Roku, a popular streaming media platform, has announced several new features coming to its TVs in a planned platform update to OS 12.5. In the coming months, users will experience new personalized content discovery features, with updates rolling out across Sports, Live TV, What to Watch, Music Playlists and Roku Photo Streams. Roku 4K devices will also be receiving a series of Expert Picture Settings that will allow for better customization for AV enthusiasts.

These features will be added via a free update to the platform and that will update Roku TVs, as well as devices like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, to OS 12.5.

Reaching over 73 million active accounts globally, the Roku platform is designed to allow users to easily access their AV entertainment easily with the company having expanded its scope over the years with the introduction of Roku-branded smart home devices as well as its own line of smart TVs and speakers.

“As the leaders in streaming TV, we’ve made it our priority to offer a platform that anticipates our user’s needs and adapts in real time,” says Preston Smalley, vice president of viewer product at Roku.

“With endless content to choose from and ways to watch, we will continue to innovate and release feature updates to our millions of users that better the viewing experience, making Roku the go-to destination for TV streaming.”

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Roku OS 12.5 Update Emphasizes Sports and Music

In highlighting the new features coming with the OS 12.5 platform update, Roku has stated users can expect to see improvements in:

Streaming Sports Content:

• Favoriting: With Roku’s new favoriting feature, users can track live and upcoming sporting events for their go-to teams in one curated row. Simply add a team to the “My Favorites” row within the Sports experience by clicking the “Favorite” button on the game page and tune in once it’s game time.
• Highlights: With the upcoming launch of “Highlights” in the Sports experience, users will be able to watch clips from recent sporting events they may have missed or want to relive.
• Expanded Content: Additionally, the Sports experience will be expanding its offering to include motorsports in early 2024 and new sports content from Max in the coming weeks, which will join the list of currently supported channel partners across the platform.

Live TV Content:

Personalized Live TV: The company points out that with more than 400 free live linear TV channels to choose from, Roku is introducing more enhancements to the Live TV Channel Guide to better the Live TV streaming experience. New updates now will enable simpler live TV browsing by personalizing the order of channels in the Guide and removing channel numbers.

Improved Content Discovery Options:

• What to Watch Categories: Roku says that it is making updates within the “What to Watch” section of its interface to get users to their content faster. In the coming weeks, users can browse by categories including TV Shows, Movies, New & Popular, Free, and more and start streaming with ease.
• Experiences: New experiences related to a specific genre or topic such as food or home will roll out across the platform in the coming months. Within these new experiences, users can browse through a curated selection of entertainment specific to each genre.
• Roku Mobile App Search: Visual Search is coming to the Roku Mobile app, allowing users to discover new entertainment in a more visual and immersive way than before. Users can simply navigate to the “Search” tab on the mobile app and search for content with ease.

Improved Streaming Music Options:

• Music Playlists: The Roku Channel will be easier for customers to play over 250 video playlists from partners, including Stingray, Vevo, and Warner Music Group.

Additionally, the streaming entertainment company emphasizes, in celebration of Atlantic Records’ 75th Anniversary, it has collaborated with Warner Music Group and their artist services, media & creative content division WMX, to create 75 playlists in The Roku Channel from iconic Atlantic Records recording artists through the years.

Five exclusive playlists have also been curated by music legends Debbie Gibson, Jim “Soni” Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish, Kathy Sledge, Nile Rodgers, and Paul Rodgers. 

Media Sharing:

• Roku Photo Streams x Google Photos: Roku Photo Streams now supports Google Photos to allow users to share content with family and friends. The company says that all users need to do is head to Roku Photo Streams to upload images or link an album from Google Photos.

Smart Home Control Capabilities:

• Event History: With all new support for Roku Smart Home Video Doorbell events, users with a Camera subscription can now go back and see who was at their front door using the Cameras app on any Roku streaming players and Roku TV models. As previously announced, users can also access Smart Home Camera events history within the Cameras app.
• Notifications: Roku Cameras and Doorbell owners with a Camera subscription will now get instant notifications on their Roku streaming players and Roku TV models.

4K Expert Picture Setting:

• Expert Picture Setting: Roku adds that it is now offerings picture mode options to 4K devices to enable homeowners the ability to customize their picture settings when streaming on Roku. These options allow for the adjustment of parameters such as color temperature, color space, gamma correction, and noise reduction directly from the TV. Expert picture settings are already available via the Roku Mobile app.

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