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About two in five American households subscribe to a video streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu, according to Nielsen. If you don't own a smart TV, then a streaming media player such as the new Roku 4 is a great way to get that content.
Priced at $130, the Roku 4 costs more than the Amazon Fire TV ($100) but less than the new Apple TV ($150 and up). The Roku 4 supports 4K streaming content, and it has a some new features that its predecessor, the $100 Roku 3 model, lacked. Roku boxes traditionally stand out for the wide assortment of content they offer, and the Roku 4 is no exception, with nearly 3,000 total channels.
Obviously, the main reason to pay the extra $30 for the Roku 4 is its 4K capability. You can debate the merits of 4K streamers, since nearly all current 4K TVs are also smart TVs with access to streaming services. But that may not be true for long—and buying a Roku 4 is an exercise in future-proofing. If you do want a 4K streaming box, the Roku is the one to get, with 4K streaming videos from Amazon, Netflix, M-Go, YouTube, Vudu, and Toon Goggles.
Here are more details on the unit and how it works.
The Roku 4 has the company's latest operating system, OS7. One upside to the OS is the expanded My Feed, which lets you follow movies and TV shows and receive notifications when they become available for streaming. And the Hotel and Dorm Connect feature lets connect where the Wi-Fi networks require login information.
Entertaining Options for Cord-Cutters?
Our Streaming Media Player Ratings will help you find the right model for your needs.
Device design
The Roku 4 is a flat black box that looks like someone sat on a Roku 3. It’s got glossy black sides and a matte black top with an embossed, shiny 4 in the center. A small button on top activates one of the Roku 4's distinctive features: a remote-control finder that emit a series of sounds from the built-in speaker.
The Roku 4's remote control is similar to the Roku 3's: There's a headphone jack for private listening (ditch the mediocre earphones that come with it), and the remote operates via Wi-Fi Direct, so line of sight with the player isn’t required. Sling has replaced the Hulu button on the Roku 3 remote, joining Netflix, Amazon, and Rdio.
As with other Roku boxes, most of the Roku 4 connections are on the back of the unit: an Ethernet jack, HDMI output, digital optical audio output, a microSD card slot, and the AC power cord power input. The exception is the side-mounted USB port. You can add storage to the player for apps and games with a microSD card.
Setting it up
Setup is a two-step process. First you connect it to your home network—using a Wired Ethernet connection or the box's 802.11ac MIMI Wi-Fi—and then you get a code from Roku.com to finish the process. Once registration is done, the Roku will auto-detect if you have a 4K UHD TV and choose the best possible picture quality. But you can also set the output resolution manually, helpful if you'll be using the Roku 4 with both 4K UHD and 1080p TVs.
About two in five American households subscribe to a video streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu, according to Nielsen. If you don't own a smart TV, then a streaming media player such as the new Roku 4 is a great way to get that content.
Priced at $130, the Roku 4 costs more than the Amazon Fire TV ($100) but less than the new Apple TV ($150 and up). The Roku 4 supports 4K streaming content, and it has a some new features that its predecessor, the $100 Roku 3 model, lacked. Roku boxes traditionally stand out for the wide assortment of content they offer, and the Roku 4 is no exception, with nearly 3,000 total channels.
Obviously, the main reason to pay the extra $30 for the Roku 4 is its 4K capability. You can debate the merits of 4K streamers, since nearly all current 4K TVs are also smart TVs with access to streaming services. But that may not be true for long—and buying a Roku 4 is an exercise in future-proofing. If you do want a 4K streaming box, the Roku is the one to get, with 4K streaming videos from Amazon, Netflix, M-Go, YouTube, Vudu, and Toon Goggles.
Here are more details on the unit and how it works.
The Roku 4 has the company's latest operating system, OS7. One upside to the OS is the expanded My Feed, which lets you follow movies and TV shows and receive notifications when they become available for streaming. And the Hotel and Dorm Connect feature lets connect where the Wi-Fi networks require login information.
Entertaining Options for Cord-Cutters?
Our Streaming Media Player Ratings will help you find the right model for your needs.
Device design
The Roku 4 is a flat black box that looks like someone sat on a Roku 3. It’s got glossy black sides and a matte black top with an embossed, shiny 4 in the center. A small button on top activates one of the Roku 4's distinctive features: a remote-control finder that emit a series of sounds from the built-in speaker.
The Roku 4's remote control is similar to the Roku 3's: There's a headphone jack for private listening (ditch the mediocre earphones that come with it), and the remote operates via Wi-Fi Direct, so line of sight with the player isn’t required. Sling has replaced the Hulu button on the Roku 3 remote, joining Netflix, Amazon, and Rdio.
As with other Roku boxes, most of the Roku 4 connections are on the back of the unit: an Ethernet jack, HDMI output, digital optical audio output, a microSD card slot, and the AC power cord power input. The exception is the side-mounted USB port. You can add storage to the player for apps and games with a microSD card.
Setting it up
Setup is a two-step process. First you connect it to your home network—using a Wired Ethernet connection or the box's 802.11ac MIMI Wi-Fi—and then you get a code from Roku.com to finish the process. Once registration is done, the Roku will auto-detect if you have a 4K UHD TV and choose the best possible picture quality. But you can also set the output resolution manually, helpful if you'll be using the Roku 4 with both 4K UHD and 1080p TVs.
