Roku is stepping up its TV game with its first OLED sets, promising punchier blacks and higher contrast than its prior LCD-based lineup. The company introduced two versions: the Roku Pro Series OLED TV and the Roku Pro Series LX OLED TV.
Both use high-refresh panels and include Dolby Vision. The LX model offers a brighter picture and runs at 144 hertz, while the standard Pro Series OLED clocks in at 120Hz. Automatic gaming mode is included across the board.
The Roku Pro Series OLED starts at $999 and comes in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes.
The Roku Pro Series LX OLED starts at $1,299, with shipments slated for October. The lineup tops out at 65 inches - a potential turnoff for shoppers chasing bigger screens - but the move clearly aims to keep prices in check rather than cover every size.
Roku will sell these TVs exclusively through Amazon.com Inc., skipping its usual roster of physical retail partners. Like its streaming devices, the sets spotlight Roku's streamlined software, and the Roku OS home screen saw its first major refresh in years last May.
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Both models sport thin bezels, stands that adjust to fit a soundbar, and built-in straps to tame cable clutter.
Because each pixel emits its own light, OLED panels can render one part of the image as true black, yet in neighboring areas produce intense colors and brilliant highlights. The tech also enables slimmer builds and wider viewing angles, so the picture holds up no matter where you sit.
Roku, which generates most of its revenue from advertising, is currently being bought by Fox Corp. in a $22 billion transaction announced in June. The deal would combine Fox's sports, news, and entertainment outlets - among them the ad-supported Tubi service - with Roku's platform that reaches more than 100 million households.
In a Tuesday statement, Roku's vice president of retail strategy, Chris Larson, said, "OLED technology has been locked behind premium price tags, forcing many customers to choose between the display they want or a price that works for them." LG Electronics Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Group Corp. tend to emphasize higher-end sets, so a lower-cost OLED option could resonate with shoppers. For Roku, moving beyond LCD marks a meaningful upgrade in its TV roster.
An OLED line at $999 and $1,299 - sold only on Amazon - signals a push to broaden Roku's hardware appeal while keeping costs down. Pair that with last May's Roku OS revamp and a pending Fox tie-up, and you have a clearer picture of how Roku plans to attract more viewing time and, by extension, more ad dollars. If you track where consumers spend their attention, this is one to watch.