Roku has announced more partners are joining its Roku TV Ready Certification programme, meaning more audio devices will soon work with its TVs and streaming devices out-of-the-box.
In a blog post, Roku said new partners including Element, JVC, Pheanoo and Philips joined the programme in 2021. And from next year, you can add the names of Polk Audio and Westinghouse to that list. They join an existing roster of Roku TV Ready partners that includes Sound United, the parent firm of Denon and Marantz, TCL North America, Bose and Hisense.
Polk Audio and Westinghouse have both promised to launch new audio products in the New Year that can connect seamlessly to Roku TV devices.
As Roku explains, the Roku TV Ready programme makes it simple for audio visual brands and consumer electronics firms to enhance their audio products. So whenever they’re connected to a Roku TV, they will support seamless setup with remote operations and easy access to home theatre settings on the display.
The Roku TV Ready programme provides partner firms with an easy to use software development kit, plus test materials so they can fast-track integration with Roku TVs. In addition, the company also provides a wireless soundbar reference design so audio equipment manufacturers can link their products to its TVs without the need for cables running all over the living walls.
Roku Vice President of Product Strategy Mark Ely said Roku TV Ready has benefited from “rapid adoption” by partners. “Whether you are a soundbar manufacturer interested in providing your customers with a seamless home theatre experience or would like to integrate Roku’s wireless audio technology, Roku makes it easy for manufacturers to utilise Roku technology to deliver great easy-to-use products that customers love,” he promised.
Roku is putting a lot of effort into the Roku TV Ready programme because the connected TV space is growing more competitive by the day, and consumers have come to expect interoperability between products and easy setup experiences. Roku’s rival Amazon provides an easy way to connect its Echo speakers wirelessly to many of its Fire TVs, and Apple allows Apple TV 4K users to connect wirelessly to the Apple HomePod device. Big TV brands including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are also working to boost their wireless connectivity options.
Perhaps in light of that competition, Roku said it is expanding the Roku TV Ready programme to other countries, meaning Roku TV owners in the U.K., Canada and Mexico can also expect to benefit from easier wireless connectivity.
