Screensavers and speech central to new Roku OS update

Roku has said that its next major Roku OS update will start to roll out in the coming weeks.

The update, Roku OS 11, comes with a major focus on personalisation, with the ability for users to set their own photos as a screensaver being the highlight. This is part of a new feature dubbed Roku Photo Streams, which allows users to upload images directly to their Roku devices through their desktop or mobile phone and set them as screensavers or share them with other Roku users. 

Discoverability is also getting a boost with the update. One new feature is a new ‘What to Watch’ destination on the home screen menu which, similar to features on Android TV and Apple TV, leads to movies and series from a variety of streaming channels.

Another new feature in the Roku OS update is something the company is calling Automatic Speech Clarity. This setting, it said, will dynamically identify and amplify dialogue.

Other features being implemented in Roku OS 11 includes the addition of voice-enabled keyboards in Spanish, German, and Portuguese, along with a new visual overhaul to the Roku mobile app.

Gidon Katz, SVP Product & Experience at Roku, said: “At Roku, we are laser-focused on tailoring the streaming and visual experience to fit our customers’ personal preferences. We recognise not everyone interacts with their TV in the same way, so we are proud to offer a platform full of choice, while simultaneously providing our users an easy-to-use experience. 

“With Roku OS 11, we’re offering a platform with new personalised updates across search, audio, content discovery, along with a new feature that allows our customers to display and even share photo albums through Roku devices.”