I use multiple, but my Roku Ultra is my primary due to its simplicity. It's quick to get where you want to go, and as a whole, it's a very stable platform with apps having a tendency to be less buggy than they are on other platforms.
Yeah, same.
The simple interface feels a bit dated at times, but that's also a good thing. I also have a Firetv and the interface is so cluttered and clunky, it just makes me appreciate Roku all that much more.
Same reasons. I have a Roku 4K stick on my Fire TV for this reason. — An unexpected advantage of this is the Fire TV has built in Bluetooth connectivity so I can still connect headphones and when I switch to Roku (there’s a TV setting so that any button press on the Roku remote switches inputs) I’m still connected— don’t have to go through the Roku remote app to connect Bluetooth headphones. - Roku only offers built in Bluetooth on TV’s 50” and up, this is a 43” for a small space so that’s why I didn’t get the Roku TV.
I just bought 2 of the newest ROKU Voice Remote Pro's and love them. Sturdy, rechargable, lights up and has hands free voice which is good for finding the remote if it gets lost in the couch or the covers in bed.
I was going to say yes but mine isn't rechargable or have the lost remote finder. It does have the voice and I use rechargable batteries. I bought mine for Christmas of 2020
Simple UI and the remote is easily the best of all streaming devices. I love the Apple TV 4K, but Roku's remote keeps it my streamer of choice.
Roku also just updated their remote to include backlit buttons and a USB-c charging port. It's great and worth the upgrade.
Backlit buttons is good to know, but I just wish they use lighter coloured buttons or a bolder font so you could just read the remote in low light.
Black buttons on a black background with a light font is a terrible design choice for something people will often use in low light in a dimmed room. I was very disappointed the first time I picked up the remote and realised that to use it I needed to turn the lights up, use a torch, or use the iPhone app instead. None of my other remotes have this problem because they have light coloured buttons on a dark background, or big buttons with a bold white font if they are black on black.
>Backlit buttons is good to know, but I just wish they use lighter coloured buttons or a bolder font so you could just read the remote in low light.
i'll settle for being able to reprogram the buttons for my most-used services...
And that is great, but you could still do that if the buttons were legible in low light. You are not forced to look at them.
What the existing design does do is prevent those who want or need to see the buttons clearly in low light from doing so. This might be personal preference, or it might be a different impairment like arthritis that means you find it easier to use the remote 2 handed.
My TV supports both subtitles and speakers. I doubt you would say a TV with just subtitles was good design because deaf and sighted people could learn to use them so the speakers were not necessary.
Clearer buttons are a win win as they make the remote more accessible with no obvious downsides. It's like a wheelchair ramp. It makes a building more accessible to those in wheelchairs, but is also useful to people who could use the stairs but prefer not to, e.g., people with wheelchairs, luggage, stiff knees, and so on.
>Clearer buttons are a win win as they make the remote more accessible with no obvious downsides.
So, here's the thing and you pointed it right out in your statement here: "no *obvious*" downsides.
I have quadriplegic cerebral palsy and the afore mentioned vision impairment. I have had these (and other) disabilities since birth. I am well versed in the curb cut effect, accessibility, and when accessibility needs of one group of disabled people interfere with the needs of another group of disabled people, and also, when universal design isn't so universal.
Examples include raised dome tactile pavers. These were invented by a sighted man for his sight impaired friend. These are good for that. Where they are dangerous is when someone thought, *let's put these in curb cuts* still great for people that are sight impaired and down right dangerous for mobility impaired people that lack balance or use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Another example is a universally designed shower with lots of room, flush entery way but has a built-in seating arrangment that is non-removable and unsuitable for someone with my level of disability that requires more custom seating due to many physical issues over my entire body.
The Roku remote designs fall into this category of "no obvious" accessibility issues and not your "obvious" speaker/subtitle accessibility issue.
Right now, as it sits, I am spoiled by Roku's obvious and less obvious accessibility options.
The simple menu, simple remote, voice feature, CC, DV/SAP -- those are all obvious accessibility features.
Less obvious accessibility features are the screen off feature, and the small distinct button shapes on the remote and the lack of any light coming from the remote buttons.
If you made the buttons larger it would make them harder to decipher via touch. If you added a larger amount of light it would cause light sensitivity. You wrote, "And that is great, but you could still do that if the buttons were legible in low light. You are not forced to look at them." That's not how light senstivity and some other visual impairments work. The light existing at all causes the problem.
These are the less obvious downsides.
I get the challenge in creating access, I have lived it for 40+ years. No one person's access needs are greater than another's.
It doesn't make my needs wrong or anyone else's needs right it's simply different.
I bought a TV with Fire OS baked in... It was alright. I've used a Roku Ultra on it for quite awhile and it's faster and really a no nonsense way of getting to your apps and shows quickly.
Recently l went back to Google TV with Chromecast dongle.
My order of preference:
Roku Ultra
Google TV
Fire OS
For my new tv I originally bought a 4k Chromecast with Google TV. I had switched from roku when the chromecast first came out and had bought every model released and each iteration seemed like one step forward two steps back. With the 4k Google TV there were enough issues that finally pushed me back to Roku. It can't sync up with the old chromecast audio for whole house audio (4k chromecast can but it doesn't do hdr). It has to use it's included power brick (the USB port on my TV as well as the USB port on my power strip were rejected). Dolby vision HDR content would glitch out if I didn't restart the chromecast before watching (at random points during movies the screen would fill up with blocky glitchy bright green pixel blocks, I blamed my TV at first). Finally youtube started to glitch a lot and cause me too sign in any time I used the app and it was regularly dropping the connection with my phone. (waited a couple months for it to get better, chatted with Google and gave them regular feedback about the issues and it never resolved).
So I bought a Roku 4k streaming stick and have been pretty happy with my purchase. It is happily powered by my TVs usb port, Dolby Vision content hasn't glitched out once and YouTube works substantially better. I also like the home screen better on roku it seems so much more streamlined and much less cluttered than Google TV is now. Since Roku has a larger install base than the chromecast, app developers push out updates for the roku sooner. There are a couple of drawbacks I've noticed though batteries on the remote don't last as long though, I even replaced the remote under warranty and the new one is just as much of a battery hog. It doesn't always connect to wifi quickly when I first power it on but it always eventually connects but sometimes I have to force it.
I've never been a fan of Amazon so I don't own any Amazon devices like a fire stick.
The battery and the wifi connection issues have never happened on any of my devices. Batteries are going on 2 years with no change. Wifi stays constantly connected even after I went away for a week, I pressed the power button and it instantly popped up with full connection.
What device and roku are you using?
I tried Amazon Firestick before. Both burnt out within a year due to overheating. This was before they came out with the dongle. After the 2nd one burned out I tried roku and that's my only reason why.
And they just upgraded that app so you can see thumbnail previews when scrubbing through video. Before I had to just FF through red flags and hope I didn’t end up after the restart.
I am switching back to Roku from Fire TV Stick 4k Max 2022 (in UK). I had the first iteration of Chromecast as well. The Fire is extremely buggy, and often I have to restart apps or even reboot the device because there is no sound. From what I understand from the reviews, the newest model may be a downgrade. Plus, I occasionally get ads for things like moisturiser on the home screen. It's like 'Go away, Amazon'. The only 'upgrade' from the Roku premiere from a few years before is the voice button on the remote. And it has some sort of channel list for live TV from the apps, which we never use. Plus, most of its memory is taken up, so playing any games or whatever means your streaming apps get automatically removed to make room.
So, I am hoping to clean off our Roku and set it up in the next few weeks. I only replaced it because we got the overheating error on it once. I liked the interface and it has a bonus Roku Channel. If we have to, we'll just pick up a new Roku.
The overheating problem may be solvable with some DIY. I've seen a few youtube videos about either just making some vent holes in the shell, or repasting the thermal paste (or was it replacing thermal pads?). Anyways, it didn't seem too difficult if yours is the same model as the videos.
That could be good. Personally, I'd go for the paste/pad fix first because I already have some lying around or you could easily pick up some from any computer store or Amazon.
Honestly, I love the screen savers and backgrounds, and even though The Roku Channel is available as an app now on other platforms, their content is pretty good (I’ve watched hours of Beyond Belief, and I was introduced to Dead Like Me and a few other shows I’d have never seen without them). Their search is simple and very effective, and I’ve never encountered anything that couldn’t be figured out with a little help.
roku isn't limited by amazon/google/apple deciding that they don't want to support a rival service and removing them from the platform. i can switch between amazon, itunes, youtube, disney, etc all in one device
This is what killed my interest in Amazon devices a while back. The fact you couldn't get YouTube on a Fire Stick was a deal breaker. Roku fulfills what Netflix did in the early days of streaming, a convenient third party that had no real skin in the game and got along with pretty much everyone to serve their stuff to people.
It was the first brand I saw when I wandered into Best Buy, and so far it does all the things I require of it. Other than that I have no particular loyalty.
I honestly use them all, in our spare room we have an amazing fire stick 4K max, our bedroom is a Chromcast 4k & our travel device is a Roku 4k stick. But for our family room and home theater our main viewing are AppleTV 4K HDR boxes.
We like the Roku for travel for how easy they make it to connect to hotel WiFi’s, don’t know why anyone else hasn’t fallen suit.
But we’re an Apple household so the AppleTV is our day to day, being able to swap user accounts and being linked to our smart home so that we can do things like see the front door on the tv when someone rings, we like Apple better.
But they all have their plus/minus.
In the beginning of streaming devices, I researched the hell out of them, and found the early Rokus to be the best deal of all for independent minded folks like me. Family members in the Apple ecosystem wanted to try AppleTVs too, so we ended up with both kinds.
We ended up with three Rokus and two Apple TVs. Both Apples bricked themselves after a while. But even before that, family and visitors vastly preferred the Rokus to the Apples.
Fast forward, and I think we're on our second or third generation Rokus now (all electronic gear dependent on the internet tends to become obsolete after a while). I've always kept watch on developments in streamers, and have yet to run across a compelling reason to switch. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but almost got pulled into the Amazon orbit, until Amazon pulled the rug out from under their best customers with their horrible turnaround on prices and services the last few years. Plus, the new Fire tablet I got from them bricked itself quick, back then.
Many years ago, a friend mentioned the Roku device he’d just bought, so I got one too. I enjoyed it. I’ve upgraded a few times and now have an Ultra. I guess I’m just used to them. I tried a Chromecast and it was okay but I didn’t stick with it.
I bought one back when all apps weren't necessarily available on all streaming devices. Roku had all of the apps I wanted, while others did not. I've been using them ever since, I've never even tried any of the other ones.
Mainly cost for me, but I also like the idea of not feeding more info to Amazon/Google/Apple.
I had an old Apple TV and Chromecast that had reached end of life and at that point a Roku Express met my needs and was so cheap I was happy to give it a try even if I ended up hating it. I got it in a sale for £20 but even at £30 full price it was cheaper than a new Apple TV (£99), and I think it was £60 or so for a new Chromecast at that time (£35 today).
I'm not super obsessed about the privacy aspect but I do like the idea of making it slightly harder for Google and Amazon to track my viewing habits outside of their apps.
My only regret is that I wish I had spent the extra £10 on a 4K express as that has a faster processer, more memory, and faster WIFI so would probably be a little snappier, but the bog standard Express is perfectly usable.
I had a Chromecast and it worked just fine, but overall I like my Roku's better. I have a roku tv, a roku ultra, and a roku streambar. They are so easy to use, they are quick, and I like the simple remotes.
I literally have all of them but Roku is what I use 99% of the time. Used Chromecast with Google TV for the ability to use the Kodi app, but after switching to Plex I don't need any 1 platform now. Personally, I like Roku the most because it is the most polished and I can use their app to listen through my headphones without needing to connect to the TV directly with Bluetooth. In my case my "headphones" are actually hearing aids, which are a pain to switch to a different source, so having them connected to my phone and then using Roku to stream audio through my phone and hearing aids is super convenient.
I've been a diehard Android fan for nearly 15 years so I appreciate that the Chromecast with Google TV and Firestick are built on Android and allow customization, which I miss on Roku. However, for a streaming platform for my whole family Roku works best.
I choose Roku out of all others, except for Apple TV. The reason is a simple app based UI. The best streaming device UI by a large margin is Apple TV. Second is Roku. All the others are a very distant last
I've used chrome cast, Apple TV, and fire stick. With that said I've got 8 Rokus at home now and prefer it to all other platforms. It's just responsive and easy to use. With screen mirroring baked in now I've replaced hundreds of old Apple TVs with Rokus.
I’ve used Google TV, Fire OS and Roku.
When I was looking to move off legacy set to boxes and on to streaming, I wanted to find TVs that had the interface built in. Roku won that handily with having a descent selection of manufacturers integrating their interface. I also have HDMI and Antenna feeds and the Roku TV interface does a great job of natively integrating those into it. On the antenna side, the can even do live tv pause off your antenna feed.
I ultimately have standardized on TCL TVs with built in Roku for all my TVs.
It also overwhelming passed the wife acceptance factor.
I've been happy with mine to date and haven't tried the others so I can't comment on them. It's easy to use and it works much better than a cable box or the WebOS my TV has. I use the Ultra for 4K output with a small SD card (only 8Gb as I heard it doesn't use much) for faster app load times. Only downside is no porn apps but that can be a good thing with kids I suppose. Oh, but it does wig out every now and then which is solved with a reboot if it doesn't reboot itself.
Simple interface that's not clunky with ads or a fancy layout. Plus if it does freeze or lock up the reboot is quick and always solves the issue.
I also like how easy it is to pin lock adding channels so my kids can't keep adding YouTube.
I was Roku only for 5 years and mainly TCL TVs. When TCL and Roku split I had to choose to either stick with TCL or go with the Roku TV. I went with TCL with built in Google TV and after some adjusting I prefer it.
Biggest win for me is VPN apps and browsers being available for Google TV but I also prefer the interface once put into Apps only mode.
All my Roku TV's have Chromecasts plugged in HDMI 1. I much prefer the Chromecast for versatility and speed (usually).
My family prefers Roku for simplicity.
So, it depends on your personal preference.
Originally I went with Roku because it was recommended to me. I ended up upgrading all of the tvs in the house with Rokus. They’re suuuuper simple to use, they execute extremely fast (I went from watching Netflix, like watching a show watching, to watching a video on YouTube in under 30 seconds as a test once), and I love that I can use my phone as a remote.
I got divorced and ended up getting all new TVs, and I bought fire sticks to better integrate with my Alexa. Flash forward two months, I haaaated the fire sticks, and switched back to Rokus.
I cannot say enough good things about Rokus. Choose Roku.
Roku is the first streaming device I became aware of when I broke the cord in late 2014. It has worked well for me; so far, I've had no need to try anything else.
It’s easy to use. I’ve used the others at my friends houses and I just can’t figure them out. If I had to narrow it down to 2 I’d pick either Roku or AppleTV because those are the easiest to use in my opinion.
For me it was the ability to use my phone as a remote via the app. I’m awful about losing the remote in bed and at the time I bought it, Roku was the only one that had that feature and was in my price range.
I am an early adopter of ROKU (since 2007). I currently have 3 active ROKUs in my home. I use ROKU exclusively because it is the one streaming service that offers over 1,000 free channels. You can even develop your own Channel on ROKU. ROKU is on the ball with adopting new Channels and all of them update automatically. You do not have to hope that one day Google or Amazon will deign to include a channel that you really want.
I have several roku tvs and sticks. I currently am having issues with 4 different TVs with either built in Roku or a stick.. Looking for alternatives in the future personally.
I’ve been using multiple Rokus for several years but lately have been having HDCP errors…apparently it is a more recent issue with Roku based on some online research, and Roku is struggling to address it. I tried every way to troubleshoot with no luck. Today, bought my first Amazon Fire Stick and it works great and eliminated the errors. Remote is very similar to Roku remote, and it is just as fast (or faster) and easy to use imo.
Santa Claus got me a Roku box, so I use a roku box. Once it’s setup with your apps, I really can’t tell the difference between the different brands, other than menu design.
I have a firetv too. It's fine but Roku live works better and I mildly prefer the roku UI. Firetv is totally good too though. I got my tv for like $50 or $60 on sale.
Roku was simple and affordable. We still have our first streaming stick and it still works great after several years but we bought an Ultra for our main tv.
I have a Roku Ultra and the private listening is awesome. For example - I have 2 large 70s and 2 43's hooked up to an hdmi matrix in the living room. This way I can game it on one of the large tvs and put the soccer game on a small one with private listening to my gaming headset. Then the wife is free to watch anything she wants on the other large tv and our security system feed is always on the other small tv.
The reason I use Roku is because the Fire Stick and Apple TV both restrict the apps you can download (prime, apple, vudu, etc) because of competition with each other. Roku is kind of the middle man and you can download any apps you want.
One reason is that Roku allow airplay, so if you have an iphone and need to stream something. I don't think you can airplay to a google TV (not sure about fire stick). If you have an android device, google tv might be a better bet.
When i first started with Roku, i was moving into a new apartment with my, at that point 8yr old daughter. I didn't have enough money for cable, which she was used to. What i wanted to get was something that was so simple, even an 8yr old could figure it out. I've had Amazon Sticks and Android boxes before that, but they all had a learning curve. The Roku was just so simple to use, she understood it right away and could immediately start watching her shows.
Built into our TV but getting Apple TV soon because the Apple TV plus app keeps crashing on Roku. Plus I really don’t like the adds on the Home Screen of the Roku
I previously had free cable in my building, but it became so expensive in the 40 units, the landlord just couldn't justify the expense without raising the rent. I researched the Roku and ended up buying a new TV with the Roku already installed. Not only is the TV great, but I'll never go back to cable even if I move. No problems. A few older programs glitch slightly but not enough to be a bother. I also like the choice of just paying for a single show or movie instead of a monthly subscription.
I used to use a Fire Stick, and its connectivity sucked. That was wi-fi and it had a lot of problems
I got my 1st Roku for free through a promotion.from Sling (yeeearrs ago) and it was able to connect through a hardwired ethernet connection.
This was a major improvement!
I recently upgraded to a new Roku, because I wanted 4K. It also has ethernet connection. Love it.
Hi, so question if anyone knows: when I have my Roku streaming from my computer via HDMI cable and I try to use a website like Netflix or HBOMAX, my TV has some sort of aneurysm as their player loads and either shuts down or displays a ton of static and makes terrible noises. Is this a me problem? I half suspect Roku sabotaged the TV before selling it to me so I’d have to use their operating system to access them.
I've had ROKU for years. Love it! BUT, I think their remote control devices are horrible. Buttons have to be pressed hard except for the Speed Dial buttons. You just look at those and you're changing networks in the middle of your program. Sucks Man! I took one apart and put electrical tape over the contacts for the SD buttons.
ROKU Service....Excellent!!
Simplicity, and clean UI not crowded adverts, or whatch this. Just the streaming apps I use in a convenient grid. I don't need my stream box to do anything recommending to me.
Because it is easier for my parents, grandparents, and mother-in-law to use. It's hard explaining new technology to older people sometimes. They can get overwhelmed very easily and become frustrated to the point of giving up.
It just works? My firestick is flaky and crashes a lot. My Rokus I've had for 8 years and all I had to do is add an SD card and occasionally replace the remote when the batteries rot. My Rokus do crash every couple of months but they are old. My AppleTV is 2nd gen and I can't add any more channels so I just stick to the Roku.
I got a new 4k google TV and immediately bought the Roku Ultra. Once I signed in, everything I had set up on the old one was there and it is zippy.
Roku is nice and easy to use when it works. When something doesn't work though their support is AWFUL. Their engineering team seems to be as well. There was a bug that should've been easy to fix that took years to fix and they never really acknowledged the bug or the fix.
For that reason I would recommend going with something else like an AppleTV or the NVDIA shield.
Cheap, simple, easy to use. I can use my phone as a remote on any roku in my house, even when I'm upstairs. Mine have lasted a long time for the price, I think my oldest one is about 10.
Interface.
Chromecast has none, you need to cast from your phone. My kids can't do that. They can use the Roku remote just fine though.
Fire TV interface is god awful. Maybe they've made it better in the last several years, but when I tried it I hated it. So many ads.
I love the Roku remote because it's RF and not IR. I hate having to aim infrared (IR) remotes *juuust* right, and move the book someone left on the table that's blocking the IR receiver.
I use Chromecast sometimes too. Its remote (my phone) is also RF, but it's a pain to unlock the screen to pause or rewind. If the person who started a movie on their phone goes to bed early, while others are still watching, they're kinda screwed because the only "remote" is gone too.
I don't use Roku, but I would most recommend a Roku to an older person who is tech-illiterate. I imagine the simpler interface would make it easier for them to understand how to download apps more than Google TV does.
I've had my hands on several streamers from Android TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and more. Ultimately, Roku had the most and best apps and a good price. Fire TV was too much buy in to the Amazon ecosystem. Chrome cast and Amazon TV were too much selling my sole to Google.
One downside to Roku is poor support for playing local media.
I have a Roku TV, Roku Soundbar, Roku Ultra and A Roku Express as well as a Google Chromecast and an Amazon Fire stick but I Prefer My Onn. Roku TV over all of them it is just the easiest to use I'm 56 yrs old so easier the better
User experience of Roku is better than any other streamer I've used, and the interface is way snapper than any of the Fire sticks I've owned. All my Fire sticks also stopped working way too early into their life spans. The only Rokus I've had to get rid of were just so old they weren't getting new apps.
Roku has a clean, simple, easy-to-use interface that’s aesthetically pleasing.
By comparison I’ve also used an Amazon Fire Stick in the past and I think that thing is a mess. Absolutely the opposite of a Roku.
I just wanted a cheap replacement for my old 1st gen Chromecast. I liked the look of the Roku Express as it came with a remote and was not tied into Amazon or Google experience.I like the simplicity of the interface the App choice and the fact that the OS is maintained and updated (my Smart TV (Panasonic) OS has long since been abandonded.
I’ve had a Roku Ultra for over 3 years. I’ve had so many problems with the apps I use the most, especially Crunchyroll. Just a few days ago the newest episode of Reincarnated as a Slime went up and I hit play for the new episode and ended up getting the 💢emoji because it couldn’t play it, even after restarting and power cycling it. And my iPhone had no issues whatsoever playing it. I’ve even had VUDU for an entire month deny access via crash of my 65 movies on there. It’s honestly infuriating. Plus Roku decided to put stuff on my Home Screen I didn’t ask for and I went and disabled it. I’m planning on switching to an Apple TV 4k. I’ve found that people have far less problems on Apple TV’s than any other. Plus I like the Apple Ecosystem. Apple TV’s also have no ads on the Home Screen whatsoever. The Home Screen will stay as you put it until you yourself makes changes.
I personally would recommend getting anything but a Roku. If you already have Apple products, I’d recommend the Apple TV. I’d recommend it even if it would end up being your first Apple Product. It might make you interested in their other products.
Simplicity and its seamless integration with antenna TV in the Roku TV's. The interface reminds me of early Tivo, but it is easier and more intuitive for my wife and guests to use than FireTV.
It's ugly, but it gets the job done.
Simple, user friendly, and fast. has over 1,000 channels built in and has access to every 3rd party app I want. Their app selection has everything you could want.
Also has the ability to mirror my phone screen directly and cast literally any movie, show, live sport event, or song that I want to stream for free.
Also the roku channel has so many seasons of shows that you can’t find anywhere and the most limited commercials out of any streaming service.
It can also directly integrate OTA channels into the live tv channel guide. I honestly don’t have any use for cable ever again. I pay $35 for internet and Roku takes care of the rest of my needs by allowing freedom to use your device as you want without restrictions.
Because Fire OS is the worst platform ever created, only slightly exaggerating. Roku is great except YouTube TV, which is insanely buggy on most Roku devices.
I bought a Roku about 15 years ago, and it's just always had what we needed. I'm sure the other devices work well enough too, but for us it was just what we adopted and stuck with. I know the interface, I have multiple subscriptions with it, and we have like four of them throughout our home. No reason to change anything as long as Roku makes big changes.
The biggest thing that almost pushed me away is when they got rid of the developer channels, with just a code you could download developer created channels that weren't in the app store -- this was NICE. It added lots of great content, granted some using less than legal streaming sources which is why they nixed it, but IMO back then anyway it gave Roku a huge edge.
I currently have 2 TCL Roku TVs. I liked the simplicity of the Roku interface but over the years the amount of ads has become too much. I’m going to disconnect the TVs from the WiFi and plug Apple TV 4Ks into the TVs.
I bought an Amazon Fire Stick for a small TV in the guest room, and also have a FireTV in my basement (more for the cheap TV). They're serviceable, but to be honest I really don't like it. The older model FiteTVs had very small memories so it's nearly impossible to update certain apps now. It also has been quite buggy, and it's made navigating the UI really difficult. I would take a Roku over it any day, with its actual responsive remote and intuitive UI. Never tried the Chromecast.
I've owned a Fire TV cube and it became very sluggish over time. I've owned a few Roku devices over the years and I haven't experienced any issues of lagging or drop in reliability. I have a 3rd generation Roku that is still kicking. My 2nd generation Roku still functions but is no longer supported.
I am a snowbird and use my Roku at home in Ohio and during the winter in FL. It is one of the most useful pieces of hardware I have ever owned . Best to have a friend who has set up a Roku before, since the routine could be a challenge for older folks. bk ohio
No. Kodi and Plex are different applications.
(Pendant: historically, Plex is a spinoff of the project that became Kodi. However, the code bases and capabilities are not compatible, and haven't been for years now.)
I use multiple, but my Roku Ultra is my primary due to its simplicity. It's quick to get where you want to go, and as a whole, it's a very stable platform with apps having a tendency to be less buggy than they are on other platforms.
Yeah, same. The simple interface feels a bit dated at times, but that's also a good thing. I also have a Firetv and the interface is so cluttered and clunky, it just makes me appreciate Roku all that much more.
Same reasons. I have a Roku 4K stick on my Fire TV for this reason. — An unexpected advantage of this is the Fire TV has built in Bluetooth connectivity so I can still connect headphones and when I switch to Roku (there’s a TV setting so that any button press on the Roku remote switches inputs) I’m still connected— don’t have to go through the Roku remote app to connect Bluetooth headphones. - Roku only offers built in Bluetooth on TV’s 50” and up, this is a 43” for a small space so that’s why I didn’t get the Roku TV.
This, the roku is a very simple interface. The only downside to the roku is that you can't add a vpn or Kodi.
[удалено]
I just bought 2 of the newest ROKU Voice Remote Pro's and love them. Sturdy, rechargable, lights up and has hands free voice which is good for finding the remote if it gets lost in the couch or the covers in bed.
I was going to say yes but mine isn't rechargable or have the lost remote finder. It does have the voice and I use rechargable batteries. I bought mine for Christmas of 2020
Simple UI and the remote is easily the best of all streaming devices. I love the Apple TV 4K, but Roku's remote keeps it my streamer of choice. Roku also just updated their remote to include backlit buttons and a USB-c charging port. It's great and worth the upgrade.
Backlit buttons is good to know, but I just wish they use lighter coloured buttons or a bolder font so you could just read the remote in low light. Black buttons on a black background with a light font is a terrible design choice for something people will often use in low light in a dimmed room. I was very disappointed the first time I picked up the remote and realised that to use it I needed to turn the lights up, use a torch, or use the iPhone app instead. None of my other remotes have this problem because they have light coloured buttons on a dark background, or big buttons with a bold white font if they are black on black.
>Backlit buttons is good to know, but I just wish they use lighter coloured buttons or a bolder font so you could just read the remote in low light. i'll settle for being able to reprogram the buttons for my most-used services...
It comes with a single button you can reprogram, which is nice.
It fits in your hand easily and you learn where all the buttons are very quickly. Simple design means not having to look for a button very often.
This. I am vision impaired and I don't even look at the buttons.
And that is great, but you could still do that if the buttons were legible in low light. You are not forced to look at them. What the existing design does do is prevent those who want or need to see the buttons clearly in low light from doing so. This might be personal preference, or it might be a different impairment like arthritis that means you find it easier to use the remote 2 handed. My TV supports both subtitles and speakers. I doubt you would say a TV with just subtitles was good design because deaf and sighted people could learn to use them so the speakers were not necessary. Clearer buttons are a win win as they make the remote more accessible with no obvious downsides. It's like a wheelchair ramp. It makes a building more accessible to those in wheelchairs, but is also useful to people who could use the stairs but prefer not to, e.g., people with wheelchairs, luggage, stiff knees, and so on.
>Clearer buttons are a win win as they make the remote more accessible with no obvious downsides. So, here's the thing and you pointed it right out in your statement here: "no *obvious*" downsides. I have quadriplegic cerebral palsy and the afore mentioned vision impairment. I have had these (and other) disabilities since birth. I am well versed in the curb cut effect, accessibility, and when accessibility needs of one group of disabled people interfere with the needs of another group of disabled people, and also, when universal design isn't so universal. Examples include raised dome tactile pavers. These were invented by a sighted man for his sight impaired friend. These are good for that. Where they are dangerous is when someone thought, *let's put these in curb cuts* still great for people that are sight impaired and down right dangerous for mobility impaired people that lack balance or use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Another example is a universally designed shower with lots of room, flush entery way but has a built-in seating arrangment that is non-removable and unsuitable for someone with my level of disability that requires more custom seating due to many physical issues over my entire body. The Roku remote designs fall into this category of "no obvious" accessibility issues and not your "obvious" speaker/subtitle accessibility issue. Right now, as it sits, I am spoiled by Roku's obvious and less obvious accessibility options. The simple menu, simple remote, voice feature, CC, DV/SAP -- those are all obvious accessibility features. Less obvious accessibility features are the screen off feature, and the small distinct button shapes on the remote and the lack of any light coming from the remote buttons. If you made the buttons larger it would make them harder to decipher via touch. If you added a larger amount of light it would cause light sensitivity. You wrote, "And that is great, but you could still do that if the buttons were legible in low light. You are not forced to look at them." That's not how light senstivity and some other visual impairments work. The light existing at all causes the problem. These are the less obvious downsides. I get the challenge in creating access, I have lived it for 40+ years. No one person's access needs are greater than another's. It doesn't make my needs wrong or anyone else's needs right it's simply different.
Voice searches and commands is a super feature. We use it all the time. Go Roku ! bk ohio
I bought a TV with Fire OS baked in... It was alright. I've used a Roku Ultra on it for quite awhile and it's faster and really a no nonsense way of getting to your apps and shows quickly. Recently l went back to Google TV with Chromecast dongle. My order of preference: Roku Ultra Google TV Fire OS
the FireOS baked into my TV is miles below the external firestick in performance
I don't have a fire TV but I do have a firestick. My Roku way outperforms the firestick.
Better Plex performance.
For my new tv I originally bought a 4k Chromecast with Google TV. I had switched from roku when the chromecast first came out and had bought every model released and each iteration seemed like one step forward two steps back. With the 4k Google TV there were enough issues that finally pushed me back to Roku. It can't sync up with the old chromecast audio for whole house audio (4k chromecast can but it doesn't do hdr). It has to use it's included power brick (the USB port on my TV as well as the USB port on my power strip were rejected). Dolby vision HDR content would glitch out if I didn't restart the chromecast before watching (at random points during movies the screen would fill up with blocky glitchy bright green pixel blocks, I blamed my TV at first). Finally youtube started to glitch a lot and cause me too sign in any time I used the app and it was regularly dropping the connection with my phone. (waited a couple months for it to get better, chatted with Google and gave them regular feedback about the issues and it never resolved). So I bought a Roku 4k streaming stick and have been pretty happy with my purchase. It is happily powered by my TVs usb port, Dolby Vision content hasn't glitched out once and YouTube works substantially better. I also like the home screen better on roku it seems so much more streamlined and much less cluttered than Google TV is now. Since Roku has a larger install base than the chromecast, app developers push out updates for the roku sooner. There are a couple of drawbacks I've noticed though batteries on the remote don't last as long though, I even replaced the remote under warranty and the new one is just as much of a battery hog. It doesn't always connect to wifi quickly when I first power it on but it always eventually connects but sometimes I have to force it. I've never been a fan of Amazon so I don't own any Amazon devices like a fire stick.
The battery and the wifi connection issues have never happened on any of my devices. Batteries are going on 2 years with no change. Wifi stays constantly connected even after I went away for a week, I pressed the power button and it instantly popped up with full connection. What device and roku are you using?
It came with the TV and it's been great so far
I prefer Roku, i’ve used Amazon fire stick, but prefer Roku
I got a roku because I didn't want something that used a voice remote. Amazon likes to record too much.
Valid point.
I tried Amazon Firestick before. Both burnt out within a year due to overheating. This was before they came out with the dongle. After the 2nd one burned out I tried roku and that's my only reason why.
F1TV app
And they just upgraded that app so you can see thumbnail previews when scrubbing through video. Before I had to just FF through red flags and hope I didn’t end up after the restart.
I am switching back to Roku from Fire TV Stick 4k Max 2022 (in UK). I had the first iteration of Chromecast as well. The Fire is extremely buggy, and often I have to restart apps or even reboot the device because there is no sound. From what I understand from the reviews, the newest model may be a downgrade. Plus, I occasionally get ads for things like moisturiser on the home screen. It's like 'Go away, Amazon'. The only 'upgrade' from the Roku premiere from a few years before is the voice button on the remote. And it has some sort of channel list for live TV from the apps, which we never use. Plus, most of its memory is taken up, so playing any games or whatever means your streaming apps get automatically removed to make room. So, I am hoping to clean off our Roku and set it up in the next few weeks. I only replaced it because we got the overheating error on it once. I liked the interface and it has a bonus Roku Channel. If we have to, we'll just pick up a new Roku.
The overheating problem may be solvable with some DIY. I've seen a few youtube videos about either just making some vent holes in the shell, or repasting the thermal paste (or was it replacing thermal pads?). Anyways, it didn't seem too difficult if yours is the same model as the videos.
I saw some suggestions about getting heat sinks (maybe the ones used with Raspberry Pi?), so I might try that.
That could be good. Personally, I'd go for the paste/pad fix first because I already have some lying around or you could easily pick up some from any computer store or Amazon.
smart tvs are too slow, shield tv has subtitle & wifi connectivity issues/crashes too much roku i almost never have had an issue
Honestly, I love the screen savers and backgrounds, and even though The Roku Channel is available as an app now on other platforms, their content is pretty good (I’ve watched hours of Beyond Belief, and I was introduced to Dead Like Me and a few other shows I’d have never seen without them). Their search is simple and very effective, and I’ve never encountered anything that couldn’t be figured out with a little help.
roku isn't limited by amazon/google/apple deciding that they don't want to support a rival service and removing them from the platform. i can switch between amazon, itunes, youtube, disney, etc all in one device
This is what killed my interest in Amazon devices a while back. The fact you couldn't get YouTube on a Fire Stick was a deal breaker. Roku fulfills what Netflix did in the early days of streaming, a convenient third party that had no real skin in the game and got along with pretty much everyone to serve their stuff to people.
It was the first brand I saw when I wandered into Best Buy, and so far it does all the things I require of it. Other than that I have no particular loyalty.
I honestly use them all, in our spare room we have an amazing fire stick 4K max, our bedroom is a Chromcast 4k & our travel device is a Roku 4k stick. But for our family room and home theater our main viewing are AppleTV 4K HDR boxes. We like the Roku for travel for how easy they make it to connect to hotel WiFi’s, don’t know why anyone else hasn’t fallen suit. But we’re an Apple household so the AppleTV is our day to day, being able to swap user accounts and being linked to our smart home so that we can do things like see the front door on the tv when someone rings, we like Apple better. But they all have their plus/minus.
Simple interface. Fairly inexpensive. Consistency across all TVs.
The app is very easy to use, especially for the parents and I like that it doesn't look like a cable TV guide.
In the beginning of streaming devices, I researched the hell out of them, and found the early Rokus to be the best deal of all for independent minded folks like me. Family members in the Apple ecosystem wanted to try AppleTVs too, so we ended up with both kinds. We ended up with three Rokus and two Apple TVs. Both Apples bricked themselves after a while. But even before that, family and visitors vastly preferred the Rokus to the Apples. Fast forward, and I think we're on our second or third generation Rokus now (all electronic gear dependent on the internet tends to become obsolete after a while). I've always kept watch on developments in streamers, and have yet to run across a compelling reason to switch. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but almost got pulled into the Amazon orbit, until Amazon pulled the rug out from under their best customers with their horrible turnaround on prices and services the last few years. Plus, the new Fire tablet I got from them bricked itself quick, back then.
Many years ago, a friend mentioned the Roku device he’d just bought, so I got one too. I enjoyed it. I’ve upgraded a few times and now have an Ultra. I guess I’m just used to them. I tried a Chromecast and it was okay but I didn’t stick with it.
Roku is designed from the ground-up to be used from the couch, on a big TV, with a handheld remote.
I bought one back when all apps weren't necessarily available on all streaming devices. Roku had all of the apps I wanted, while others did not. I've been using them ever since, I've never even tried any of the other ones.
Be cause it's easier and better
If you travel at all, it's so easy to connect a Roku stick to hotel wi-fi.
Mainly cost for me, but I also like the idea of not feeding more info to Amazon/Google/Apple. I had an old Apple TV and Chromecast that had reached end of life and at that point a Roku Express met my needs and was so cheap I was happy to give it a try even if I ended up hating it. I got it in a sale for £20 but even at £30 full price it was cheaper than a new Apple TV (£99), and I think it was £60 or so for a new Chromecast at that time (£35 today). I'm not super obsessed about the privacy aspect but I do like the idea of making it slightly harder for Google and Amazon to track my viewing habits outside of their apps. My only regret is that I wish I had spent the extra £10 on a 4K express as that has a faster processer, more memory, and faster WIFI so would probably be a little snappier, but the bog standard Express is perfectly usable.
I had a Chromecast and it worked just fine, but overall I like my Roku's better. I have a roku tv, a roku ultra, and a roku streambar. They are so easy to use, they are quick, and I like the simple remotes.
I literally have all of them but Roku is what I use 99% of the time. Used Chromecast with Google TV for the ability to use the Kodi app, but after switching to Plex I don't need any 1 platform now. Personally, I like Roku the most because it is the most polished and I can use their app to listen through my headphones without needing to connect to the TV directly with Bluetooth. In my case my "headphones" are actually hearing aids, which are a pain to switch to a different source, so having them connected to my phone and then using Roku to stream audio through my phone and hearing aids is super convenient. I've been a diehard Android fan for nearly 15 years so I appreciate that the Chromecast with Google TV and Firestick are built on Android and allow customization, which I miss on Roku. However, for a streaming platform for my whole family Roku works best.
We recently switched to the Google version. I like it a lot.
Adaptive framerate in all apps. The Chromcast with Google TV has gotten it too, but I think Netflix is the only app to use it so far.
I choose Roku out of all others, except for Apple TV. The reason is a simple app based UI. The best streaming device UI by a large margin is Apple TV. Second is Roku. All the others are a very distant last
I've used chrome cast, Apple TV, and fire stick. With that said I've got 8 Rokus at home now and prefer it to all other platforms. It's just responsive and easy to use. With screen mirroring baked in now I've replaced hundreds of old Apple TVs with Rokus.
Simple interface mainly
I’ve used Google TV, Fire OS and Roku. When I was looking to move off legacy set to boxes and on to streaming, I wanted to find TVs that had the interface built in. Roku won that handily with having a descent selection of manufacturers integrating their interface. I also have HDMI and Antenna feeds and the Roku TV interface does a great job of natively integrating those into it. On the antenna side, the can even do live tv pause off your antenna feed. I ultimately have standardized on TCL TVs with built in Roku for all my TVs. It also overwhelming passed the wife acceptance factor.
I've been happy with mine to date and haven't tried the others so I can't comment on them. It's easy to use and it works much better than a cable box or the WebOS my TV has. I use the Ultra for 4K output with a small SD card (only 8Gb as I heard it doesn't use much) for faster app load times. Only downside is no porn apps but that can be a good thing with kids I suppose. Oh, but it does wig out every now and then which is solved with a reboot if it doesn't reboot itself.
Simple interface that's not clunky with ads or a fancy layout. Plus if it does freeze or lock up the reboot is quick and always solves the issue. I also like how easy it is to pin lock adding channels so my kids can't keep adding YouTube.
I was Roku only for 5 years and mainly TCL TVs. When TCL and Roku split I had to choose to either stick with TCL or go with the Roku TV. I went with TCL with built in Google TV and after some adjusting I prefer it. Biggest win for me is VPN apps and browsers being available for Google TV but I also prefer the interface once put into Apps only mode.
All my Roku TV's have Chromecasts plugged in HDMI 1. I much prefer the Chromecast for versatility and speed (usually). My family prefers Roku for simplicity. So, it depends on your personal preference.
Originally I went with Roku because it was recommended to me. I ended up upgrading all of the tvs in the house with Rokus. They’re suuuuper simple to use, they execute extremely fast (I went from watching Netflix, like watching a show watching, to watching a video on YouTube in under 30 seconds as a test once), and I love that I can use my phone as a remote. I got divorced and ended up getting all new TVs, and I bought fire sticks to better integrate with my Alexa. Flash forward two months, I haaaated the fire sticks, and switched back to Rokus. I cannot say enough good things about Rokus. Choose Roku.
The ease of use and the simplicity of the remote
Roku is the first streaming device I became aware of when I broke the cord in late 2014. It has worked well for me; so far, I've had no need to try anything else.
It’s easy to use. I’ve used the others at my friends houses and I just can’t figure them out. If I had to narrow it down to 2 I’d pick either Roku or AppleTV because those are the easiest to use in my opinion.
For me it was the ability to use my phone as a remote via the app. I’m awful about losing the remote in bed and at the time I bought it, Roku was the only one that had that feature and was in my price range.
I am an early adopter of ROKU (since 2007). I currently have 3 active ROKUs in my home. I use ROKU exclusively because it is the one streaming service that offers over 1,000 free channels. You can even develop your own Channel on ROKU. ROKU is on the ball with adopting new Channels and all of them update automatically. You do not have to hope that one day Google or Amazon will deign to include a channel that you really want.
I have several roku tvs and sticks. I currently am having issues with 4 different TVs with either built in Roku or a stick.. Looking for alternatives in the future personally.
I’ve been using multiple Rokus for several years but lately have been having HDCP errors…apparently it is a more recent issue with Roku based on some online research, and Roku is struggling to address it. I tried every way to troubleshoot with no luck. Today, bought my first Amazon Fire Stick and it works great and eliminated the errors. Remote is very similar to Roku remote, and it is just as fast (or faster) and easy to use imo.
Santa Claus got me a Roku box, so I use a roku box. Once it’s setup with your apps, I really can’t tell the difference between the different brands, other than menu design.
I’ve backed off using my Roku as often. I use my Firestick a lot because they allow 3rd party apps.
I have a firetv too. It's fine but Roku live works better and I mildly prefer the roku UI. Firetv is totally good too though. I got my tv for like $50 or $60 on sale.
I have Roku. I don’t have the other two
I have used all of the above. I like Roku's interface, plus I have Spectrum for my cable. Roku is the only device that has the Spectrum app.
Roku was simple and affordable. We still have our first streaming stick and it still works great after several years but we bought an Ultra for our main tv.
I have a Roku Ultra and the private listening is awesome. For example - I have 2 large 70s and 2 43's hooked up to an hdmi matrix in the living room. This way I can game it on one of the large tvs and put the soccer game on a small one with private listening to my gaming headset. Then the wife is free to watch anything she wants on the other large tv and our security system feed is always on the other small tv.
captions on instant replay only. killer feature.
The reason I use Roku is because the Fire Stick and Apple TV both restrict the apps you can download (prime, apple, vudu, etc) because of competition with each other. Roku is kind of the middle man and you can download any apps you want.
It's plain and simple, easy to setup etc... I run Airbnbs and it's great to have them there as they are that easy anyone can use them!
One reason is that Roku allow airplay, so if you have an iphone and need to stream something. I don't think you can airplay to a google TV (not sure about fire stick). If you have an android device, google tv might be a better bet.
When i first started with Roku, i was moving into a new apartment with my, at that point 8yr old daughter. I didn't have enough money for cable, which she was used to. What i wanted to get was something that was so simple, even an 8yr old could figure it out. I've had Amazon Sticks and Android boxes before that, but they all had a learning curve. The Roku was just so simple to use, she understood it right away and could immediately start watching her shows.
Built into our TV but getting Apple TV soon because the Apple TV plus app keeps crashing on Roku. Plus I really don’t like the adds on the Home Screen of the Roku
I previously had free cable in my building, but it became so expensive in the 40 units, the landlord just couldn't justify the expense without raising the rent. I researched the Roku and ended up buying a new TV with the Roku already installed. Not only is the TV great, but I'll never go back to cable even if I move. No problems. A few older programs glitch slightly but not enough to be a bother. I also like the choice of just paying for a single show or movie instead of a monthly subscription.
Cuz I found one at the Goodwill
I used to use a Fire Stick, and its connectivity sucked. That was wi-fi and it had a lot of problems I got my 1st Roku for free through a promotion.from Sling (yeeearrs ago) and it was able to connect through a hardwired ethernet connection. This was a major improvement! I recently upgraded to a new Roku, because I wanted 4K. It also has ethernet connection. Love it.
I used Roku for years, but I've been migrating to Google TV. Two of the biggest reasons are for Stremio and Smart Tube (ad free YouTube).
Hi, so question if anyone knows: when I have my Roku streaming from my computer via HDMI cable and I try to use a website like Netflix or HBOMAX, my TV has some sort of aneurysm as their player loads and either shuts down or displays a ton of static and makes terrible noises. Is this a me problem? I half suspect Roku sabotaged the TV before selling it to me so I’d have to use their operating system to access them.
I've had ROKU for years. Love it! BUT, I think their remote control devices are horrible. Buttons have to be pressed hard except for the Speed Dial buttons. You just look at those and you're changing networks in the middle of your program. Sucks Man! I took one apart and put electrical tape over the contacts for the SD buttons. ROKU Service....Excellent!!
Simplicity, and clean UI not crowded adverts, or whatch this. Just the streaming apps I use in a convenient grid. I don't need my stream box to do anything recommending to me.
Because the local API means the home assistant integration is extremely responsive.
Fire sticks always crap out after a year or so. Went with roku and it's been going strong so far.
Because it is easier for my parents, grandparents, and mother-in-law to use. It's hard explaining new technology to older people sometimes. They can get overwhelmed very easily and become frustrated to the point of giving up.
It just works? My firestick is flaky and crashes a lot. My Rokus I've had for 8 years and all I had to do is add an SD card and occasionally replace the remote when the batteries rot. My Rokus do crash every couple of months but they are old. My AppleTV is 2nd gen and I can't add any more channels so I just stick to the Roku. I got a new 4k google TV and immediately bought the Roku Ultra. Once I signed in, everything I had set up on the old one was there and it is zippy.
Apple TV >>>> Roku. I realize I'm in the wrong sub, but reddit showed me this anyway. Cheerio!
Roku is nice and easy to use when it works. When something doesn't work though their support is AWFUL. Their engineering team seems to be as well. There was a bug that should've been easy to fix that took years to fix and they never really acknowledged the bug or the fix. For that reason I would recommend going with something else like an AppleTV or the NVDIA shield.
Cheap, simple, easy to use. I can use my phone as a remote on any roku in my house, even when I'm upstairs. Mine have lasted a long time for the price, I think my oldest one is about 10.
Easier to use than Chromecast (family) and more stable than Fire. Simple choice.
I can travel with my Roku stick for the last couple of years; others are starting to ketchup
Interface. Chromecast has none, you need to cast from your phone. My kids can't do that. They can use the Roku remote just fine though. Fire TV interface is god awful. Maybe they've made it better in the last several years, but when I tried it I hated it. So many ads.
Roku City.
I love the Roku remote because it's RF and not IR. I hate having to aim infrared (IR) remotes *juuust* right, and move the book someone left on the table that's blocking the IR receiver. I use Chromecast sometimes too. Its remote (my phone) is also RF, but it's a pain to unlock the screen to pause or rewind. If the person who started a movie on their phone goes to bed early, while others are still watching, they're kinda screwed because the only "remote" is gone too.
I don't use Roku, but I would most recommend a Roku to an older person who is tech-illiterate. I imagine the simpler interface would make it easier for them to understand how to download apps more than Google TV does.
I've had my hands on several streamers from Android TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and more. Ultimately, Roku had the most and best apps and a good price. Fire TV was too much buy in to the Amazon ecosystem. Chrome cast and Amazon TV were too much selling my sole to Google. One downside to Roku is poor support for playing local media.
Roku, if not turned off properly drains your data. Take it home then turn off TV
All of them are going to steal your information and rape you in the ass but Google/Amazon will do it without lube.
I have a Roku TV, Roku Soundbar, Roku Ultra and A Roku Express as well as a Google Chromecast and an Amazon Fire stick but I Prefer My Onn. Roku TV over all of them it is just the easiest to use I'm 56 yrs old so easier the better
Plex app
Because all apps actually Quit/Exit and don't stay in the background.
User experience of Roku is better than any other streamer I've used, and the interface is way snapper than any of the Fire sticks I've owned. All my Fire sticks also stopped working way too early into their life spans. The only Rokus I've had to get rid of were just so old they weren't getting new apps.
Roku has a clean, simple, easy-to-use interface that’s aesthetically pleasing. By comparison I’ve also used an Amazon Fire Stick in the past and I think that thing is a mess. Absolutely the opposite of a Roku.
My chromecast used to just randomly restart did my head in. And nowhere near as much functionality.
I just wanted a cheap replacement for my old 1st gen Chromecast. I liked the look of the Roku Express as it came with a remote and was not tied into Amazon or Google experience.I like the simplicity of the interface the App choice and the fact that the OS is maintained and updated (my Smart TV (Panasonic) OS has long since been abandonded.
I’ve had a Roku Ultra for over 3 years. I’ve had so many problems with the apps I use the most, especially Crunchyroll. Just a few days ago the newest episode of Reincarnated as a Slime went up and I hit play for the new episode and ended up getting the 💢emoji because it couldn’t play it, even after restarting and power cycling it. And my iPhone had no issues whatsoever playing it. I’ve even had VUDU for an entire month deny access via crash of my 65 movies on there. It’s honestly infuriating. Plus Roku decided to put stuff on my Home Screen I didn’t ask for and I went and disabled it. I’m planning on switching to an Apple TV 4k. I’ve found that people have far less problems on Apple TV’s than any other. Plus I like the Apple Ecosystem. Apple TV’s also have no ads on the Home Screen whatsoever. The Home Screen will stay as you put it until you yourself makes changes. I personally would recommend getting anything but a Roku. If you already have Apple products, I’d recommend the Apple TV. I’d recommend it even if it would end up being your first Apple Product. It might make you interested in their other products.
Simplicity and its seamless integration with antenna TV in the Roku TV's. The interface reminds me of early Tivo, but it is easier and more intuitive for my wife and guests to use than FireTV. It's ugly, but it gets the job done.
It’s faster and probably less spying
Simple, user friendly, and fast. has over 1,000 channels built in and has access to every 3rd party app I want. Their app selection has everything you could want. Also has the ability to mirror my phone screen directly and cast literally any movie, show, live sport event, or song that I want to stream for free. Also the roku channel has so many seasons of shows that you can’t find anywhere and the most limited commercials out of any streaming service. It can also directly integrate OTA channels into the live tv channel guide. I honestly don’t have any use for cable ever again. I pay $35 for internet and Roku takes care of the rest of my needs by allowing freedom to use your device as you want without restrictions.
Because Fire OS is the worst platform ever created, only slightly exaggerating. Roku is great except YouTube TV, which is insanely buggy on most Roku devices.
I bought a Roku about 15 years ago, and it's just always had what we needed. I'm sure the other devices work well enough too, but for us it was just what we adopted and stuck with. I know the interface, I have multiple subscriptions with it, and we have like four of them throughout our home. No reason to change anything as long as Roku makes big changes. The biggest thing that almost pushed me away is when they got rid of the developer channels, with just a code you could download developer created channels that weren't in the app store -- this was NICE. It added lots of great content, granted some using less than legal streaming sources which is why they nixed it, but IMO back then anyway it gave Roku a huge edge.
I have a Roku TV so I don’t need another device connected to the HDMI port. YMMV
I currently have 2 TCL Roku TVs. I liked the simplicity of the Roku interface but over the years the amount of ads has become too much. I’m going to disconnect the TVs from the WiFi and plug Apple TV 4Ks into the TVs.
I bought an Amazon Fire Stick for a small TV in the guest room, and also have a FireTV in my basement (more for the cheap TV). They're serviceable, but to be honest I really don't like it. The older model FiteTVs had very small memories so it's nearly impossible to update certain apps now. It also has been quite buggy, and it's made navigating the UI really difficult. I would take a Roku over it any day, with its actual responsive remote and intuitive UI. Never tried the Chromecast.
I've owned a Fire TV cube and it became very sluggish over time. I've owned a few Roku devices over the years and I haven't experienced any issues of lagging or drop in reliability. I have a 3rd generation Roku that is still kicking. My 2nd generation Roku still functions but is no longer supported.
I am a snowbird and use my Roku at home in Ohio and during the winter in FL. It is one of the most useful pieces of hardware I have ever owned . Best to have a friend who has set up a Roku before, since the routine could be a challenge for older folks. bk ohio
I use Roku because what it offers for its price is a lot, and you can buy the pro controller for a more pleasant experience, etc.
I would probably use Roku if would allow KODI to be installed. Sadly, this is not the case, so I use a firestick which allows that featurw.
Is KODI basically the same thing as Plex? That app worked on Roku last I checked.
No. Kodi and Plex are different applications. (Pendant: historically, Plex is a spinoff of the project that became Kodi. However, the code bases and capabilities are not compatible, and haven't been for years now.)
no its not, plex is for streaming from your own server. Kodi can be setup to stream torrents or connect to iptv services
Roku ultra is a better set up but buffers on recordings where chromecast does not
Never had a recording buffer, and we’ve had our Roku three years.
If I skip forward to 3/4 way thru it happens every time