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Jun 03, 2023

Roku And RCA Launch A Freeview Play TV In The UK

Streaming giant Roku is adding another TV with built-in Roku OS to its roster in

Streaming giant Roku is adding another TV with built-in Roku OS to its roster in the UK – this time with electronics manufacturer RCA.

The TV models, which are available in 32", 40" and 55" screen sizes will be particularly affordable, starting from £129.99 for the 32″ HD-only model (see full price list below).

The smaller sizes, however, will only support HD (720p) and Full HD (1080p) resolutions, with only the 55″ available in UHD (4K)

The new RCA Roku TVs join the likes of Hisense, TCL and METZ, which have also launched Roku TVs in the UK.

The RCA Roku TVs will be available in the UK, on Amazon, starting today (December 12).

All the Roku RCA models come with a Freeview tuner (that requires an aerial), with Freeview Play support, as is common with connected TVs these days.

Streaming apps will be available through the Roku interface and its vast library of channels (both free and paid) which includes all the major UK broadcasters, from BBC iPlayer and ITVX (formerly ITV Hub), to Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Sky's NOW and many others.

Roku users also have access to The Roku Channel, which offers free (with adverts) TV shows and films, including the critically acclaimed new feature film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Roku is one of the leading streaming device manufacturers in the US. Worldwide, Roku reported more than 60 million active accounts in the 4th quarter of 2022.

Roku's primary hardware business is the set-top streaming devices market, with the Roku Express, Roku Express 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K (see our full Roku comparison).

In the US, Roku has also been partnering with multiple TV manufacturers since 2014, and Roku TVs have proved to be quite popular.

In the UK, there were only a couple of Roku TV models available so far – the first Roku TV arrived in late 2019, thanks to a partnership with Hisense, and in 2021 TCL launched a Roku TV.

Last September, a METZ Roku TV was announced as well, though its launch has been postponed – and it's not expected to become widely available in early 2023.

One advantage of a TV with Roku's OS in it, is that Roku keeps updating the software, therefore apps remain compatible with it for many years.

On some other Smart TVs, the operating system doesn't get upgraded after a few years – and popular apps sometimes stop working (as was the case with ITV Hub on older Samsung TVs this year).

A recent Roku software update, for example, brought with it better search and a global watchlist – and was pushed to all Roku devices and TVs in the UK.

RCA, formerly known as Radio Corporation of America is now a brand label used by several different manufacturers.

The new RCA Roku TVs will be assembled in South Wales by Innoview International Limited, and customers will benefit from its on-site call centre.

"As a leading provider of a full range of tech products internationally, we are excited to bring RCA TVs to the UK in partnership with Roku", said Simon Lucas, General Manager at Innoview International Limited.

"Roku offers our customers an incredible experience through its easy-to-navigate interface and huge choice of entertainment. With value for money a key consideration for consumers this holiday season, we expect these HD and 4K UHD Roku TVs to be a real winner."

The new RCA Roku TVs will be available in 3 sizes:

We don't have the full spec list for the TVs yet, and will add it once it becomes available.

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