In a few years, 4K content should be plentiful and OLED sets could be entirely affordable. But we’re not there yet. While you wait it out, it might be best to buy a cheap-but-decent set. A range of new sets from TCL and Hisense are good options, and they offer one feature no TV at any price can match: built-in Roku, with no box or stick required.
That eliminates an extra piece of hardware for Roku fans, and it also brings an intuitive, widely used, and well-stocked smart-TV platform to two brands trying to grab U.S. market share. Like Roku boxes and USB sticks, each TV comes with a dead-simple remote that was developed in collaboration with Roku. It's not a motion controller like the one included with the the highest-end Roku 3 box, but the remotes for the TCL and Hisense sets are much simpler compared to your average TV remote. Buttons are kept to a minimum, although there are dedicated ones to quickly access Netflix, Amazon Video, Rdio, and Vudu.
The navigation and search functions of each set were also developed with the help of Roku. Roku channels and input sources are boiled down to a grid of tiles on the main menu screen, and you can search for actors, shows, and movies across all Roku channels using the remote or the Android/iOS Roku app.
Out of the box, the streaming selection should eclipse the built-in offerings of the big-name TV makers, although major services such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and Pandora are generally available on all smart-TV platforms these days. Where Roku excels---along with ease-of-use---is its breadth. The service has 1,700 channels to choose from, so you’re more likely to find special-interest programming: A “Mullet” channel for ‘80s hair bands, a channel devoted to vibraphones, and so on. There's one helpful touch in the mix for traditional TV, too: Once you plug in an antenna and perform an over-the-air scan, the channels are listed by name in their own "Antenna" menu.
The TVs themselves won’t blow you away with specs, but they do offer plenty of punch for the price. The TCL and Hisense sets have built-in dual-band Wi-Fi, screen sizes ranging up to 55 inches, and 120Hz refresh rates at their larger sizes. TCL’s Roku TV lineup will be available first, and they’ll be shipping at the end of this week: A 32-inch/720p set for $230, a 40-inch/1080p/120Hz model for $330, a 48-inch/1080p/120Hz set for $500, and a 55-incher for $650.
Hisense’s Roku TV lineup will be available at the end of September, and they’ll use direct LED-backlight systems. They’ll all be 1080p sets, too: A 60Hz 40-incher and 48-incher, and 120Hz 50-inch and 55-inch models. Hisense says it won’t set an MSRP for their Roku sets, and you should expect the prices to be very agreeable.
