I need a bit of help deciding which Roku to buy

December 6, 2020 5:49 PM

We have a Samsung smart TV in our living room. We are looking for a Roku to pair with it to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV+, and CBS (assuming, it is supported). 4K support will be nice. Quick start and stability of connection are the important critera. Having a hard time deciding which Roku will make most sense. Some additional details inside ...

The Samsung has its own apps for most of what we watch. But the apps that come with it are increasingly trouble prone - Slow to start or crash more often. The CBS app on Samsung is just ridiculous.

It looks like Roku Ultra 2020 has way more bells and whistles that will probably future proof it; but the reviews are rather mixed in Amazon. Roku Express HD streaming is substantially cheaper, and seem considerability more stable (based on Amazon reviews again). I have tentatively short listed these two; but am obviously open to other recomemndations. What are you guys using? Do you have any recommendation?

posted by justlooking to Computers & Internet (17 answers total)

Last week I just picked up the Roku Streambar, which has all the features of the Ultra, but includes a soundbar for better audio for $30 more than the Ultra. Very easy to setup as has been my experience with all Rokus. So far, it's been good. The Streambar doesn't have an ethernet port, but it does have a USB port that you could plug in an ethernet-USB adapter if you don't want to use WiFi.
posted by ShooBoo at 5:59 PM on December 6, 2020

The Wirecutter recommends the Roku Streaming Stick +. I generally trust their pick. Note that HBO Max still isn't on Roku, which might matter to you since all of WB's theatrical releases will go there next year. The new Chromecast will get all the streaming channels including HBO Max. Personally, I prefer the Roku's UI and unified search, but the chromecast's is fine.
posted by Pacrand at 6:02 PM on December 6, 2020 [1 favorite]

Funny, I was going to say the exact opposite from @Pacrand re: Roku interface vs. New Chromecast - we are about to switch all our Rokus to Chromecasts.

We have all Streaming Stick+ or Ultras here. The Ultras are used when we wanted something a little zippier and/or actually had space on a shelf for them. Honestly, I do love the Rokus, I'm just annoyed re: HBO Max, and once we got a great deal on the Chromecasts we decided to go that way.
posted by getawaysticks at 6:12 PM on December 6, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have a Streaming Stick+ and it's great. I use it on a Samsung Q80, no complaints.
posted by aramaic at 6:13 PM on December 6, 2020

We just got the Roku Ultra LT Streaming to replace our oldddd Apple TV a couple weeks ago and I cannot believe how passionately I love it. Startup is almost instant, no connection issues at all. I guess most of them have this but the headphones watching mode useable from either the remote or my phone is amaaaazing serious QOL upgrade for my insomnia. I don't know if I've been this happy with a TV situation ever.
posted by MustangMamaVE at 6:22 PM on December 6, 2020

Be very, very sure that if you want Apple TV+ that whatever Roku you get supports it. Mine, for example, does not.
posted by bixfrankonis at 6:43 PM on December 6, 2020

We recently got the StreamingStick+ and really love it.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:05 PM on December 6, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks all!! Looks like StreamingStick+ is what we need.

@Pacrand - Thank you for the Wirecutter link. I forgot about them ...

@ Bixfrankonis - Good callout on Apple TV+. It looks like StreamingStick+ supports it. I'll see if there is a way to validate model no before I order it.
posted by justlooking at 7:14 PM on December 6, 2020

[my streaming stick+ is like a year old and does Apple+ just fine, so probably needn't worry too terribly much about it, YMMV]
posted by aramaic at 7:20 PM on December 6, 2020

I just upgraded from a very old Roku box to the StreamingStick+ two days ago, and it been great. No glitches, and it’s been fast/responsive.
posted by msladygrey at 8:12 PM on December 6, 2020

I love our Roku Ultra, and it sounds like a deal with HBO Max is pretty close if that's important to you. In the meantime if you have an iPhone you can cast from the HBO Max app on it (or any app that Roku doesn't support) to a Samsung smart TV no problem (that's what we do).
posted by pdb at 8:32 PM on December 6, 2020

Our StreamingStick+ has saved our aging Samsung smart TV, so that'll probably do you, but I just wanted to call out this comment upthread on the Chromecast, because that deal effectively makes a Chromecast cost $5 right now once you net out the cost of 6 months of Netflix (and can be applied even if you're already a Netflix subscriber) so I'm really glad getawaysticks shared it.
posted by deludingmyself at 8:46 PM on December 6, 2020 [1 favorite]

We have a Roku Ultra, which we hook up to our powerline ethernet setup so we don't have to worry about wifi. You can screen-share to it, while we all wait for HBO Max to arrive. (Also runs Apple TV+, Peacock, etc. and doesn't re-download channels all the time like our several-years-older tiny Roku box did.)
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:40 AM on December 7, 2020

If you have Ethernet in the house, consider getting a non-stick device.

But in general, either form factor of the Roku unit is pretty awesome.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:21 AM on December 7, 2020

We had bought my in-laws a Roku Stick which kept overheating and shutting down; we then got them a non-stick Roku with the same features and never had a problem since. Just one datapoint but "roku stick overheating" comes back with others having the same issue, the physical design doesn't seem as heat-dispersing as larger machines.
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:26 AM on December 7, 2020

I've had the Streaming Stick+ for several years and it is still going strong.
posted by Preserver at 5:24 PM on December 7, 2020

I have the Streaming Stick and a Samsung smart TV. The interface is much more stable than Samsung's, but it does seem to sometimes lose the ability to control the sound. Unplugging the TV seems to fit it.
posted by answergrape at 11:55 AM on December 8, 2020