December 12 2018 – A while back we cut the cable cord and detailed that experience and its huge savings here. We are still very pleased with our decision 5 years later and the savings are now over $3000. We have tried various streaming devices throughout the years and now we will look at the Roku Express stick.
You can pick up this little gadget for $35 Canadian and stuff someone’s stocking with high tech goodness. A good way to look at it is to see what Roku themselves claim to be the main selling points for the device. The info below is what is listed on Amazon (where it receives a 4.5 out of 5 user rating):
- The simple way to start streaming
- Low cost. No extra fees.
- Easy access to 100,000+ movies and TV episodes across 2,500+ paid or free channels
- Cast personal media to your TV with Roku mobile app
- Video Resolution: Up to 1080p HD; Outputs: 1 x HDMI
- Free app for iOS and Android devices
Keep in mind the price as you do get what you pay for – don’t expect all the high-end features of the much higher priced alternatives.
First things first, you connect the streaming device to your TV via HDMI and set your TV to that input. The second thing you need to do is connect to your home wi-fi (802.11n is what is used so if you have the faster AC standard you won’t get that benefit). Third you would want to install the Roku app on your mobile device to get even better functionality than the included remote (the remote has only dedicated buttons to Netflix, Deezer, CBS All Access and being Sports TV).
Now here’s the coolest thing – there are about 4000 channels (aka apps or streaming services) and best of all you can search among them. If you want to see “Batman” you will get the results for any installed app that has a show with Batman in it (remember that for some sources, you must pay to see the content, and some are free). Speaking of content, it is a bit of a minefield with so many options. You can just pay a monthly subscription and have a very good and simple user experience to the options like Netflix or Amazon Video. However, since you cut the cord it probably means you didn’t want recurring monthly fees. If that is the case and you do want free content, then check out channels like The Roku Channel, Pluto TV and Crackle.
Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 – Absolute must have at the current 35-dollar price and small enough to fit in a stocking!
