I watch the home screen the way other people watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Indecisive as hell, I spend an awful lot of time trying to decide what to watch, rather than watching it. Anything that can help alleviate the awful crush of too much choice is welcome in my book.
I’ve made no secret of the Roku Ultra 4K being my favorite streaming device for streaming movies, TV, and documentaries, not to mention the fact that it can also stream music, YouTube, and the news.
Videos by VICE
Now Roku is giving all Roku devices a free update with four new features, and none have got me as excited as Surf Mode.
surf’s up, brah
Surf Mode sends you a conveyor belt of AI-curated short video clips (previews) of full-length movies and TV shows, one after another after another. Once you see one you like, you can just click it and be taken there right away.
Just yesterday I was lamenting (as I stared at the HBO Max home screen for too long) that you hardly ever stumble into a new television series or movie these days. The shows might be better now than during the ’90s and Aughts, but there’s something to be said for finding something that you weren’t even looking for.
AI-curated doesn’t mean AI-generated. They’re real selections of the shows and movies, just with AI doing some magic behind the scenes to decide which clips to show you, based on your watching history.
In Theaters Now is exactly what it sounds like. I beg of you, go to the movie theaters if you can, and help keep them open. But if you’ve got a night reserved only for the small screen, this is where you’ll find the latest movies.
Roku likes to brag that it has more than 500 free live TV channels. Yeah, really. With the update, there’s a Newly Added section that highlights new channels added to their live TV lineup.
And last of the four new features are the Top 10 TV Shows and Top 10 Movies. They don’t display the 10 most watched titles of either category, but rather the 10 most searched titles. That’s an interesting choice, and one I’m eager to see more of.
Roku makes my favorite streaming device of the devices I’ve tested. That includes not just the Ultra 4K, but also the Streaming Stick 4K. Roku tossing more free updates our way only makes me an even bigger fan.
