Switch Your TV Into a Picture Frame With Roku Backdrops Quality

Have you ever wished your TV did more than sit like a black hole when you're not watching it? Then Roku's Backdrops feature, which lets you display artwork or photos on your TV, could be the answer. Just don't tell Samsung that someone copied their idea.

Roku Launches Backdrops to Transform Your TV

As announced in a press release, Roku is rolling out a new feature for Roku TV users. Called backdrops, it turns your TV into a canvas on which you can display artwork or photos you like.

The idea is to avoid having a black screen ruining the beauty of your home. Instead, that big square box can be filled with something a little more aesthetically pleasing. From famous paintings to museum collections, from abstract art to photos from your own collection.

How Roku's Backdrops Feature Works

Once enabled, Roku's backdrops feature basically prevents you from ever seeing a black screen on your TV. You get to choose what to show, and for how long, and then never have to think about it again.

You can create a gallery of your favorite art and photography, or choose from a pre-made gallery of works by your favorite artist or museum. And of course anything is better than a boring black screen staring back at you.

Roku will roll out backdrops for Roku-branded TVs and third-party Roku TV models over the next few weeks. Then, later in the fall, the feature will also roll out to Roku streaming players and stream bars.

Samsung Called, and Wants Its Idea Back

As mentioned in the beginning, using your TV to display artwork is not a new or novel idea. Samsung started the trend with its picture frame TV called The Frame. But they're quite expensive, and designed with "this TV is actually a painting" in mind. Whereas what Roku does is try to give your TV a job when you're not using it to watch TV.

And to be fair to Roku, it's not the first company to copy Samsung, other manufacturers produce analogous sets. also Amazon launched the Fire television Ambient Experience, which turns your TV set into a smart display. So, in reality, Roku is late to jump on this particular crusade launched by Samsung.