Roku on Tuesday released detail of its latest product upgrade to its top-of-the-line "Ultra" streaming gadget. 

The updated device features a new quad-core processor specifically built to enhance the quality of streaming, with capabilities for 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, as well as support for WiFi 6.

Also Read: Viewers Can Now Find Roku Channels Through Google TV's Search Tools

Roku says its new Ultra operates 30% faster than its other players.

The device, the company said, is made even faster by the integration of machine learning, which predicts which app you’ll likely open next and tees it up to launch instantaneously.

Other features include a lost remote mode, wireless headphone capabilities, and customizable quick launch shortcuts.

Speaking of remotes, Roku last spring debuted the second edition of its Voice Remote Pro, which comes bundled with the Roku Ultra.

Alongside the standard features, the Voice Remote Pro has backlit buttons, USB charging, and two new buttons: quick launch and live TV guide.

As part of its broader product upgrade cycle, Roku also highlighted some key changes to its content recommendations and home page.

Roku said in a release that it will be revamping the Roku Mobile App, which previously allowed users to control their TV without the need for a physical remote.

Now, in addition to controlling their video players, the remote app will allow users to discover personalized content recommendations and read IMDb ratings without having to launch a new window.

The app also enable users to favorite their go-to sports teams, even when they’re not at home.

Roku also made slight alterations to its home screen, including the introduction of a “Kids & Family zone.”

But if that isn’t to your preference, the company also introduced the ability to like and dislike content, allowing users some degree of control over what the platform continues to recommend.

March is always a busy product introduction month for Roku, and this one is particularly so with the streaming company actually putting its ballyhooed smart TV line on store shelves for the first time, along with the annual introduction of its latest operating system iteration, OS 12. 

Starting Thursday, Best Buy (and BestBuy.com) will be the exclusive sellers of the 11 smart TV models engineered and built by Roku, and powered by its operating system. 

Introduced at CES back in early January, Roku's TVs range in size from 24 to 75 vertical inches, spanning small, low-priced HD models to premium "Plus Series" gadgets that include large, 4K Dolby Vision-enabled QLED displays (yes, they can be described as "stunning"), automatic brightness and smart-home-lighting dimming features, and rechargeable voice-activated remotes with Bluetooth Private Listening, among other primo attributes. 

Roku is still holding onto the price points up until after its press release embargo lifts, so we don't that information here. We don't expect them to be the cheapest on the market

Notably, in his Morgan Stanley TMT conference talk on Monday, Roku CEO Anthony Wood said that despite the fact that Roku has nearly a dozen OEM smart TV partners, many of them are reluctant to take risks on pricey new features until they prove fruitful in the consumer market. So selling its own TVs frees Roku to innovate a bit more and lead the market. 

That's the party line, at least. 

Here's the press release quote from Mustafa Ozgen, Roku's president of devices:  “We made purposeful decisions to ensure that our Roku Select and Plus Series TVs embody what users love most about the Roku streaming experience, and we brought in our expertise in picture quality and audio to give consumers an entertainment upgrade at an incredible value.” 

As we said up above, Roku is bringing its new sets to market in conjunction with its latest operating system update, OS 12. (The OS will debut over the next few weeks, so the new sets will still come out of the box with OS 11 and need an update.)

New features include:

> Local News: Users can watch live news channels personalized by location and AI-powered recommendations, or stream channels from major cities across the U.S. Roku users can search for "local news" using either Roku Search or Roku Voice. They can also visit the Live TV Zone on their Roku Home Screen Menu.

> Premium Subscriptions: The newest addition to Categories within Roku’s Live TV Channel Guide, Premium Subscriptions allows users to quickly discover and sign up for premium channels they are not currently subscribed to. Premium Subscriptions will join previously launched Categories (Recents, Favorites and Subscribed) and genres including News, Sports and Entertainment. 

> Sports: Last year, Roku launched its "Sports" experience, a centralized location where users can browse and stream live and upcoming sports-related events across the Roku platform. Coverage will continue to expand with golf and additional soccer programming, including Spanish-language game coverage around select soccer leagues. Also, in the coming months, users will experience a more personalized Sports experience based on their location, favorite team, go-to sport, and viewing habits. Additionally, CBS Sports, MLB.TV, NBA App, and NBC Sports will join the list of supported channels for the Sports experience. 

> Continue Watching: Located within What to Watch, Continue Watching gives users a single location to jump back into the content. Content from supported channels will now show up nearly instantly in the Continue Watching row after a user has finished streaming their favorite TV show or movie. Additionally, Discovery Plus and Amazon Prime Video will join the list of supported channels of the Continue Watching feature, with BET Plus, Amazon Freevee, Frndly TV and STARZ launching soon. 

Roku said its OS 12 update will be pushed out to its more than 70 million active users in the next "few weeks." 

Meanwhile, the Silicon Valley streaming company also updates to its mobile app, which it said will now offer a more refined, elevated and visually immersive interface, making it the "go-to destination" for all account and streaming needs. 

In the coming months, users will notice the following upgrades:

> A revamped account hub: Roku is introducing an expanded account hub where users can create and adjust Roku account preferences seamlessly. Updates will include a new sign-up and sign-in process; the ability to establish security, privacy, and notification preferences; device management on their account; and more.

> A more streamlined home screen: Within the mobile app’s home tab, users will notice a simpler interface with new features tailored to them. These include dedicated "sports" and "continue watching rows, and more. 

> Live TV channel “guide” button: Previously, Roku introduced a dedicated live TV channel “guide” button on the mobile app remote when connected to Roku TVs. In the coming months, this feature will expand to connected players, enabling users to instantly launch the Live TV Channel Guide right from their phone. 

> Enhanced Roku Photo Streams: Last year, Roku announced Roku Photo Streams, giving users the ability to share photos with friends and family and turn their TVs into the biggest photo album in their home. With Thursday's updates, managing and uploading images to photo streams will ostensibly be faster and easier. With a new mobile integration, users will be able to upload images right from their photo album, choose thumbnails for their streams, simply add or delete images, set streams as screensavers, and share streams with family and friends right from their phones. Plus, users can now upload up to 1,000 images per stream. 

Two new urban-targeted streaming services spearheaded by veteran cable industry executive Douglas Holloway have launched on Roku TV.

The free ad-supported streaming services – UKW Media, a family entertainment-themed service, and Urbn-TV, which offers feature films, documentaries, series webisodes and podcasts – seek to shape a new narrative about people of color, according to networks founder Holloway, the former distribution executive at ION Media Networks and NBCUniversal. Both of the streaming services feature content produced by filmmakers of color and also include content from historical libraries, he added.

“We understand the power of images in the media. We want kids to grow up seeing people who look like them on the screen,” Holloway said. “We intend to present a robust line-up of primarily independent multicultural programming that evokes a lifestyle of wellness and productive outcomes.”

UKW Media co-founder and COO Judy Kim added: "UKW Media and Urbn-TV gives creators of color a platform to tell their stories in an authentic and compelling manner.” ■

In a move that could signal a shift in dominant streaming platforms, Chinese electronics company TCL has begun shipping 4K/Ultra HD-capable smart TVs based on the Android TV operating system to the U.S., adding to the sub-$200 MSRP HD Android TV sets that were introduced over the summer. 

In September, TCL quietly introduced its 4-Series model sets, powered by Google’s streaming video operating system, in 50-, 55- and 75-inch configurations, priced at $349, $399 and $799 respectively, and available exclusively at Best Buy. A 43-inch 4K/UHD Android TV, priced at $199, has been introduced to Target shoppers, according to TCL’s website. 

TCL is currently the second-biggest shipper of smart TVs to the U.S., controlling 14% of the market vs. 32% for leader Samsung, according to Statista figures released in September. 

TCL has risen to that position based on popular, low-priced TVs powered by the Roku operating system. In June, the manufacturer began also shipping sets based on Android TV. 

Until recently, those TCL Android TV sets were 3-Series iterations with HD resolution and fewer features (the more expensive 4K/UHD sets have three HDMI ports, for example). TCL’s 3-Series Android TV-powered HD options include a 32-inch, 720p set priced at only $130, and a 40-inch 1080p model priced at $200.

TCL hasn’t published any sales data on its Android TV product line. But Best Buy reviews of the more established 3-Series sets have been as enthusiastic as the positively received Roku models. 

Google has had some success proliferating its Android TV OS into the homes of pay TV operator subscribers. And it has become a popular licensed OS for streaming device makers including Nvidia, TiVo and Dish Network’s AirTV. 

But Google has ambitious goals of one day having its OS overtake Roku and Amazon Fire TV for dominance of connected TV homes, both in the U.S. and abroad. 

Google is in the process of trying to rebrand Android TV. It’s now marketing a new Chromecast dongle based on the OS, and it calls the device’s operating software “Google TV.” 

Over the next few years, as it refreshes the software powering everything from third-party dongles to smart TVs, it will also change the name of the OS from Android TV to Google TV.

But smart TV is front and center of Google’s strategy. Just as TCL used Roku’s popular operating environment to fuel its rise in the U.S., Roku has used the fast uptake of TCL smart TVs to get to a point at which it now touts 43 million active users. 

Google is hoping TCL can do the same thing for its OS. 

Roku shares dropped almost 12% Wednesday in the wake of an exclusive, multi-year deal between Amazon and Best Buy that will result in a large lineup of 4K and HD smart TVs powered by Fire TV’s platform for the U.S. and Canada.

RELATED: Amazon, Best Buy Strike Exclusive Smart TV Deal

Roku’s smart TV licensing partners include three Funai Electric brands (Sanyo, Philips and Magnavox), RCA, TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Sharp, and Hisense. Roku’s smart TV partners had also included Insignia (Best Buy’s Brand), up until the Amazon-Best Buy deal was announced.

The deal announced between Amazon and Best Buy today includes Fire TV Edition sets from Best Buy/Insignia as well as Toshiba. Amazon also has a Fire TV Edition agreement with another Roku partner, Element Electronics.

Roku’s fast growing Platforms business includes advertising, subscription revenue sharing as well as licensing fees from TV makers that have integrated Roku’s operating system. That piece of Roku’s business soared 129%, to $85.43 million, in Q4 2017.

Smart TVs integrated with Roku’s platform have become a key way for Roku to attract consumers to its platform. In its Q4 results, Roku said more than half of new accounts came way of licensed sources during the period.

Roku shares closed down $4.26 (11.84%) to $31.72 each Wednesday. 

Roku is scheduled to release Q1 2018 results the afternoon of Wednesday, May 9. 

Roku said Sanyo is the latest brand to join its Roku TV licensing program, and that the TV maker expects to start shipping its first Roku-powered models in Canada later this quarter.  

The agreement ties into a broader relationship Roku has with Funai Electric, as Philips and Magnavox, two other Funai brand, also have agreements to make and sell TVs outfitted with Roku’s platform.  

RELATED: Philips Launches First Roku TV Model 

TV-maker licenses are a component of Roku’s Platforms business. That unit, Roku’s fastest-growing, also includes advertising and subscription revenue sharing. 

In Q1, Roku’s Platforms-related revenues rose 129%, to $85.43 million. 

Others Roku TV partners include RCA, TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense. 

Roku ended 2017 with 19.3 million active accounts, up 5.9 million, or 44% year-on-year, while streaming hours for the year jumped 55%, to 4.3 billion. 

Philips has launched its first Roku-powered TV, a 40-inch model that sells for $349.

That model is being sold today at Sam’s Club locations and will be available soon at Samsclub.com

P&F USA, the North American license partner (and part of Funai Electric) for Philips TVs and other home video products, plans to introduce a 43-inch Roku TV model for $379 (timing is to be announced), and a 50-inch version for $429 that will go on sale in January. All three models will come with Roku OS 8, which includes a guide that blends OTA programming with OTT content, Full HD resolution, and 802.11ac WiFi.

RELATED: Funai Preps Launch of Philips-Branded Roku TV Models

Philips joins an expanding list of television makers that have built Roku TV models, including RCA, TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense.

TV-maker licenses are a component of Roku’s Platform’s business. That unit, Roku’s fastest-growing, also includes advertising and subscription revenue sharing.

Funai Electric is the latest TV maker to connect with Roku, as it plans to introduce Philips-branded models later this year that are powered by Roku’s OS/streaming platform.

Funai joins a growing list of TV makers that have joined the Roku TV licensing program, which is part of Roku’s fast-growing Platforms division that also factors in advertising and subscription revenue sharing. Other Roku TV partners include RCA, TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense.

RELATED: Roku Shares Surge on Q3 Results

Funai has not announced pricing, screen sizes and whether 4K will be supported in its initial wave of Roku-powered TVs.

Roku also announced a Black Friday deal -- a $20 discount on its new Streaming Stick+. The model, which supports 4K and HDR, is being cut to $49.99. Though it’s billed as a Black Friday deal, this one gets started on November 22 (a Wednesday) at 9:01 p.m. PT, and runs through Monday, Nov. 27.

The Roku Express+, a model offered exclusively at Walmart, will also see “rollback pricing” during Black Friday weekend. That model, which supports HDMI and composite A/V ports (for older TVs without HDMI ports), usually sells for $39.99.

RELATED: Roku Freshens Up Streaming Device Lineup, Bows New OS

Roku has also teamed with DirecTV Now on a promo that offers one month of free service to DirecTV Now to customers who buy and activate a Roku device through Jan. 14, 2018.

Roku will be using the promo to bump its base of active users. It ended Q3 with 16.7 million active accounts, up by 48%, or 5.4 million, year-over-year.

Gearing up for the holiday buying season, RCA has launched its first lineup of Roku-powered smart TVs that also support 4K resolution.

The top of the line is a 65-inch model with an MSRP of $1,099, and is followed by a 55-inch model for $699.99, and a 50-inch version that costs $599.99.

RCA said the new 4K Roku TV models are being sold at Walmart stores and via the retailing giant’s online sales channel.

RCA, which announced its Roku TV partnership in January, introduced several HD Roku TV models over the summer.

RELATED: Roku, RCA Strike Smart TV Deal

RCA said its new 4K Roku TV models will get the get the latest software version, Roku OS 8, by year-end. That version includes a new Smart Guide that weaves together OTT content with TV signals that are captured over-the-air, as well as a single sign-on capability for a range of authenticated TV Everywhere apps from programmers.

RELATED: Roku Freshens Up Streaming Device Lineup, Bows New OS

Roku, which launched its IPO in late September, also works with several other TV makers, including TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Haier America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense. Though Haier is pivoting to a platform powered by Google’s “Chromecast built-in” platform, Roku has pledged to continue supporting and providing software updates to Haier smart TVs that use Roku’s OS.

Fresh off a successful IPO, Roku has broadened its streaming player lineup and complemented it with a new, more capable operating system for devices and integrated Roku TVs amid heated competition with rivals such as Amazon, Apple and Google.

RELATED: Roku Rises in Nasdaq Debut

On the device side, Roku said it’s aiming to reach a full spectrum of consumers with low-, mid- and high-end devices that include those for people who are new to streaming or have secondary TVs in the home, to people who require 4K and HDR capabilities alongside a mix of other bells and whistles.

Roku’s new lineup comes ahead of the holiday buying season and soon after rivals Amazon and Apple introduced new models of their own.

RELATED: Amazon Sparks Fire TV With 4K and HDR

Here’s how Roku’s new device lineup stacks up:

-Roku Express and Roku Express+: Representing a more powerful, second generation on Roku’s lower end, the HDMI-connected Roku Express sells for $29.99, while the Roku Express+, offered exclusively at Walmart, supports HDMI and composite A/V ports (for older TVs without HDMI ports), for $39.99. Though the price on those models hasn’t changed from the first-gen versions, the new products pack five times the processing power, according to Lloyd Klarke, Roku’s director of product management.

-Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick+: Both models feature quad-core processors and 802.11 AC dual-band MIMO wireless. The baseline, HD-capable Roku Streaming Stick sells for $49.99 MSRP, while the new Roku Streaming Stick+, which goes for $69.99, features a wireless receiver that’s built into the power cord and supports 4K and HDR video formats and streaming up to 60 frames per second.

In addition to bumping performance, the new steaming sticks will include remotes that support voice input, and the ability to control the TV’s power and volume controls, Klarke said, adding that the new the new sticks essentially replace the Premiere and Premiere+ (introduced last fall) in Roku’s lineup.

Thanks to their compact form-factor, Klarke noted that 59% of Roku streaming stick owners use it in multiple rooms, and 36% have used it out of the home.

-Roku Ultra: The top-end of Roku’s streaming lineup also packs in advanced wireless, 4K and HDR capabilities, plus an Ethernet port and a micro SD slot, for a reduced price of $99.99 (down from the $129 price point introduced last year). The Ultra also includes a remote with a headphone jack for private listening and a remote finder button.

Roku said the new lineup is available for pre-order today from its own site, as well as Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers, and is expected to be in stores around Oct. 8.

RELATED: Apple Intros Apple TV 4K

Roku Ready to Roll OS 8

Alongside the new device lineup, Roku also introduced OS 8, a platform that will be rolled out to players but also optimized for integrated Roku TVs.

Among the new features, OS 8 will enable consumers to use their voice to command and control Roku TVs, as well as a more integrated support of video that is streamed or obtained over-the-air with an antenna, explained Shubhada Hebbar, Roku’s VP of product.

Voice controls for Roku TVs can be used with Roku-made remotes with built-in microphones or via the free Roku app for iOS and Android devices.

The new OS’s “Smart Guide” for Roku TVs integrates and displays what’s on via OTA (up to 14 days’ worth of TV programming) and OTT, while also implementing search results from both sources. It also includes a “More Ways to Watch” component that lists out various options for how a show or movie can be accessed on the platform.

While some of the new features of OS 8 center on Roku TVs and are tailored for cord-cutters, the new operating system also tacks on features for users who get a traditional pay TV subscription. 

For example, Roku OS 8 adds a TV Everywhere single sign-on element that will initially support about 30 TVE apps that are authenticated by MVPDs such as Dish Network, Cox Communications and AT&T. Roku initially has teamed with Adobe for the new SSO component, the company confirmed.

The new operating system also features a redesign of the Roku 4K Spotlight Channel.

Roku plans to start rolling out OS 8 on Roku players in early October and to Roku TV models starting in November. The company expects to complete the rollout by year-end.

Business Update 
The bulk of Roku’s revenue currently comes way of sales of streaming players, with the balance from its Platforms business, which includes advertising, subscription revenue sharing, and licensing fees from TV makers that have integrated Roku’s OS (its TV partners include RCA, TCL, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Haier America, Sharp, and Insignia/Best Buy).

RELATED: RCA Rolls out Roku TV Models 

The majority of hours streamed on Roku’s platform (6.7 billion hours during the first six months of 2017) is of subscription-based content, but the company envisions that it will need to deliver “significantly more ad-supported” content to materially increase the monetization of its platform.

Roku also disclosed that it had 15.1 million active accounts by the end of Q2 2017, up from 10.6 million in the year-ago quarter.

TCL announced pricing and expected availability of a batch of Roku-powered TVs that support 4K and High Dynamic Range and were introduced in January at CES.

The new group of C-series and P-series models from TCL will feature Dolby Vision HDR and access to Roku’s menu of 5,000-plus online channels/apps.

TCL’s C-series start at under $700: 55” (55C807, $699); 65” (65C807, $1099); and 75” (75C807, $1999).

Its P-series will be offered in 50” (50P607), 55” (55P607), and 65” (65P607) screen sizes. TCL is offering the 55” model available for an introductory price of $599 when pre-ordered via Amazon.com starting May 26.

Roku also has TV integration deals with RCA, Element Electronics, Hitachi America, Haier America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense. Haier is shifting to a platform powered by Google’s “Chromecast built-in” platform, but Roku has pledged to continue supporting and providing software updates to Haier smart TVs that use Roku’s OS.

RELATED: Roku, RCA Strike Smart TV Deal

Roku has introduced a batch of new features amid the rollout of OS 7.5, including a live TV pause capability for integrated Roku TVs that use a digital antenna to capture free over-the-air TV signals.

Roku said the new OTA-TV feature, seemingly targeted to cord-cutters and cord-nevers, lets users pause TV for up to 90 minutes, though this capability requires a USB storage device with 16 gigabytes or more of storage to be connected to the Roku TV. Hitachi America, Haier America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense are among Roku’s TV partners.

Roku’s OS 7.5 update also brings the mobile private listening feature to Roku TVs, putting that on par with a capability offered on “current-generation” Roku streaming player (models that are post May 2011). Roku TV users can enable that when using the OTT platform in tandem with the Roku mobile app (so long as the devices are connected to the same wireless network).

RELATED: Roku Streamlines Publishing Platform

The company said OS 7.5 and the updated Roku mobile app for iOS and Android also enable multiple people to use the Play on Roku feature on a Roku device, while also adding screen mirroring to more models, including the Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+ and Roku Ultra.

RELATED: Roku Revamps Streaming Player Lineup

With the update, Roku streaming player models with remotes with on-board volume buttons can now control the volume level of TVs and audio receivers that support volume control via HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC).

Roku announced earlier this year that it has about 10.6 million active accounts, meaning that they have done some streaming in the last 30 days.

Hitachi America said its first three 4K/Ultra HD TVs powered by Roku’s streaming platform are arriving in stores this month.

Hitachi, which announced its Roku partnership in June, said the following three models all feature a quad-core processor and 2160p resolution: The Hitachi/Roku 55-inch-class models (55R7) will carry an MSRP of $599 and become available at Sam’s Club in early October, followed shortly by availability of the 65-inch-class 65R8 (MSRP $999) and 50-inch-class 50R8 (MSRP $499).

RELATED: Roku Revamps Streaming Player Lineup

Those sets will provide access to Roku’s menu of 3,500-plus apps/channels, including Roku’s curated 4K Spotlight channel.

RELATED: Roku Streamlines Publishing Platform

Roku also has integrated TV deals with TCL, which introduced six 4K-capable Roku TV models in March, Haier America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense. 

Add Hitachi America Ltd. to the growing list of TV makers that will offer smart TVs that are powered by Roku’s app and streaming platform.

Hitachi has joined its Roku TV licensing program, and plans to roll out its first Roku-powered 4K and HD TVs this fall. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but Hitachi, they said, will offer Roku TV models in a “variety of screen sizes.”

The deal marks an expansion of Roku’s smart TV strategy. Other partners include TCL, which introduced six 4K-capable Roku TV models in March, Haier America, Sharp, Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand), and Hisense. Under a temporary partnership, LG Electronics sold two "entry level" Roku TV HDTV models during at Best Buy during the 2015 holiday season.

Last year was the first full year for the Roku TV licensing program. Roku said more than 40 TV models now support its platform in the U.S., claiming that sales of those products account for 8% of the U.S. smart TV market. This year, it expects more than 60 models to ship in the U.S., with screen sizes ranging from 24 inches to 65 inches.

Roku, whose platform supports more than 3,000 apps and streaming channels, recently crossed 10 million active monthly users. 

Pushing ahead with a plan announced at CES in January, TCL has begun to sell 4K-capable TVs in the U.S. that are integrated with Roku’s operating system and streaming video and apps platform.

TCL is kicking things off with six 4K Roku TV models.

The S-series line includes a 55-inch TV for $599.99 and a 65-inch model for $999.

The company’s new “premium” P130 series, which include a fancy remote with headphone jack, voice search and remote finder,  includes a 43-inch model ($499.99), 50-inch TV ($599.99), 55-inch model ($699.99), and 65-inch 4K-Roku TV ($1099.99).

Those models will highlight Roku’s 4K Spotlight Channel, a curated selection of 4K fare from partners such as Amazon Video, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, and UltraFlix.

The new 4K TCL Roku TVs are available now in the U.S. at Amazon.com, and will be available nationwide at select retailers beginning in April, TCL said.

Roku, which also introduced a TV reference design that incorporates support for high dynamic range (HDR), in January, also works with TV makers such as Haier America, Sharp, and Hisense.  LG Electronics sold two "entry level" Roku TV HDTV models during at Best Buy during the 2015 holiday season. TCL announced last fall that it expected to ship its 1 millionth Roku TV by the end of 2015

“The time is right to bring these new 4K TVs to consumers as the 4K market has matured quickly over the last year, with new standards set in place and 4K content creation increasing,” said Chris Larson, vice president, sales and marketing, TCL, in a statement. 

Insignia, the in-house Best Buy CE brand, has introduced a set of 4K-capable LED TV models that integrate the Roku OTT/apps platform starting at $399.

Pricing and dimensions for the first three UHD Roku TVs from Insignia, available at BestBuy.com starting today and hitting Best Buy stores nationwide in early April, for the U.S. are as follows:

- 43-inch 4K Insignia Roku TV: $399

- 50-inch 4K Insignia  Roku TV: $499.99

- 55-inch 4K Insignia Roku TV: $649.99

All three feature the new Roku OS and access to 3,000 streaming channels in the U.S., including more than 10 that offer content in the 4K format, including Netflix, PLEX, YouTube, and UltraFlix.

The new Roku-powered Insignia TVs for sale in the U.S. feature a quad-core processor and 802.11ac dual-band WiFi, and comply with the Consumer Technology Association certification requirements to bear the organization’s 4K Ultra HD Connected label.

The TVs can be controlled with the included remote or via Roku’s mobile app for iOS and  Android devices.

Insignia and Roku said they will also offer 43-inch and 50-inch 4K TV models at Best Buy stores in Canada and at BestBuy.ca.

In January, Roku said TCL planned to introduce 4K-capable Roku TV models in the U.S. this spring, and that it was introducing a Roku TV reference design that incorporates support for high dynamic range (HDR). Other Roku TV partners include Haier America, Sharp, and Hisense.  LG Electronics sold two "entry level" Roku TV HDTV models during at Best Buy during the 2015 holiday season. 

Of that group, TCL said last October that it expected to ship its 1 millionth Roku TV by the end of 2015.

Roku launched its first 4K-capable streaming player, the Roku 4, last fall.

Roku has bulked up its integrated TV strategy, albeit temporarily for the holiday buying season, with integrations on two HD models from LG Electronics being sold at Best Buy – a 55-inch model that’s on sale for $549.99, and a 65-inch version that runs $999.

But this work between Roku and LG isn't part of a long-term deal, at least not yet. Those models are available via a “limited-time promotion with Best Buy,” according to CNET, which first reported on the new LG-Roku combos.

Still, the connection with LG broadens Roku’s overall integrated TV strategy.  Roku, which recently introduced a 4K-capable streaming player (the Roku 4) also has TV deals with Haier America, Sharp, TCL, Hisense and Insignia, which is Best Buy’s in-house brand.

LG, meanwhile, told CNET that the Roku partnership centers on “entry-level” series models and that its own webOS platform will continue to power its core smart TV lineup.

"As part of a limited-time promotion with Best Buy, LG is offering one entry-level series of TV with non-LG Smart TV technology this holiday season. While the Roku platform was chosen for this brief, cost-competitive promotion, LG's own webOS platform remains at the core of our extensive Smart TV lineup," the TV maker told CNET. 

Roku, meanwhile, expanded on its Black Friday deals. Starting tonight, it will offer discounts on the Roku Streaming Stick ($39.99); the Roku 3 ($79.99); and the recently announced Roku SE (special edition, $25). On the Roku TV end, it’s hawking a 32-inch TCL Roku TV for $125, and a 55-inch TCL model for $348. 

Haier America has begun to sell a new line of connected TVs with Roku’s streaming platform built in, a move that comes about eight months after the companies announced the partnership at the International CES in Las Vegas.

Haier said the new models – with screen sizes ranging from 32-inches to 55-inches, are now available at several retailers, including Conn’s Home Plus as well as NATM stores such as Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Haier is kicking off its portion of the Roku TV era with the following 4-Series models:

-55E4500R: $ 749.99 
-49E4500R: $ 599.99 
-43E4500R: $ 449.99 
-32E4000R: $ 299.99

"Haier has a long history of producing quality, yet affordable, TVs and these new Haier Roku TV models provide consumers with a great option for bringing the Roku TV experience into their homes,” Chas Smith, GM of OEM for Roku, said in a statement.

Roku, which offers more than 2,000 streaming “channels” on its platform also has integrated TV deals with Sharp, TCL, Hisense and Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand). In that grouping, Hisense is in the process of acquiring Sharp America's TV business for North America and South America. Roku announced earlier this year that TCL is its initial partner for coming 4K-capable Roku TV models.

Roku hasn’t announced how many Roku TVs have shipped. It has shipped more than 10 million streaming players in the U.S.

On the content side of the house, FilmRise announced Tuesday that it has launched several new free streaming channels on the Roku platform, ranging from international cinema to special interest feature and series.

FilmRise’s offering, developed in partnership with app development company Float Left Interactive, includes the flagship FilmRise channel, FilmRise Cinematheque, and Mutant Sorority Pictures, which features titles such as The Toxic Avenger.

FilmRise plans to launch additional streaming channels later in 2015 including FilmRise Paranormal and FilmRise True Crime.

About four months after announcing its “Recommended TV” program at CES, Netflix this week revealed the identity of the models that made the cut, based on Netflix’s evaluation of criteria that covered areas such as streaming performance (how rapidly the apps launch, resume and playback video), ease of access to apps, and features such as “instant on” – how quickly a TV can wake up and display its  menu of apps.

TVs that make the grade get the “Netflix Recommended TV” label at retail. This video goes into some of the details, but the overall goal of the program is to tell consumers which models deliver a “superior smart TV experience,” at least when viewed through the Netflix lens.

These models made Netflix's first cut:

-LG 4K UHD TVs w/ webOS 2.0

-Sony Android Full HDTVs

-Roku TVs from Hisense, Insignia, and TCL

“We’re particularly excited about the Instant On functionality supported by Roku TVs and the Sony Android Full HDTVs,” Brady Gunderson, Netflix’s director of product development;  and David Holland, the company’s director of business development, noted in the blog post announcing the selections. “These TVs wake up quickly, remembering where you left off, similar to how smartphones and tablets behave today.”

They also liked some “optimizations” on the LG 4K model that allowed for the quick launch of Netflix and an interface that lets users toggle easily between live TV and OTT.

Netflix, they added, plans to add more smart TV models to recommended list over the next couple of months.

While adding the Netflix label might help some consumers make a buying decision in a market that is flooded with smart TVs, it’ll take some time before we know whether this distinction helps these TV makers move the needle at retail compared to attributes such as price, screen size, and whether the TV supports 4K/Ultra HD video.