By way of Reddit, Walmart, a pair of shipping manifests (1, 2), and some noodling around we learn that Roku is imminently expanding beyond streaming media and into the smart home… with more than a half dozen white-labeled Wyze products, a seemingly confirmed ‘Roku Smart Home’ Channel, and likely a new dedicated mobile app.
Thus far, the Roku Smart Home hardware consists of a Roku color bulb, Roku white bulb, Roku lightstrip, Roku Smart lug, Roku Indoor Camera, Roku Outdoor Camera, Roku Floodlight Camera and a Roku Pan Camera are confirmed. But Wyze has a deep bench and there could be more to both the product lineup and relationship.
Setting the video streaming scene with thematic mood lighting makes total sense and, beyond traditional app or voice control and automation, it’d be quite compelling if Roku streamers directly with the connected lighting to harmonize television content. Something like the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box… but without breaking the bank. I can also imagine Roku’s Smart Home television app (pic above and below) itemizing one’s home accessories along with streaming the requisite video cam feeds. But, beyond those obvious technological tie-ups, I wonder about the respective company’s business intentions. Could this be a Roku investment in Wyze and dry-run ahead of a potential Amazon-esque acquisition of iRobot Roomba?
Interestingly, given their original vision, TiVo had a great opportunity to move into this space once upon a time with $1b cash in the bank. Yet, as has been the case the last decade or so, Roku beats them to every punch. And one of the many ways Roku has outmaneuvered TiVo is through efficiency. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Roku is clearly heavily leaning upon Wyze for their smart home ambitions vs starting from scratch.
(Thanks Nathaniel!)