The first 4K Roku TVs hit Best Buy for $400 and up

[Poke]

http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/10/best-buy-insignia-4k-roku-tvs/

Roku TVs afford you all the same features and apps the dinky set-top boxes do without cluttering up your entertainment center. Last year, Roku caught up with the times by launching the Ultra HD-ready Roku 4, also setting the stage for its TV partners to build 4K sets with the platform baked-in. Chinese manufacturer TCL was expected to be the first to market, but it's been beaten to the punch by Best Buy today with the launch of the first 4K Roku TVs under the retailer's Insignia brand.

Like the Roku 4, the new LED Insignia line-up all support dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, giving you the wireless speeds you need to enjoy the 4K content and channels available on Roku's platform. They arrive in 43-, 50- and 55-inch flavors at a cost of $400, $500 and $650, respectively. As you've probably guessed, they're available exclusively at Best Buy, which is selling them online from today and in-store from early next month.

 

[mdram]

just read this

wonder when they will have the first sale prices on them, i still need a tv for the bedroom, and the 43" is looking like the ticket

 

[navychop]

I owned an Insignia. Came in an RV we purchased. Never again. Narrow field of view, especially up and down.

Gave it away and bought a better TV.

 

[mdram]

claims to be 178deg vert and hor

 

[Tampa8]

Problem with that is how do you know they haven't improved? Vizo was the stepchild for a long time, not so much now.

 

[mdram]

have to go in store and look at them to know for certain

 

[Poke]

TCL's 4K Roku TVs are available today from $599.99

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/24/11291380/roku-tcl-tvs-availability-price

Earlier this year at CES, Roku announced that it was working with manufacturers to create inexpensive 4K TVs that run on the streaming service's own operating system. The first sets made with Insignia were announced earlier this month, and now Chinese TV maker TCL has added its own devices to the mix. The company's 55-inch and 65-inch S-series 4K Roku TVs both go on sale today on Amazon, with the smaller set going for $599.99 and the larger for $999.99.

THE PRICIER P130 SERIES COMES WITH VOICE SEARCH-ENABLED REMOTE


TCL also announced pricing for a further four Roku sets in its P130 series, but did not specify when they would be available to buy. (Some time in the next couple of weeks is the estimate.) These come with an "enhanced remote" that has a headphone jack for private listening, voice search, and a finder feature in case you lose it. The series starts with a 43-inch set for $499.99, a 50-inch model for $599.99, a 55-inch set for $699.99, and a 65-inch one for $1,099.99.

It'll be interesting to see whether or not TCL's sets can establish a foothold in the market. The TVs that go on sale today aren't much cheaper than other lower-end brands, but they are less expensive than models from the likes of Samsung and Sony. Having them run Roku's own OS might limit their reach. (Why would you buy it if you were already paying for Netflix?) Elsewhere in the industry, manufacturers like Vizio are doing away with the smart TV interface altogether and instead putting connected tablets at the heart of the viewing experience.

 

[Radioguy41]

Frankly, Best Buys Insignia brand TVs have to prove to me they've improved significantly before I spend any money on one again. Insignia does not have a good reputation, in fact it's bad and I'm a bit surprised that Roku tied themselves to a brand with such a poor reputation.

 

[mdram]

i hadnt heard that, cnet seems to like the 2015 insignias

 

[Bruce]

My daughter has the 32" TCL Roku TV, very fast and no problems with it at all and a pretty good 720P picture, real nice picture with Vudu content.

I was going to get one of these 4K sets just to to hold me over till they get all the HDR stuff worked out, but I needed a TV a month ago and could not wait any longer.

That price for a 55" at $599 with a Roku 4 built in is a great price.

 

[dishdude]

I'd probably do a Vizio D-series paired with a Roku 4 before one of these.