Then again, I didn’t spot any differences between Netflix HDR playback on my TV’s Netflix app compared to HDR playback via the Roku.īest TV 2023: Our favourite LED, QLED, OLED and QD-OLED televisionsĬontent upscaled from 1080p looks fine for the most part, although I noticed some of the nighttime set pieces in Godzilla: King of The Monsters looked a little bit noisy while I was viewing it through Now TV with Boost. Don’t forget, though, that performance can be as much related to the TV as to the stick. Overall motion handling is solid and colour vibrancy is impressive too. 4K HDR10 content on Netflix plays beautifully, bringing out the ethereal glow of the moon against the inky black, star-speckled backdrop of space in the intro to Our Planet and capturing every single wrinkle and bead of sweat in The Irishman. In HDR-enabled apps, the Roku performs fantastically well. Fortunately, this my only real gripe with Roku. My Samsung NU7120 40in television supports HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, so to watch Amazon Prime Video in HDR10+ I have to exit the Roku and launch my TV’s Prime Video app instead. The Roku Streaming Stick+ can play this video content in 4K (2160p) at 60Hz and supports HDR10 as well as the BBC’s Hybrid Log-Gamma format. Roku Channel isn’t a game-changer but, on the upside, it costs you nothing. How much? Well, he has his own category, called Ramsay-a-thon. There was also a glut of Gordon Ramsay content. When the service first launched, the most notable ‘featured’ film was Faster (2010) starring Dwayne Johnson. It’s got a bizarre mix of old blockbusters, sports docs, reality TV and public domain movies, served up through a simplistic menu of categories. Think of it as a free-to-watch version of Netflix, only with a lot less content. Roku’s sticks are, in fact, the only mainstream streaming devices that don’t miss out on any major streaming platform. Roku also has its own free streaming channel, rather unimaginatively called Roku Channel. You’re pretty well covered, whatever you’re subscribed to. Here’s a quick roundup of the key players, though: Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, UKTV Play, Plex, Mubi and Crunchyroll. There are 917 apps listed under the Film and TV category, so it’d be easier to list what the Streaming Stick+ doesn’t have. In the streaming stick arena, content is king and the Roku Streaming Stick+ takes the crown. READ NEXT: The best smart TV platforms Roku Streaming Stick+ review: Content and performance During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many of these ads have been replaced with reminders from the NHS to stay at home. It’s a continuous, colourful side scroll through a cartoonish cityscape that packs in references to popular franchises, classic films and cult TV shows, plus there’s the odd billboard showcasing fresh content available to watch on Roku. Roku’s default screensaver, called Movie Magic, is another nice touch. Additionally, saying the name of an installed app like BBC iPlayer or Netflix using voice search will launch it in about two seconds. The Roku Streaming Stick+ is now markedly cheaper than at the time of our first review, making some of its rivals – including a fellow Roku stick – seem practically redundant.Ĭlick through to that movie or show, and you’re presented with a list of services where you can watch it right now, ranked by order of cost. Voice search is the most noteworthy addition but other features have also been added, including support for HLG and Dolby Atmos. This unit is the second generation of the Streaming Stick+, and several improvements have been made on the original device we reviewed in 2017. READ NEXT: The best media streaming sticks Roku Streaming Stick+ review: What you need to know It’s not the only 4K HDR streamer out there, granted, but we think it’s head and shoulders above the rest. Enter the Roku Streaming Stick+, a 4K HDR-enabled media streamer with every service you can possibly think of, from Netflix and Disney Plus to the official app of NASA. Even so, a streaming stick can be worth buying, especially one that gives you access to apps or features your TV’s smart platform doesn’t have. Most new TVs come prepared with the popular streaming services you need to watch the latest content on-demand.
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