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To Roku Or Not To Roku Is It That Much Smarter These Days R Roku

Leo Migdal
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to roku or not to roku is it that much smarter these days r roku

Let’s say you want to buy a new Roku player, either to replace an old one or as an upgrade over your smart TV’s streaming features. You could read a bunch of reviews, or consult the comparison chart on Roku’s website. But that’s no fun. What you really need is a simple, visual way to pick a player from Roku’s lineup of a half-dozen streaming boxes and sticks (including one box that doubles as a soundbar). That’s where my Roku decision flow chart comes in. This replaces one I made a few years ago, before Roku revamped its offerings with a couple of new cheap streaming sticks.

Roku’s device lineup is more streamlined than it used to be. It no longer includes the Express or Express+, which were less portable than Roku’s streaming sticks, and all of its streaming remotes now include TV power, volume, and voice controls. (Thank goodness.) The result is a lineup that generally provides more features with each step up the model list: Roku is the best-selling streaming player in the United States. Roku TVs are now the third most popular smart TV sold in the United States.

Many cord cutters wonder if they should buy a Roku player like the Roku Ultra or a Roku TV. With this post we hope we can help you pick between a Roku player and a Roku TV. A Roku player is a streaming device that connects to existing TVs to access services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. A Roku player works a lot like a smart phone because it allows you to add apps to your Roku and stream content just like you would on a phone or tablet but on... Roku players take any TV and turn it into a smart TV. A Roku TV is, in short, a TV with built-in Roku.

Roku TVs work like any smart TV on the market but come with built-in Roku. You will find all the same features of a Roku player in a Roku TV plus a few additional features like the ability to directly connect your antenna to your Roku TV and have... Should you buy a Roku player or Roku TV? The Roku Ultra has long been one of the company’s best streaming devices, but it still has to contend with all the other boxes and sticks vying for the throne. And the company’s 2024 update to its matte black box arrived on my entertainment cabinet at an interesting position in today’s streaming landscape. The death of the Chromecast and debut of the Google TV Streamer taught us that consumer interest in standalone streaming devices is increasingly all about the products most would consider premium or high-end.

In an attempt to make the best Roku device ever, the company fired a bolt at the most obvious target: performance. Not only is this model rated to deliver a notable speed boost over 2020’s model but it has improved wireless connectivity. On top of that, you get the latest version of Roku’s best remote. But does it all add up to an Ultra experience? To find out, I spent five weeks using the Roku Ultra 2024 as my main streaming device in my living room to see what’s going on in Roku City’s most luxurious real estate these... Here’s what I learned, which should help you figure out whether or not to add one to your cart — or use that money on a full year of your favorite streaming service.

The Roku Ultra 2024 keeps what’s great about the best Roku (if money’s no option) and adds welcome performance increases on speed and wireless networking, as well as a great remote. If you don’t have a need for more streaming speed or want to future-proof your wireless connection, just get the new Roku Ultra’s remote instead. I’ve tested a lot of streaming devices over the years — and Roku devices are my favorite. I put together this Roku Buying Guide to help you get the best deal on the best device for your household. This is not sponsored and I paid for all of the devices that I own. That’s how you know a Michael Saves review is a review that you can actually trust!

My #1 pick is the Roku Ultra 2024. The Ultra is Roku’s best streaming player and the latest version has two main advantages over previous models. The Roku Ultra is a premium device with a premium regular price of around $100. When talking about TVs, we tend to only focus on specs and pricing. But a smart TV's operating system is also quite important. For most people, this operating system is the springboard for streaming content, discovering new shows, or even controlling a smart home.

But with so many options to choose from, which smart TV OS is best? You may have heard that some smart TVs can't access HBO Max, Peacock, or other new services. That's no longer the case. Until another streaming service comes along, which is bound to happen eventually, you don't really need to worry about app selection on smart TVs. Most smart TV interfaces are bloated and overwhelming, but Roku keeps things nice and simple. Anyone can navigate between a Roku smart TV's apps or settings, and all the TV's inputs (cable box, game console, antenna, etc) are right there with the apps for easy access.

Roku TVs also offer a bit of personalization, though not to the degree of Android TV or Google TV sets. You can customize the layout of apps on your home page, choose new backgrounds, or click the "My Feed" tab to see suggested content, such as new episodes of your favorite shows. And while the Roku operating system isn't deeply integrated with smart home devices, it offers a few handy smart features. You can control the Roku TV using a voice remote, Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. There's also AirPlay compatibility, and interestingly, Roku sells a line of plug-and-play speakers and soundbars specifically for Roku TVs. *As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases when you buy through links on our site.

We all know smart TVs keep getting better and that manufacturers want to pack as many features as possible into one box. We also know that TVs these days ship with streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime for example. So do you need to attach an extra streaming player like a Roku to your smart TV? It’s not necessary. Not if you’re happy with the streaming apps already bundled with your television. Yet many choose to attach a Roku to their TV anyway, and not only because they want the additional streaming shows Roku offers.

Read on to learn the four main reasons why many decide to use a media player like a Roku in addition to their smart TV: You’ve probably heard of Roku and know that the product is a small media player box that gets movies and shows from the internet. A Roku also comes in other, different forms: it’s sold as a streaming stick or is a component that’s already built into the new smart TV that you buy – all depending on how...

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