Vivid News Wave

Best Roku devices 2024

By Samuel Contreras

Best Roku devices 2024

If you're looking for the best Roku streaming devices, then you've come to the right place. Hailed as the top streaming service in the U.S. for free, live, and premium TV, there's no shortage of content on Roku. The company has a bunch of different streaming products from streaming boxes, soundbars, to TVs, it all depends on what you're looking for. Roku even offers a full line of smart home devices, so you can really sink your teeth and go all-in in this ecosystem, if you want to.

Our favorite device would have to be the Roku Ultra streaming box. It's on the pricier side, but it can do pretty much everything from Dolby Vision playback, to an Ethernet wired connection.

The Ultra streaming box is not for everyone and that's why in this list, we have a variety of Roku streaming products across price ranges and product categories for you to choose from.

Roku introduced a refreshed Roku Ultra device in September 2024 with a new quad-core processor that Roku claims delivers 30% faster performance. The box also gets Wi-Fi 6 and comes bundled with the Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd Gen). This is the best streaming device that Roku offers, but it's also the most expensive at $99.99, although it's often on sale for $79.99.

The Roku Ultra (2024) supports all the major HDR formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It has an HDMI 2.1 port which allows it to offers smoother transitions between different refresh rates or content sources on compatible TVs. If you have a Wi-Fi 6 router at home, you'll be able to take advantage of the faster speeds with the new Ultra streaming box. Roku says the Ultra offers the best Roku experience, whether your watching live TV, free streaming apps, or the one's you've subscribed to. The new powerful box allows you to pair Bluetooth headphones directly with it, so you don't have bother with a wired headset plugged into the remote.

Speaking of the remote, the new Voice Remote Pro supports voice commands and quick access to volume buttons, but it is also backlit, making it easier to use in the dark. If you've misplaced the remote somewhere in the house, simply press the remote finder button on the box or use a simple voice command to help you find it.

Best mid-range

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is just about the perfect streaming device for most people with a 4K TV. As it's a streaming stick, it hides behind the TV and is powered by USB so if you wall-mount your display, you don't have any extra wires hanging down from behind. On the technical side, this device is one of Roku's most capable streaming devices with support for 4K HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR 10/10+, and even HLG which mostly means that if it's in HDR and you can stream it, this stick can play it. Wi-Fi 5 with MIMO is supported so you also get plenty of speed to stream without buffering.

This cheaper model works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri for voice control. There is no USB port on this device and as a result, no local storage playback will be possible. The Micro-USB port on this streaming stick is only for power.

With a low price and great support for 4K and HDR, this streaming stick is the best bet for most people looking for a high-quality image without spending money on extra features they won't use like the Pro remote or local playback.

Best value

The Roku Express 4K+ streaming device keeps both, the improved design and great starter price of the previous Roku Express. The Express 4K+ comes with an adhesive tape so you can stick it to the bottom of the TV, which is great if your TV is wall-mounted and you don't want dangling cables.

While the standard Roku Express tops out at HD resolution, the Roku Express 4K+ streams HD, 4K, and HDR content for just $10 more. It also features a more powerful processor, dual-band Wi-Fi support, and an upgraded voice remote. Unlike the previous remote, the upgraded Roku voice remote allows you to navigate the streaming service and control your TV's power and volume from the same device.

Roku is marketing the Express 4K+ as "the most affordable way to stream in 4K," and it's not wrong. The device is also easy to set up, making it a great option for first-time streamers. However, experienced streamers who want to add a high-quality and affordable streaming device to every room with a TV should also consider grabbing a Express 4K+ or two.

Best sound

Roku seems to have discontinued the Streambar Pro, which was it's most powerful and premium soundbar. The Roku Streambar is not its direct replacement, but it's the best soundbar that Roku offers at the moment. You can plug this into your existing TV and stream Roku's services without needing a Roku streamer, which is its main selling point. You'll also get much better audio quality than your TV speakers thanks to the four 1.9-inch full-range drivers in the soundbar.

The Streambar supports up to 4K streaming with HDR support. Sadly it can't do HDR10+ or Dolby Vision, but ironically, the cheaper Streambar SE does support HDR10+ playback. The latter is also far cheaper if you can get it on sale, but it lacks Ethernet, voice search funtion on the remote, and doesn't support Dolby Audio.

You can expand the audio fidelity of the Streambar by adding in two Roku Wireless Speakers and the Roku Wireless Bass subwoofer, for a proper home-theatre experience. The Streambar can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker or you can pair your headphones to it so you don't disturb your partner at night.

Best all-in-one

Roku has its own line of smart TVs now, ranging across three different series. If you're looking for the best though, there's only the Roku Pro Series that you should be considering. These 4K QLED TVs come in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch screen sizes. There's full-array local dimming Mini LEDs for the backlighting, which means you should expect greater control over bright and dark areas in HDR content with little blooming. The panels also support Dolby Vision IQ, along with the other usual HDR formats.

Roku Pro Series also feature AI-powered picture corrections like Roku Smart Picture Max which intelligently cleans up the source signal and optimizes it for the TV's size. The TVs also feature slim bezels and a stylish frame, which should blend well with most entertainment setups. Roku also has a feature similar to Samsung Frame series called Backdrops. You can choose a static shot of a painting from famour artists and photogrphers or even upload your own personal photos and use the TV as a giant photo frame.

The Roku Pro Series 4K TVs ships with the Voice Remote Pro (2nd gen), giving you all the benefits like backlit buttons and USB-C charging. The TV's built-in speakers support Dolby Atmos, but you can take it a step further by pairing it with other Roku speakers and subwoofers for a vastly better audio experience.

Best for stereo

The beauty of the Roku Wireless Speakers is that they promise to deliver outstanding sound for your Roku TV setup. They are bundled as a stereo pair and are incredibly easy to set up with your Roku TV or Streambar. They support Bluetooth streaming so that you can enjoy your favorite audio from any compatible Bluetooth device. Each speaker contains a 0.75-inch tweeter and a 3.5-inch woofer.

If you want to enhance your Roku TV's audio setup, the Wireless Speakers is a great place to start. Depending on how far you want to go, you can add a subfoofer and a Roku TV Wireless Soundbar into the mix, or add another pair of these stereo speakers for a full, surround sound experience. Keep in mind that these speakers won't work with any other TV or even Roku streaming players, as they only pair with Roku TVs and the Streambar series.

How to choose

Roku aims to be your one-stop shop when it comes to home entertainment and it has largely succeeded in building some of the best streaming devices you can buy. With an ever-expanding product portfolio that stretches from cheap streaming sticks to high-end streaming boxes, integrated smart TVs, audio solutions, and even smart home devices, you can go crazy outfitting your home with the latest and greatest from Roku.

Our top choice for Roku streaming products is still the Roku Ultra (2024). It offers terrific specs, has great features, and is good competition to the newly introduced Google TV Streamer. However, if you are looking for an all-in-one Roku solution, the Roku Pro Series 4K TV is the best place to start. Alternatively, if you're getting into high-definition streaming or if you want to outfit multiple spaces, you can't go wrong with the updated Roku Express 4K+. It's affordable and offers most of the features of the Streaming Stick 4K.

If you're looking for something with a bit more substantial audio quality, then the Roku Streambar may be the best option for you. It's not on the same level as the now-discontinued Streambar Pro, but it's the best on offer till Roku releases a proper successor. You can futher enhance the sound experience by adding stereo wireless speakers or subwoofers from Roku.

Previous articleNext article

POPULAR CATEGORY

corporate

7288

tech

8319

entertainment

8942

research

3994

misc

9385

wellness

7114

athletics

9340