Roku will lay off 200 employees to improve its operating expenses and focus on projects leading to a “higher return on investment.”
The move is part of the company’s restructuring plan and will impact six percent of its workforce, according to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
As The Verge reports, this is Roku’s second round of layoffs in recent months. The company laid off 200 employees in the U.S. in November.
The recent filing doesn’t specify where impacted employees are located. Roku has offices worldwide, including one in Toronto, Ontario, its website shows.
Roku’s layoffs follow the steps of several other tech companies, including Amazon, Disney, and Microsoft.
At CES 2023, Roku revealed that it’s finally building its own televisions.
The 11 HD and 4K televisions will range from 24 inches to 75 inches and cost in the range of $119 to $999 USD (roughly $160 to $1,315 CAD). This means that the streaming company is mainly targeting the lower-end TV market and that its televisions aren’t designed to compete with the majority of TCL’s and HiSense’s Roku-powered TVs.
Roku hasn’t revealed many technical details about its first-ever in-house TVs, but don’t expect bright OLED panels or mini LED technology given their price point.
What we do know is that the TVs will include voice remotes and that its Plus Series TVs will come with the Roku Voice Remote Pro that features USB charging instead of being powered by two AAA batteries alongside a headphone jack.
Along with the new TVs, Roku also revealed a new wireless soundbar and an OLED television reference design at CES 2023. Roku says it will launch its TVs this spring in the United States.
It’s unclear if the company will release these televisions in Canada at the same time as the U.S. (Roku devices often make their way here a few months later).
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
My Policeman [Amazon Original]
In 1950s Brighton, a married policeman begins a secret gay relationship, in spite of homosexuality being illegal.
My Policeman was directed by Michael Grandage (Genius) and stars Harry Styles (Don’t Worry Darling), Emma Corrin (The Crown) and David Dawson (The Last Kingdom).
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: November 4th, 2022 Genre: Romance drama Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes
The full list of movies and shows that hit Amazon Prime Video Canada in October can be found here. A list of November’s new content is available here.
Apple TV+
Causeway [Apple Original]
After returning home due to a traumatic brain injury, a soldier strikes up an unexpected bond with a local mechanic.
Causeway was directed by Lila Neugebauer (The Waverly Gallery) and stars Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) and Linda Emond (Lodge 49).
Apple TV+ Canada release date: November 4th, 2022 Genre: Drama Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Directed by Alex Keshishian (Madonna: Truth or Dare), Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me is a raw, years-long look at singer-songwriter Selena Gomez’s mental health struggles.
Apple TV+ Canada release date: November 4th, 2022 Genre: Documentary Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Find out what’s coming to Apple TV+ in November here.
Crave
Broken: Toxic Culture of Canadian Gymnasts [Crave special]
“Broken: Inside the Toxic Culture of Canadian Gymnastics.”
Coming this fall… our first feature-length documentary, a @TSN_Sports co-production with @CTVW5 and @CraveCanada. Any universities, colleges, and libraries interested in an advance screening and Q&A, please send a DM. pic.twitter.com/leFf55IcMe
TSN senior correspondent Rick Westhead speaks with athletes about the culture of abuse in Canadian gymnastics.
Crave release date: November 5th, 2022 Genre: Documentary Runtime: TBA
Stream Broken: Toxic Culture of Canadian Gymnasts here.
Crimes of the Future
In a futuristic world, a performance artist duo perform surgeries in front of live audiences.
Crimes of the Future was written and directed by Toronto’s David Cronenberg (A History of Violence) and stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), Kristen Stewart (Spencer) and Toronto-raised Scott Speedman (Felicity).
Original theatrical release date: June 3rd, 2022
Crave release date: November 4th, 2022 Genre: Sci-fi, body horror Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows that hit Crave in October can be found here. A list of November’s new content is available here.
Netflix
Blockbuster [Netflix Original]
The staff at the last remaining Blockbuster get up to all kinds of hijinks in their efforts to keep the video rental store afloat.
Blockbuster was created by Vanessa Ramos (Superstore) and stars Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Olga Merediz (In the Heights), Tyler Alvarez (American Vandal) and Vancouver’s Madeleine Arthur (To All the Boys series).
It’s worth noting that the series was filmed in Vancouver.
Netflix Canada release date: November 3rd, 2022 Genre: Workplace comedy Runtime: 10 episodes (25 to 28 minutes each)
Callum, Ezran and friends race to stop Claudia from using dark magic to free the powerful Aaravos.
The Dragon Prince was created by Aaron Ehasz (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Justin Richmond (PlayStation 3 video game Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception) and features the voices of Jack DeSena (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Paula Burrows (Unspeakable), Vancouver-born Sasha Rojen (The Flash) and Racquel Belmonte (Lego Elves).
It’s worth noting that Vancouver’s Bardel Entertainment handles the animation for the show.
Netflix Canada release date: November 3rd, 2022 Genre: Animated, family Runtime: Nine episodes (25 to 26 minutes each)
To solve her first official case as a detective, Enola must team up with friends and brother Sherlock.
Enola Holmes 2 was directed by Harry Bradbeer (Enola Holmes) and stars Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things), Henry Cavill (The Witcher), David Thewlis (Harry Potter series) and Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech).
The full list of movies and shows that hit Netflix Canada in October can be found here. A full round-up of what’s coming to the service in November is available here.
Roku
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story [Roku Original]
This satire of biopics tells an exaggerated account of the life and career of singer-songwriter “Weird Al” Yankovic (who also co-wrote and cameos in the film).
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was co-written and directed by Eric Appel (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) and Rainn Wilson (The Office).
Roku release date: November 4th, 2022 Genre: Biographical parody Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
It appears Roku is expanding from streaming hardware to smart home lighting.
Photos and two shipping manifests regarding Roku-branded smart home devices have appeared online. The smart home lineup from Roku could incorporate light strips, smart plus and even indoor/outdoor security cameras.
Roku has long secured its place in the streaming hardware space, whether it’s the Roku Express, Roku Streaming Stick, or the new Roku Ultra, many are aware of the brand.
A photo depicting a large stack of Roku smart light strips is circulating the internet courtesy of Reddit user ‘Negative_Source.’ Additionally, two shippingmanifests show that Roku is working with Wyze on roughly half a dozen products for the home.
So far, the available information reveals the company’s plans to sell a Roku colour bulb and a white bulb. Additionally, there are mentions of the aforementioned light strips and a Roku smart plug. Finally, Roku appears to be releasing a Roku indoor camera, Roku outdoor camera and Roku pan cam.
Of course, this leak doesn’t officially confirm that there are new Roku devices on the way. However, this is substantial enough evidence to suggest Roku is planning to become an integral part of the smart home.
It’s worth considering how these products could communicate with one another. References to a ‘Roku Smart Home’ channel have been spotted as well. This suggests that Roku may be developing a way to control all devices via a set-top box or streaming stick. It’s likely integration into the Roku mobile app is on the way as well.
Roku’s investment in smart home lighting is interesting. Obviously, Philips Hue is a big player in the space and offers the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the living room. Though, it does involve quite the investment of cash. Perhaps Roku’s smart home initiative can provide similar results for a more modest price.
As far as rollout and pricing, it’s still unclear how Roku plans to announce these products. However, given that the packaging looks like it’s finalized, we can’t be too far away from official details.
Roku is finally bringing its $129 Roku Ultra streaming set-top box back to the Canadian market.
The Ultra is one of the most capable devices Roku sells and offers several cool perks, but the most interesting is the new Roku remote that includes a headphone jack, far-field microphones and a rechargeable battery.
Beyond that, the Ultra features an Ethernet jack, a USB port and can play high-end 4K content with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision high dynamic-range. This makes it comparable to the $70 Streaming Stick, but with extra ports and a wider Wi-Fi range than Roku’s other products. The streaming box also features Bluetooth, allowing you to connect wireless headphones to listen privately.
Roku says that the new rechargeable remote should last two months per charge and can be topped up with the included micro-USB cable. However, you’ll need to use your own charging block or plug it into the back of the streaming box.
The remote also features two programmable buttons that you can set up to work with just about anything. They can trigger a custom search, open an app or even work to turn on settings like closed captions within apps. This is pretty useful, and I think these buttons will make navigating the already user-friendly Roku interface even faster.
Other new features include a new switch on the side that mutes the far-field microphone if you don’t want to use hands-free voice search. That said, the hands-free mic is helpful when you misplace the remote and want it to play a sound so you can find it. Without the microphone, you need to tap a button on the side of the set-top box.
To round out the new announcements, Roku is also rolling out an update to its operating system that improves search better and adds a new section to the home screen to make finding free content easier
Apple Music has finally made its way to RokuOS, making the company’s little streaming devices even better. I’ve been saying for over a year now that Roku makes the best low-cost Apple TVs, and this update helps solidify that point even more.
Roku owners could only AirPlay Apple Music content to their televisions, but now with the app, you don’t need to have an Apple device within reach to initiate your tunes. The new app also allows users to browse Apple Music and even sing along with lyrics. At the time of writing, the Roku Store doesn’t appear to list the new app, but TechCrunchreports that it will release today.
This means that Roku users now have access to Apple TV/iTunes content and Apple Music baked directly into its TVs. If Apple decides to roll out the Fitness+ app more broadly, then all three of the Apple TV-based apps would be on Roku (and likely FireTV).
I’d be remiss not to mention that regardless of all this streaming to Roku TVs, using AirPlay is still viable option.
It appears that Apple is also allowing users to sign up for Apple Music through the Roku Store, which likely means that Apple is offering a cut of these transactions to the company.
I’d expect this to be marginal to Apple, but there’s a strong chance the two tech giants worked out some sort of deal. That said, this is notable since Apple generally rules its own App Store with an iron fist.
Roku has announced that all Canadian users will have access to the CTV app. It will be accessible across Roku streaming players and Roku TVs.
Starting today, Roku users will have access to live and on-demand content from CTV’s catalogue. Content ranges from series and movies across CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, and CTV Life Channel. On top of that, Discovery, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Discovery Velocity, Investigation Discovery, E!, and MUCH are accessible.
Roku has confirmed that access will not require a subscription. A sign-in to access CTV Throwback, CTV Movies, and MTV will also not be mandatory. Additionally, “thousands of hours of classic television and favourite series” will be available to Roku users.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming CTV to our platform offerings. As the #1 TV streaming platform in Canada, we are committed to expanding Roku’s Canadian content availability,” said Mary-Anne Taylor, Head of Content Distribution, Canada at Roku, in a statement. “The launch of CTV is an important milestone as we continue to build on providing Canadians with the best streaming experience possible. With this launch, Roku users across the country have access to premium content such as live news, free movies and TV, and Canadian productions.”
When accessing the Roku streaming device or Roku TV, users can make their way to the Channel Store and install that CTV app on their device. From there, the app can be added to the home screen for easy access.
This news quickly follows the announcement that Roku and Amazon reached a multi-year extension of their agreement. Customers continue to have access to both the Prime Video and IMDb TV apps on their Roku devices.
Roku and Amazon have reached a multi-year extension of their agreement.
“Roku and Amazon have reached a multi-year extension for their distribution agreement. Customers can continue to access the Prime Video and IMDb TV apps on their Roku devices,” writes Roku in a press release.
Roku added Amazon Prime Video to its devices back in 2018. The terms of this new agreement were not disclosed, but it means that Amazon’s Prime Video app will continue to be available on Roku devices.
Any Amazon customers with a Prime membership can use Amazon’s music and video streaming platforms at a $79.99 per year cost.
Roku could stand to learn a thing or two about modern visual design from Apple and Android. Still, in terms of usability and functionality, its offering eclipses what the other virtual remotes are capable of.
The only real downside is that it’s an app instead of built into your smartphone like the iOS’ and Android’s respective remotes are. That said, I often use the Roku remote app when watching content between 10-12pm when I need to be a little quieter. Further, now that the iPhone is smart enough to recommend the Roku app as soon as I pull down system search, it’s far more convenient.
Once you get into the app, you’re greeted with a layout that looks pretty much identical to whatever Roku remote came with your TV (or set-top box).
Beyond navigating and selecting content, the Roku app includes several useful features. Along the top of the screen, you’ll notice that you can quickly pull the remote’s settings, a keyboard for typing, and a search button for finding content on your Roku device.
It’s nice to see Roku use a keyboard button instead of having it automatically pop up like it does on Android and iOS. All three versions of the keyboard implementation work fine, but Roku’s is the most straightforward and is the least likely to confuse people because of this.
The other thing worth noting is there’s a small headphone button underneath the D-pad. This enables ‘private listening,’ which plays TV audio back through your smartphone’s speaker or headphones connected to your smartphone. This is a really useful feature that makes it easy to watch content quietly, and up to four phones can take advantage of the functionality at the same time.
Beyond this, the app functions normally as a remote. However, you can also use it to jump between Channels (apps/inputs) on Roku and browse free content on the service. I don’t use these functions as much since I mostly watch YouTube and Netflix on my TV, but it’s still nice to have it there. Android and iOS also have similar features to this within their Google TV and Apple TV apps, respectively.
Roku announced that it will expand its ‘TV Ready’ certification program to include new audio products from Element, JVC, Pheanoo and Philips. Additionally, Roku opened the program internationally — Bose and other partners are expected to launch TV Ready devices in Canada, Mexico and the U.K. soon.
Roku’s TV Ready is an effort to make connecting soundbars and speakers to Roku-powered TVs much easier. Roku TVs will detect audio devices that support the feature automatically when plugged in. Once detected, Roku TVs will turn off their built-in speakers and switch over to using the new audio device. Even better, users will be able to control those audio devices using their Roku remote.
TV Ready first launched in 2020 with TCL and Sound United (the parent company of Polk, Denon, Marantz, Class A and Boston Acoustics) as its initial partners.
Along with the new partners joining the TV Ready program, Roku announced that Polk Audio and Westinghouse will join the list in 2022.
Those interested can learn more about Roku’s TV Ready program here.
