Sharp Consumer Electronics, a global leader in TV and technology, and Roku, the TV streaming pioneer, have announced a partnership to launch a new series of Sharp Roku TVs in the United Kingdom.
The first models, which are joining an expanding list of Roku TVs in the UK, are set to hit the stores in August.
The Sharp Roku TVs will come equipped with HDR10, Dolby Vision, and a host of pre-installed streaming apps, such as Netflix, Disney+, Sky’s NOW and many others (see the full spec list below).
They also feature a built-in Freeview tuner (that requires an aerial) and Freeview Play support, which means Freeview’s catch-up apps from the big broadcasters (like BBC iPlayer, ITVX and more) are already “baked” into the operating system.
However, as always with these TVs, there’s no hard drive and no direct recording features.
Roku users also have access to The Roku Channel, which offers free (with adverts) TV shows and films, including the critically acclaimed Roku Original film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
With a diverse selection of sizes ranging from 24″ to 65″, the Sharp Roku TVs provide a wide range of options at an attractive starting price of £150 (and up to £450).
Roku is one of the leading streaming device manufacturers in the US. Worldwide, Roku reported more than 60 million active accounts in the 4th quarter of 2022.
Roku’s primary hardware offer (especially in the UK) is the set-top streaming devices, with the Roku Express, Roku Express 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K (see our full Roku comparison).
In the US, Roku has also been partnering with multiple TV manufacturers since 2014, and Roku TVs have proved to be quite popular.
In the UK, there were just a couple of Roku TV models available until last year – the first Roku TV arrived in late 2019, thanks to a partnership with Hisense, and in 2021 TCL launched its first Roku TV.
In 2022 and 2023, however, the list has expanded – with a Metz Roku TV, an RCA Roku TV, and now – a Roku TV from Sharp.
The New Sharp Roku TVs
The Sharp Roku TVs are designed to deliver an immersive viewing experience with superior picture and sound quality – at an affordable price.
The TVs come with a 4K Ultra High Definition Frameless LED display, with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, providing a picture quality that is four times better than full HD.
The high-resolution promises breathtaking sharpness and colour, even for older films or series, thanks to the modern image upscaling technology that optimizes any kind of content to 4K.
The TVs also support Active Motion 400, a feature that provides moving images with a sharpness that conventional LCD TVs struggle to match. This is particularly beneficial for watching sports, films, and action-packed content.
In addition, the TVs support High Dynamic Range (HDR) technologies, including HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision.
HDR enhances the brightness and contrast of the picture, as well as the range of colours, making the image more suited to the human eye. Bright pictures become clearer and more vivid, and the colours red, green, and blue become more iridescent, giving the picture depth.
Enhanced Sound Performance
The new TVs support Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby AC-4 audio codecs.
Dolby Digital can provide sound with 5 channels and a subwoofer, while Dolby Digital Plus adds two additional channels to refine the sound by adding more detail and creating an impressive surround sound.
The TVs also come with a Harman/Kardon speaker system, known for delivering high-quality, room-filling sound.
Sharp’s Roku TV models also work with the free Roku mobile app, which can be used as a remote control for voice search and control, and for private listening.
For seamless integration into existing smart homes, Sharp Roku TV models are compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
To share media from a mobile device to a Sharp Roku TV, consumers can use the free mobile app or mirror their screen using Airplay 2 or Miracast.
Sharp Roku TVs – Full 4K Spec List:
TV Product Features
- Pre-installed Apps: Youtube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and many more
- USB Video Formats Supported: MKV, MP4, MOV, AVI, MPG, VOB, DAT, TS
- USB Music Formats Supported: MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV
- USB Photo Formats Supported: JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, MPO
- Freeview Play: Yes
- Media Network Streaming (Video, Photo, Music): Yes
- HbbTV: Yes (v 2.0.2)
- USB File System: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS
Display Systems
- Diagonal Screen Size: 139 cm (55″)
- Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Active Motion: 400
- HDR Support: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
Audio Systems
- Speaker Power: 2 x 10W
- Sound System: BG, DK, I, L/L’, MN, NICAM/A2
- Sound Settings: Sound Equalizer
- Audio Decoder: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby AC-4
I/O Systems
- Antenna Input: Yes
- USB Ports: 2
- 3.5mm Headphone Jack / Line-out: Yes
- RJ 45 (LAN – 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX): Yes
- Wi-Fi Max Transmitter Power: 100 mW at 2,412 GHz – 2,472 GHz; 100 mW at 5,150 GHz – 5,350 GHz; 100 mW at 5,470 GHz – 5,725 GHz
- Remote Control: IR
Price and Availability
Sharp Roku TVs will be available from participating retailers (Currys, Asda, Amazon, Very and others), as of August 2023, ranging in TV sizes 24″ up to 65″ (RRP’s £150 to £450).