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Roku has expanded its smart home hardware ecosystem with the launch of a new home monitoring system. It includes two entry sensors, a motion sensor, a wire-free keypad, and a central hub with a built-in siren. The company has also debuted a smart light strip and a solar panel, its first such product.
Roku’s new home monitoring system includes five devices
The Roku Home Monitoring System SE is an expandable setup that offers the flexibility of self-monitoring and professional monitoring. Priced at $99.99, you can install this system and use the Roku Smart Home app to monitor everything without additional cost. The two entry sensors can detect movements in and out through entry points such as the door and windows and notify you about it. You will also receive notifications when a door or window is opened, closed, or left open.
The motion sensor, meanwhile, offers motion detection up to 25 feet with a 120-degree range. It can be configured to automatically turn on lights when unusual motion is detected. If you have pets in the home, you can set the sensor to avoid sending notifications for pet movements. The central siren will go off if the system detects any unusual activity. You can use the wire-free keypad to control the siren. The keypad lets you manually sound the siren and control various system modes. You can also control the system through the app.
Roku has also promised integration with the Roku player or Roku TV. So you can now get alerts on your compatible TV as well. If you’ve set an alarm, your TV will also display the countdown. As said earlier, the Roku Home Monitoring System SE can be self-monitored using the Roku Smart Home app. But you can sign up for 24/7 professional monitoring through Noonlight. It costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. If you sign up for the annual plan, Roku is offering a 50 percent discount for the first year. So you’ll get a year of a professionally monitored home security system for $150.
If you want to expand this system, Roku separately sells a pack of three entry sensors for $34.99. Likewise, you can add a motion sensor for $14.99, while the Roku Keypad costs $24.99. Unfortunately, despite Roku co-developing its smart home products in partnership with Wyze, the latter’s products don’t work with the former’s. Wyze’s Home Monitoring kit currently costs the same as the Roku Home Monitoring System SE and comes with three months of free professional monitoring. You don’t get TV integration, though.
Roku has a new solar panel and smart light strip as well
Debuting alongside the new home monitoring system is Roku’s first-ever solar panel and a smart light strip. The former is a $24.99 panel that will give virtually never-ending battery life to the Roku Outdoor Camera SE. It comes with an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance and features a 360-degree swivel mount. Roku says it needs just a few hours of sunlight every day to keep the camera powered on forever. The light strip, meanwhile, comes in two lengths and can display 16 different colors. The 16.4 feet strip costs $34.99, while the 32.8 feet strip will cost you $49.99.
Speaking of the camera, the Roku Cameras app for your Roku player or Roku TV now offers recorded events along with live views from your connected cameras. You need a Roku Smart Home Subscription for recorded events, though. It costs $3.99 a month per camera or $9.99 for multiple cameras. Wyze’s system doesn’t offer recorded events but livestreams are available on Google Chromecast TVs and Amazon Fire TVs. Roku devices are somehow not compatible with this feature as well. So much for co-developed products.
Meanwhile, Roku is giving the Roku remote and Smart Home app more power. You can now control Roku lights and smart plugs using voice commands through the remote or the app. This includes turning the lights on/off, changing their brightness, colors, and more. You can also use the Roku Voice-powered remote or the app to show live camera feeds on your supported TV. All of these new features will be available within the next few weeks. The Roku Home Monitoring System SE and the light strip are now available through Walmart and Roku’s online store. The solar panel will arrive next month.
