Hot take: It’s time to stop judging TVs on picture quality alone. The truth is, even cheap models have really good screens; pricier ones offer only incremental improvements to the average viewer. These days I’m more interested in the user experience: Is the TV easy to set up? Does it simplify complicated tasks like picture settings? Can I understand the interface without a degree in engineering? Heck, can I see the remote in the dark and find it when it’s lost? Roku’s new Pro Series TVs (55-, 65- and 75-inch) excel in all these areas while delivering a gorgeous QLED-powered picture. My only real complaint is that I didn’t get to try a new feature inspired by the Samsung Frame. Here’s my Roku Pro Series TV review.

For a little background on Roku’s entry into the TV market, read my review of last year’s Roku Plus Series. Spoiler alert: I found it quite good overall. Easy to set up, great interface, affordable price, solid picture.

The Pro Series builds on all that with a number of improvements — a few of which, it should be noted, will come to other Roku TVs courtesy of software updates. I tested the 55-inch model.

Roku Pro Series: Setup and design

So, yeah, it’s a TV: You take it out of the box, plug it in, run through some setup steps and start watching. But there’s great attention to detail all along the way, from the box-flap instructions for how to safely extract the TV to the cardboard wall-placement guide (complete with Roku City artwork that mimics the default screensaver) taped to the front:

Roku built this with wall-mounting in mind (see the Backdrops feature explained below) but didn’t supply me with the optional wall-mount kit ($100). (You can use any standard VESA mount as well.) If you do go the wall-mount route, you’ll appreciate two clever amenities: a fold-out “kickstand” that pushes the TV away from the wall while you access HDMI or other ports; and multiple sets of Velcro cord-straps integrated into the backside. These not only help to reduce cable clutter but also enable a totally flush wall-mount, as the cords get routed into sunken rear channels.

I went the tabletop route, meaning I installed the included pair of feet. I’ve never had such an easy time with that task, because it’s entirely tool-free: You just hook the feet into slots, then push down an oversize knob and turn until it’s tight. Why aren’t all TV stands designed this way? (Another nifty benefit: There are two height options available, so if you’re planning to add a soundbar, you can raise the TV a bit so it won’t get blocked by the speaker.)

From there it was on to steps like remote pairing and general setup — also incredibly easy thanks to simple onscreen instructions. As part of the setup process, I signed into my existing Roku account. I was elated to discover that this also signed me into most of the streaming services I use — Netflix, Hulu, Max and so on — saving me the hassle of having to sign in manually. But why can’t Roku remember my carefully crafted app layout and copy that from my other TVs?

Speaking of the remote, the Pro Series includes the new Voice Remote Pro. Not since TiVo have I been so enamored with a clicker. It’s not only backlit and USB-C-rechargeable, but also smartly designed and comfortable to hold. To learn more, read my Roku Voice Remote Pro review (because you can also purchase this separately for use with other Roku devices).

Roku Pro Series: Features and operation

As I noted in my Plus Series review, Roku offers the single best TV interface, period. It’s easy to understand, navigate and customize. I especially like the new update that lets you choose between small and large app tiles (four across and three across, respectively).

But the best addition by far is Smart Picture. Quick background: Whenever I unbox a new TV, the first thing I do is disable motion-smoothing, also known as the “soap opera effect,” which makes images appear hideously hyperreal. In my opinion it’s useful only when watching sports.

I figured I’d have to do this here as well, because I could detect motion-smoothing even while watching the HBO Max app’s startup animation. To my amazement, however, Smart Picture kicked in and disabled it (or at least made it less obtrusive) when I started watching a movie. According to Roku, the setting tackles not only motion-smoothing, but also things like contrast, color and sharpness.

As someone who typically spends a lot of time futzing with image settings, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate these automatic, behind-the-scenes adjustments. And if you decide to venture into Expert settings anyway to fiddle with things like local dimming and “action smoothing,” each option is accompanied by a short description of what it actually does; it’s not just guesswork like on most TVs.

Smart Picture currently works with most of the “major” streaming apps, and Roku is actively entreating other services to support it. In my testing, Pluto TV was the only one that didn’t seem compatible; movies definitely exhibited motion-smoothing (which, again, I could disable manually if I wanted). I also discovered that anything encoded with Dolby Vision IQ (which the Pro Series supports) overrides Smart Picture, and not always for the better. So you may end up needing (or wanting) to make manual adjustments for that content.

Amazingly, you don’t need to buy a Roku Pro Series to enjoy Smart Picture; it’s rolling out to all recent Roku TVs (including those made by other companies), and at some point it may appear on Roku streaming devices as well.

However, there’s a slightly confusing variant — Smart Picture Max — that is indeed limited to the Pro Series, which has a special processor that makes it possible. Max optimizes image quality (color, contrast, etc.) on a scene-by-scene basis and works across the board; it isn’t app-specific like “regular” Smart Picture.

I do have a couple UI (user interface) nitpicks, starting with this: picture settings aren’t accessible within the main Settings menu (where you might reasonably expect to find them). To reach them, you need to be watching something, then hit the asterisk button on the remote. That launches a sidebar menu with picture, sleep-timer, headphone and other settings. Not a huge deal, just something a bit counter-intuitive relative to the rest of the UI.

What’s more, although you can use hands-free voice commands (“Hey, Roku…”) for a wide variety of functions (“…play Godzilla Minus One on Netflix”), in my testing this didn’t work consistently. Even when sitting right next to the remote, there were times when the wake-phrase just wasn’t recognized. And if a show was playing at the time, I found myself having to almost shout into the remote.

That’s not only irritating, it also limits the usefulness of the voice-activated “find my remote” feature. Thankfully, there’s a non-voice option for that as well: Just press a button on the side of the TV and the remote will beep.

Roku Pro Series: Taking on Samsung’s The Frame

One feature I didn’t get to test: Backdrops, Roku’s answer to Samsung’s popular The Frame TVs. It’s basically an “art mode” screensaver that reduces brightness and power consumption while displaying a selection of famous paintings, though you can also upload your own.

This dovetails with the aforementioned wall-mount option, the idea being that your TV can serve as a piece of decor when you’re not watching The Great British Baking Show. Samsung executed this extremely well with the Frames; Amazon rolled out something similar (Ambient Experience) in a handful of Fire TV products, but I found it pretty lacking.

Alas, I couldn’t get so much as a preview of Backdrops, which isn’t expected to roll out until mid or late summer. I can tell you that while the Pro Series has a very thin bezel around three sides, the bottom edge is thicker. Also, the image doesn’t extend all the way to the edges, which creates the effect of the bezel appearing thicker than it actually is. And Roku didn’t announce any decorative frames with which to adorn the TVs, something that really “sells” the effect on Samsung’s models.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see if Backdrops delivers on its TV-becomes-artwork promise.

Roku Pro Series: How it looks and how it sounds

For anyone into specs, here you go: The Pro Series offers a 4K QLED display with local dimming, mini-LED backlighting, four HDMI inputs and a 120Hz refresh rate (useful for both sports viewing and gaming). For anyone who just likes to watch TV, here you go: The Pro Series is bright, colorful and sharp.

One of my go-to tests is a scene from Mythic Quest, season 3, that takes place in an all-white hallway; on some TVs you can see a lot of gradations as the characters walk along the hall, but here it looked totally smooth. I also watched scenes from Blade Runner 2049, where good contrast is crucial, and the Pro Series performed beautifully there as well. In a nutshell, everything I watched looked amazing; I have zero complaints.

As for sound, I’m on record saying that built-in TV speakers typically suck, in part because they’re pointed down or to the rear. Roku gets a ton of credit for engineering side-firing, Dolby Atmos-enhanced speakers, while still keeping the TV relatively thin (roughly 1.8 inches).

In the small bedroom where I tested the Pro Series, I found the audio quality better than average, with dialogue easier to hear than on most TVs (especially with Roku’s dialogue-enhancement feature toggled on) and a pretty decent surround effect. And for relatively small speakers, they can get surprisingly loud, meaning the Pro Series can fill a much larger space than the one I used for my testing.

Would I still prefer a soundbar? Absolutely. Is it an outright necessity as with most TVs? I think not! I recommend testing it in your space before deciding whether you want a soundbar.

Roku Pro Series: Should you buy it?

Absolutely, but with one notable caveat: price. As you shop around, you’ll find that seemingly comparable Roku-powered TVs from the likes of Hisense, TCL and even Roku itself (the Plus and Select Series) cost considerably less. Why the premium here?

For starters, it’s a new model; the price will almost certainly drop at some point, and in the meantime there will be sales (probably starting as soon as Amazon Prime Day). Also, TVs with QLED and mini-LED technology tend to cost more, and the Pro Series also includes an extra processor devoted to Smart Picture Max.

But could you be just as happy with, say, the Roku Plus Series? Almost certainly. The 55-inch model is currently half the price ($448) of its new Pro cousin. The remote isn’t backlit, but it is rechargeable. You don’t get mini-LED backlighting, but overall image quality is still very good. The feet require a screwdriver to attach, but that’s a one-time chore. And as noted above, you’ll get Smart Picture (but not Max) as part of a software update.

So, yeah, you can still enjoy a terrific Roku-powered experience without paying a Pro premium. That said, I appreciate all the little improvements Roku made in this model: Better image quality and speakers, backlit remote, tool-free setup and automated picture adjustments courtesy of Smart Picture. And it’s priced in the same general ballpark as other mini-LED TVs.

I do wish Roku had made Backdrops available as part of the TV’s launch so I could determine whether it’s a real value-add, but even without that feature, there’s plenty to love here. If you want a TV that makes the viewing life as easy as possible — and as pleasant — you should definitely consider the Pro Series.