I have used Roku for years,including several different models.The best new thing of note is Roku has recently released The Roku Channel,which has hundreds of free movies.It is ad supported.And now Locast.org app gives you free local broadcast stations CBS,NBC,FOX,ABC and PBS.Locast now offers local TV network broadcasts for New York,Boston,Chicago,Houston,Dallas,Denver areas and plans to add many more cities.This means many folks will no longer need antennas to watch local networks for free. Roku has just about every app you can imagine (YouTube/Pandora/Netflix/Amazon/Hulu/HBO Now) plus tons of more apps in many different categories.Roku Premiere 2018 works fine,but you need to point the remote at the device,unlike other Roku models.Here are some points to consider when deciding on which model of Roku to buy: 1)If you need to connect by WiFi in a room far away from your WiFi router,I would recommend the Roku Streaming Stick PLUS or Roku Ultra. 2)If you have a 4K TV,I would recommend the Roku Ultra or Roku Streaming Stick PLUS. 3)To search for content using your voice,go with either the Streaming Stick,Streaming Stick PLUS or Ultra.All 3 of these models also have a remote that can control the power and volume on your TV. There is also a Roku app for Android & iPhone/iPad that lets you use your smartphone/tablet to control any Roku device and use your phone/tablet on-screen keyboard or voice for searches. 4)If you want a wired ethernet connection,go with the Roku Ultra. 5)If you want to connect to an old TV with RCA/Composite audio/video jacks,you will need the Express PLUS 6)The Express and 2018 Premiere models have a remote where it has to be pointed at the device,unlike the other Roku models. 7)If you are only going to buy one Roku device,I would recommend the Roku Ultra.The Ultra has many unique features that the other Roku models don't such as: -Gaming buttons to play video games -Remote finder to find a lost remote control -Ethernet port for a wired connection -Micro SD card slot -USB Port -Night listening mode (this lowers the volume of loud,explosive sounds and raises the volume of soft sounds like whispers.Very useful!!) -Headphone jack on the remote for listening without disturbing others For those who have not used a Roku before,here are some tips that might be helpful: 1)There is no monthly fee to use a Roku.There are many free channels/apps with free movies,music and TV programs and some people use Roku only for the free channels and do not pay any fees. You do NOT have to enter credit card info if you only wish to view free content and you can always add credit card info to your account later for paid channels/apps.If you plan on viewing free content only,I suggest setting up a Roku account before you activate the device.When you reach the page to enter credit card info,some browsers will show a "Skip,I'll add later" option at the bottom.If you do not see this option,simply log out of your account,then log back in.You may have to then enter a different activation code for your device if you skip entering credit card info during device set up,but you do NOT have to enter credit card info if you only want to view free content. 2)Some of the most popular free channels/apps are: YouTube,Pandora radio,The Roku Channel,Pluto TV,Tubi TV,Crackle,CBS News,NBC News,ABC,PBS, PBS KIds and many more.You can also find a free live stream of FOX News on YouTube by searching "Fox News Live" on YouTube. 3)Some of the most popular paid channels/apps are Netflix,Hulu,Amazon video,HBO Now,Vudu,Sling TV,Spectrum TV and Direct TV Now. 4)If you are looking for a bundle of channels of live TV to replace cable TV,check out Sling TV,YouTube TV,Spectrum TV,Direct TV Now,Hulu,Pluto TV and Playstation Vue.All of these are paid services except for Pluto TV,which is free. 5)To find and add new channels on Roku,just press the Home button on the remote control,scroll down and select "Streaming Channels".There you will find thousands of channels/apps in many different categories and many of them are free. My one gripe about Roku (and other streaming devices) is the lack of a fully functional web browser and I hope Roku will include web browsing on models in the near future.I have been surfing the web on the big screen for years and find it ridiculous when an internet connected TV device does not allow you to surf the internet and forces one to switch to yet another internet connected device to do so. I am aware of screen mirroring function from smartphone/PC/tablet but find that a poor excuse to not include a web browser.Many people who type a lot of messages and/or emails like myself prefer typing on a wireless keyboard rather than a phone/tablet/remote control. Bottom Line:You can now get a Roku device to to replace your cable TV box & service or to replace an antenna for free local network TV.

My cable bill had been increasing significantly over the years, so in about March of 2018, I decided to do a Hulu + Live TV trial since it is compatible with the Nintendo Switch. After using Hulu + Live TV for all of 2 days, my wife and I decided that it offered significantly more than our cable package did, and for less than half the price, so we cancelled our cable subscription and switched to Hulu. The problem was that the only Hulu + Live TV-compatible device we had that worked with our television was the Switch, which is easy to use but our families, who often come over to help out with babysitting, found it pretty obtuse to use. I recently got a Roku after doing some research and I love it. The Roku works well, and it's quick. It's comparable to the Switch's speed for streaming. I also noticed that apps on it seem to work much better than their counterparts on other gaming devices, such as the PS4 (the Funimation app in particular is a nightmare on PS4, but it's buttery smooth on Roku). The most important thing about Roku, for our needs, is that the grandparents can use it with ease. Pick up the classic-style remote, press the Hulu button, and you're watching some Disney Junior in seconds. No phone apps, no video game controllers, nothing other than a classic remote control. Roku is unnecessary for a lot of people. Smart TVs often will have a similar string of apps and compatibility. Game consoles offer similar experiences. However, I'm satisfied with my purchase because as the tech-savvy member of a largely non-tech savvy family, it offers a quick and easy solution for everyone else. If you or your loved ones fall into the category of non-tech savvy and you're looking for something basic, easy, and very functional to use for streaming, I would urge you to strongly consider Roku. It works well, there are plenty of options to choose from (other reviews here lay those out really nicely), and it makes streaming a breeze for the generation used to flipping through channels using a remote.

This is probably my 6th or 7th roku device, not counting the integrated Roku on one of our TVs. This is my second "Roku Premiere". I bought the first one a little over 2 years ago back when it only offered 4K with no HDR and the unit was shaped much like the current Roku Ultra is now. I bought this Premiere to go with a 55 inch 4K tv that I use in our basement when I work out. I had the original Premiere device up on my 65 inch 4k TV in the living room. After using it for the first time though I have now moved it up into our living room on the bigger TV. Here is why..... When I initially started using it on the 55 inch in the basement I ran some Youtube videos that demonstrated 4k HDR from one of the TCL tv's. I was shocked by the increase in color saturation, brightness and dark levels. Now I have never had any complaints with the image quality of either of my two 4K Tvs but neither is HDR compatible (8-bit + FRC panel) according to the manufacturer. That is what made me so surprised by the performance on both tv sets with this new Roku Premiere. It most definitely added something to the image quality in those key areas. I have attached two demo images to illustrate what I am referring to with the HDR performance level. In every other area I have zero complaints with the Roku platform and with this particular version of it. I will continue to use Roku as my choice for streaming. P.S. I am going to buy another Premiere...the HDR image looks that good. ;-)

A Best Buy rep recommended the Roku after I explained that I wanted to watch my cable channels on three other TVs, but I did not want to add extra boxes, pay extra install fees, or change my current Xfinity subscription. I have a great price plan that includes HD local channels and I did not want to change or upgrade. The service is for one box that is connected to our main TV. I was contemplating installing a couple of HD roof antennas but it required a professional install due to the total number of TVs (4) that I wanted to watch local channels in HD. The Best Buy rep said the Xfinity streaming app is only available on the Roku and recommended I try it before drilling and installing the roof antennas. So I scooped up the 4K premier Roku and I've had it for about a month now. No problems at all and I love it. I plan on buying two more Roku sticks. I'm still paying less than if I would have subscribed to the Xfinity X1 service. All the apps stream very clear with no problems in buffering. The Roku streams better than my 2nd generation Firestick and my Google Chrome cast stick. I prefer the Roku 4K which seem to stream smoother and faster than my other two sticks. I noticed that the other two have buffering speed problems and will distort video at times. Perhaps because the other sticks are older generations. Nonetheless, I use the Roku exclusively for all my family's viewing needs. Thanks so much Best Buy!

I have a Streaming Stick+ for another tv in my house. Great product and most reviews say get that on over this Premiere because you get the 5GHZ WiFi and you can control the tv volume and power the tv off. The advantage to this Premiere in my opinion is that you can connect your own HDMI cord to it and since it is a basic IR Roku, you can control it via your universal remote like a Logitech Harmony remote where you can't do that if you bought the Streaming Stick+. So my tv and soundbar is mounted over my fireplace and the ports on the tv are hard to get to. It's 4k and the soundbar has 4K pass through and I had my TV guy run 3 HDMI cords to the nearby cabinet so I can hook up future stuff. If I were to go with the Roku Streaming stick+ I would have to connect it to the TV, power it with the tv USB and then the sound would be sent to my soundbar via HDMI ARC. The problem is HDMI ARC isn't 100% reliable so at times it would output just the tv sound and I would have to restart the system to get it to output to the soundbar. With the Premiere I can hook it straight up to the HDMI that is connected to my soundbar bar and then it goes from there to the HDMI ARC on the tv. This is more reliable in that if the ARC messes up the sound still outputs out of the soundbar and I don't have to restart the whole system to get the sound to work again. Also, I can connect my harmony remote to it so I can just have 1 remote and I can bounce between this and my apple tv, blueray player etc. The WiFi isn't as good on this, but my router is right beside where it will sit so it's a mute point for me. Hope this helps!

The device is very easy to install and works great. I was surprised by the amount of free programming on the Roku Channel itself. This particular model does not come as a "stick" like most of the others, instead it is a small box with an HDMI cord that plugs into the TV, and a power cord that plugs into an outlet. The remote works by IR so the box must be in line-of-sight for reception. These restraints did not concern me, but if you want a 'stick' version with Bluetooth control you'll have to spend $10-20 more on the newer Streaming Stick or Streaming Stick+ models. Although the streaming functions are the same as the newer models, which are excellent, I only give this model 4 stars because the remote control does not include TV power and volume control, although I knew that going in. If you are willing to spend more for the Streaming Stick models, I would go with the 'plus' version which incorporates a better antenna than any of the others; they both include the newer WIFI 802.ac standard, TV power and volume controls on the remote (along with some supposed voice control features). I only purchased this cheaper model because it's for a secondary older TV and the WIFI reception worked well enough. I preferred any of the Roku models over Chromecast because I want to have an actual remote control and not have to rely on a smartphone!

We have had a number of Roku devices over the years, this one was to replace a very old one that had expired. I thought I could save $10 and get the Premiere instead of the Premiere+ because the device sits out in the open and pointing the remote at it shouldn't be much of a problem....wow was I wrong. This remote's IR is soooo poor that you have to aim it spot on to the device making it nearly impossible to enter things like passwords or long usernames without a lot of work. I'm very sad at the quality of the remote and device in general. I guess it was cheap, and I got what I paid for (not much). As for its streaming abilities, it seems to do fine. It is fairly close to my wifi router and I have not experienced any trouble with signal or buffering. The interface is plenty fast and crisp...but I could not recommend this version of the device just because of the remote.

I am not a fan of satellite TV and got tired of the high cable bills. I looked into the fiber optic cable alternative, but could not get the price/installation quality I wanted. Roku turned out to be the best option. I use my providers internet application option. I don't pay rent on any boxes. I am limited to a certain mix of channels, but all I need is available. In addition, Roku provides many free programming options for movies and older TV shows you can watch on demand. You can also add many of the pay services like CBS All Access if you like. I got the Roku units on sale for 25% off. The cost of the Roku units will be paid back after just 3 months with this new arrangement. After that I save $80 every month. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that the on demand service from Roku sometimes hangs up or buffers frequently. This has happened 3 times in 2 weeks for about 10 minutes each time. It is not caused my internet service because I monitor that and there is plenty of bandwidth.