At CES 2016 in January, Roku stated that the company and its hardware partners were planning to release almost 60 new smart TVs this year that would be running Roku's platform. The focus for Roku and its OEM partners for the new smart TVs would be 4K Ultra HD.
The first 4K Roku TVs have now been released, and their prices are relatively cheap compared to the other options in the market.
The first OEM to release its planned Roku 4K Ultra HD TVs for this year is Insignia, and the smart TVs are currently available exclusively through retailer Best Buy's website. The smart TVs will be made available in Best Buy's stores later in March.
The 43-inch version of the Insignia 4K Ultra HD Roku TV is being sold for $399.99, and it is the cheapest and smallest among the three released models. The 50-inch version comes with a price of $499.99, while the largest and most expensive model, the 55-inch version, has a price tag of $649.99.
The Insignia 4K Ultra HD Roku TVs come with very competitive prices, being much cheaper compared to 4K Ultra HD TVs being sold by big names such as Sony, Samsung and LG.
According to CNET, these new Insignia TVs come with the best smart TV platform available, as Roku TV is able to deliver more apps compared to all other platforms, along with a highly customizable interface.
The new TVs will also allow users to access the 4K streams being offered by services such as Netflix, Amazon Video and Vudu. In addition, the Roku TV platform also offers the 4K Spotlight app, which is able to gather 4K content from various services.
However, it was noted that with the 55-inch Insignia Roku TV bearing a price of $479 at Best Buy, it might not be worthwhile for customers to grab the 4K versions as the improvements in picture quality could not be as discernable as expected.
Nevertheless, the new Insignia 4K Ultra HD Roku TVs are great deals, with the Roku operating system embedded in the TVs which eliminates the need to have an external Roku box or stick. The TVs are still compatible with cable connections.
TCL is also expected to launch 4K Roku TVs within the year, though no exact date has been given for that yet.
