Roku gives early access to experimental features and up to 30% savings on streaming services

by · Android Police

Roku City is getting a new tenant: a lab where you can try out all the experimental things that Roku is working on.

Roku Labs gives people early access to experimental, in-development apps. Roku said it lets users “test new experiences, share feedback, and directly influence what gets built next.”

“Roku Labs continues to bridge the gap between engineers and our viewers, giving

millions of households a seat at the table to explore, test, and shape experiences in real time,” Brian Pinkerton, senior vice president of advanced development at Roku said in a post. “It

ensures every feature that comes to our platform solves a real pain point, brings genuine

delight, and reinforces our commitment to streaming.”

Roku Labs is rolling out in the US now. When it shows up, it will live in a tile on the Roku homescreen.

What’s cooking in Roku Labs

Four new features are in Roku Labs at the moment.

Two are designed to put daily info front and center on TV screens. Roku Stocks lets viewers track their portfolio, while Roku Weather puts the focus on the forecast.

The other two are design-oriented. First there’s Backdrops Studio, which lets people create custom artwork and images to be displayed on their TV screens. The other is Roku

Immerse, which takes what atmosphere people are looking for to help them find the right screensaver.

Savings on streaming subscriptions

Aside from saving screens, Roku said it has found a way for users to save money on streaming services.

It’s introduced subscription bundles in the US and Mexico. Roku said that each bundle is up to 30% less expensive than signing up for the services a la carte.

To sign up, users can navigate to Subscriptions on their Roku TVs or devices, or by going to therokuchannel.com online.

The subscription bundles are:

Premium

  • HBO Max and Cinemax
  • FOX One and Fox Nation
  • Howdy and A&E Crime Central
  • Howdy and Hallmark+
  • STARZ and MGM+
  • STARZ and Acorn TV
  • STARZ and BritBox
  • STARZ and AMC+
  • STARZ and Hallmark+
  • STARZ and Crunchyroll
  • AMC+ and Hallmark+
  • AMC+ and Acorn TV
  • Hallmark+ and Acorn TV
  • A&E Crime Central and Lifetime Movie Club

Learn & Discover

  • BritBox and BBC Select
  • Curiosity Stream and MagellanTV
  • Curiosity Stream and Get.factual
  • MagellanTV and Docurama

Indie & Fan Favorites

  • Shout! TV and Screambox
  • Shout! TV and Midnight Pulp
  • Hi-YAH! and RetroCrush
  • Fandor and Midnight Pulp
  • Fandor and Sundance Now

Wholesome Picks

  • UP Faith & Family and Howdy
  • UP Faith & Family and Dove Channel
  • UP Faith & Family and aspireTV+
  • PlayKids Learning and Ryan and Friends Plus

International

  • Sundance Now and Kino Film Collection
  • MHz Choice and Kino Film Collection
  • Viaplay and France Channel
  • Viaplay and Walter Presents
  • FlixLatino and Pinguinitos

Mexico Bundles

  • Filmelier+ and Adrenalina Pura+
  • Looke and Booh!