Roku's latest update makes the company's streaming devices and TVs some of the best smart home devices you can buy for keeping an eye on your property. The biggest upcoming feature is the rotating "Camera Carousel" of all your Roku security video feeds on the big screen. This will automatically switch views when cameras detect activity or during timed intervals.
You'll also now get real-time pop-up notifications from all your Roku cameras — no longer just your video doorbell. This gives you a heads-up if there's movement in the yard or if the kiddos wake up in the middle of the night while you're watching TV. These notifications are completely optional. That said, it's nice not to have to check separate devices like your phone or smart display constantly.
Roku’s devices also talk to its smart security system, which will now show alarm alerts directly from your TV. The streaming giant tossed its hat into the smart home ring two years ago with the launch of its proprietary video doorbell, smart lighting and smart camera systems. If they look familiar, that's because they're actually manufactured by Wyze.
If you own both a Roku TV device and one of the company's security cameras, you'll start seeing the updated motion notifications across all camera types as early as this week. That's in addition to the slick Camera Carousel feature. Roku's cameras will get a web feed view to access their feeds on computers and other devices later this year. It's good to see Roku's notoriously locked-down system on smart home gain parity with FireTV and Google's new TV Streamer. However, those systems work with other third-party cameras.
