Roku Streaming Stick 4k 2021 Review
If you’ve used a Roku device before, you’ll easily be able to navigate the remote. It’s built from a black plastic, and it’s a little thinner than the Voice Remote Pro, which comes with the Streaming Stick 4K+. The device does away with the headphone jack and the microphone mute switch that you’ll get with the more expensive device, along with the two programmable buttons. Hailing originally from Montana, Ryan parlayed his time working as a musician and audio engineer into a career in digital media in 2013. Since then he's had extensive experience as a writer and editor, including everything from op-eds and features to reviews on TVs, audio gear, smart home devices, and more. If you want the absolute best streaming remote, though, you'll want the next step up.
Roku says there should be no difference in audio quality here, so it didn’t pay for the fees. Dolby Atmos movies sounded just as good from the Streaming Stick 4K on my system as they did from my Atmos-certified Apple TV 4K. Use the voice remote to ask for comedy or science fiction, for instance, and you'll land on a page full of movies and shows to check out.
The Streaming Stick 4K doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6 since Roku believes better Wi-Fi 5 performance would benefit more people who don’t want to replace their router . One thing I did appreciate is the memory management of the Streaming Stick 4K. I was able to jump between multiple apps without having to reload them from scratch. You probably don’t watch TV by jumping between apps all the time, but it does equate to faster browsing when you’re looking for something to watch between apps.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K works with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and a new processor. Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote. Easily search across thousands of channels with your voice and control your TV, streaming, and sound—all with the included Roku voice remote. As this Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus review has shown, it is not so much faster or more powerful than the previous model that it demands you upgrade immediately.
On top of all that, the remote lacks the TV controls for power and volume that have become standard features over the past year. There’s now a vast selection of content using the HDR format across popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Vudu (which is now Roku’s default rental store), and others. And the Streaming Stick 4K played it all back without any problems — not that I’d expect otherwise. During my time with the unit so far, I didn’t run into any overheating issues that the Streaming Stick Plus could occasionally be susceptible to.
There’s a lot of hand-holding during the initial setup of a Roku device, the bulk of which actually happens through a web browser and not the device itself. That’s all well and good, but before everything was done, there’s also a screen with info about over 20 free trials for streaming services. That’s where things started feeling a little spammy, but soon after, I was dropped into the same-as-ever app grid homescreen. When it does come time to log into streaming apps on the Roku, you can now use voice dictation to enter your email and password. Most every new TV has a 4K resolution and supports high dynamic range video playback, so your streaming box should, too. The more HDR formats a streaming device supports (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, roku streaming stick 4k 4k+ 2021 HLG), the more compatible and future-proof it is with newer HDR TVs.
HDR10 Plus is more of a factor if you have a Samsung TV and it’s still more limited in content selection. During my time with the device so far, I did not encounter any overheating issues that the Streaming Stick Plus could occasionally be prone to. Also keep in mind that Roku’s players now support Apple’s AirPlay 2, making it easy to play content on the device from an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
If you want an even cheaper option for your 4K TV, the Roku Premiere is worth a look — it costs $39.99 and does nearly everything the stick does. If you’ve used a Roku device before, you’ll know exactly how it looks and feels. The operating system is laid out as a grid, with different apps, or “Channels.” It’s not the prettiest interface out there, but it works well and gets you to your apps as quickly as possible. Even if you haven’t used Roku before, you should find it relatively easy to use. The Roku Streaming Stick has long been a great way to get smart streaming without breaking the bank. So much so, that even if your TV does have built-in smart features, getting a Roku device can allow you to integrate it with the rest of your smart home.