Roku Streaming Stick remote inquiry

Hey there, mf66​ 

Thanks for checking out the Roku Streaming Stick! Just a heads-up, it comes with a voice remote to make things easier. If you want to see all the Roku options, here’s a link to browse.

Let us know if you’ve got any questions!

Roku Community Team

mf66​ , you don't have to use the voice feature, but you have to use a voice remote with Roku sticks.  And to be clear, a "stick" is a Roku device that plugs directly into the TV without the need for an HDMI cable.  The voice remotes work via RF (in this case, Wi-Fi Direct).  The "simple" remotes without TV controls and voice use IR and require a line of sight, but the signal can bounce off of walls and other objects, so sometimes you can get away with hiding a device behind something if there's some other path for the signal to reach the device.

One more note:  one of the most common issues we see here is from people trying to use the TV's USB port to power a Roku device.  Make sure your TV is up to the task.  An insufficient power source can cause all kinds of strange issues.