2024 the best streaming services review


Price: $31.46
(as of Dec 13, 2024 14:51:19 UTC - Details)

Technical Details

Additional Information

Warranty & Support

Amazon.com Return Policy:Amazon.com Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee: You can return many items you have purchased within 30 days following delivery of the item to you. Our Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee does not affect your legal right of withdrawal in any way. You can find out more about the exceptions and conditions here.

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ]

Want to start streaming? then start here. Our best priced player, Roku Express delivers a smooth HD streaming experience on your big screen TV. Our next generation player is now 5x more powerful. It’s easy to get started, just plug it into your TV with the included high speed HDMI cable, connect to the Internet, and start streaming. Use the remote to search for your favorite shows and discover channels. Enjoy 500, 000 Plus movies and TV episodes, including blockbusters, award winning original Series, kids shows, live network TV, and more. TV Compatibility HD TVs – Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080) with up scaling from 720p.
Simple setup with an included High speed HDMI cable
Easy-to-use remote, intuitive navigation
500, 000+ movies and TV episodes, with voice search across 1, 000+ top channels. Plus, catch hit movies, popular shows and more with no subscription or fees on the Roku channel
Tons of streaming services available. From movies and series on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO NOW and SHOWTIME to cable alternatives like Sling TV or YouTube TV to live sports and news on CBS News, ABC News and ESPN
Free Roku mobile app for private listening, voice search and more. Power consumption <2. 2 W
Note: kindly refer to the user manual provided as a PDF manual in the product description section
Remote control - Roku Standard IR remote with channel shortcut buttons. Streaming player includes IR receiver
Reviewer: Ace
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Updated Aug 2020: Not another review of the same - this one will make you think and enjoy your Roku!
Review: Updated on August 4 2020I am not shy when I say I am a fan of Roku. Early adopter, always was and still believe. Unfortunately Roku has become less appealing after July 31, 2020 - when it refused to support big stream channels HBO MAX and now Peacock - the newest kid in town from NBC.I understand legal implications. I am an IT guy, so trust me when I say metadata drives sound monetary value. User behavior and any data we give to these and many other companies every time we use a smart device is priceless.I adopted Roku to free myself from expensive and inflexible Cable deals. I. Me. The consumer.I don't want to be limited on my options to watch and now I have to go to a different room to turn in my Samsung Smart TV to watch HBO Max because Roku discontinued the support of HBO. No, Roku, sorry, it was not HBO leaving Roku as you advertise it. Netflix has it's own channel. Disney+, Hulu, Univision, History Channel, you name it. There is a dedicated channel, so why not HBO? It wasn't because of client preferences, it was because of monetary reasons. Client, for the first time, has been placed in the backseat of Roku's value prop and that makes Roku the lesser because of it.Word of advise: Roku changed the game and created a new one. The Mobile Streaming apps are now doing the same. Roku could benefit from an open approach to support any mobile streaming app, just like a cell phone does today - to keep ahead of the game. Casting your phone to the screen is an alternative and may become the BEST choice if consumers are left with no choice than to keep freedom power in their handhelds because streaming devices like this one want to limit customers. My two cents. My review stands with some minor mods because I can no longer say Roku plays it all...Thanks for all those helpful votes!Original Review follows.....There are hundreds of reviews for this product, so rather than touching on what has already been said, let me just throw in some Do's and Don'ts if you find yourself, like me, navigating the vast array of options in the streaming space.Do's1) Do your research! There are several different models for Roku, depending on what YOU really need, want or want to pay. I bought a Roku Express because I was upgrading from a 1st generation Roku device and this one is (or at least feels) a thousand times faster, more powerful and has the upgraded software interfaces for apps like Netflix where you can manage your profiles - the older versions did not support that ability, it only presented your default profile.2) Use the power adapter that comes with it. Sure, you can plug it to your smartTV usb port for power, but if you read about this, there are tons of issues that stem from lack of power supply to the device.3) Think where you will place your device. This is NOT a set top box, this is a tiny (half of your hand palm) device that has a double tape and sticks do your TV. It is not invasive, it has nice black finish so it won't ruin any aesthetics, but once you stick it on, you need to leave it there, otherwise you could end up with a tape that will no longer work, creating an extra hassle - think location first, then execute and paste it.4) Play around with it - it has lots of configuration options, like turning on your TV with 1 touch, casting your mobile screen, etc. If you go only by the default options you might miss some fun tricks!5) Match it with a good router/wifi setup. The worst you can do is have a nice TV, get the top of the line 4K enabled Roku and pair that to a sub-par WIFI connection or a provider that will not support your streaming needs. Remember! this is not plugged by cables, this device streams over the air radio waves, so the distance to your router, obstacles, speed of your network (not only download speeds, but actual WIFI band speeds) can all affect the outcome, so do your homework and think about your entertainment system as a whole, not just the TV / streaming portion.Dont's1) Not everybody needs 4K streaming and NOT all providers support it! Many providers will charge premium for UHD Content and offer HD as standard option, if that is the case for you, spending extra $$ on a 4K TV and a 4K streaming device will be wasted. (again, see my last DO bullet item!)2) Let your expectations be unrealistic - Yes Roku provides tons of free content. Free means many of the channels are privately supported which means the content may not be UHD.3) The REAL Fun from roku comes when you enable the channels based on your paid content (netflix, hulu, amazon, premium networks like hbo, nfl, etc...) so if you want to really exploit your Roku's capabilities you will have to pay at some point for prime content.I hope this helps - I am an early adopter of Roku, have major streaming services like Netflix, Prime and supplemented with an "a la carte" cable service like sling, spectrum choice, DirectTV now or any of your preferred providers and this will unlock all the major broadcast networks, plus some other channels. - EXCEPT HBO MAX & NBC's Peacock.One last thought: The interest thing is that Roku has a channel for many of these major network stations and watching their content through the Roku channel as opposed through the cable provider app, I've found that there is more content outside, and better choices for on-demand.Hope you like my review!

Reviewer: rfindley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: What you really need to know...
Review: Fantastic product so far! After the first week, we bought a second one for a family member.First thing: Before you buy, understand what content is free and what is not. Second, in case it's not obvious, the Roku operates over your wifi and internet connection. You have to have an internet connection that is fast enough to stream video. If you can't stream video on your mobile (via wifi) or PC, you won't be able to stream it on the Roku either.Subscription content: Anything that you have to pay for elsewhere (like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, network TV streaming, etc), you'll still have to have those same subscriptions. But the Roku allows you to access all of those subscriptions (the ones you're paying for) from a single device on your TV, with a nice interface that nearly anyone can use, even if they're technology-illiterate. Worst case, if you get lost somewhere, just press the Home button. (But keep in mind, each 'channel' on Roku is an app written by the individual content provider, so some are a little more complicated than others. I suspect for marketing reasons, it's not always obvious on some of the network TV channels which content is free versus paid until you try to play it. But you'll always be prompted before paying for anything, and you can add a pin-number to prevent accidental purchases).Ad-supported content: There is a lot of ad-supported content, just like watching free over-the-air (OTA) TV stations. For network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, etc), check each network's website to see what shows you can watch for free directly on their website, and that's generally what you'll be able to watch on Roku, too. After all, the 'channels' on Roku are apps written by each network. For many networks, the free content includes the last 3 to 5 episodes of things that are currently airing, with content being made available a week after the original broadcast date. This is comes in handy if you miss an episode or two of over-the-air TV. Some of the networks also offer free 'throwback' content, where you can watch an entire series of an older show. And there are a few channels like pluto.tv and tubi.tv that provide a wide assortment of ad-supported movies and TV shows. Again, check their corresponding websites to see what content they currently have, and that's what you'll get on Roku. The ones mentioned above offer some relatively recent content, in addition to a lot of older and slightly-older content.Free, without ads: Mostly, you'll find that the ad-free content is extremely old... lots of black-and-white TV and movies, some early color TV/movies, etc. For those who don't like much of what's on TV these days, there's a lot of classy and classic stuff here. And, of course, a lot of b- and c-grade stuff you've never heard of.This newest version of the Roku Express ("5X more powerful") has a very smooth interface, with good response from the remote. Video startup is extremely fast if you have decent internet speed. I tested on a relative's 6mbps DSL internet, and buffering times were never uncomfortable. On my faster internet (100mbps), videos either start instantly, or take no more than about 1 or 2 seconds of buffering.The remote control is great -- simple, strong signal, good range. It's infrared-based, so you have to be in the same room (why would you want to be out of the room??). I generally don't even have to point the remote at the Roku box, because the infrared is strong enough to reflect off of the ceiling or walls and still work. Just be sure your Roku box's front side is unobscured and pointing toward the room. They provide a sticky-tape strip to stick the box somewhere convenient, like the side or top of your TV or media cabinet. The provided HDMI cable is only 2 feet long, though, so it does have to be relatively close to the TV. But you could use a different HDMI cable if you need the remote to be a little farther away. One feature I love about the remote is that pressing the Home button will turn on your TV and switch to the Roku's HDMI input, assuming your TV supports this (I have a Samsung TV which is supported, and a TCL TV which apparently wasn't).You can also use the Roku app on your mobile to control the Roku via wifi. In addition to providing an interface that looks pretty similar to the physical remote, you can also browse for other content while something is already playing. It fact, it's quite a bit easier to navigate if you're searching for something specific, since the physical remote requires using an on-screen keyboard where you select each letter and click OK (normally, I'm not searching for something specific on the physical remote, so it's not a problem). The app also has a headphone feature, which I'm guessing allows you to listen directly from your mobile instead of via the TV... great for watching at night when others are sleeping. Note, the Roku app is NOT designed to watch Roku content directly on your mobile. It simply lets you select the content to watch on the TV.Overall, it's a great experience. My only subscription at the moment is Amazon prime, which doesn't have a lot of content that I really want to watch (sorry, Amazon! I have Prime mostly for the shipping), so I use the Roku mostly for ad-supported TV and movies, and there's more than enough to keep me busy for a long time.

Reviewer: Crystal M
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Love the amount of channels available for free. Finally we can get to watch something different from the repetitiveness of freeview.

Reviewer: Kim
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This product was working well for 2 days then mysteriously shut off and could not get it to turn back on....so weird! Hoping it’s just a fluke, ordered another one.

Reviewer: Vicente
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Esta bien, pero para canales de España fatal no util

Reviewer: Christian Alejandro ☠️
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Recientemente adquirí una televisión para ponerla en mi cuarto pero que carecía de características smart por lo que compré este Roku stick ya que estoy familiarizado con la plataforma Roku al estar presente en mi tele TCL como sistema operativo. La interfaz de Roku y su simplicidad de uso es lo que la hace muy atractiva y también en gran parte su rapidez y fluidez al utilizarlo. Espero y mi reseña le ayude de algo a alguien.***CONTENIDO DEL PAQUETE***En el paquete donde vino el Roku Express venía incluido todo lo necesario para que te pongas a utilizar el Roku Express. Se incluye un cable micro USB que se conecta a un puerto USB que esté disponible a tu TV o que se puede conectar a la pared en caso de que la tele no cuente con puerto USB (viene con un cubito incluido)-Viene también un cable HDMI que va del Roku a tu Televisión. El Roku Express no cuenta con otros puertos y solamente lo puedes conectar por HDMI (a menos que consigas un adaptador)-Viene su control remoto infrarrojo que es bastante fácil de utilizar y una tira de cinta adhesiva que puedes utilizar para fijar el Roku a tu TV.***CONFIGURACIÓN Y FUNCIONES***Al haber conectado tu Roku y haber hecho los ajustes donde fijas la resolución correcta para tu TV saldrá una pantalla donde puedes configurar la conexión de tu Roku a tu modem/router y después de ahí agregar "canales" recomendados (que más bien son como apps, pero dentro del ecosistema de Roku)Una vez haciendo eso ya es cuestión de iniciar sesión en los servicios que utilizas y listo!Como había mencionado anteriormente la interfaz de Roku es muy rápida y el desempeño de las apps es bastante aceptable (excepto Spotify, el canal de Spotify es SUPER lento en Roku)En cuanto a la conexión a tu modem/router que se realiza es solo por la banda de 2.4 ghz pero siendo que solo transmite contenido Full HD como máximo con eso basta.-Funciona de maravilla con el app de control remoto para iOS o Android lo que te permite controlar el Roku por medio de tu celular así como acceder a la magnifica función de audio privado que te permite escuchar el audio de lo que estés viendo en tu Roku a través de tu celular teniendo audífonos conectados a el para esas ocasiones cuando no quieras despertar a quien se encuentre dormido.-Cuenta también con la función de screencast que te permite enviar de manera inalambrica el contenido de tu celular o tablet Android que cuenten con esta función y también con iOS pero por medio de una app especial (no recuerdo el nombre) Con mi celular Mi A1 de Xiaomi las conexiones se realizan rápidamente y se transmiten ambos audio y video lo que lo convierte en una solución ideal para visualizar contenido en tu pantalla que no puede ser reproducido por el mismo aparato de Roku.***NOTAS FINALES***Dado que el Roku Express es un producto que considero de entrada no cuenta con funciones más avanzadas como las que tiene el Roku Premiere pero que sirve bien si lo único que buscas es poder acceder a servicios como Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, Google Music, Spotify en máximo 1080p.Vuelvo a mencionar lo genial del app de Roku para controlar tu Roku Express ya que si tienes más de un dispositivo Roku te permitirá controlar esos por medio de la app y agregar canales de manera automática por medio de la app.El producto está super barato y funciona de maravilla. Definitivamente lo recomiendo al 100%

Reviewer: Shashi Sastry
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I already have Roku 3 and Roku 2XD. I needed one more for my third TV. I use Roku primarily to stream from my NAS HDD. All my photos as well as music and videos are stored on NAS. The Streaming from WD NAS to Roku is excellent with the help of Roku Media Player(RMP)

Customers say

Customers like the standalone streaming media player for its ease of use, value for money, and speed. They mention it works well, is simple to set up and navigate, and provides much bang for the buck. Some appreciate the streaming quality, saying it has made their streaming experience 1000 times better.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

THE END
QR code
<
Next article>>