In 2024, Roku will mark 10 years as the No. 1 smart TV platform in the U.S., a ranking the company says is based on the total number of hours streamed. But that’s not the only Roku milestone worth celebrating, as the company announced the new Pro series, a line of mini-LED TVs in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch screen sizes hitting stores this spring. .
Similar to Roku Plus Series TVs which the company introduced in 2023, the new devices feature a 4K QLED display panel with full-array local dimming. And while the Plus Series is a great budget 4K TV option, it has an average maximum brightness compared to the best TVs, a limitation that will presumably improve the mini-LED backlighting of the new Pro Series models.
Along with the promise of better brightness, the Pro series will come with Roku Smart Picture, a new feature that uses “artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data from content partners to automatically adjust the picture for an optimized viewing experience,” according to the company.
Roku’s design for the Pro Series allows the TVs to rest against a wall, and a Roku-designed wall mount and a new premium remote will also be available.
Roku has not yet specified pricing for the new TVs, although it says the 75-inch model will sell for less than $1,500 when it launches.
Analysis: Roku’s Pro series could be the new 4K TV with the best value for money
When I reviewed a Roku Plus series TV in 2023, I found that it offered very good picture quality at a reasonable price. I’m also a long-time fan of Roku’s smart TV interface, which has a clean, streamlined look that makes many other smart TV home screens look like a mess by comparison.
However, the budget TV landscape has become crowded, and a good picture plus a streamlined smart interface really aren’t enough to make Roku stand out from brands like Hisense and TCL that also sell lower-cost, mini-backlit TVs. LED. Capable of impressive shine in both cases.
That situation could change with the Pro series. Roku’s addition of mini-LED technology to its next flagship means that high maximum brightness, a benefit for both daytime TV viewing and HDR movie watching, will be another image quality advantage in new models.
While details about the new AI-powered Roku Smart Picture feature are scarce, the company has argued that most TV owners never adjust their TV’s default picture settings. Therefore, having the TV automatically optimize images based on both the viewing environment and The specific program shown could greatly improve the average viewer’s experience.
In 2023, we select the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED as the television with the best quality-price ratio in our TechRadar Choice Awards. That model has about the same maximum brightness as the Roku Plus series, but uses a much busier smart interface, which aggressively pushes Amazon programs and services. If the new Pro series can surpass the Amazon Omni QLED in terms of brightness, and do so at a lower price than other budget mini-LED models, Roku could well be on its way to taking our best value TV crown by 2024.
We’ll have more to say about the new Roku Pro series of TVs after we conduct a proper review in the spring. In the meantime, we’ll see what the competition has in store for us. CES 2024 from January 9 to 12 in Las Vegas, where the best new televisions will be displayed.
