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I apologize for quality but I am only trying to illustrate a couple of things:
- Voice search is super efficient: rather than push something cute your way, Roku figures out what you just said and the recognition rate was close to 100% and then immediately shows you what's available and for how much if not free.
- Search results are neutral: Fire TV claims that they can't 'see' inside Netflix yet Roku has no problem whatsoever finding the 'free' movie there while showing many other sources.
- Jumping from the search result to a service (Netflix here) is super-quick, no time wasted.
- The Roku Media Player required zero setup before it 'saw' my NAS and my router-attached HDD.
- Discovering over 1000 albums was done in no time and this is done over Wi-Fi.
- Led Zeppelin rocks.
UPDATE: I've been using this Roku 4 since 'day one' and my experience appears to be slightly at odds with what some have experienced so, these are my impressions:
* Performance is flawless: once setup completed, no further action was required as far as Wi-Fi authentication. The unit never disconnected and, except for some Twitch broadcasts that were probably coming from low bandwidth streamers, there were no frames dropped that I could notice.
* The 'fan noise' is so low, I never hear it unless I turn off sound and I go very, very close to the unit, like 2 feet.
* Yes, the Roku 4 runs hot which is not surprising because it's a powerful streamer. However, it's easy to set it to turn itself off if not used for 30 minutes which is a good practice anyway because there's no reason to burn electricity 24x7. It will take some 15 seconds for the Roku to wake up but, seriously, it's worth the power savings and it probably extends the Roku's life.
* Voice search is amazing. For the past 10 days or so, only once did Roku said "sorry, I wasn't paying attention". On every other instance, Roku displayed the right content. Search is intelligent enough to show not only, let's say all the Tarantino movies if you say 'Tarantino', and that includes the movies that are NOT carried by any service under Roku so you can add it to 'My feed' and be notified. Voice search goes deeper, actually. For example, if I say 'Stephen King', Roku gives me a list of movies and shows that are inspired by his works. And that's great.
I understand that not everyone's expectations are met by this new Roku model but this is the best you can get today as far as streamers in my view.
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For anyone new to the Roku world, I would recommend the Roku 4 over any other previous models. I do confess to some bias here as we ordered 2 (large family) already. I love the Roku for so far for all its new features, some of them (4K UltraHD support) not relevant to everyone at this time but it never hurts to have 'extra' capabilities that you may need in the future. Also, it's so much faster to operate. If 'cost' is an issue and 720p only is not a bother then the LT if still available should be a great pick for fraction of the price. For something in-between, I'd go for the Roku Stick (1080p resolution, not so expensive, decent performance).
True for all Roku models: there's an enormous amount of channels to choose from, including most popular ones. And if there's something that you can't find in the official store you can always check the private channel listings (I included the URL of my favorite site) which is where I found things such CNN International and BBC World.
The streaming is exceptionally smooth. Quite impressive considering that I tested this Roku on the second floor, some 60-70 ft. and two floors away from our Wi-Fi 802.11ac router located in the basement.
This model especially, due to the more powerful processor is easy to operate through Roku's very basic remote control.
This Roku 4 and all Rokus are stable. I didn't have the Roku 4 for too long (will update) but my experience with all other models was that it almost never crashed and I only had to manually reconnect to my Wi-Fi router once over a 6-months period.
The 'universal search' feature is quite amazing. You simply type in the name of a movie or show even an actor and you will see all your options on all channels and you will know in advance whether it's going to be free or exactly how much it was going to cost. On the Roku 4 all information appears almost instantly. And then there is of course, the Roku Feed. You can 'follow' shows, movies, even actors and get notified whenever the content you seek becomes available on what services. It's still work in progress but it's getting better as the feature matures.
Off the four 'major' streamers I will be discussing, and I know that they aren't the only ones, I prefer Rokus because, like the Chromecasts, they are near-universal, equal opportunity streamers and, unlike the Chromecasts and that gives them some edge, they come with a physical remote - not absolutely or always required because you can use your phone for control - and an excellent and consistent user interface. In addition, the Roku 4 has some useful physical ports such as Ethernet and optical audio plus a MicroSD expansion slot. I've relegated Amazon's and Apple's entries to the third position not because they are bad streamers because they are quite good but because they gently or not so gently try to steer their users toward their own content which may be a great thing for Amazon and Apple but does not always benefit the user. If the above can be considered 'bias', I accept it. I did try to make the SETTING UP... and the FAQ sections as factual as possible so, hopefully, my review could help a few make an informed decision.
COMPARISONS
[Roku 4 vs. Chromecast]
We are comparing the much larger and significantly more expensive Roku 4 to Google's very capable dongle so I'll try to be as fair as possible. As I stated already, Roku's main advantage is the unified user interface and the physical remote. And since Amazon doesn't yet view Roku as a competitor, Amazon Prime is on the Rokus but not on Chromecasts. Roku 4 has the built-in Ethernet port for wired connectivity vs. Chromecast's only available as a add-on and Roku's optical audio port and top it off with 4K support and I would say 'advantage Roku' so far.
Chromecast's main advantages include the much lower price of course, its built-in flexibility where basically any App developer can easily add Chromecast compatibility and I don't believe they even need Google's Okay for that. Chromecasts also allow casting from phones and anything else that supports a Chrome browser. You can cast to the Roku 4 but the Google way feels more natural and is available for a lot more sources.
For full disclosure, we have both a Roku and a Chromecast hanging at the back of our big TV and I tend to go Chromecast whenever I need to get to something quick while Roku is for my more 'regular' viewing sessions. I happen to prefer the Roku most of the time but some in our household prefer the Chromecast because they are more attached to their phones so... it's a close call at this time.
[Roku 4 vs. Fire TV]
Roku's major advantage is of course its neutrality. Yes, they do carry ads and they do have 'paid' buttons on the remote but Roku's searches return content from many providers and provide information on what it costs to access that content. Amazon's interface is kind of pushy and cluttered, trying to steer everyone into Amazon's own content. Their claim that they can't search inside Netflix, for example, is interesting because, somehow, Roku can. Roku's optical audio port gives it an advantage if one needs to send audio to, let's say a sound bar (because the HDMI is already taken by the TV). Also, Roku's Hotel and Dorm Connect feature (not tested by me yet) makes it more portable because it allows you to use a Web browser interface to log into a hotel Wi-Fi where you need a laptop for the initial authentication.
Fire TV's advantages are lower price (which may be higher if you buy the game controller), better games support, Amazon's excellent customer support and the Alexa-based voice search which does more than just show you what's available.
[Roku 4 vs. Apple TV]
I will update this once I can get my hands on Apple's latest and greatest. All I can say at this time is that, like in the case of Amazon's Fire TV, it's great if you don't mind being steered toward Apple-approved content. And, of course, there's no Amazon Prime on Apple TV.
[Roku 4 vs. older Rokus]
This is an easy one. While the TV interface is more or less the same, Roku 4 adds 4K Ultra HD support. I can't use it at this time because we lack the bandwidth and the 4K TV but I see that, at the time I'm posting this review they are listing Amazon, Netflix, YouTube, VUDU and MGo as 4K providers and I'm sure the list will grow. Roku 4 also adds 802.11ac support which is almost a must if you are going to go Ultra HD, optical audio port, better phone apps integration and, of course, the nice remote finder feature.
SETTING UP AND USING ROKU 4
As I expected, initially setting up our new Roku was a matter of minutes. We already have a Roku account so all our channels appeared but we did have to re-authenticate on Netflix, Amazon Prime and register YouTube, Twitch and so forth. By the way, Roku does NOT have our credit card at this time. Whatever we gave them, long time ago, it expired and we pay our providers independently.
Once on, there was very much the same familiar interface the 4K Ultra HD listing as an added option in the channel store. Setting it up on the 5GHz band and connecting to an 802.11ac router does seem to make a difference. Everything is fast and smooth, probably slightly faster than what we got out of Roku 3. We absolutely love the remote finder feature. No, we didn't lose the remote yet but it was fun to test it so, at least one of our remotes is going to be easier to find. Was also able to cast some photos my phone, using the Android app, all quick and easy.
Absent a 4K capability in our house, Roku 4 is still great to have but I would not recommend an upgrade unless you have the TV and the bandwidth or you are someone who must have 'the latest and greatest' or it's the your first Roku. If shopping for your first, I would say definitely go Roku 4 because 4K TV is going to be a big thing fast because the 4K TVs get cheaper almost by the day and high bandwidth is becoming available in more areas so a Roku 4 is worth the extra dollars in my view.
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THE FAQ
I will try to keep this section as objective (factual) as possible. Some of the topics concern Roku in general, not specifically the Roku 4. Will also update it and correct it if needed.
Q: Why would I want a Roku?
A: Roku has thousands of 'channels', but do keep in mind that there are 'tens of thousands' of apps that currently support Chromecast. If you like exploring content beyond the popular services (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) you should consider a Roku or a Chromecast but you may want a Roku if you prefer a more stable, easy to navigate interface and you are an Amazon Prime subscriber.
Q: Why would I want a Roku 4?
A: Roku 4 has a faster processor, adds support for 4K Ultra HD, 802.11ac (faster bandwidth but you will need an 802.11ac router to take advantage of it), an optical audio output which is super important if you don't use a receiver, has the remote find feature, allows for easy setup while on the road, such as in hotels.
Q: When I shouldn't pick a Roku 4 over other Roku models?
A: Always if it's going to be your first streamer. If you already own a Roku 3 and do not have a 4K TV, you probably don't need one yet.
Q: Is the Roku 4 expandable?
A: Yes. There a MicroSD slot for additional game and channel storage memory
Q: Can I use a Roku 4 with a TV lacking an HDMI port?
A: Not out of the box. There are some HDMI-to-... interfaces but I haven't tested one with a Roku myself.
Q: Are HDMI or Ethernet cables included?
A: No, you will have to provide your own.
Q: What type of HDMI cable should I use?
A: A 'normal' HDMI 1.4 cable is good enough if your TV is not Ultra HD capable but you may want an HDMI 2.0 if it is.
Q: What is HDCP and does it matter to me?
A: According to Wikipedia, High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), is a form of digital copy protection [...] to prevent copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across connections. Ultra HD TVs require that certain content such as stream from Netflix or Amazon Video are played only through an HDMI port that is HDCP 2.2 compliant. Earlier Ultra HD TVs models had HDCP 2.0 ports but that standard has been surpassed by HDCP 2.2, available on newer models. If you are about to purchase a new Ultra HD TV, make sure that it is HDCP 2.2 compliant - be very careful if the TV is 'on sale' at a price that's too good to be true. You may also require an HDMI 2.0 cable (not HDMI 1.4) for best results. Also, be aware that not all streams require an HDCP 2.2 enabled port. Videos from YouTube, for example, and certain content acquired through TV's own services may be able to play through a regular port.
Q: What is HDR and does Roku 4 support it?
A: According to Wikipedia, HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging. It is not supported by Roku 4, at least at this time - Roku claims that there is no settled industry standard yet. A number of TV manufacturers (Samsung, LG) have announced HDR compatible TV models and HDR content is set to become available though several services. It is not clear if HDR support could be enable in the future through a firmware upgrade or a new streaming device (Roku 5?) will be required.
Q: What are the best screen resolution and audio supported?
A: 4K Ultra HD at 60 fps, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround.
Q: What media formats are supported for USB playback?
A: Video: MP4, MKV, HEVC MP3; Audio: AAC, Apple Lossless, WMA; photos: JPG, PNG
Q: Do I require a special setup to play Ultra HD content?
A: You can play YouTube Ultra HD content through a regular HDMI cable. However, some providers such as Netflix will work only if your TV has an HDCP 2.2 compatible HDMI port. Most 4K TVs do have such a port.
Q: How do I connect a Roku 4 to the Internet?
A: You can do it either via Wi-Fi or through the wired Ethernet port.
Q: What's in the box?
A: You get the remote (batteries included), earbuds, the AC wall adapter, the Get Started pamphlet.
Q: Do I need 'line of sight' to control the Roku?
A: No, it comes with an RF remote.
Q: Is there an on/off switch?
A: No, but the Roku can be set to turn itself off after 30 minutes of inactivity (that doesn't count actually watching something).
Q: What are the remote's other feature?
A: It has dedicated buttons for 4 services, earphone jack, speaker for the remote finder function, motion control for gaming and an IR receiver for compatibility with other universal remotes.
Q: Does this Roku have a fan? Is it loud?
A: There seems to be a small fan inside. On my unit, the noise was barely audible from anywhere farther than 1-2 ft. but some user are complaining of 'loud' fan noise.
Q: Can I play games on the Roku 3?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I cast off a PC?
A: Yes through a supported service such as Plex (I know there are others but Plex is the only one I've tried so far). Can also cast YouTube off a Chrome browser.
Q: Will I be able to cast personal content?
A: Yes, directly from a phone, through the USB port, off a DLNA server.
Q: Is screen mirroring supported?
A: Yes, for Windows and Android devices.
Q: Are all Roku channels free?
A: Many of them are but Roku also carries 'premium' channels (Netflix, ShowTime, HBO, Amazon Prime) for which you will require a separate subscription.
Q: What are private channels.
A: These are channels that, for whatever reason, are not listed by Roku's official channel store. You can easily make them 'appear' on your TV by picking them from one of the sites that lists such channels. See the first comment to this review for the URLs of such sites.
Q: How much it costs to use a Roku?
A: Once purchased, it could cost you nothing. Or you may subscribe to one or more premium services.
Q: Can I have more than one Roku tied to one account?
A: Yes.
Q: Will the new Roku 4 get the channels I set on my other Roku devices if I am using the same account?
A: Yes, we have several Rokus tied to one account.
Q: Can I search for a specific movie or show across all of Roku's channels?
A: Yes. You can also search for other related information such as movies featuring one specific actor. Only keep in mind that the not all services may show up in searches but all major or popular ones usually do.
Q: Can I watch YouTube on the Roku?
A: Yes. Even better, if your computer had a Chrome browser, you can even cast YouTube from it.
Q: Are there shortcuts to my favorite channels?
A: The remote has dedicated buttons to MGo, Amazon, rdio and sling.
Q: If I also have Chromecast, will I be able to control which device gets the Youtube stream?
A: Yes, tested on a Chromebook.
Q: Can I cast from a phone or tablet?
A: Yes. You can cast content directly to the Roku.
Q: Can I get live news channels on the Roku?
A: Yes. You may be able to find such channels at the store or as private channels listings but many US 'mainstream' news channels only offer a selection of recent on-demand videos (VOD) rather than streaming live.
Q: Are non-video streams supported?
A: Yes, radio stations and music streaming channels such as Pandora are supported.
