The new Roku Pro Series is a better, cheaper version of Samsung's The Frame
Roku is inviting even more innovation in the display industry with the new Roku Pro Series QLED TV that’s built on a Mini-LED backlit panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, AI picture refinements, multiple OS upgrades, and so much more.
The new set, which comes in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch models, officially launches today at varied retailers including BestBuy, Amazon, and Walmart. Starting at just $899 for the 55-inch configuration, Roku maintains its tight grip on the best TVs under $1,000 space while offering several exciting display advancements.
A whole new TV line wasn’t enough for Roku, though, as it’s also announcing OS upgrades that will further allow users to personalize their at-home entertainment experience. These include artful Backdrops and dynamic adjustments via Roku Smart Picture, along with several other improvements to content discovery.
Roku Pro Series TV brings the juice
Roku’s new TV is an exciting entry that takes up after last year’s Roku Plus Series 4K QLED TV. The new Roku Pro Series QLED TV comes equipped with a 120Hz 4K panel built on a 1.9” shadowbox frame. Mini-LED backlighting adds to its contrast support and highlights, while HDR10+ and Dolby Vision IQ round out its HDR support.
Under the hood, Roku has kitted the Pro Series TV with a quad-core processor infused with AI under the Smart Picture Max tagline, which allows the display to automatically change to the best possible picture quality across scenes. Additionally, it will be capable of automatically determining the most optimal brightness per ambient lighting in one’s room.
Gaming didn’t take a back seat either despite its lower price, as the Roku Pro Series will also have AMD FreeSync Premium Pro built in alongside both ALLM and VRR on top of its 120Hz refresh rate. The automatic game mode will allow the display to instantly change to the desired format without fiddling with settings, potentially making this one of the best gaming TVs out of Roku yet.
The Roku Plus Series came heralded with its sound profile and the now-released Pro Series should be no different thanks to a pair of side-firing Dolby Atmos speakers. No need to get any of the best soundbars, but Roku’s Pro Series will have a headphone mode and expandable surround sound potential with alternative Roku speaker systems.
The Roku Pro Series QLED TV is available today starting at $899 for its 55-inch model and goes up to $1,699 for its 75-inch configuration. An additional wall mount kit can be purchased for $99, as well.
OS upgrades and AI enhancements
With the announcement of its new Pro Series, Roku is also bringing exciting OS upgrades to its entertainment system. Namely, these upgrades include a Samsung The Frame-like Backdrops mode, which sort of acts like an art deco wallpaper when the TV isn’t in operation, and the aforementioned Roku Smart Picture feature.
Backdrops include an entire catalog of art and other abstract designs for you to use as your main display’s centerpiece, turning your living room into a museum. You can even pick and choose among family photos and uploaded digital art of your own choice for a more improved personalized feel on any of the best Roku TVs.
Smart Picture Mode is essentially an AI upgrading feature that allows the display to dynamically change to better suit specific scenes in terms of color volume, backlighting, uniformity, and more — all without any fiddling with messy settings. It also syncs up to the particular picture mode you are using and will find the best color and brightness for that image.
Both of these new additions are coming not only to the Pro Series, but also the entire Roku lineup, so everyone will be able to experience the upgrades without a new TV. Any Roku TV purchased before spring 2024, however, will have to enable Smart Picture Mode in settings, whereas the Pro Series and beyond will have it enabled out of the box.