Earlier this year, Element Electronics introduced the first TV to feature Amazon’s Fire TV smart TV platform built in, complete with voice-powered operation courtesy of Alexa. If you’re looking for an affordable smart TV but aren’t a fan of Amazon’s platform, Element now has an option for you thanks to the introduction of its new 4K Ultra HD Element Roku TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR).
This shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, as Element and Roku announced that the two companies would partner for TVs in January. What is someone surprising is that this TV has slightly better specs than Element’s Fire TV models, with the trade-off that it’s only available in a 50-inch variety, while the Fire TV Edition comes in four sizes ranging from 43 to 65 inches.
Unlike those models, the Roku-powered model features HDR — specifically HDR10. So far the other major HDR standard, Dolby Vision, hasn’t been mentioned as being supported. HDR brings deeper blacks, brighter colors, and an overall more vivid picture. Even if you don’t possess a collection of 4K Blu-ray discs, you’ll be able to experience the most the TV has to offer thanks to Roku’s included 4K Spotlight channel, which makes it easy to find 4K and HDR content.
The 4K Ultra HD Element 4K Roku TV with HDR features a smattering of other features that are mostly common in today’s TV world, including built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, three HDMI ports, two USB ports, and an Optical SPDIF Out for running digital audio to an AV receiver. Later this year, Element says the TV will receive a free upgrade to Roku OS 8, which includes a new Smart Guide that blends over-the-air TV and streaming content in one easy to navigate interface.
Pricing on the new TV has not yet been announced, but looking at other Roku TV models with similar specs, it’s likely that this one will come in between $500 and $600. We don’t have to wait long to find out, as the new Element TV goes on sale at Walmart starting November 27. For an idea of what to expect from Element, take a look at our unboxing and setup of the company’s Amazon Fire TV model.
