Roku Express 4K Plus review: The best streaming device under $40
Our Verdict
The Roku Express 4K Plus is a solid upgrade from the Roku Premiere, specially in its remote.
For
- Inexpensive 4K streaming
- Speedy performance
- Improved remote
Against
- No Dolby Vision or Atmos Sound
- Even so a bit also lightweight
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Roku Express 4K Plus is a solid upgrade from the Roku Premiere, particularly in its remote.
Pros
- +
Cheap 4K streaming
- +
Speedy performance
- +
Improved remote
Cons
- -
No Dolby Vision or Atmos Sound
- -
Nevertheless a bit also lightweight
The new Roku Express 4K Plus shows that 4K streaming is getting pretty cheap. Or at to the lowest degree Roku's getting good at remixing its current lineup. The Roku Express 4K Plus takes the basic design of the Roku Limited (a $30 1080p streamer) but upgrades information technology with the 4K streaming from the Roku Premiere (which information technology replaces as Roku'due south $40 streamer).
Only this Roku Express 4K Plus review will show how this new device upgrades yous even further. And that'southward through its remote, which is better than ever, and takes the hiccups out of streaming. The Roku Express 4K lags behind some slightly pricier streaming devices in its support for Dolby A/V standards. Nevertheless, the Roku Limited 4K is one of the best streaming devices, as the new best $40 streaming device.
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The Roku Express 4K Plus won a Highly Recommended laurels in the 2021 Tom'due south Guide Awards for Best Streaming Devices, past making 4K UHD streaming more affordable without putting more ads in.
Roku Express 4K Plus review: Price and release engagement
The Roku Express 4K Plus starts at $39.99, and will be available in mid-May at nearly retailers. At that price, information technology'due south simply under the $49.99 Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which has similar streaming capabilities, but we establish information technology has a improve remote.
Roku Limited 4K Plus specs
Price: $39.99
Video: Upwardly to 4K
HDR: Yes, HDR10 and HDR10+ supported
Connectivity: Dual-ring Wi-Fi, Ethernet via microUSB
Remote: Voice remote
Ecosystem compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Banana, Apple AirPlay ii
The ii major 4K streaming devices of annotation — the Amazon Fire Television receiver Stick 4K and Chromecast with Google TV — are both at $l. There'due south as well the TiVo Stream 4K, which started at $50 and has seemingly been marked downwards to $40, permanently, at Amazon. All of those devices support Dolby Vision and Atmos Audio, and the Express 4K Plus does non.
The Apple Idiot box 4K (2021), which costs much more than than these options, also supports Dolby Vision and Atmos.
Roku Express 4K Plus review: Pattern
The Roku Express 4K Plus is simple, nonetheless nonetheless kind of awkward. It's a curved rectangular device, designed to sit flat on next to your Tv set or in your entertainment console. Its got a matte blackness design, shiny Roku logo, and glossy front end, with a purple LED indicator for ability.
The sole problem with the Roku Express 4K Plus' design is that it's also light. Typically, lightweight tech is a good affair, simply it's so lightweight that it may take a little fiddling with the HDMI cable (which tin can lift the lite shell with its tension) to become it to sit down right. Roku includes an agglutinative strip so you can adhere it to a surface, The Chromecast with Google TV, Fire Television Stick 4K and Tivo Stream 4K are all easier-to-use dongles that simply handle backside your TV. We too prefer the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which has that same blueprint.
Y'all may as well find the included HDMI cable to be insufficient in length. A little under two anxiety in length, the cablevision is only long plenty to connect to the HDMI port on my TV that itself is seated on a surface. My wall-mounted Television'due south HDMI ports are too far away, for case. Then again, if you've got such a custom setup, I imagine you may already own HDMI cables of sufficient length.
Much similar its competitors, the Express 4K Plus' ports situation a very brusk story. Y'all've got HDMI for connections, microUSB for power from an included adapter and a small reset button. The Chromecast with Google TV offers all of these buttons, while the Tivo Stream 4K and Fire Goggle box Stick require using the remote to reset the device.
- Bank check out our Roku Ultra LT review
Roku Limited 4K Plus review: Audio and video
The Roku Express 4K Plus is bang-up for cheap, speedy ultra high-def HDR video. Dialing up an episode of Netflix'due south Glow (RIP), I noted the night shadows of the Las Vegas scenery, bright pinks and golds. Details came in well-baked from their elaborate outfits, with distinct feathers in headdresses and the textures of ruffled fabrics.
The biggest shortcoming of the Roku Express 4K Plus is the lack of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Audio. These A/Five standards, available on the slightly more expensive Chromecast with Google TV and Fire Idiot box Stick 4K, are the kind of thing you might not look for when looking for the well-nigh affordable 4K device.
Admittedly, you might be enough happy without either standard. As I streamed Parasite in 4K off the Apple TV app, I was still amazed past the colour reproduction of the nighttime scenes in the streets of Seoul and how great the well-monied Park family's home looks. Similarly, the thumping soundtrack and brilliant neon lights of John Wick still impressed on the Roku Express 4K Plus.
Roku Express 4K Plus review: Performance
As a long-time Roku Ultra owner, I'one thousand pretty impressed how the much cheaper Roku Express 4K Plus is still pretty speedy. The Netflix and Hulu apps loaded practically instantly, with content such as I Intendance A Lot, Shadow and Bone and Netflix opening in mere moments.
That's due in part to its 802.11ac dual-ring wireless modem, which makes the Limited 4K Plus is speedy plenty to download the dozens of apps in mere moments, during the initial setup.
And that's all over wireless, every bit the Roku Express 4K Plus doesn't offer an Ethernet port. If yous need that, y'all'll desire to get a third-party solution from a company such as UGREEN, which provides adapters for larger households, where your Tv set is far from your Wi-Fi router.
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Roku Express 4K Plus review: Remote control
Because the Roku Express 4K Plus replaces the Roku Premiere, I was about concerned near how well its remote would work. Our Roku Premiere review emphasized that its IR-based remote made for the device's "biggest shortcoming," as it required you to have the stick "pointed inside a few degrees of the device'south confront," and non allow whatever obstructions.
The Roku Express 4K Plus' Voice Remote (which is network-based, not IR-based) enables you to beam a signal no matter what direction you're pointing it in. Equally I spun the controller around in my mitt, clicking it in practically every direction possible, I sighed in relief.
That upgrade out of the way, the Roku Voice Remote is pretty standard, offer everything you should expect at this price. That includes basic navigation buttons, voice controls and TV controls for power and volume.
The Roku Phonation Remote feels lite in my hand, and its textured surface makes it easy to grip. At 2.7 ounces, information technology's a piffling heavier than the Chromecast with Google TV's 2.2 ounce remote, but considering the Roku remote is larger, it distributes that weight more than evenly.
Y'all too get four colorful buttons for popular channels — which seem less useful than they are valuable to Roku for revenue. If you can program your encephalon to use these buttons for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple Television receiver Plus and Hulu, you'll grow to appreciate the i-click access.
Roku Express 4K Plus review: Search and Roku OS
Finding things to watch — the ultimate low-stakes quest — on Roku is easy. With the vocalism button on your remote, I can say "testify me movies starring David Duchovony" (or Gillian Anderson), so I can continue to follow the X-Files stars throughout their careers. Roku's search helps yous decide what to watch next with a row for all results, another for free content, a third for what's included with your memberships and another for items y'all'd have to pay to buy or rent.
Roku'due south also gotten better with more refined search. Using voice search to ask for "movies starting John Travolta from the 1990s," I got a set of expert results including Pulp Fiction, The Sparse Red Line, Face up/Off and Get Shorty.
The Chromecast with Google TV but showed me a list of results (that wasn't interactive at all), and the Fire Television receiver included much more recent results, such as 2019's The Toxicant Ride and 2012's Savages (and put them up forepart). Our Tivo Stream 4K review explained how poor its search abilities are, and gave me picayune reason to add one to my menagerie of streaming devices.
Roku OS 10 has delivered a new feature dubbed Instant Resume, where y'all would start a evidence right where you left off when re-opening the app. Of note is that not all apps utilise Instant Resume the same style. Roku is allowing app developers to let channels resume how they adopt, going straight dorsum to the aqueduct, or opening the app faster than before. As well of note: Roku Live Channel customization is still rolling out, and should be available past May thirteen.
Roku Express 4K Plus review: Bottom line
Equally a successor to the Roku Premium, the Roku Express 4K Plus is a step in the right management. Non only is it just as skillful at streaming 4K HDR content chop-chop, but its remote is better than ever. We just wish its design didn't err on the side of lightness.
The Roku Express 4K asks you how much you lot value the Dolby Vision and Atmos Audio. If y'all would spend an extra $10 (a quarter of its price) to take your motion picture and audio produced at those standards, you might be better off getting the Chromecast with Google Boob tube (though its search isn't up to snuff). Want a Roku that's easier to place in your entertainment setup? The Roku Streaming Stick Plus costs $10 more than and it'southward worth it.
That said, the Roku Express 4K Plus attacks its contest at the checkout counter, and does so well. Sure, it has some tradeoffs in substitution for that lower price, but they won't most streaming experiences.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/roku-express-4k-plus
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