The next big Roku TV update is officially coming soon, with the popular streaming brand bringing tons of new features - and options for personalization - via Roku OS 11. And at a glance, the outlined additions contain some exciting stuff for Roku TV streaming stick owners.
Roku OS 11 is launching on all supported Roku TV devices "over the coming weeks," according to a Roku press release. The update brings substantial additions to audio and voice settings, an expansion to Roku's content discovery features, as well as an overhaul of the Roku mobile app.
"With Roku OS 11, we’re offering a platform with new personalized updates across search, audio, content discovery along with a new feature that allows our customers to display and even share photo albums through Roku devices," said Senior Vice President Product & Experience at Roku, Gidon Katz in a release on the update.
Roku TV update: what's coming in Roku OS 11?
Your Roku device's audio features are to receive some big additions. If you own a Roku Streambar or speaker, you'll be able to enjoy new sound profiles that we're honestly surprised weren't available before. You can choose various sound modes including Dialogue, Movie, Music, and Night. All modes are accessible via your Roku remote or through the mobile app.
Plus, with the improved A/V sync feature available on the app, it'll be easier to sync audio with whatever's on-screen. That's a huge win for Roku Streambar owners who will hopefully no longer have issues with unsynced audio.
The real star of the Roku TV update package, for us, has to be the expanded content discovery features. If you own a Roku TV model or one of the best Roku streaming sticks, you'll have access to a brand new 'What to Watch' menu as a part of the Roku OS 11 update.
'What to Watch' sounds ideal if you're looking for a new favorite movie, or a new TV show to binge. It'll suggest content from a wide variety of the best streaming services. This means that its suggestions won't be tied to just a select few streamers, and should help you find new or trending content without trawling through each app.
Roku's Live TV Zone is also seeing an expansion, and will offer suggestions based on your recent watches among the Roku Channel's live content . That could be especially handy if you like keeping up with the news or tuning in to watch your favorite sports as they happen.
Rounding out the Roku OS 11 update is an expansion of the Roku Photo Streams feature, which will now let you set photo albums - and images you've uploaded to your Roku device - as screensavers. This will effectively let you display your favorite photos onto your TV, not dissimilar to how LG's TV line-up presents images of paintings and such while the TV is idle.
