TCL has just delivered a big present to Roku devices and TCL TVs that use the Roku OS. It's replacing the existing TCL app with a brand-new app called TCLtv Plus that will give you access to more than 350 ad-supported streaming channels.
The new TCLtv Plus app is available now in the US, but those in the UK and Australia may have to wait a bit longer as no confirmation about a global rollout has yet been announced. We'll update this story if this changes, though.
The new app is a big upgrade for a lot of people: TCL has been collaborating with Roku for over a decade now, so there are millions of TVs, including some of the best TVs we've tested, out there running the Roku OS. According to Mark Zhang, president of TCL North America: "Our partnership with Roku firmly establishes TCLtv Plus as a powerful force in the streaming ecosystem."
So, what can you watch? As with other FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) offerings the channels here are grouped by categories: TCL Holiday, Local News, True Crime, Lifestyle & Reality and so on. And there's quite the mix, with available channels including old favorites such as Court TV, Ice Road Truckers, Deal or No Deal, Saturday Night Live and Murder She Wrote.
What's on TCLtv Plus
One of the more interesting things about TCLtv Plus is its TCLtv Plus Studio, which is led by "former production executives and producers from major studios and networks".
Launched in April of this year, the studio will produce its own shows, relying heavily on AI tools such as Midjourney, and its first production – "the world's first fully AI-generated film" – Next Stop Paris, was widely mocked as soon as its trailer was put online. You can judge for yourself: the trailer is embedded above.
The studio's first sci-fi short, Message in a Bot, will be streaming next week from July 22, 2024 or you can check it out on YouTube now.
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