Pretty much every home has a TV, and there’s a good chance if you upgraded your TV in the past few years, it might even be a smart TV. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if a number of you are using Roku. The good news is that if you’re a Roku user, the company has unveiled a bunch of updates and new features, such as Roku Labs, that could be worth checking out.
Roku introduces Roku Labs
One of the main new features is Roku Labs. It’s a new program that gives you early access to apps Roku’s engineers are still building. This means that instead of waiting for a feature to be finished, you get to try it early. Think of it like a beta program of sorts. You can then also submit your feedback to the company.
Roku Labs shows up as a tile right on your Roku Home Screen once it rolls out in the US. When you tap it, you’ll find various experimental apps straight from the people building Roku’s platform. According to Roku, the goal is to let viewers shape what gets built next instead of just receiving finished products.
According to Brian Pinkerton, Roku’s SVP of Advanced Development, “Our best breakthroughs have never happened in a vacuum; they start with Roku engineers building and the people watching.” He adds, “Roku Labs continues to bridge the gap between engineers and our viewers, giving millions of households a seat at the table to explore, test, and shape experiences in real time. It ensures every feature that comes to our platform solves a real pain point, brings genuine delight, and reinforces our commitment to streaming.”
If you’re wondering what Labs might look like, the company points to Roku City Dash. It was one of the concept games that launched on Labs and is now available to viewers everywhere. Users can also look forward to other Labs projects like Stocks, Weather, Background Studio (which lets users add custom artwork and images to their screens), and Immerse.
Other upcoming updates
That being said, Roku Labs isn’t the only thing rolling out. The redesigned Roku Home Screen is expanding to Brazil and Mexico in the coming months. Each region gets its own localized content picks and a tailored recommendations section.
Roku is making Search smarter too. Search results now explain why something showed up, based on your watch history and what’s trending. That should make recommendations feel a bit less random. Roku Voice is also expanding with more functionality. You can now ask it for the weather and see temperature, humidity, and wind right on screen.
Lastly, there’s the subscription side. Roku is bundling premium services like AMC+, Starz, and Hallmark+ together, with over 25 combinations now live in the US and Mexico. Each bundle saves money compared to signing up separately. You can also adjust your subscriptions anytime right from your device.
The post Roku Labs Debuts With Early Access to Experimental Apps and Features appeared first on Android Headlines.
