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

Fantastic product so far! After the first week, we bought a second one for a family member.First thing: Before you buy, understand what content is free and what is not. Second, in case it's not obvious, the Roku operates over your wifi and internet connection. You have to have an internet connection that is fast enough to stream video. If you can't stream video on your mobile (via wifi) or PC, you won't be able to stream it on the Roku either.Subscription content: Anything that you have to pay for elsewhere (like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, network TV streaming, etc), you'll still have to have those same subscriptions. But the Roku allows you to access all of those subscriptions (the ones you're paying for) from a single device on your TV, with a nice interface that nearly anyone can use, even if they're technology-illiterate. Worst case, if you get lost somewhere, just press the Home button. (But keep in mind, each 'channel' on Roku is an app written by the individual content provider, so some are a little more complicated than others. I suspect for marketing reasons, it's not always obvious on some of the network TV channels which content is free versus paid until you try to play it. But you'll always be prompted before paying for anything, and you can add a pin-number to prevent accidental purchases).Ad-supported content: There is a lot of ad-supported content, just like watching free over-the-air (OTA) TV stations. For network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, etc), check each network's website to see what shows you can watch for free directly on their website, and that's generally what you'll be able to watch on Roku, too. After all, the 'channels' on Roku are apps written by each network. For many networks, the free content includes the last 3 to 5 episodes of things that are currently airing, with content being made available a week after the original broadcast date. This is comes in handy if you miss an episode or two of over-the-air TV. Some of the networks also offer free 'throwback' content, where you can watch an entire series of an older show. And there are a few channels like pluto.tv and tubi.tv that provide a wide assortment of ad-supported movies and TV shows. Again, check their corresponding websites to see what content they currently have, and that's what you'll get on Roku. The ones mentioned above offer some relatively recent content, in addition to a lot of older and slightly-older content.Free, without ads: Mostly, you'll find that the ad-free content is extremely old... lots of black-and-white TV and movies, some early color TV/movies, etc. For those who don't like much of what's on TV these days, there's a lot of classy and classic stuff here. And, of course, a lot of b- and c-grade stuff you've never heard of.This newest version of the Roku Express ("5X more powerful") has a very smooth interface, with good response from the remote. Video startup is extremely fast if you have decent internet speed. I tested on a relative's 6mbps DSL internet, and buffering times were never uncomfortable. On my faster internet (100mbps), videos either start instantly, or take no more than about 1 or 2 seconds of buffering.The remote control is great -- simple, strong signal, good range. It's infrared-based, so you have to be in the same room (why would you want to be out of the room??). I generally don't even have to point the remote at the Roku box, because the infrared is strong enough to reflect off of the ceiling or walls and still work. Just be sure your Roku box's front side is unobscured and pointing toward the room. They provide a sticky-tape strip to stick the box somewhere convenient, like the side or top of your TV or media cabinet. The provided HDMI cable is only 2 feet long, though, so it does have to be relatively close to the TV. But you could use a different HDMI cable if you need the remote to be a little farther away. One feature I love about the remote is that pressing the Home button will turn on your TV and switch to the Roku's HDMI input, assuming your TV supports this (I have a Samsung TV which is supported, and a TCL TV which apparently wasn't).You can also use the Roku app on your mobile to control the Roku via wifi. In addition to providing an interface that looks pretty similar to the physical remote, you can also browse for other content while something is already playing. It fact, it's quite a bit easier to navigate if you're searching for something specific, since the physical remote requires using an on-screen keyboard where you select each letter and click OK (normally, I'm not searching for something specific on the physical remote, so it's not a problem). The app also has a headphone feature, which I'm guessing allows you to listen directly from your mobile instead of via the TV... great for watching at night when others are sleeping. Note, the Roku app is NOT designed to watch Roku content directly on your mobile. It simply lets you select the content to watch on the TV.Overall, it's a great experience. My only subscription at the moment is Amazon prime, which doesn't have a lot of content that I really want to watch (sorry, Amazon! I have Prime mostly for the shipping), so I use the Roku mostly for ad-supported TV and movies, and there's more than enough to keep me busy for a long time.

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.

Bought this to stream content to a 32" bedroom TV. I already have the Roku Ultra 4K in my theater and a FireStick in my living room. They both do the same thing, but I prefer the UI of Roku a bit more, and for $25, it was a great deal. Had it connected and up and running in about 15mins. The longest part was waiting for all of the apps to download. I run Sling, Hulu, NetFlix, Showtime, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video, and all work flawlessly and display 1080P video on the TV. I like how small the module is as well, and have it affixed to the bottom of the TV which is wall-mounted about 6ft high. Don't forget to download the Roku remote app on your smartphone to control your Roku right from your phone, especially if you'll be typing any information. It's much easier on a keyboard on your phone than it is to select each letter/number using the Roku remote.Bottom line - if you don't need 4K and want a simple to use, compact streaming solution, this is the best bet and works great. Even comes with an HDMI cable, power cable and USB outlet base (I don't use the base, but instead use the USB out from the TV to power the Roku), and batteries for the remote. Also comes with a double-sided sticky strip to affix the Roku module to your TV.

Ok so the only drawback is having a visible target for the remote (you mount a small box to your tv or nearby). I have owned the ancient google chromecast device, the amazon firestick, and now the Roku. The chromecast really worked fine but it was nearly impossible to stream amazon prime, and ours just kinda got old and unreliable (but it lasted a really long time before that). We got a fire stick on a good deal. It was the worst of the 3. For one thing google and amazon are constantly fighting each other. So on the firestick we could access amazon content easily but not YouTube. The remote for the fire was CONSTANTLY chewing through batteries. Like I'm talking quarterly battery changes here. Amazon filled the fire with advertising and it just wasn't a great user experience. The roku is neutral in terms of content. They have their own content but it's pretty poor and not a reason to buy the stick. They work super well with all the major content subscriptions and don't fill your tv with ads. I've been really happy with the remote and with the user interface of the roku. The only thing I miss about fire TV was telling Alexa to pause the tv (and I'm not even sure Roku doesn't work with Alexa I just haven't tried yet). The neutrality of Roku is so worth getting it, plus at full price, it's actually cheaper than the inferior Fire.