Roku has announced new software updates to its platform that are highlighted by new AI-powered voice control capabilities.
Roku states that with the fall season full of sporting events, including NFL, NHL and NBA games, as well as big TV shows making their debuts, the company is aiming to improve its content discovery tools so that its easier for users to find their preferred content. On the Roku blog, the company says that with its AI-powered Roku Voice feature, homeowners can ask questions about movies, TV shows and actors for example.
How Roku’s New AI Voice Features Will Work
According to the company, users can ask questions such as “how scary is ‘The Shining?'” or “what kind of fish is Nemo?” The AI-powered voice technologies will answer those questions and Roku says that homeowners can ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation going.
The popular streaming services provider goes on to note that it is making watching content easier through features such as more interactive trailer playback capabilities through the new Ways to Watch button. Roku states it is expanding Ways to Watch to now include its Live TV Zone, and soon users will be able to use the feature to search its Live TV Channel Guide.
Updates Coming to Roku Sports
Some of the other features the company is rolling out beyond its AI-powered voice capabilities and content search functions are a Bluetooth Headphone Mode that is coming to its Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus to bring private audio to music listeners and late-night TV viewers.
With sports being a major driver of the smart home viewing experience, the company says it is bringing new features to Roku Sports.
The newly added Live Scores and Reminder features will appear as homeowners browse game tiles to enable viewers to see scores and results from multiple sporting events through a single interface. Roku stresses that as part of these sports updates, users can also opt to hide these scores if they do not wish to see that information.
Added Features on the Roku Mobile App
Roku states that in the coming weeks it will add requested options such as Closed Captions, Find My Remote, Sleep Time, Daily Trivia and more to its mobile app as quick access shortcuts.
Moreover, the app’s personalization capabilities enable Roku to build curated content recommendations by simply interacting with content by giving movies and shows a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ rating.
