I tested a 24-inch Roku TV, and the slick smart TV software is its killer feature

RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV: review

If you’re looking for a small smart TV for your kitchen or bedroom, the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV will likely slot into your space with ease. This model harnesses Roku’s Smart TV interface, meaning you’ll get access to all the big streaming platforms – think Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus – as well as apps like YouTube and on-demand services including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. It has a £125 RRP, which is undoubtedly on the cheaper side of things, but still, it's worth asking: is the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV worth the money?

Well, first of all, I have to hand it to RCA and Roku – this TV is nice and easy to set up. It comes with two plastic feet that are simple to screw on, as well as two AAA batteries for the included remote – something that’s not always a given (ridiculous, I know). After firing the TV up, you have to update its software and sign in using a Roku account on your phone, but this doesn’t take too long and enables you to pre-install any extra apps you want – pretty handy.

It’s worth noting, though, that you can download apps at any point using the Roku Store, which is a basic, although easy-to-use, digital storefront. It’s also nice and responsive – as is the Roku user interface more generally. Scrolling through menus isn’t perfectly sharp, but it doesn’t feel frustratingly laggy or slow. I would say, however, that the Roku interface is visually unappealing. It looks outdated and uses a pretty rudimentary-looking menu on startup. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but the best small TVs usually have a sleeker, more modern interface in my experience.

But although a neat interface is nice to have, you’re probably more interested in how good this TV looks. First of all, it’s worth breaking down what ‘HD’ really means here. This TV has a resolution of 720p, so you won’t be able to enjoy full HD (1080p) or 4K content. As a result, this set isn’t really primed for a lot of modern video content and if you want to get the best out of platforms like Amazon Prime Video or formats like Blu-ray, for instance, you’ll likely be left wanting more.

With that out of the way, I’d argue that picture quality can be described as adequate. When watching Spider-Man: Homecoming, I skipped forward to a fight scene between the eponymous hero and a gang of bank robbers. The picture was decently clear and motion was totally passable. Spidey’s acrobatics weren’t overly judder-y as he flung across the screen, but the colour of his suit didn’t look particularly accurate. There was a bit too much warmth, leaving the reds and blues appearing slightly less contrasted than I’d like.

This TV, like many LED models, also struggles a fair bit with black levels and dark details. When watching the admittedly very dingy The Batman, details on the title character's suit were quite challenging to make out and facial features were a little blurred. Elements like sweat droplets, lines on faces and stitching on clothing weren’t very defined and given that much of the film takes place in the shadows, the result was a fairly muddy overall picture.

But again, you really can’t expect too much in terms of picture quality here due to the RCA Roku HD TV’s technical restrictions. To give this model its due, the vast majority of video content was clear enough for me to enjoy on-screen action. Studio Ghibli’s excellent The Boy and the Heron may not have been replicated with top-tier colour accuracy, but the display was quite vibrant in Standard mode without looking oversaturated or artificial.

This TV also won’t wow you with amazing brightness, but it’s OK for its size, with peak brightness on a 10% window test pattern coming in at 177 nits and 167 nits in Standard and Movie mode respectively.

If you’re not quite happy with how the picture looks, however, rest assured that there are plenty of ways to customise it. There are expert settings, such as dynamic contrast and colour temperature adjustment, as well as the typical picture modes, including: Roku Smart Picture (which auto-selects the best mode based on what you’re watching); Film; Low-Power; Sports; Standard and Vivid.

Similarly, there are different sound modes, such as Music, Speech and Theatre. I used the latter for much of my testing to get the most cinematic sound possible. Having said that, you’re not going to get great sound out of this TV, no matter what setting you choose. For instance, I watched the movie Smile and although the dialogue was clear enough during a conversation between two characters, it sounded pretty harsh at higher volumes.

During one horror-filled scene, imposing bass is meant to heighten tensions. And sure, bass was audible, but it was no more than that, leaving quite an underwhelming impression. That’s largely to be expected from a tiny 24-inch model, though, and I’d recommend investing in one of the best soundbars if you’re looking to take audio to the next level for movie nights.

Another area that won’t impress is gaming performance. Once more, this is down to the technical limitations of the RCA Roku HD TV. When gaming on the Xbox Series X, motion and picture were once again fine, but no better. Of course, you won’t be able to access current-gen features like 4K, 120fps gameplay, but if you just want a functional display for your favourite titles, this TV will get the job done.

You can plug your games console into one of the three HDMI ports situated on the reverse side of the RCA Roku HD TV. Personally, I was very pleased to see that there were three HDMI slots here – that’s pretty generous for a TV of this size and price. One can be used for ARC if you’d like to connect up a soundbar too, which is another big positive. Beyond this, the TV’s design and build quality is pretty unimpressive, though. It’s very plasticky – almost toy-like in its construction – and it’s on the bulkier side for a modern TV. I will say, however, that I liked the included remote, which has a textured finish and all the useful shortcuts for streaming services and the like.

All in all, the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV does what it says on the tin. It’s a very basic smart TV with totally functional, although unimpressive, performance across the board. You’re going to get flawed, albeit passable picture and sound quality, a basic design and little in the way of fancy features. But if you want a cheap, easy-to-use small TV for watching broadcast TV or streaming, this will provide just that. If you have a bit more room, however, there are superior options in terms of value – you can get a 1080p resolution, better colour accuracy and HDR for less than £150 with TVs like the 32-inch Toshiba 32LF2F53DB.

RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: price & release date

• £125 RRP
• Available now

The RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV, also known as the RK24HF1, has a RRP of £125 and is available right now in the UK. It’s worth noting, however, that this model can often be found for a considerable chunk less. I’ve seen this TV go for less than £110 in the past and at the time of writing, Amazon are selling it for less than £120, so keep your eye out for discounts. Of course, this places the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV firmly in the budget category, meaning it faces tough competition from the likes of JVC, TCL and Toshiba. If you’d like to weigh your options before pulling the trigger on a purchase, why not check out some strong alternatives in the ‘Also Consider’ section of this review.

RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: Specs

Should I buy the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: Also consider

How I tested the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV

• Tested at Future Labs TV testing room in various lighting conditions
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman software
• Tested with a variety of video content

I used a variety of sources and apps to test picture quality on the RCA Roku 24-inch. I predominantly watched content via streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, ensuring I tested out the various picture and sound modes along the way. I also played on the Xbox Series X to cover gaming performance.

When watching the TV, I selected video content that would expose its specific strengths and weaknesses of the TV. For instance, I tuned into The Batman to judge aspects such as colour fidelity, contrast and black-levels. But I also watched Smile and Sky News to assess competence in the audio department.

Lastly, I took measurements with the help of Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. I measured peak brightness on a 10% window and 100% window, recorded the Delta-E values (which demonstrate the margin of error between the test pattern and what is displayed) for colour accuracy, grayscale and gamma. For all tests, I used the Murideo Six 8K test pattern generator. You can read all about how we test TVs at that link.

• First reviewed: January 2025
• Read more about how we test