also the Roku TV Ready program, which is meant to identify speakers, receivers, and other components designed to be easy to set up and use with Roku TVs. Think of it a bit like Apple’s Made for iPhone licensing program for devices compatible with iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

In fact, we’re expecting a slate of Roku TVs and Roku TV Ready devices as 2020 rolls on. We’ve listed a few already, including 8K models from TCL, and we’re keeping an eye out for more.

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