TCL, one of the world’s largest and America’s fastest-growing television brand continues to grow its product offerings in North America. At its press conference today, TCL announced plans to bring to market the Alto™ family of audio products as an assortment of soundbars that will offer both standard and smart solutions. The company, with Roku Inc. (Nasdaq:ROKU), unveiled the TCL Roku Smart Soundbar, as the first product in the Alto family, expected in late 2018. The TCL Roku Smart Soundbar is also the first device to launch from Roku’s newly announced Whole Home Entertainment Licensing program.
“A complete home theater experience includes high quality audio,” said Aaron Dew, Director of Product Development, TCL. “TCL’s vast capabilities in audio combined with our vertical integration will enable us to deliver the same premium experience in the Alto family as we have with our televisions.”
The Alto lineup is topped with the TCL Roku Smart Soundbar. This product will take advantage of the Roku OS to deliver a superb entertainment experience. It will offer premium sound, while taking advantage of Roku Connect to connect to other AV devices, and new voice controls accessible through the Roku Entertainment Assistant. Although the TCL Roku Smart Soundbar will be compatible with any TV, it will be even better when combined with TCL Roku TVs by extending hands free voice and audio capabilities to the TV for more control and entertainment functionality.
“Our TCL Roku TVs are amazingly popular among consumers, making the TCL brand the 3rd most popular smart TV in the US in 2017. We’re doubling down on our partnership with Roku to offer our customers an easy way to add premium sound and enhanced functionality to a TCL Roku TV,” said Chris Larson, Senior Vice President, TCL. “TCL is dedicated to integrating leading technologies into our entertainment product portfolio and by partnering with Roku we’re bringing a better home theater experience to our consumers.”
“TCL is an exceptional Roku TV partner and a natural fit to be the first partner to plan to build a smart soundbar under our new licensing program,” said Roku CEO Anthony Wood. “The TCL Roku Smart Soundbar will offer a great value and make TV watching even more enjoyable by offering premium sound and more entertainment control through Roku Connect and the Roku Entertainment Assistant.”
A Better Smart Soundbar
The TCL Roku Smart Soundbar will feature Roku Entertainment Assistant, the company’s voice assistant built specifically for the home entertainment experience. Roku Entertainment Assistant will allow for seamless voice control of Roku OS devices in the home. For example, the TCL Roku Smart Soundbar will be able to turn on a TCL Roku TV when asked to launch video content or stream audio even when the TV is turned off. Consumers will be able to use their voice to play, pause and resume music and audio without picking up a remote control or pushing a button. They will also be able to search for and explore a large selection of entertainment. In addition, a TCL Roku Smart Soundbar will leverage Roku Connect to wirelessly connect to other Roku Connect devices in the home entertainment network. This means a TCL soundbar can easily work with other TVs or smart speakers within the Roku ecosystem.
To learn more about TCL and its products visit booth #12929 in Central Hall at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show January 9-12 in the Las Vegas Convention Center or visit www.tclusa.com/ces.
