Best Roku streamer 2021: Express vs Premiere vs Stick vs Ultra - all the options explained

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(Pocket-lint) - There are plentifulness of media streamers astir but fewer connection arsenic extensive range of apps and channels arsenic Roku. The institution has been manufacturing online streaming boxes for respective years but which should you choose?

The merchandise offerings successful the UK and the US are somewhat different, with the US often getting Roku devices that ne'er motorboat successful the UK - arsenic good arsenic Roku TVs and speakers that don't ever question internationally.

Here we're focusing connected Roku's streaming devices to assistance you take which is the champion for you.

Which is the champion Roku streamer to bargain today?

Roku

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Roku Streaming Stick 4K

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  • Type: HDMI dongle
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
  • Remote: Voice

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is the caller apical of the scope for Roku's compact streamers, gathering connected the fantabulous Streaming Stick+. 

The large summation to the acceptable of specs connected connection is enactment for Dolby Vision, which is wide disposable connected streaming services similar Netflix now. If you person a Dolby Vision compatible TV, you'll beryllium capable to get the astir retired of this stick. 

It comes with Roku's dependable remote, supports each the different services that Roku offers, with the vantage of long-range Wi-Fi for a amended experience. It has the vantage implicit the Express devices that it remains hidden, arsenic it doesn't request enactment of show to power it.

Pocket-lint

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Roku Express 4K

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  • Type: Set-top box
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+
  • Remote: Simple

The Roku Express 4K is an improvement of the Roku Express, adding successful enactment for those higher 4K resolutions arsenic good arsenic HDR 10+ content, making it a viable alternate to the Roku Premiere. 

It inactive needs to beryllium connected to the powerfulness and and HDMI cable, truthful it's not arsenic compact arsenic the Roku Streaming Stick+, but it's conscionable astir arsenic capable. 

In the US there's besides the Roku Express 4K+, which comes with the Voice Remote Pro with a rechargable battery. 

Roku

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Roku Express

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  • Type: Set-top box
  • Quality: 1080p
  • Remote: Simple

The Roku Express is the smallest of the streamers, acting arsenic a precise tiny set-top container and coming with immoderate portion to connect it to the underneath of your TV, with an HDMI cablegram connecting the 2 and a Micro-USB taking attraction of power. It was redesigned successful precocious 2019 with a 10 per cent smaller footprint and curved top. 

It performs conscionable similar immoderate different Roku player, serving up the aforesaid generous enactment of channels and it comes with a distant power too, which immoderate would accidental makes it much charismatic than a Chromecast which relies connected your smartphone to operate. There is simply a regulation nevertheless and that's solution - it lone supports up to afloat HD.

But it does correspond 1 of the cheapest astute upgrades for your TV, offering the biggest enactment of streaming services and decent performance.

Pocket-lint

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Roku Premiere

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  • Type: Set-top box
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+
  • Remote: Simple

Roku Premiere is fundamentally the Roku Express but offering amended performance. Rather than sticking to 1080p, it volition tally each the mode up to 4K solution and besides supports HDR. While there's nary Dolby Vision supported by Roku streaming devices, you volition get large HDR10 performance.

Like the Roku Express, the Premiere is simply a tiny set-top box, drafting connected Micro-USB for powerfulness and with an HDMI cablegram to link to your TV - some included successful the box. There's besides a portion of double-sided sticky portion you tin usage to connect the Roku Premiere to the borderline oregon bottommost of your TV to support things tidy.

Pocket-lint

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Roku Streaming Stick+

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  • Type: HDMI dongle
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+
  • Remote: Voice

The Roku Streaming Stick+ takes the 4K HDR show of the Premiere and puts it into a somewhat antithetic format. As the sanction suggests, it's a stick, plugging consecutive into the HDMI larboard connected your TV. That whitethorn oregon whitethorn not enactment for you based connected whether your TV is wall-mounted oregon freestanding, though a abbreviated HDMI extender mightiness beryllium needed. 

Power comes from the cable, which besides has a almighty Wi-Fi booster successful it, starring to large show and delivering the champion prime that streaming services are offering. It besides has a somewhat much enhanced distant - the Streaming Stick+ is designed to beryllium retired of show and retired of mind.

Roku

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Roku Ultra (2020)

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  • Type: Set-top box
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
  • Remote: Voice

The 2020 Roku Ultra replaces the erstwhile versions - though you mightiness inactive find the older exemplary connected merchantability - and it brings successful a fewer caller features for the streamer.

The large caller elements are enactment for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, portion besides adding Bluetooth enactment for euphony streaming from your phone. Of course, if you privation to usage that Dolby support, you'll request need a TV and dependable strategy than tin woody with it.

Boosted Wi-Fi means amended connectivity, but similar the erstwhile version, there's an Ethernet larboard for those who privation a wired connection. Otherwise, it supports each the features that the different Roku devices offer.

There's different mentation - the Roku Ultra LT - which is fundamentally the same, but without the USB port, truthful it can't watercourse section files. 

Pocket-lint

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Roku Streambar

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  • Type: Soundbar
  • Quality: 4K, HDR10+
  • Remote: Voice

Roku Streambar combines Roku's streaming level with a compact soundbar, making this a one-box upgrade for your TV. For those with a tiny oregon 2nd TV, oregon for that TV successful a survey oregon dorm room, it could beryllium the perfect solution.

Streambar connects via HDMI to your TV, but besides has an optical larboard truthful you tin get each the audio from your TV, not conscionable the contented you stream. There's plentifulness of volume, giving a large boost implicit built-in speakers.

All the mean Roku features are supported, truthful you tin watercourse each those services - arsenic good arsenic instrumentality vantage of features similar AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and Google Cast - it's a large solution some for TV and music.

Why bargain a Roku streamer?

Roku has ever attempted to connection a wide offering of services and that's 1 of the reasons that radical take Roku devices. It's often amongst the archetypal to connection entree to services and person often embraced caller technologies too. While determination are credible rivals from the likes of Amazon with the Fire TV Stick and the Google Chromecast, some those platforms person a batch of their ain contented to push, portion Roku, for many, offers a cleaner approach, letting you dive into the streaming work you privation directly. 

Roku has for a agelong clip offered affordablility, offering entree to things similar 4K and HDR streaming astatine debased prices, and portion the marketplace is changing, there's inactive a large terms quality betwixt thing similar the Roku Streaming Stick and the Apple TV. Roku embraced caller technologies too, moving with platforms similar Alexa and Google Assistant, portion supporting Google Cast and connected immoderate caller models, Apple AirPlay 2, truthful there's wide connectivity with different devices too. 

With a wide portfolio of streamers available, you tin take the Roku instrumentality that matches your requirements, truthful you're not spending other to get functions your TV doesn't support. 

Writing by Rik Henderson. Editing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 10 October 2016.

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