I bought the Roku Streaming Stick+ after having used the Roku Ultra in my living room and a TCL Roku TV in my bedroom. I recently used the Roku Stick+ for travel use--and it worked out great. I was a die hard user of FireTV (and the Fire Stick) until the whole Google fiasco.
The streaming services I use are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon PrimeVideo, and YoutubeTV. This mix of services swayed me towards Roku. You can't play YouTubeTV on FireTV and you can't play Amazon PrimeVideo on Chromecast...so that leaves us with Roku.
Roku has been in this business for a while, and I quite like the interface they've got going on. It's fairly easy to use and that fact that it plays all of the streaming services that I desire is a major plus.
5 stars from me. I had no connectivity issues in the hotel I was staying in, other than having to login every 24 hours (Hilton WiFi). I found the Stick+ to have good WiFi reception and the overall responsiveness was quite quick--very similar to the Roku Ultra.
In my quest to cut the cable I've been through ChromeCasts, FireSticks and now the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. To be clear, I am still rocking the firestick on one TV, but in continued in depth usage while admitting it's a little apples and oranges (since streaming stick plus is for 4k and up, and firestick is pretty standard) I find more apps that I want to use on the roku, than I do the firestick. I think this is primarily because Amazon is trying to get you to buy more stuff (not that that's a bad thing) but their stuff is more or less front and center, and Roku doesn't care: You want Hulu and YouTube to always appear first? Great! Here you go!
I find the remote to be responsive and it's actually been a boon to our babysitters as the millennials are inherently more familiar and comfortable with app culture than they are with cable. So as long as we highlight what we have, we've had no complaints. And in pairing this with a mesh network like Google Wifi, it just screams. I've had absolutely no lag issues, and bonus, I've now got Sling TV on every Television in the house, no real cable box to speak of. So I think this is a really solid little device to the point where I can't see why anyone is still paying for cable (we're doing this 30 day experiment and then I'm never coming back; I'll drop my cable equipment on my ISP's doorstep like an unwanted child and they'll hear my tires as I scream away into the night (queue maniacal laughter)).
TL;DR: This is an awesome cord cutting option and a wirecutter top pick for forward compatibility. Got old people that just need the news and occasional movies? Get'em a roku and HD Antenna. Boom. Done.
I was insanely skeptical of this. Streams videos, sure, but streams television?
Spectrum's app allows you to watch EVERY television show LIVE. No monthly fees. No contracts. No anything. As long as you already have internet and cable, you don't need to waste $10/month on those ridiculous extra boxes all over the house. Connect to your Wi-Fi, create your account on Spectrum, and you have cable on your television.
I was even more shocked by the exclusive free apps that let you watch movies for free as long as you watch the commercials.
This is my 5th Roku device I’ve purchased since canceling Spectrum! I really enjoy the enhanced remote that controls both the TVs power & volume. I own a couple of ultras and this device is just as powerful and has all the same features. I would highly recommend anyone who is still over paying for cable to cut the cord and fully stream. I currently am using YouTube TV and it works perfectly with all my Roku devices. No more bulky cable boxes that never worked properly, and by the way saving $100.00 a month isn’t so bad either!!!
The Roku Streaming Stick+ is fantastic. I'm surprised I didn't get one sooner. I am a loyal Chromecast user, and that's a fine device for sharing your Chrome browser contents on the TV, or playing a YouTube or Google Music playlist. But it lacks the ability to stream on its own. Roku has the edge by providing a stand-alone streaming device, paired with a simple, physical remote control, and the ability to download apps and channels. You can install the major apps like HBO Go, FX Now, NBC Sports Gold, YouTube, Amazon Video and Netflix. But you also get some wild Roku exclusives like B-Movie TV (movies so bad they're good - a great channel for horror and sleaze fans). If you only have room to add one streaming player, and you're deciding between a Chromecast, a Roku or an Apple TV, the choice can be made fairly simply. The Apple TV is for those who are committed to the Apple platform. If you get your music and movies from Apple, then stick with Apple. But if your choice is between a Chromecast and a Roku, go with the Roku. It can do more. The Stick+ has newer Wi-Fi compatibility for superior speed and streaming stability. And the physical remote control is just better than using your phone or laptop as the controller. And you can "cast" YouTube videos to it using a Chrome browser. And starting in November 2018, you can link it to the 'Google Home' app, and manage it via the Home app, or via voice commands through Google Assistant.
The Stick+ is the one to get for a few reasons. First, the Wi-Fi antenna and compatibility (802.11ac) is the best Roku makes at the moment. Second, the stick can plug into your HDMI receiver or directly into a TV HDMI port (and that method will control the volume of the TV if you have a newer model with HDMI control). And third, the remote control connects via bluetooth, so there's no need to set up any line-of-sight between the remote and the stick. The Stick+ runs a little hot, but that's OK so long as it's in a cool spot. Simply get the Amazon Basics HDMI extension cable, and the stick will keep cool away from your other heat-generating devices. Roku has always been the best value in streaming players. And now it provides more HD content, with a faster network connection, in a tiny form factor.
Feature Product
- New 2017 model!
- Powerful, portable, exceptional wireless
- Advanced wireless receiver for 4x the range
- Brilliant 4K, HDR, and HD streaming
Description
4K resolution stream over 500, 000 movies and TV episodes DTS digital surround pass through over HDMI voice remote with TV power and volume buttons private listening 802.11ac MIMO dual-band wireless black finish.
We have five Roku devices in our home. We recently phased out the Fire TV's and Fire TV Sticks because we wanted to be able to watch Vudu movies and content through our streaming media players. The FireTV and FireTV Stick do not support Vudu.
We cut the cable over a year ago and these Roku devices are key to our streaming needs. The menus are super easy to navigate and these things are loaded with features. We have used the mircast type service to stream content from our laptops and smartphones directly to the Roku. The Roku Stick is super responsive and not sluggish at all. The remote is small but easy to use.
The Roku stick was super easy to install and setup. It easily connected to our WiFi network and we were streaming content within minutes of unboxing it. We haven't had a chance to stream 4K content, but we are excited to give it a try.
I purchased three of these because we have multiple TVs in the house and had a cable DVR box on each TV. At $7 a month per box, that gets pretty expensive and our cable bill just keeps going up, up, up. Now we have just one DVR box in the living room. Each Roku should pay for itself in about a half a year. For the most part we have been very pleased with this product but have experienced a few cons: (1) from time to time the reception isn't the best, but that's probably more due to poor wifi signal than the Roku, (2) it is slow in booting up; no longer do I turn on the TV in the kitchen for catching a little news while grabbing a bite to eat for breakfast, and (3) there have been MANY TIMES when turning on that the TV turns on using the Roku remote but the Roku itself doesn't turn on. We have to reach behind the TV and press the button manually. I debated giving the Roku three stars instead of four for this reason, but the little bit of frustration this causes is erased when I consider the savings it brings.
I got this to replace a non-plus stick that wouldn’t work on my wifi system despite all my other equipment working perfectly on wifi. The stick+ set itself up in an instant, and in no time was streaming hidef movies as well as my cable. First time I had ever bought a refurb anything, and couldn’t be happier.
I read the reviews and took a chance on this refurbished Roku Streaming Stick +. I'm glad I did. The wifi reception (living room) is much stronger than my Roku 3, which is now in my office next to the router (works great being so close). The remote is paired immediately without pushing any buttons. Fast shipping and a great product.
I needed a device to run my NFL streaming pkg along with DirecTV NOW. I had an AppleTV for the living room and wanted something else for the bedroom, however, AppleTV is not without it's issues. After reading a bunch of reviews, I figured this Roku+ should do the job without putting out an exorbitant amount. This exceeded my expectation at all levels. Among the good things like an intuitive interface, dedicated app buttons on the remote, it also has a Roku feed similar to Apple's "TV" menu. It'll alert me when new eps of the shows I watch become available. I LOVE being able to use one remote to power the TV on/off as well as controlling the volume, esp since Apple TV only does the latter. I also love that the Roku menus cycle as this carries in app too. It's a small annoyance, but scrolling through the whole guide only to reach the end & have to go back isn't a great user experience. If you're on the fence, go for it! You won't regret it.
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