Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The latest flagship model of the Roku lineup is easy to use, supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos sound, has the best remote, and every app you need. Read More
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is one of the best you can buy, with a superb remote, plenty of streaming options, 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos, and more. Read More
The 2019 TCL 6-Series isn't among the best QLED TVs we've seen lately, but its performance—bolstered by quantum dots—is well worth the TV's accommodating asking price. Read More
The Roku Premiere still gives you the great Roku experience, but the latest version offers worse Wifi connectivity and no Ethernet support. Read More
Access to the entire Roku platform, but this very entry-level model offers a very barebones experience with no 4k or HDR support. Read More
Edit 8/25/2022 - we’ve updated our roundup with the latest models of the Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick, and more
Here at Reviewed, we take TV watching seriously—some might say too seriously. We’ve been testing streaming devices since the early days, back when Roku was just about the only option.
After years of evaluating (and living with) dozens of different devices, Roku continues to consistently top our lists. From easy streaming, decking out a theater room, or even an all-in-one streaming TV, we've found the best Roku devices.
In our guide to the best streaming devices, the Roku Ultra 4802R (2022) (available at Amazon for $99.00) topped all the other brands out there. The latest Ultra supports 4K and HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound. It also has an intuitive interface, a stellar voice remote, and supports every major streaming service.
But that’s not the only good Roku out there. Here are our favorite Roku devices:
The Roku Ultra offers everything we want in a streaming box.
The Stick 4K comes with everything you need, including a wall adapter if your TV's USB port isn't available.
The TCL 6-Series is our pick for the best overall Roku TV, due in part to its low, low price tag.
Roku's easy-to-navigate platform
Supports 4K, HDR, and Dolby Atmos sound
Bad connectivity
No Ethernet
Access to Roku's full platform
Remote lacks voice-control, power/volume buttons
Video maxes at 1080p
Requires HDMI
This guide was tested and put together by Reviewed Executive Editor TJ Donegan. He's been testing consumer electronics for a decade, focusing on cameras, tablets, smartphones, televisions, laptops, headphones, and—of course—streaming boxes. He's owned a Roku since the company’s early days and has since amassed streaming devices from every major manufacturer, too.
To test TVs, Reviewed's home theater team includes Michael Desjardin, a senior staff writer who for the past six years has focused on technology. He's a film enthusiast and TV expert who takes picture quality very seriously.
In testing Roku devices, we focused on hardware—the remote, the device itself, how it connects to your TV, how fast it is, and how it feels to use it. We also tested their software, evaluating ease of use, the presence of ads, voice search compatibility, any mobile apps, and other usability features.
Our goal was to find the best possible streaming box for most people who want to stream plenty of TV shows and movies.
There are a few key things to keep in mind when selecting a streaming box or a streaming stick. The first is making sure you get a device that works with your TV.
In short, yes. Almost every new TV is going to come with a 4K screen these days, which means that it has four times as many pixels as older 1080p Full HD screens. Nearly every device on this list supports 4K, and will usually say so on the box and in the model name).
Even if you don’t have a 4K TV yet, you’re likely to have one at some point and it’s not worth pinching pennies on a 1080p device just to have to replace it with a 4K-ready one later.
While 4K resolution is fairly simple, HDR—or High Dynamic Range—is much more complex. Basically, it lets your TV adapt to make part of the screen brighter or darker depending on what is playing. This affects the color shading and vibrancy.
HDR TVs also typically support wider color gamuts, meaning you get more vivid colors than older TVs were capable of displaying. We’re skipping a lot of detail here, but in short, if you have an HDR TV you’ll want a streaming box that supports HDR to get the most out of it.
Roku supports HDR, so as long as your TV supports it and you’re using any newer HDMI cable, you should be able to just play HDR content with no hassle.
Reviewed takes data privacy extremely seriously, but unfortunately most streaming services do not. In most cases, you can opt out of letting the box track and monetize your viewing habits, but you’ll still see ads. You can opt out of most of these settings by going to Roku's account or settings pages and navigating to the section on privacy.
Still, be aware that each streaming service may have its own ad tracking built in, which you often can’t opt out of.
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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