Roku Express | Easy High Definition (HD) Streaming Media Player (2018)

Updated Aug 2020: Not another review of the same – this one will make you think and enjoy your Roku!
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!

Great streaming device!
We have many Rokus in our house and they work really well for us! My favorite thing about the roku is that the home screen is super easy to navigate and to customize with all of the different apps that you want to see. Our Rokus have never had any issue connecting to wifi or lagging when you click on the apps. It is really easy to set them up and they come with really clear instructions on how to do so. I highly recommend a Roku if you are looking or a streaming device.

Works with smart tv. We like to watch tfc and netflix using roku

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%

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)