TCL Alto Is the First Roku-Equipped Speaker Line

LAS VEGAS—TCL is at CES this week to unveil the first Roku-powered speakers. The Roku Smart Soundbar is the starting time model in TCL's new Alto line of speakers and the first consumer speaker to use Roku's newly appear Roku Connect software.

CES 2022 bug art This is a big outset step for TCL and Roku, both of which have primarily focused on the video end of home entertainment with TVs and media streamers.

Every bit a Roku-powered speaker, the Roku Smart Soundbar can work with TCL'southward Roku TVs and other Roku OS devices, enabling direct control to be shared betwixt connected devices. The soundbar can plough on a continued Roku Idiot box, or that Idiot box's remote tin exist used to control the soundbar even with the Television receiver off. This integration goes beyond a shared remote, though.

TCL Roku soundbar

The Roku Smart Soundbar works with the new Roku Entertainment Banana, an enhanced voice assistant being rolled out to Roku Bone devices. Roku TVs and media streamers have had voice search for a few years through either microphone-equipped remotes or the Roku app, but it's been express to looking for content rather than controlling playback. The Roku Entertainment Assistant adds playback control to TCL's Roku TVs and other Roku Bone devices. It besides extends that command to Roku Connect speakers like the Roku Smart Soundbar. This will allow users search for and play music over the soundbar without turning the Television set on or navigating on-screen menus.

Currently simply the Roku Smart Soundbar has been appear, merely TCL plans for it to be only the first fellow member of its new Alto line of Roku Connect speakers. Information technology hasn't specified any other Alto speakers nevertheless, but information technology would be reasonable to presume a Google Home or Sonos One-similar tabletop speaker could exist coming.

That said, the Roku Smart Soundbar doesn't appear to exist just nevertheless. The printing conference showed a mock-up soundbar of what TCL envisions it will look like, and noted that the speaker is expected in late 2022. This is however an early concept device that hasn't been finalized for retail release.

TCL Roku soundbar

Fortunately, that isn't likely the case for TCL's newer TVs, which the company also announced at the press briefing. Its 2022 TVs drop the letter designations of previous TCL TVs. Instead of lines like the P-series (which earned our Editors' Choice final yr for budget TVs) and C-series, TCL'due south new TVs are divided into the 5-series and half dozen-serial. Both lines consist of 4K TVs that support high dynamic range (HDR) with Dolby Vision and wide color gamut, and employ the Roku TV platform.

As the higher-finish line, the 6-serial adds zone-based LED backlight and contrast adjustments. The 55-inch 6-series Tv will feature 96 individually adjusted contrast zones, while the 65-inch model will have 120 zones. The five-series TVs include dynamic contrast adjustments, just they apply to the entire screen and aren't zone-based. Both lines will feature Roku Connect and the Roku Entertainment Assistant, and will piece of work with the Roku Smart Soundbar.

Roku has non yet announced pricing or availability for the Roku Smart Soundbar or the 5- or six-series TVs. The new TVs will likely be priced similarly to Roku's 2022 South- and C-serial TVs, which retailed for $370 to $800 for the 43- to 65-inch South-series and $700 to $1,100 for the 55- and 65-inch C-series.