Roku Streaming Stick+ | HD/4K/HDR Streaming Device with Long-range Wireless and Roku Voice Remote with TV Controls

Here are my experiences with the 2017 Streaming Stick+ Roku. First let me specify my setup. I have a slow 2.4 (typically) Mbps Internet connection. Previously I was using a Panasonic BMP110 Blu-Ray player for what little streaming I did. That was mainly used for trying out the Vudu free movies. It was marginal; with my slow connection, sometimes it would work pretty well, and sometimes it would complain and give up intermittently. I have a Yamaha VX-477 Receiver. And it all feeds into a 2011 Panasonic Plasma TV. Setup: It probably isn’t very important, but the remote uses AAA batteries, not AA. I slapped in a couple of Eneloops and it’s happy. I see people complaining about having to give credit card information to activate their Roku. This is not necessary. Go to the page made for this option: my dot roku dot com/signup/nocc, and you can create a Roku account without entering any credit card or PayPal information. I know, because I did it. If you’re wondering about using the Roku with an A/V receiver, that works. I plugged the stick into one of the HDMI inputs on my Yamaha, and it works just fine. 4K wouldn’t cut it, because my receiver doesn’t really support it. But my TV isn’t 4K anyway, so that isn’t a problem. Some people are complaining about HDCP errors. This is probably because they’re trying to use 4K video on a TV that doesn’t support HDCP 2.2. My five year old TV works just fine, because it’s only 1080p. If you want to see 4K video, make sure your TV really supports HDCP2.2. And you need an HDMI connection that also supports HDCP 2.2. On some TVs that’s only one port. If 1080p24 is important to you, Roku says only the 4K devices can do it. I had to turn it off; when the movie would break for commercials, the receiver usually flaked out. I would have to switch HDMI inputs on the receiver, then switch back to the original. The guide says the screen may flash black; mine mainly went to snow, and wouldn’t recover. So I’m doing without 1080p24. It might work better for people who plug it directly into the TV; I didn’t try that. The specs talk about 802.11ac, but it works just fine on my old router without ac. To set this thing up, look at the Quick Start Guide, or just go to the Roku page about your specific device. Basically I just plugged the stick into an HDMI input, plugged the power adapter into my UPS, and connected the cables. It started right up. I haven’t tried different models, so I can’t offer a comparison. But the Streaming Stick+ works great. First you have to pick a wireless network, and provide the password. Then the stick downloads the latest firmware. When it restarted, mine didn’t connect the first time, even though it indicated it still remembered the password. After sitting for a while with a spinning wheel, it finally gave a 014.40 error, and suggested some alternatives. I just unplugged the power cable and plugged it back in. It restarted, and everything was fine. It will go through a few screens, and give you a four letter code. Go back to the page you end up at after creating your account online, or the page they refer you to. Enter the code, and you’re all set. You can select some channel options. Your stick is now busy setting up channels. And things seem to be working great. It does fine showing a movie in standard definition. It has trouble with the commercials; I wonder if they’re a higher definition. But it gets over it quickly. Things like rewind and fast forward are far better than on my old Blu-Ray player. So far I’m just using things that are free. Look around online at the Roku site, and you can see what’s available. So in summary: This thing works surprisingly well with a slow connection. You don’t get 4K video, but it looks pretty good in old-fashioned 1080p (which is probably really a lot less, as in standard def upscaled to 1080). It works plugged into a receiver that then separates out the audio, and passes the video on to the TV. It works with old routers that don’t have 802.11ac. And it works with new routers that have 5GHz ac. You can create an account without providing any credit card information. I recommend this device to anyone that needs a streaming connection.

Update on 7/25/2020: 2 Remotes have quit working within 8 months of my purchase. I have replaced batteries, tried to resync and nothing solves the issue. We now have to use my cell phone and Roku app in 2 different rooms of our home just to use the streaming sticks which are our only source of TV news and movies. I purchased 2 replacement devices about one month thinking I was giving us backup devices and now I am past their return window and I know those remotes are going to crap out on me too...NOT HAPPY with dropping a total of $250+ when the remotes last less than 1 year. Update on 01/07/2020: We now have three if these because our Daughter’s “smart” TV that is just over a year old suddenly decided to have issues with all of the built in apps. This stick is perfect for those who have this happen, or have a TV without built in apps, or those like me who used their game system for streaming until too much use fried an expensive console and caused the loss of hundreds and hundreds of hours of save game data! I recommend these to everyone because they are perfect for our streaming only household. Orig Review: Okay...I absolutely fried my PS4 because as much as I would use it to game on I would also use it to fire up my Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, etc. I never checked into these types of devices before because I guess I just thought my PS4 would be eternal (LOL). As all things tech related eventually do, my PS4 completely crashed and hundreds of hours on my games were lost to me, but in that awful sad moment I decided to replace my PS4 AND go ahead and buy 2 of these to use here at home so that our XBox One wouldn't suffer the same fate in our living room. I know...I'm terrible, huh? Anyways - ROKU. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! So easy to setup, easy to add apps to your menu, easy to navigate, quick to load the apps and most important of all I no longer have to worry about using my gaming consoles as entertainment beyond the games they are meant to play! Win Win!!!! I am seriously amazed at how quick the apps launch/load - it's darn near immediate and the interface is clean and easy to use. I love that I can add apps/manage everything from anywhere even when I'm not at home - adding and removing channels is a breeze. It even recognized our TVs without any issues and even some of the universal TV remotes we've bought cannot do that as efficiently as the ROKU did. We are definitely going to be long-time ROKU fans and will buy new ones when needed because they are well worth the price. My husband loves the one in the living room and he has never watched as much TV as he has since I installed the ROKU out there. If we had more TVs we would have more ROKU's.

works good. setup was fairly easy. amazon was earlier than expected.

Interested in "cutting the cord", I researched the best streaming devices, and found that the Roku Streaming Stick+ was consistently in the top 5 and was the best value for the money for our particular family. I was able to choose same-day delivery, and received them in the late afternoon. They were contained in a larger box, so no one could see what was in the package, and the delivery person thoughtfully put them behind a half-wall in our entry court, rather than right in front of the door where they could be seen from the street, which I appreciated! When removed from the box, the items were just as described, in unopened, original packaging. The quick start guide takes you step-by-step through attaching the Roku to your TV and syncing it to the remote, and from that point on, you simply follow the on-screen directions as it walks you through setting up your Roku account (free - but keep in mind that you will need a laptop, desk computer, or phone present in order to access the Roku website to do this), linking your device to it, and starting to use it. It was easy to add the streaming services we already had, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, and interesting to browse the many free options available and add the ones we wanted - the Western TV & Movie Classics" channel is a big hit with my husband and his dad. Once set up, there are links on the home page to a "Getting Started" with Roku page, and a "Tips and Tricks" to Using Roku page for more information regarding your Roku, in addition to tiles for whatever channels you chose during your set-up. We have been using these (we installed two in our home, and one in my 90-year-old father-in-law's home) for a month now, and have had no issues whatsoever. We have not had any problems with lag, and pictures are clear and bright (any fuzziness in the photos I've provided are the fault of the camera operator!). The user interface is pretty standard for this type of thing - the biggest learning curve we faced was figuring out exactly which apps the shows we normally watched were on. However, between being able to customize which streaming apps appear on your home page, and the two ways to search - you can either type in the name in the search bar, or you can hold down a microphone-iconed button on the remote and, for example, say "Search Criminal Minds", it is fairly easy to get to where you want to be without having to flounder around in the interface. Even dad-in-law, who is somewhat electronically challenged, got the hang of it fairly quickly, and is very comfortable with using the interface at this point. We are all very happy with the device and service. Highly recommended! NOTE: Regarding the stick being at the side of the TV in our photo, in case anyone is concerned about the aesthetics of having this sticking out of your TV - there were other HDMI ports we could have used at the back of the TV, where the stick would have been hidden and only the Roku power cord coming down next to the TV power cord would have been visible. However, these were difficult for me to reach, and since my husband is not very technologically savvy, I am the one who usually deals with the electronics and troubleshoots when there are problems, so I was more concerned with the device being easily accessible that I was about how it looked. Rest assured, if you want a neater look, it is certainly available if you choose to use an HDMI port at the back of your TV. :- )

Stuff I like: Super Simple to use, supports 4K with HDR, much faster than previous models, can be plugged into a USB port on the television for power with the included cable, (preventing the need to buy the little $5 stick-to-USB cable to avoid using the AC cord), remote as always is so simple with only a few buttons and this one controls the TV on/off as well as the volume - though I still have four remotes for my TV! :( Stuff I don't like: Does not support Dolby Vision, remote has the sponsered one-touch pre-programmed buttons with channels most of us have no need whatsoever for I do use three streaming platforms on one television - Roku, Chromecast, and Fire Stick. Roku is by far the better of the three and this is my second Roku streamer. The simplicity is what gives Roku the edge over the others. Even though I've only used the iPhone app for my pre-existing Roku, the included remote is simple with only a few buttons and no clutter. I do wish the "included pre-programmed" buttons, like the one-touch Netflix, Sling, Hulu, and Vue, (what the heck is VUE???) buttons were not there and instead we were given the option to add our own one-touch favorites instead of letting those companies pay Roku for the privilege. It's just wasted space on the remote, except maybe for Netflix. Roku could have used one of those buttons for a much needed mute button for the volume. My favorite for supporting Roku over the others, and I'm sure many agree, is the extremely simple home screen. Many web review sites say it could be called "dated" but in this case, it's welcomed and Roku's biggest asset. It's too simple and attractive. My favorite positive Roku has over the others is there is little to no bias whatsoever on the home screen as the others can add so much clutter, advertising, and pushing their sponsored marketing stuff on you. I also like the idea that I can plug the power for the stick directly into an unused USB port on the TV to avoid using the included AC power cord and adapter. Our TVs today have enough unsightly wires in the back from stuff as it is! My personal biggest negative with the Roku Streaming Stick + is it does not support Dolby Vision, only HDR10. I can't figure Roku out on this, the days of regular 4K are far behind us and a televison without both HDR10 and Dolby Vision should ** never ** be considered if you're really into televison specs and display quality. Thankfully my Vizio supports both Dolby Vison and HDR10 on Chromecast. The lack of Dolby Vision is why I gave this review 4 stars instead of 5. It would be nice if the remote would control my Vizio's input options in addition to the volume and power on/off buttons allowing me to put my Vizio remote away. Overall, for the price, quality, and features, this is an excellent streamer I highly recommend.

I originally got one Roku Streaming Stick+ for the living room—and I was instantly impressed. The setup was effortless, the 4K picture quality is crystal clear, and the long-range Wi-Fi connection is strong, even through walls. The voice remote makes browsing easy, and the dedicated app buttons are a nice touch. I loved it so much, I got a second one for the bedroom. Now both TVs feel like smart TVs without having to buy new ones. 🔄 Switching between Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube is super smooth. 🎯 Reliable, compact, and travel-friendly too. Highly recommend—especially if you want to breathe new life into older TVs. Two thumbs up!

I'm a long-time Roku user, having purchased devices from every generation throughout Roku's evolution. I've had the very original Roku N1100, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 XS, Roku 3 (2013 version), Roku 4, a TCL Roku TV, Roku Ultra (2016 version)...and now this Stick +. While I've only had it for a couple of days now, this might be the best Roku I've seen from a value perspective. My house is a Roku house. We have 5 televisions but don't have a cable or satellite subscription.. One of the TV's is a Roku TV and the other 4 all have a Roku attached to them. Literally everything we watch is delivered via the Roku. Our OTA material is delivered from a Tablo DVR to our Rokus. Our local media is served up via a Plex server to the Rokus. We also have PS Vue, Netflix, Amazon video, etc. etc. Bottom line, we use Roku a lot, and I'm very familiar with them. I wouldn't consider myself to be a Roku "fan boy", though. While most of the Roku's I've had have been great...there have been some clunkers. The Roku 2XS was a turd that never got any better. The Roku 4 was a turd at the start, but gradually got better with each subsequent firmware update. Unfortunately, the cooling fan in one of my Roku 4s (The 4 was the only Roku model to ever have one) has begun to make the dreaded "grinding" noise in recent weeks, so I decided to try replace it with a stick+. I've generally been leery about all of the "stick" form-factor devices. They've generally lagged behind the more traditional "box" form-factor devices as far as specs go. The Stick+, with its quad-core processor, HEVC support, and 4K capabilities convinced me that the gap may have finally been closed. So, after a couple of days with the Stick+...here are my thoughts on this device - It's snappy and smooth. It's maybe not quite as quick as my Roku Ultras...but it's every bit as fast as the Roku 4. - The new remote is great.The ability to control the TV's power and volume without a second remote or a universal remote is loooong overdue. - Excellent wireless reception. I had two walls between the Stick+ and my router, but was easily streaming 16mbps local media through Plex. - Powering via the TV's USB isn't optimal. Assuming your TV stops providing power to the USB when turned-off, the Stick+ will have to go through the boot-up sequence and then connect to your wireless before you can do anything with it each time you turn on your TV. This can take ~30 seconds. I highly recommend plugging it directly into an outlet using the provided adapter. So, this is a great Roku device. It doesn't have the same bells-and-whistles that my Roku Ultra's have...but then again, I also paid nearly twice as much for those. This Stick+ is much cheaper, provides basically the same UI/playback performance, and also has a remote that will make having to juggle your Roku and TV remotes a thing of the past. That's why I say, absent some deal-breaker that I haven't encountered yet, this is the best dollar-for-dollar Roku yet.

Ok. This is going to be long…but maybe something through my experience will help you solve something faster than me. I ended up with the Sony x800g 75” led 4k UHD HDR10 tv. Lots of numbers there. And often times you will hear stuff used interchangeably. • 4k isn’t all the same. So the term 4k related to the number of pixels on your screen. o 1080p was previous HD (high definition) and was 1920x1080 pixels. o 4k is generally 3840x2160 • UHD is ultra high definition which also refers to the resolution of 3840x2160, however there are two versions of this. o One is 30hz. Normal movies and tv look “normal” o 60hz is great for action movies and fast movement such as sports • HDR/HDR10 also has two versions, but in simple terms, HDR is used to describe a certain grouping of picture settings to make your 4k look better. Higher contrast rates(darker black and whiter white). However there are 2 versions of this also o 30hz for traditional movies and tv o 60hz is great for those action movies and sports. What happened for me. It was time for a new tv. I already had a Yamaha surround sound receiver that all my consoles, and fire/roku sticks, and blueray players plugged into, and one single cable going to my tv. So the setup of a new tv was going to be fairly painless. Find the tv, buy the tv, remove the old tv and replace it with the new one. I got home, got the new one in place and hooked up with one hdmi connection…and it didn’t do 4k. WTF! So I did some research and realized the roku stick that we use for amazon prime, hulu, and Netflix…wasn’t 4k compatible. So I went online, ordered a Roku Premier. I got it the next day, thanks amazon. Hooked it up, and it worked well…but the remote had to be line of site with the roku box. Unfortunately, my home theater setup made this a huge pain in the butt because the roku was hidden behind the Yamaha surround sound receiver. So, I returned this and ordered the Roku Streaming Stick +. Because these are meant to plug in behind the tv or to a surround sound receiver. This in place, and I ran the setup on the roku stick for display and it would do 4k uhd but only in 30hz. Fearing I had bought the wrong one. I took it upstairs to my lg 40” tv and plugged it in, turned on the tv. And the tv recognized the roku stick and I saw the screen go from normal black screen (kinda dark grey really) to true solid black with the HDR logo flashing on screen. When it showed the roku menu, I ran the same display setup and it clicked green check marks next to 4k uhd 30hz, 4k uhd 60hz, 4k hdr 30hz, and 4k hdr 60hz. And the movies (6 underground on Netflix) was just a freaking work of art. So now I knew that it was not the roku stick. So doing more research I found out that my Yamaha rx-v685 surround sound receiver would accept this beautiful signal and would pass through 4k but that the configuration had to be adjusted to do this. So I dug around in the menu, found the setting and clicked it into 4k. It looked okay on the new screen, but didn’t look amazing. So I went back to the google, and found out that my receiver would pass through only 4k uhd 30hz. So…it would look okay. But wouldn’t be jaw dropping. Did some research and found that I needed to buy the newer version of the receiver the RX-v683BL, that was $400 on ebay for a new in box one. It showed up a week later in a damaged box, but was fine cosmetically and functionally. I installed this new receiver with all the same connections and such. And ran the same roku display test, got it to do 4k uhd 30hz, and 4k uhd 60hz but it wouldn’t do 4k hdr 30 or 60. Annoyed at this point, I started scouring everything I could, and started seeing that folks said they solved this problem with better cables. I figured why not. So I found a set that had great reviews on amazon (info below) and those showed up two days later. I ran one of these from the new Yamaha receiver to the tv. Because the roku stick plugged in directly to a port on the back of the tv. Ran the test and got the 4k uhd’s working but only the 4k hdr 30hz working. I wanted the last step because I wanted the 4k resolution with the hdr picture quality with the 60 hz for high speed smooth movements. Annoyed again, I found that the tv instead of using HDMI port 1, needed to have me use HDMI port 2 or 3. I tried that, same. Then I went into the menu for the tv and found that there was a picture setting under settings>watch tv>external inputs>hdmi signal format>select the port 2 I was plugged into now and change it from standard to enhanced 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 mode. Tried again, the image was looking better but the roku still wouldn’t let me have the 4k hdr 60hz. So I checked the Yamaha receiver and the HDMI mode had to be in mode 1 as well as the roku stick had to be in ports 1-5. I ran the test again…still no luck. A final run at google and someone said there was a buried adjustment within the settings>advanced system settings>HDMI output and it also had to be set to the 4:4:4 or 4:2:2. Ran the settings and success! So when I boil it all down, when hooking something up to a 4k UHD HDR10(60hz) tv you need to have the correct device, the correct settings on the device, the right cable, the right port plugged in for the device, and also have the settings enabled for that device. I know that was long winded, but I figure I’ll use this story in the amazon review and maybe it helps someone sometime.