Roku

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Netflix then decided instead to spin off the company, and Roku released their first set-top box in 2008. In 2010 they began offering models with various capabilities, which eventually became their standard business model. In 2014, Roku partnered with smart TV manufacturers to produce TVs with built-in Roku functionality. In 2015, Roku won the inaugural Emmy for Television Enhancement Devices.

In January 2018, CNET reported that Roku was debuting a new licensing program for smart audio devices such as smart speakers, sound bars and whole-home audio, while noting the "ease of use" and "superb streaming options" offered by Roku TVs.

According to CNBC in 2021, Roku was the U.S. market leader in streaming video distribution. Later in 2023, Variety called Roku "the top connected TV platform" in the U.S. In December 2023, a Popular Mechanics review cited Roku TVs to be affordable and easy to use, while also noting that the Roku-integrated TVs lacked "the premium brand badging of big players like Sony or Samsung".

According to The Verge in July 2024, a Roku OS update in June 2024 had "ruined" the Roku TV experience. This update added "motion smoothing", and was reportedly irreversible. This followed another identical issue reported in 2020 for Roku TVs made by TCL.

In August 2024, a Wired review noted that ease of use was one of the main reasons to buy any Roku product.

In February 2025, Roku said it reached more than 90 million streaming households. The Roku Channel reportedly reached households with nearly 145 million people.

Roku launched two new models in October 2009: the Roku SD (a simplified version of the DVP, with only analog AV outputs); and the Roku HD-XR, an updated version with 802.11n Wi-Fi and a USB port for future functionality. The Roku DVP was retroactively renamed the Roku HD. By then, Roku had added support for other services. The next month, they introduced the Channel Store, where users could download third-party apps for other content services (including the possibility of private services for specific uses).

Netflix support was initially dependent on a PC, requiring users to add content to their "Instant Queue" from the service's web interface before it could be accessed via Roku. In May 2010, the channel was updated to allow users to search the Netflix library directly from the device.

In August 2010, Roku announced plans to add 1080p video support to the HD-XR. The next month, they released an updated lineup with thinner form factors: a new HD; the XD, with 1080p support; and the XDS, with optical audio, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a USB port. The XD and XDS also included an updated remote.

Support for the first-generation Roku models ended in September 2015.

In January 2012, Roku unveiled the Streaming Stick - a new model condensed into a dongle form factor using Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL). Later in October, Roku introduced a new search feature to the second-generation models, aggregating content from services usable on the device.

The same year, Netflix announced that it would stop supporting older generations of Roku, including the Roku HD, HD-XR, SD, XD, and XDS, as well as the NetGear-branded XD and XDS beginning on December 1, 2019. Roku had warned in 2015 that it would stop updating players made in May 2011 or earlier, and these vintage boxes were among them.

On November 15, 2021, Roku announced a budget model Roku LE (3930S3) to be sold at Walmart, while supplies last. It lacks 4K and HDR10 support, making its features similar to those of the 2019 Roku Express (3930). It has the same form factor as the 2019 Roku Express, except the plastic shell is white rather than black.

On November 14, 2019, Walmart and Roku announced that they would be selling Roku TVs under the Onn brand exclusively at Walmart stores, starting November 29.

In January 2020, Roku created a badge to certify devices as working with a Roku TV model. The first certified brands were TCL North America, Sound United, Polk Audio, Marantz, Definitive Technology, and Classé.

In January 2021, a Roku executive said one out of three smart TVs sold in the United States and Canada came with Roku's operating system built-in.

In May 2022, Roku and Element Electronics announced the first ever outdoor Roku TV, sold in 55 inch size. The television offers minimal reflection, an anti-glare display, 4K streaming, and can be used in bright outdoor environments.

In March 2023, Roku announced a partnership with Best Buy in which the retailer will exclusively sell the Roku Select and Plus Series TVs manufactured by Roku.

Developers who wish to test their channels before a general release, or who wish to limit viewership, can create "private" channels that require a code be entered by the user in the account page of the Roku website. These private channels, which are not part of the official Roku Channel Store, are not reviewed or certified by Roku.

There is an NDK (Native Developer Kit) available, though it has added restrictions.

In January 2019, premium subscription options from select content providers were added to the Roku Channel. Originally only available in the U.S., it launched in the UK on April 7, 2020, with a different selection of movies and TV shows, and without premium subscription add-ons.

On January 8, 2021, Roku announced that it had acquired the original content library of the defunct mobile video service Quibi for an undisclosed amount, reported to be around $100 million. The content is being rebranded as Roku Originals.

In June 2017, a Mexico City court banned the sale of Roku products in Mexico, following claims by Televisa (via its Izzi Telecom cable subsidiary) that the devices were being used for subscription-based streaming services that illegally stream television content without permission from copyright holders. The devices used Roku's private channels feature to install the services, which were all against the terms of service Roku applies for official channels available in its store. Roku defended itself against the allegations as such, stating that these channels were not officially certified and that the company takes active measures to stop illegal streaming services. The 11th Collegiate Court in Mexico City overturned the decision in October 2018, with Roku returning to the Mexican market soon after; Televisa's streaming service Blim TV (now Vix) would also launch on the platform.

In August 2017 Roku began to display a prominent disclaimer when non-certified channels are added, warning that channels enabling piracy may be removed "without prior notice". In mid-May 2018, a software glitch caused some users to see copyright takedown notices on legitimate services such as Netflix and YouTube. Roku acknowledged and patched the glitch.

In March 2022, the private channel system was deprecated due to abuse and replaced with a more limited and strict beta channels platform which only allows twenty users to test a channel for up to four months.