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Let's talk Roku

Fanatical Meat

Fanatical Meat

Lifer
I'm thinking of getting one what is the difference between the Roku Stick and the Roku 3? They seem about identical except the stick doesn't have crappy games to play. I find it difficult to track down what kind of content you get for free vs paying and functional lists available?

**Don't have a 4k TV so Roku 4 has no value to me**
 
For you own sake, so a 5 second search off YouTube. Lots of info there.

I recently did a shopping comparison of sticks. It all depends on what services you like. Hardware wise the Fire TV stick is superior to all other sticks and KODI (XMBC) is a big deal on it. If I didn't own a Chromecast, I'd stick with the Fire TV stick. The Roku stick is laggy and buggy/crashy. I did not enjoy using it, however the Roku 3 is the recommended Roku to buy.

I wouldn't rely on online suggestions though. It all depends on the services you enjoy. The good news... the sticks are cheap and useful and are a great way to determine what's right for you on the respective higher end offerings.
 
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The fire tv stick is a waste of money, even if you paid 3 cents for it. Buggy/slow/junk.

If you want a Roku and don't want 4k, then get either the latest Roku2 or Roku3 (if you want an RF remote), the Roku2/3 is the same hardware.
 
In general (with the exception of the 1st gen Chromecast) all Stick-based adapters ARE ABSOLUTE JUNK! Slow, laggy, constant buffering... Get the Roku 3, you won't be disappointed. Free vs paid content depends on what you're after. Obviously services such as HBO Go, Netflix, etc all require a paid subscription, however, you can download the "channel" for free on your Roku. There are some custom channels on the Roku which you actually have to pay money for, but I've never done that. We use the Roku to supplement our existing DirecTV connection, not replace, so maybe I'm not the best person to answer.
 
Does the Roku 3 support MHL? I actually have one, but never had a need until now and Google results seem 50/50.

**Edit**
It does not.
 
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JoeMcJoe said:
The fire tv stick is a waste of money, even if you paid 3 cents for it. Buggy/slow/junk.

If you want a Roku and don't want 4k, then get either the latest Roku2 or Roku3 (if you want an RF remote), the Roku2/3 is the same hardware.
Click to expand...

Roku 2/3 are not the same hardware at all!!!! The 3 has a much faster processor, and the remote now includes a headphone jack for silent tv watching. Having owned both the 2 and now 3, the 3 is sooooo fast and smooth compared to the 2.
 
I can't really compare "lag" feeling as I've never owned another streamer other than Roku 2 and 3. The 3 is definitely faster than the 2 and well worth the money if you want one. Easy to use for everyone in the family and not buggy or crashy as someone suggested.
 
ImpulsE69 said:
I can't really compare "lag" feeling as I've never owned another streamer other than Roku 2 and 3. The 3 is definitely faster than the 2 and well worth the money if you want one. Easy to use for everyone in the family and not buggy or crashy as someone suggested.
Click to expand...

The 2015 models of Roku 2 and Roku 3 are exactly the same, the only difference are the remotes. Same speed, same hardware.
 
JoeMcJoe said:
The 2015 models of Roku 2 and Roku 3 are exactly the same, the only difference are the remotes. Same speed, same hardware.
Click to expand...

I have an old 2, and and old 3 (the one that the new 2 is now), and a new 3. Never had a 1. Don't plan on going 4k any time soon so interest in a 4 yet.

My wife does really like the headphone jack in the remote function of the new 3 remote.
 
ImpulsE69 said:
I have an old 2, and and old 3 (the one that the new 2 is now), and a new 3. Never had a 1. Don't plan on going 4k any time soon so interest in a 4 yet.

My wife does really like the headphone jack in the remote function of the new 3 remote.
Click to expand...


I like it also. It comes in handy for late night viewing.
 
I've had a variety of Roku boxes and upgraded all of mine to v3 (remote with the headphone jack). They do freeze up once in awhile (have to yank the power), but are great other than that. Streams movies just fine with Plex, plus Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and so on. My buddy got the newer v3 with Voice Search on the remote & it's actually pretty slick. I've heard v4 has some issues & since I have no major problems with my 3's, I'm holding off upgrading.
 
The Roku 4 is too buggy for me, took it back.
It has a cooling fan too, so it just a matter of time for that to break. I'm waiting for the next version.
 
Can you watch Youtube videos just like how you can on a tablet/laptop/PC? Or do you have to subscribe to a channel and can only watch videos on those channels?
 
Off the Roku stick, the YouTube app is similar to what's on the PS3, PS4. However, that's not how you want to use it. You'll pair it as a TV. Then on your Chrome browser with the YT extensions, or Youtube app off the Android or IOS device, you'll see a cast icon. Tap that and bam magical things can happen if your TV supports HDMI CEC. It will automagically turn on, choose the right input and start playback. If it's new enough you can control MANY things even actual volume off the TV, not the digital volume.

The bad news at least for the Roku stick... it wasn't as reliable as the Chromecast, Fire TV stick.
 
I stay away from sticks, their one advantage is that they're hidden (good for kiosks and displays and such). But if they're hidden they don't work with my IR Harmony. Otherwise they sacrifice processing horsepower to get down to that tiny little size, and they also minimize available ports and rely on WiFi (keep in mind your TV will act as a wall and attenuate the WiFi signal).

If you're dead set on the Roku platform, the Roku3 is the way to go, the little pucker is very unobtrusive, and lets you use an Ethernet wire (which I tend to prefer for streaming).
 
Fanatical Meat said:
**Don't have a 4k TV so Roku 4 has no value to me**
Click to expand...

I would STILL get a Roku 4, if anything for the faster processor and longevity use factor, if I were you.

Those channels are going to get bigger and bigger over time, and before long; you will want a box that can handle them when that time comes.

It's minimal cost over the 3 and you always want to buy the fastest rig you can afford.
 
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I agree on avoiding the sticks. I picked up a Roku stick for my bedroom tv just because I didn't plan to use it much, but it made me want to use it even less. Since it's powered by the USB port on the tv it doesn't turn on until you turn on the TV. So you wait another 20 seconds while it powers up, and then it's super slow compared to the Roku3. The remote crapped out on me so I have to use my phone app. Overall just an annoying experience.
 
I've use pretty much every popular streaming box, and I'd say the NVIDIA Shield is the best IMO, but for the cost the Roku 3 is the best bang for your buck.
 
Hi guys; i've just acquired a Roku 4 and i ticked the box in he settings for it to turn off after 30 minutes ,but every time i turn it on it won't turn on, i have to unplug and plug back in order for it to turn on and reboot,i wonder why an expensive so modern and sophisticated box compared to Roku 1,2,3 has this glitch, it's
not aceptable.
 
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