Roku Debuts Pro Series TV With Mini-LED Starting at $900
It promises to be the best Roku-branded TV yet and comes complete with a remote finder.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Roku released its latest TV Wednesday, saying it'll deliver the company's best picture quality yet. Called the Roku Pro Series, it starts at $900 for the 55-inch model and also includes 65- and 75-inch sizes.
Judging by its features, the Roku Pro Series will compete with models from Hisense and TCL that we've really liked for the money, namely the TCL QM8 and Hisense U8K, and their upcoming 2024 successors. Like those TVs the Roku Pro Series has mini-LED display technology, which should produce a brighter image with better contrast than Roku's less-expensive Plus Series and Select Series, which were the company's first branded TVs.
The Roku Pro Series remote has backlighting that activates when you pick it up.
This Roku Pro Series includes a remote finder feature. When you press a button on the side of the TV, ask "Hey Roku, where's the remote?" or trigger the feature from Roku's app, the remote will make noise from wherever it is to help you find it. The same remote-finding feature is also available on some of Roku's streaming devices, as well as on the Roku Voice Remote Pro, which can be added to any Roku device or TV. This is the first Roku TV to include a finder button, however.
Roku's smart TV system remains our favorite, thanks to its simplicity and ease of use. New for this year, the Roku Pro Series will offer Backdrops, which are customizable images that appear on the screen when not in use. It's like wallpaper or a screen saver on your computer, but for your TV. Backdrops will be available on other Roku TVs and streaming devices in the coming months as well.
Also, Roku City, the moving home screen backdrop on Roku TVs, will soon include cars (such as an ice cream truck).
As far as pricing is concerned, the $900, 55-inch Roku Pro Series sits somewhat higher than our favorite TV of that size for the money, the 55-inch Hisense U8K at $700. The 65-inch Pro Series will cost $1,200, and the 75-inch, the largest size available, comes in at $1,700. As usual, we expect prices on 2024 TVs to fall throughout the year.
Other features include:
- 120Hz 4K panel
- Dolby Vision IQ
- HDR10 Plus
- Side-firing Dolby Atmos speakers
- IMDB ratings and trailers available with content
The Roku Pro Series is available now.