Roku, Walmart Launch Co-Branded Smart Soundbar, Subwoofer
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Roku has once again teamed up with Walmart to release lower-priced editions of its hardware: The streaming device maker announced Monday that it is now selling cheaper versions of its recently-introduced soundbar and subwoofer through the retail giant.
Co-branded as Roku onn, the two products are selling for just $129 each at Walmart. That’s $50 less than what you would pay for the regular version of either the soundbar or the subwoofer, which the company announced last month. In order to cut the price that much, Roku did make a few compromises: The Roku onn sound bar that’s selling at Walmart features peak power of 40W, compared to 60W of power for the regular Roku sound bar.
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The Walmart edition also has different drivers, and only ships with Roku’s IR remote, as opposed to the company’s Wifi / Bluetooth remote. The latter also means that there is no microphone button on the remote control, making it harder to control the device with voice commands.
Just as the original Roku soundbar, the Walmart version also packs a full-fledged Roku streaming device, capable or bringing video from Netflix, YouTube, HBO and others to any TV with a HDMI port.
The Roku onn subwoofer is slightly smaller than the original, and features 150W of peak power, compared to the 250W peak power supported by the Roku subwoofer.
“Roku and Walmart have worked together for years to enhance the entertainment experience for millions of people who have purchased Roku TV models and Roku streaming players,” said Roku vice president of players and whole home product management Mark Ely in a statement. “Now, we’re looking forward to getting these new audio products on shelves to provide consumers with better sound for their TV experience at a great price.”
Walmart has been using the onn brand as a house brand for consumer electronics products, including onn-branded TV sets. Many of those TVs come without a smart TV operating system, making them a good fit for consumers who want to use external streaming devices.
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