Forum Discussion

diwalpi1's avatar
diwalpi1
Newbie
5 months ago
Solved

Roku tv vs smart tv? please help me

I own a tcl Roku tv and I bought it cause I’m a big fan of Roku products and Roku has never let me down but it got me wondering what is the difference between a Roku tv and a regular smart tv and is one better?

  • RokuArjiemar's avatar
    RokuArjiemar
    5 months ago

    diwalpi1,

    Thank you for posting in the Roku Community!

    We appreciate you contacting us with your question about the differences between a Roku TV and a Smart TV. We appreciate your interest and are more than happy to provide a detailed explanation to help clarify these two popular options.

    What’s the difference between a smart TV and a Roku TV?

    A Roku TV is a smart TV made easy with quick access to your favorite entertainment. With a customizable home screen and simple search, it’s easy to find something to watch fast. There's no need to juggle remotes between your TV and streaming player and audio device—each Roku TV comes with a no-nonsense remote with everything you need to control your TV, streaming, and sound. Don’t make it complicated—Roku TV is the smarter choice! Learn more about the differences between a smart TV and Roku TV on our blog.

    Let us know if you have any other questions. We're always happy to help. 

    Thanks,
    Arjiemar

  • andyross's avatar
    andyross
    Roku Guru
    5 months ago

    It's just the operating system they use. Some use proprietary OS's (although most are just variations of Android) and may be more limited in what is available, although the major services should be available on most anything.

    You can always use a stand-alone Roku device and connect it to any TV.

    I don't know if non-Smart TV's exist anymore. TV's are often sold at a loss now and they make up the difference by selling ads to you and your viewing habits to advertisers and marketers (and who knows what governments.) You could always buy just a plain monitor (no built-in antenna tuner), as long as it supports HDCP.

  • RokuArjiemar's avatar
    RokuArjiemar
    Retired Moderator
    5 months ago

    diwalpi1,

    Thank you for posting in the Roku Community!

    We appreciate you contacting us with your question about the differences between a Roku TV and a Smart TV. We appreciate your interest and are more than happy to provide a detailed explanation to help clarify these two popular options.

    What’s the difference between a smart TV and a Roku TV?

    A Roku TV is a smart TV made easy with quick access to your favorite entertainment. With a customizable home screen and simple search, it’s easy to find something to watch fast. There's no need to juggle remotes between your TV and streaming player and audio device—each Roku TV comes with a no-nonsense remote with everything you need to control your TV, streaming, and sound. Don’t make it complicated—Roku TV is the smarter choice! Learn more about the differences between a smart TV and Roku TV on our blog.

    Let us know if you have any other questions. We're always happy to help. 

    Thanks,
    Arjiemar

    • petdrjill's avatar
      petdrjill
      Newbie
      2 months ago

      If I have a smart tv do I still need to pay Roku a monthly fee?

       

      • andyross's avatar
        andyross
        Roku Guru
        2 months ago

        There is no Roku monthly fee. You can subscribe to various services through Roku, but the device/TV itself has no fee.