Josh Hendrickson
Once you get a surround sound system set up, it’s a fantastic upgrade to your home viewing experience. But the setup part is a pain, and expensive. You’ll need a stereo receiver, speakers galore, and what feels like miles of wire. But, an upcoming update to Roku’s smart soundbar will enable surround sound without the wires or the receiver.
In case you missed it, Roku isn’t just about what you watch anymore. The company has slowly delved into your audio world by releasing wireless speakers, then a soundbar, and a subwoofer. The subwoofer and soundbar pair together for great sound, and the wireless speakers on their own are perfect for small living rooms or if you don’t like the thought of running wires everywhere.
But an upcoming update will let all three work together to create a surround sound system. You can set the wireless speakers by your couch and keep the soundbar (for left, right, and center) and subwoofer upfront. Thanks to the smart soundbar’s built-in controls, you can control your TV and audio system through it.
At just under $500, it won’t be an inexpensive venture. But you can easily spend more on a traditional surround system, especially if you want to incorporate wireless speakers. And with Roku, you can buy what you need a piece at a time to spread out the cost. The one component you do need is the soundbar, as it’s doing all the work, so you’d start there.
Roku says the feature will roll out in February through a software update. Unfortunately, this update won’t let you incorporate speakers from other companies into your system.
Source: Ars Technica
