Latest news with #Roku
Martechvibe
38 minutes ago
- Business
- Martechvibe
Criteo, WPP Media Scale Commerce Intelligence to CTV
The collaboration between Criteo and WPP Media offers a turnkey solution: curated audiences based on commerce signals enhanced and scaled by Open Intelligence—activated in any Demand-side Platform (DSP). Topics News Share Share Criteo, WPP Media Scale Commerce Intelligence to CTV Whatsapp Linkedin Criteo has announced a new partnership with WPP Media to scale commerce intelligence to Connected TV (CTV). Through the combination of WPP Media's Open Intelligence, its scaled relationships with supply partners, and Criteo's real-time commerce signals, advertisers are now able to reach qualified consumers at scale across premium CTV inventory. As brands increasingly aim to hold all marketing investments accountable to business outcomes, advertisers need smarter ways to connect with audiences across channels like CTV. This collaboration offers a turnkey solution: curated audiences based on commerce signals enhanced and scaled by Open Intelligence—activated in any Demand-side Platform (DSP). Powered by Criteo's Commerce Grid Supply-Side Platform (SSP), curated Deal IDs enable advertisers to activate commerce-first CTV strategies across the DSP of their choice, connecting ad exposure to measurable outcomes like foot traffic and sales. ALSO READ: 'There is a confluence occurring where traditional brand ambitions of reach and frequency are being met with the fast-emerging metrics of performant commerce media,' said Sandy Welsch, Executive Director Global Commerce Partnerships & Tech Enablement at WPP Media. 'By combining the strength of Criteo's commerce signals with Open Intelligence, we're accelerating the assimilation of the two—unlocking full-funnel, performance-driven strategies in CTV.' Criteo's real-time commerce signals originate from 17,000 ecommerce sites, 200 global retail partners, and thousands of open web publishers. When enhanced by WPP Media's Open Intelligence, these signals help build high-intent shopper audiences that are designed to convert. As Criteo delivers these audiences against CTV inventory, brands are now able to access these segments across their preferred DSP partners, streamlining activation. 'With Commerce Grid, Criteo is giving advertisers a seamless way to activate high-performing audiences on Roku. We're excited to see this partnership showcase the power of CTV in helping brands drive full-funnel outcomes,' said Lindsay Pullins, Director, Head of Business Development & Partnerships, Commerce and Performance at Roku. 'This partnership is about more than better targeting. It's about giving brands the ability to reach broad audiences with the same level of precision and measurability they expect from digital,' said Joseph Meehan, General Manager, Global Commerce Supply at Criteo. 'By combining the unique strengths of each company into one streamlined solution, we're giving brands a smarter way to activate high-intent audiences and transform CTV into a true performance channel.' ALSO READ:
Gizmodo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Roku's 2025 Streaming Stick Is Going for Practically Nothing While Amazon Fire TV Prices Stay Put
Traditional cable doesn't always cut it anymore, especially when your favorite content is spread across different streaming platforms and apps. Smart TVs are one option, but not everyone wants to spend hundreds on replacing a perfectly good screen. This is where a streaming stick can help, and Roku, one of the top names in streaming, has its HD stick at an unbelievable discount. Right now, you can grab Roku's latest HD streaming stick at Amazon for just $19, down from its usual price of $30. That's a 37% discount, and the easiest way to bring smart streaming functionality to any TV without spending a ton. Just hurry, since discounts this good usually don't stick around for long. See at Amazon This compact stick offers access to all popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV+. Whether you're planning to finally binge the second season of Severance (guilty) or just want some good old reality TV for background noise, it's all there. Need to stay updated on what's happening around the world, too? You also get 500+ free live TV channels with news, sports, and more, without needing any extra subscriptions. Setting it up is straightforward – plug it into your TV's HDMI port, and connect it to WiFi. You will be all set to personalize your experience in minutes. The included remote makes everything easy to navigate, and when you're not in the mood to click around, the built-in mic lets you use your voice instead. This mighty stick is tiny but lets you take your TV setup with you wherever you go (minus the actual TV). Plug it into another screen, and you'll have access to all your apps and preferences just like before. No additional setup needed, and a great way to feel at home anywhere around the world. It also plays well with smart home systems like Alexa, Google Home, Apple AirPlay, and HomeKit. So if you're already using one of those, it's even easier to control your TV through voice or your phone. Long story short: This streaming stick offers a great way to make any TV feel smarter, and it's also ideal for anyone looking to finally cut the cord. For just $19, you're getting a decent amount of features with a whole lot of convenience. You will never be out of options to watch, again. The deal just might not be around for too long, so grab it while you can. See at Amazon
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Roku Plus Series TV (2025) review: A great choice for tech-challenged users, but not without a few minuses
Here's a fair question: Why buy a Roku-branded TV when you can buy a Hisense, Sharp, TCL or other TV that has the same great Roku software baked in? When I reviewed (and gushed over) the Roku Pro Series last year, I thought I had a clear answer: The company had crafted an unrivaled user experience, from the cleverly designed wall-mount template to the useful quick-start guide to the Smart Picture setting that actually worked. Even the tool-free feet seemed special. It was on the pricey side, though, especially compared with some of the models from those aforementioned partner brands, so I was eager to check out the 2025 refresh of the more affordable Roku Plus Series. This year's model gained several features previously limited to the Pro Series — including mini-LED backlighting, a lost-remote finder and Smart Picture Max — while keeping a lower price point. However, while it's a very good TV overall, I'm a bit less enthusiastic about it. Here's my Roku Plus Series TV (2025) review. Related: Roku Pro Series TV review: My favorite TV of 2024, and not for the reasons you think Best OLED TVs: We tested four budget and premium models and these were the standouts Roku Plus Series: Setup and design Available in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, the Plus Series is priced competitively with other mini-LED TVs — and will likely start seeing sale pricing as the holiday season draws nearer. Currently they're listed for $500, $650 and $900, respectively, making the 65-inch model the sweet spot in terms of bang for the buck. Like all Roku-powered TVs, this one is extremely easy to set up, with a helpful illustrated quick-start guide and friendly onscreen instructions for pairing the remote, connecting to Wi-Fi and activating the TV (by way of a Roku account, which you'll need to set up if you don't already have one). All told, the entire process took less than 10 minutes, including adding the streaming services I use regularly. That said, it still bugs me that Roku doesn't sync my app layout between devices; I always have to manually reorder icons to my liking. Also, there's one user-experience shortcoming Roku could easily remedy: The onscreen keyboard lacks shortcuts for things like ".com" or "@ which would save time when you have to manually input account information. The HBO Max app, for example, stubbornly forces you to enter your email address and password; there's no QR code to scan or web sign-in shortcut. Same with Disney+ and some others. (I don't know if Roku or the services themselves are to blame, only that most sign-ons are a lot faster on Google TV.) Thankfully, the Roku mobile app lets you use your phone or tablet keyboard to enter onscreen text if needed, and that tends to go much more quickly. (Side note: That app also affords Private Listening, allowing you to hear TV audio through your favorite pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. This has long been a favorite feature of mine — but Roku TVs now support direct headphone pairing as well, no app required.) There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the physical design of the TV, though it does have a razor-thin bezel around the top and sides and is only slightly thicker along the bottom. That's where the two feet screw in (yep, tools required, alas). Although the Plus can be wall-mounted, of course, it lacks the more frame-like outer edge of the Pro Series. I continue to love the design of Roku's remote, with its convenient side-mounted volume and mute buttons, logically placed Home and Back buttons and attractive purple navigation pad. Unfortunately, the 2025 Plus Series comes with only the "enhanced" version, not the Voice Remote Pro that was included with the 2023 Plus Series (which I also reviewed). It's a slight downgrade in that it doesn't support hands-free voice commands and lacks a rechargeable battery, instead relying on a pair of double-A disposables. (For what it's worth, you can buy the Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd Ed.) separately for just $30, a pretty good upgrade.) Roku did add a lost-remote finder, which can definitely help you overcome hungry couch cushions, but the activation button is located on the back of the TV — not the most convenient spot. Roku Plus Series: How's the picture? Picture quality in a TV can be as subjective as sound quality in headphones. I think even some of the most entry-level models produce pretty glorious color and razor-sharp 4K images. The original Roku Plus was already a solid contender in the picture department; the big upgrade in this 2025 model is mini-LED, which is supposed to improve contrast, brightness and overall detail, especially in HDR content. However, it didn't always succeed here. One of my favorite litmus-test movies for any TV is Solo: A Star Wars Story, which streams on Disney+. The first 10 minutes in particular tend to wreak havoc on TVs with lower peak brightness, and unfortunately the Roku Plus struggled here a bit — at least compared with the Roku Pro Series, which I set up right alongside it. The latter was noticeably brighter during these scenes, with better contrast as well. The same was true of Pixar's Ratatouille; the movie looked decidedly darker on the Plus than on the Pro, and I noticed I couldn't see the same level of detail in Remy's fur. Curiously, however, the Plus seemed to produce warmer, richer colors; the Pro looked slightly washed-out in comparison. Whether or not that color was more "accurate" or not I can't say, merely that my eye was drawn more to the Plus — darker though it was. Switching to another animated movie, the vibrantly colored Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the brightness of the two TVs seemed to level out, but once again the Pro rendered sharper, more detailed images. You can see it below, not just in Gwen Stacy's hair, but also in the stage off to the left. Here's the thing, though: Watching these TVs individually, rather than comparing them side by side, my initial reaction was they both looked great. And I think that explains why customer reviews for TVs tend to be on the high side, even when professional reviewers find fault in things like color accuracy or black levels. I suspect few people focus on such nuances; they just want to see if the rat can impress the food critic. I'm no expert when it comes to the minutiae of TV technology, but I can say that here, as with most TVs, sometimes you have to fiddle with various settings to get things the way you want. Ironically, Roku's Smart Picture Max — which I first encountered on the Pro Series — is supposed to eliminate that need, to automatically refine things like color and sharpness so you don't have to monkey with all those settings. The "Max" part means there's a special processor devoted to this; lower-end Roku TVs and streaming devices rely solely on software-powered optimization, known simply as Smart Picture. Just one problem: Any content that's encoded with Dolby Vision — and there's more and more of it these days — overrides Smart Picture Max; the option effectively disappears from the Picture Settings menu. Consequently, much of what I streamed on the Roku Plus suffered from the dreaded soap-opera effect, aka the bane of my existence. (One of them, anyway; I have several other banes.) You can easily eliminate it by disabling motion-smoothing in the "expert" section of Picture Settings, but to my thinking the whole point of Smart Picture Max is to handle that for me. I want motion smoothing when watching sports or playing games, not with movies or TV shows. Speaking of sports and games, the TV's 60Hz refresh rate isn't ideal for either of those things — 120Hz is widely accepted to be better — but it does support VRR (variable refresh rate), in which the rate is dynamically adjusted to match the fluctuations in those sources. I didn't do any game-console testing, but I did watch basketball, NASCAR and other fast-moving sports; they all looked silky-smooth. The Plus Series ranks a bit above average when it comes to sound thanks to a built-in subwoofer, which provides some actual bass and rounds out the overall audio quality; I'd rank it as decent. That said, the main speakers get pretty shrill at higher volumes, which is why I always recommend adding a soundbar to whatever TV you buy. When it comes to your ears, there's no point settling for decent. The Roku Plus Series TV (2025): Should you buy it? Viewed in a vacuum, the Roku Plus 2025 is a splendid TV. I can't overstate my appreciation for the simple, intuitive interface; for the most part Roku has resisted the trend of changing things just for the sake of change (and making them more complicated in the process). If you've ever struggled to navigate an Amazon Fire TV or Google TV interface, you'll find Roku much easier to learn and use. As for picture quality, that's where the vacuum gets a little shaky. There's no question the Pro Series offers better brightness and contrast, with superior details as well. But when I watch Across the Spider-Verse (or just about anything else) on the Plus, I'm immediately sucked into it; it looks gorgeous and therefore I don't give the picture a second thought. The real question, as posited at the start, is whether the Plus stands out against Roku partner TVs. I haven't tested any recent ones (save for the Philips 974 Series, but that's an OLED model and therefore harder to compare directly), so I can't say specifically. There are definitely a couple minuses here that make me yearn for a bit more "Plus". But all else being equal, I'd rather get Roku straight from the source.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Reasons to Buy Roku Before Thursday's Close, 1 Reason to Sell
Key Points Roku reports its second-quarter numbers after Thursday's market close. A clear path to profitability, improving guidance, and rising partnership prospects can make it a strong performance. Roku stock has still initially stumbled after posting financial results -- more often than not -- over the past year. 10 stocks we like better than Roku › A lot of companies have a lot riding on impressing the market this earnings season. Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) certainly has a lot to gain -- or lose -- depending on how its fresh financials play out. Shares of the TV video-streaming pioneer have more than doubled the market's return in 2025, and are up a hearty 53% over the past year. Roku reports its second-quarter results on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the market close. Roku's guidance for the period calls for a net loss of $25 million, improving on the $34 million deficit it posted a year earlier. It sees revenue increasing 10.5% to $1.07 billion. Let's go over a few of the reasons why the shares can move higher on Friday following the telltale earnings release. Let's close with one reason why the reaction may not be so rosy. 1. Profitability can come sooner than you think A big knock on Roku has been its lack of profitability. It generated positive net income for a six-quarter stretch from the second half of 2020 to all of 2021, but it has remained in the red outside of that run. It's worth noting that Roku hit an all-time high during that span of time. The stock would have to be a five-bagger from today's starting line to get back there. What if Roku is closer to becoming profitable sooner rather than later? Roku's guidance three months ago was encouraging. The niche leader sees a loss of $30 million for all of 2025. It already scored a net loss of $27 million for the first quarter. Its outlook calls for a $25 million deficit for the three months that ended in June. If it's still modeling a $30 million hole on the bottom line for the entire year, that would translate into a profit of $22 million for the next two quarters combined. Will its new guidance show positive net income for the current quarter or will the burden to dig Roku out of the red rest solely on its fourth-quarter performance? What if profitability is already here? Back in February it was calling for a $40 million deficit for both the first quarter and all of 2025. It improved on both of those forecasts when it announced results at the start of May. After 13 consecutive quarters of losses, the bottom-line turnaround could be here. 2. Engagement could keep rising Roku closed the curtain on two of its most popular metrics at the end of last year. It is no longer reporting the number of users on its free operating system. The move also meant the end to putting out average revenue per user (ARPU), as it would be easy math to calculate its audience if you divide platform revenue by ARPU. It's not just Roku doing this. The country's leading premium video service is also no longer putting out its subscriber count. Thankfully Roku is still offering up the time that folks are spent streaming through the platform. Viewers spent 35.8 billion hours cradling the Roku remote during the second quarter, a nearly 17% year-over-year jump. Since Roku's flagship platform revenue is basically the ability to monetize its audience through ads and nudging viewers to try new services, the streaming hours metric has become even more critical. There are no signs that Roku's popularity is in trouble, and one can argue that extreme weather this summer has probably kept a lot of people at home in front of their TVs. 3. New partnerships can keep emerging One of the most noteworthy things to happen during the second quarter was a partnership announced with Amazon. The leading online retailer operates a popular demand-side ad buying platform, and in mid-June it announced that it would start offering its advertisers a way to reach Roku's growing user base. The integration is a win-win deal for both parties, even if Amazon's Fire TV competes with Roku. The fruits of that deal won't move the needle in the second quarter. The unexpected partnership won't be a factor until the latter half of this year. However, Roku will have a chance to discuss the partnership and how it can increase the ARPU that it is no longer reporting. This could also spur other partnerships as Roku establishes itself as the best way for advertisers to get noticed in the era of connected TV marketing. Roku is ready for its close-up as a growth stock again. A reason to sell? Take a closer look at the stock chart above. You'll see Roku moving higher with its 53% surge over the past 12 months. Now zoom in on the purple E circles that point out when it posted its past four quarterly results. The stock has moved lower after announcing fresh financial results three of those four times. On the one hand, it's encouraging to see that Roku isn't just surviving but actually thriving after initially poorly received quarterly results. However, it could give an investor pause seeing how the market response hasn't been positive the day after Roku's financial updates. Long-term investors don't have to worry about timing the market. It's also worth noting that the three positive catalysts noted could make this a winning Friday instead of a sinking one. Roku has a lot to prove this week. Stay close to see how it all unfolds. Do the experts think Roku is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Roku make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,039% vs. just 182% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 856.77%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $630,291!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,075,791!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Rick Munarriz has positions in Roku. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Roku. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons to Buy Roku Before Thursday's Close, 1 Reason to Sell was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Tom's Guide
18 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Hurry! This 65-inch TCL Mini-LED TV just crashed to under $900 on Amazon
Big screen TVs are on the rise, but high prices might be a major concern. Luckily, there are tons of sweet TV deals on big-screen screens with excellent picture performance, and I think I've found one that's worth the investment. Right now, you can get the 65-inch TCL QM7K Mini-LED TV for $898 on Amazon. That's a huge slashing on a four-star TV with a multitude of features to try. Its entire range is also slashed right now, meaning you can get a 75-inch or 85-inch TV for much less. The TCL QM7K is a budget-friendly Mini-LED TV that is perfect for folks who want to upgrade to a truly impressive TV without breaking the bank. It features built-in Google TV with Chromecast, a slate of sought-after gaming features (such as HDMI 2.1 and 4K gaming up to 144Hz), and a bright, colorful picture worthy of movie night. In our TCL QM7K QD-Mini LED TV review we said the Editor's Choice TV is an affordable TV you can count on. TCL TVs are always perfect value propositions, especially when you're looking for a large screen to fill your entertainment setup. Big-screen fervor is still in motion, and TV prices — even at higher sizes — are still plenty cheap right now. The TCL QM7K is an adequate big-screen value. It's loaded with tons of incredible features that make it a stellar pick in the Mini-LED TV camp, especially for gamers. Its 144Hz refresh rate, VRR capabilities, and 13.1ms of input latency packs aa punch for both console and PC gamers. But even if you're not in the gaming sphere, the QM7K runs on Google TV, netting you access to many of the best streaming services. We tend to like Google TV and Roku over most of the other offerings in TV interfaces, largely given their simplistic navigation and myriad free channels. We did note in our TCL QM7K Mini-LED TV review that it has some poor audio, despite the 40W speaker system, which is par for the course with most budget TVs. You can always pair it up with one of the best soundbars to amplify the audio performance, or you can go with a full AV receiver to get even better sound. A Mini-LED TV like the QM7K might not be what you're looking for, though. If you're more on the hunt for one of the best OLED TVs, the LG C5 OLED is a great place to start.
