Streaming giant Roku, along with German electronics brand METZ, are launching a new Roku-enabled TV in the UK, which will come in 4K and HD versions and multiple sizes.
The prices for the new METZ Roku TVs range from £159 for the 32″, HD only version, to £449 for the 65″ 4K/HDR version, with six models available in total (see my first hands-on impressions below).
All models come with a Freeview tuner (that requires an aerial), with Freeview Play support, but live pause and rewind will only work if you connect a USB stick, as the TV doesn’t have its own storage.
Streaming apps will be available through the Roku interface and its vast library of channels (both free and paid) which includes all the major UK broadcasters, from BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, to Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Sky’s NOW. and many others.
The METZ Roku TV models will be available in the UK from the end of October via Amazon and other retail partners.
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 business is the set-top streaming devices market, 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. In the UK, there were only a couple of Roku TV models available so far – the first Roku TV arrived in late 2019, thanks to a partnership with Hisense, and in 2021 TCL launched a Roku TV.
METZ (which is owned by Skyworth), one of the longest established TV manufacturers in Europe, will produce its inaugural line of Roku TVs in two ranges: the 4K UHD MRD6000 series, available in 43″, 50″, 55″ and 65″ sizes, and the 2K Full HD MTD6000 series, available in 32″ and 40″ sizes.
“We’re really excited to be bringing these debut Direct LED TVs to the UK”, says Rob Peacock, METZ TV’s Commercial Director in the UK.
“We’re confident that their blend of excellent picture quality, stunning aesthetics, and ultra-keen pricing are going to strike a chord amongst cash-strapped buyers here.
“With the speedy Roku TV OS and Freeview Play on board, as well as USB Timeshifting and Low Blue Light LEDs (to lessen viewing fatigue), these sets look certain to win many new fans.”
The new Roku TVs from METZ come in either 4K/HDR or an HD-only version, and the spec list differs on each model.
The more expensive models (MRD6000), which feature 4K, include:
The HD models (MTD6000) include:
The sizes and prices are:
During METZ and Roku’s launch event, I was able to take a close look and get a hands-on feel for the new line of Roku TVs. This is not a full review yet – but a few early thoughts.
The TVs are placed firmly in the “Affordable” bracket – that means they have tempting prices, with mid-range picture quality.
That being said, and even though we were in a brightly lit room (with glaring being an issue), the displays manage to do a very good job, especially when you’re streaming native 4K content.
Anyone familiar with the Roku TV interface will feel right at home with the METZ TV – the primary difference between Roku’s home screen on a stick and on this TV, is the addition of HDMI input thumbnails, Live TV, and the Freeview Play section.
All the TV’s regular functions – from watching live TV (which requires an aerial) to streaming to input selection – are done via the Roku interface.
In line with that, the TV’s remote doesn’t have – or need – the dreaded “Input Selection” button, which always causes your grandparents to frantically call with an “I’m not seeing any channels” help call.
If you want to switch to your connected Playstation, for example, you simply select it on the home screen, and the TV jumps to the corresponding HDMI port.
Another common sore point for Smart TVs is the speed – and, thankfully, the interface feels very speedy here, thanks to Roku’s proprietary TV OS. Switching between screens, apps and live channels feels quite snappy.
Furthermore, with the TV’s OS being handled by Roku, you can rely on it being updated for many years to come (though not forever, mind you) – this solves a common issue, where some Smart TVs stop being updated after just a few years, with streaming apps no longer working (case in point: the recent ITV Hub debacle on Samsung TVs).
The METZ Roku TVs also support Freeview Play, so you get all the default streaming apps preinstalled – BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4 and the rest. The Electronic Programmes Guide (EPG) is integrated with the streaming side, so some programmes can be streamed instantly via their connected app, when you choose them on the EPG.
Since the METZ Roku TV doesn’t haven’t a hard drive, there are no built-in Freeview recording capabilities. But if you connect a USB stick, you can at least use it to pause live TV (and then rewind and fast forward).
However, I think Roku missed a beat by not making better integrations between the Freeview part and Roku’s OS.
You can’t, for example, mark programmes on the Freeview EPG and add them to Roku’s “My Feed” (which is sort of a TV favourites list), and it seems you can’t even mark watch reminders in the EPG (if you want to get a notification when a live TV show you’re interested in is starting) – something that’s available in almost every decent Freeview box.
Furthermore, Roku’s global search, which covers all the major streaming services (so you can say “Tom Cruise” and see all the streaming content that features the star, divided into apps you can run), is not connected with the Freeview EPG either.
Freeview Play does have its own built-in search function you can use, but it’s a shame those two search functions are separated.
It’s a pity Roku (as well as Amazon with its Fire TV televisions) isn’t pushing for better integration with Freeview.
Lastly, the remote does a decent job of combining what you would expect from a Freeview TV remote and a Roku device, but it doesn’t include any voice capabilities – if you want to do Voice Search, you’ll have to connect and use the Roku app on your smartphone.
The Roku App, however, is also useful for Private Listening – where you can divert all sound from the TV (including audio from live channels!) to your smartphone, and then to your earphones – which is perfect when you’re watching TV at night.
All in all, and especially at these price ranges, the METZ Roku TV looks like a fine addition to the line of Roku-enabled TVs. It saves you the need to buy a standalone streaming stick, and it gives you entry-level (and then some, I would say) 4K picture quality at an affordable price.
The METZ Roku TV models will be available in the UK from the end of October, and I hope to do a more in-depth review by then.
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My name is Or Goren and I’ve been a personal finance writer for many years, as well as a long-time TV cord cutter and a tech enthusiast. Learn More.
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