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Roku Streaming Stick Plus Review
Select models of the Roku Streaming Stick Plus come with a headphone jack to enable private listening. Read on to learn about other Roku Streaming Stick Plus features.
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus Pros | Roku Streaming Stick Plus Cons |
|---|---|
What is the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus resembles a long flash drive that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV and allows you to stream 4K, HD, and HDR10 video. Debuting in 2019, it is an excellent performer, meeting the needs of video aficionados' who may want 4K streaming and the portability of a stick-style device. It competes directly with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and the Chromecast Ultra and exceeds them in some ways.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus pricing
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus has an MSRP of $50 but can generally be found for under $40, depending on the retailer and any sales. Amazon offers it for $40, and Walmart sells it for $34.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus features
The first thing you'll notice about the Roku Plus is that it comes with a remote of its own. The remote can also control the power on/off and volume of your TV; this is a feature that places it a step ahead of competitors like the legacy Chromecast.
The second thing you're likely to notice is not as nice: the Streaming Stick Plus comes with a proprietary USB power cable. It contains the unit's external antenna as well, giving it a longer range, which makes for smoother streaming and less buffering. But if it breaks, this means that you can't dig into your supply of USB cables to replace it; you'll have to order a new one from Roku.
The Streaming Stick Plus can be powered by a USB port on the TV or the supplied USB wall-cube power supply. If you do choose to power it from the TV, the Streaming Stick Plus will shut off when you shut off the TV and will need to be restarted separately when the TV is turned back on.
It uses dual-band 802.11ac instead of the less-capable 802.11n, which means it can be further from the Wi-Fi router and delivers more data faster than the earlier models. The Streaming Stick Plus will default to 802.11n, if that's the best your router can do.
The streaming stick does not have an ethernet port, which isn't a problem given its Wi-Fi abilities. Still, this is something to consider for those who prefer a hardwired connection.
Fans of the iPhone environment will be pleased to hear that they can now share content from Apple devices through AirPlay.
The video streaming quality supports a digital stereo signal, DTS Digital Surround, and Dolby audio pass-through over HDMI. Because it doesn't support Dolby Vision, it renders HDR content as HDR10.
Voice control, via the remote, lets you change the volume or mute it entirely, and it's compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. You can do basic voice searches for your channels and streaming content.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus content
It will deliver all the popular streaming and live TV services: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTubeTV, Tubi, Pluto TV, Sling TV, Peacock, Paramount+, Discovery+, Philo, Vudu, Plex, AppleTV+, Showtime, Straz, Frndly TV, BritBox, Bravo, Funimation, Crackle, Locast, TLC Go, Redbox, HGTV Go, Viki, BET +, QVC & HSN, Telemundo, Google Play Movies and TV, Filmrise, Investigation Discovery, BYUtv, XUMO, Lifetime, Adult Swim, MTV, History, PureFlix, USA Network, TNT, Food Network Go, Tablo TV, Shudder, FX Now, AMC, TBS, SYFY, E!, Hallmark TV, A&E, VH1 and more.
One of the advantages the Roku Streaming Stick+ holds over competitors is access to The Roku Channel, a free source that supplies on-demand movies and TV to users with a Roku account. It contains a library of classic TV series from as far back as the 1950s (Leave It to Beaver!) as well as reality shows (18 seasons of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen and six seasons of his Kitchen Nightmares). You can also find plenty of movies, cooking shows, documentaries, live news, and more. As you watch content, the channel learns your preferences and prioritizes similar content, showing it to you first.
Roku also offers a library of apps unrelated to TV viewing, such as music, fitness (a Peloton channel is there), shopping, and gaming.
The Streaming Stick Plus does not offer any parental controls to keep the kids from seeing inappropriate programming, which could be a negative for concerned parents.
Setting up the Streaming Stick Plus
Setting up the Streaming Stick Plus is straightforward and easy to do, thanks to on-screen prompts.
Plug the stick into an HDMI port on your TV, attach the USB cable to the stick and to the TV or power supply, and then change the source on your TV. If you find your TV short on space, Roku will send you a free HDMI extension cable.
Next, pair the Roku remote with the stick, and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Select your network from the choices shown on-screen and type in the password with the remote and on-screen keyboard.
Pair the Roku remote with your TV, then set up the type of TV you have, what resolution it has, and the HDMI connection, all of which it will do on its own.
Activate the Streaming Stick Plus with your phone or a computer, and create a Roku account. You'll be given a code to enter into the Streaming Stick Plus.
Our Final Take
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a robust and user-friendly solution for those who want to start streaming 4K, HDR, and HDR10 video from multiple sources. Its remote is capable of controlling the TV and supports basic voice searches. And the streaming device is very reasonably priced, coming in under $40. But it doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR, and that could be a problem if you want to stream Disney+, Netflix, or Vudu, which offer content in Dolby Vision. So if you want something a bit more upgraded, check out the Roku Ultra. Otherwise the small form factor, low price, and ease of set-up and use may well make the Roku Streaming Stick Plus a top choice for high-quality media streaming.