Today, Roku announced multiple new features coming to the latest version of its operating system coming to its Roku TVs and Roku players designed to make finding what you want easier. It also said that its Roku Channel’s TV guide now offers more than 400 live channels.
“As the leaders in streaming TV, we’ve made it our priority to offer a platform that anticipates our user’s needs and adapts in real time,” said Preston Smalley, vice president of viewer product at Roku. “With endless content to choose from and ways to watch, we will continue to innovate and release feature updates to our millions of users that better the viewing experience, making Roku the go-to destination for TV streaming.”
The new Roku OS 12.5 will start rolling out in the coming weeks to Roku TVs and Roku Players. Roku did not say exactly when each Roku model will get the new update.
A few highlights you will find with Roku OS 12.5 include the ability to easily follow a favorite team and have Roku quickly let you know how to watch the game, and the expanded channel lineup. You can now link Roku’s image screensaver to your Google Photos account, allowing you to use your own photos as the screensaver.
Roku also focused on an improved content discovery system to help you find something to watch.
Lastly, Roku will let you have more control of image quality and offer the picture settings directly from your TV. You can already access these features through the Roku Mobile app.
Sadly, if you had hoped that Roku would bring back the upgraded home screen with more apps listed, you are out of luck. Roku did not include the new 4×4 look on Roku’s home screen with this update.
Here is everything Roku announced today:
Stream sports with ease
- Favoriting: With Roku’s new favoriting feature, users can track live and upcoming sporting events for their go-to teams in one curated row. Simply add a team to the “My Favorites” row within the Sports experience by clicking the “Favorite” button on the game page and tune in once it’s game time.
- Highlights: With the upcoming launch of “Highlights” in the Sports experience, users will be able to watch clips from recent sporting events they may have missed or want to relive.
- Expanded Content: Additionally, the Sports experience will be expanding its offering to include motorsports in early 2024 and new sports content from Max in the coming weeks, which will join the list of currently supported channel partners across the platform.
Instant access to hundreds of Live TV options
- Personalized Live TV: With 400+ free live linear TV channels to choose from, Roku is introducing even more enhancements to the Live TV Channel Guide to better the Live TV streaming experience. New updates now will enable simpler live TV browsing by personalizing the order of channels in the Guide and removing channel numbers.
Turn up the bass
- Music Playlists: We’re enhancing the music experience in The Roku Channel to make it easier for customers to enjoy more than 250+ video playlists from our partners, including Stingray, Vevo, and Warner Music Group. Whether they’re listening to “Relaxing Jazz,” watching “Iconic Music Videos,” or revisiting their favorite “Boy Bands,” users will enjoy a more immersive experience, with new controls to shuffle, skip ahead, add video playlists to their Save List for listening, receive recommendations for similar playlists, and more.
- Additionally, in celebration of Atlantic Records’ 75th Anniversary, Roku has collaborated with Warner Music Group and their artist services, media & creative content division WMX, to create 75 playlists in The Roku Channel from iconic Atlantic Records recording artists through the years. Five exclusive playlists have also been curated by music legends Debbie Gibson, Jim “Soni” Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish, Kathy Sledge, Nile Rodgers, and Paul Rodgers.
Discover new content right at your fingertips
- What to Watch Categories: We are making updates within What to Watch to get users to their content faster. In the coming weeks, users can browse by categories including TV Shows, Movies, New & Popular, Free, and more and start streaming with ease.
- Experiences: New experiences related to a specific genre or topic such as food or home will roll out across the platform in the coming months. Within these new experiences, users can browse through a curated selection of entertainment specific to each genre.
- Roku Mobile App Search: Visual Search is coming to the Roku Mobile app, allowing users to discover new entertainment in a more visual and immersive way than before. Users can simply navigate to the “Search” tab on the mobile app and search for content with ease.
Stay connected with loved ones
- Roku Photo Streams x Google Photos: Roku Photo Streams now supports Google Photos, allowing users to share special moments with loved ones more seamlessly. Head to Roku Photo Streams, upload images or link an album from Google Photos, share with family and friends, and enjoy.
Control your smart home right from your TV
- Event History: With all new support for Roku Smart Home Video Doorbell events, users with a Camera subscription can now go back and see who was at their front door using the Cameras app on any Roku streaming players and Roku TV™ models. As previously announced, users can also access Smart Home Camera events history within the Cameras app.
- Notifications: No need to pause your favorite show to see if your package has arrived — Roku Cameras and Doorbell owners with a Camera subscription will now get instant notifications on their Roku streaming players and Roku TV™ models.
Customize the way you stream
- Expert Picture Setting: We’re now bringing expert picture settings to 4K devices, offering more ways to customize picture settings when streaming on Roku. Adjust settings such as color temperature, color space, gamma correction, and noise reduction directly from the TV. Expert picture settings are already available via the Roku Mobile app.