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sak715
Reel Rookie

Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

Please help with any suggestions.  I need the following connection to hook up my streaming stick +:  a HDMI female on one end of a cable/adaptor and a female connection on the other end of the cable/adaptor which will work for the USB A or C (I think that's what there called) contained in the Roku box.  Have researched this but am confused.  

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9 REPLIES 9
makaiguy
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

The Streaming Stick+ has to make two connections:

 

roku_connectors.jpg

 

POWER

For power, it has a special USB cable that has the stick's "Long-Range Wireless Receiver" embedded in it. You must use this, not a plain USB cable, or the stick will have no connection to wifi or the internet.

 

aa.jpgIt has a USB mini (not the more common micro) plug at one end to connect with the USB mini jack on the stick, and a standard USB-A plug at the other end to connect to a USB port on the power adapter or a USB port on the tv.  This is fairly short, so an additional USB extension cable is included with a standard USB-A socket at one end and a USB-A plug at the end in case you need a longer reach to get to where you need to plug it in.

Note:  The USB ports on many televisions only supply 0.5 amp, which is not enough to power a Roku reliably.  It is recommended that you power your Roku device via the power adapter that came with it, plugged into your house power.

AUDIO/VISUAL

The audio/visual connection to the tv is made via the HDMI connection.  The Stick has an HDMI plug protruding from its end.  If your tv configuration allows, you can plug this directly into an available HDMI port on the tv. 

In the event your TV is not physically configured to allow this, Roku has a free short flexible HDMI extension you can use to connect the stick to the TV.  This is also recommended in cases where signal leakage from the TV interferes with wifi reception by a Roku stick that close to the TV.  You can request one here: https://my.roku.com/hdmi. (This is for owners of Roku "Stick" models only, verified by the serial number of your unit.)

There's nothing special about the Roku HDMU extension, it's just a short (4 inches or so) HDMI extension cord with an HDMI plug at one end and an HDMI socket at the other.  You may be able to find an HDMI extension locally and not have to wait for someone to ship it to you.

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I am not a Roku employee, only a user like you.  Please, no support questions via private message -- post them publicly to the Community where others may benefit as well.
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Streaming Stick 4K+ 3821 | Streaming Stick+ 3810 | TCL Roku TV 43S245/C107X
sk715
Reel Rookie

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

I truly appreciate you taking the time to help me but I don't think my issue has been solved.  To explain, my TV is mounted in such a way that I don't have easy access to the back.  There is a male HDMI attached to a 10' cable in one of the slots on the TV backside.  This 10' cable runs through a wall with the other male HDMI end coming through the back of a cabinet.  I had a Comcast box in the cabinet, until I terminated the service, where the HDMI cable easily connected.  I bought a Roku Streambar which has a slot for the HDMI cable and thought all was solved.  However, the sound from the cabinet was awful.  So I then bought the streaming stick + based on positive reviews.  However, I don't know how to connect the stick into a power source in the cabinet using this HDMI cable since there is no HDMI slot with the stick and cables contained in the Roku package.  Roku sent me the extension but that does nothing for me.  Roku customer service actually advised me to return the stick to the store and buy something else.  They even said if somehow I was able to make a connection the sound and picture quality might not be good.  I would like to keep this stick and am hoping there is a connection solution and that if it worked for Comcast with good sound and picture it will work with Roku.

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renojim
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

For the HDMI connection you need something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hdmi+female+to+female

The USB power connection is a totally different issue.  Just plug the supplied power adapter into wherever the cable box plugged in and use the USB cable that came with the stick.

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makaiguy
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +


@sk715 wrote:

However, I don't know how to connect the stick into a power source in the cabinet using this HDMI cable since there is no HDMI slot with the stick and cables contained in the Roku package. 


Today's Roku stick products can NOT draw power via their HTML connection.  They can only get power via the USB connection as was explained previously.  Just run the USB power cord to a power source in or nearby your cabinet.

The very first Roku Stick from 2011 used a MHL (Mobile High-definition Link) connection that did carry power as well as audio and video for use on display devices also equipped with MHL ports.  The tv MHL port physically resembles a standard HDMI port but pin assignments in the port are different. There were a few televisions and projectors produced with MHL ports but the concept never really caught on and faded away after only a year or three.  Roku's next Stick release only two years later, and every Roku model since then, has used a standard audio/video HDMI connection that does not carry power.  If you have an old tv with a MHL port, perhaps that's the cause of your confusion.

As @renojim indicated, to connect your Stick to that HDMI cable from the TV, you just need a female to female HDMI connector.

Roku Community Streaming Expert
I am not a Roku employee, only a user like you.  Please, no support questions via private message -- post them publicly to the Community where others may benefit as well.
If this post solves your problem please help others find this answer by clicking "Accept as Solution.".

Streaming Stick 4K+ 3821 | Streaming Stick+ 3810 | TCL Roku TV 43S245/C107X
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makaiguy
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

From your other thread I see you're still confused.  Here's a hookup diagram:

a.jpg

Roku Community Streaming Expert
I am not a Roku employee, only a user like you.  Please, no support questions via private message -- post them publicly to the Community where others may benefit as well.
If this post solves your problem please help others find this answer by clicking "Accept as Solution.".

Streaming Stick 4K+ 3821 | Streaming Stick+ 3810 | TCL Roku TV 43S245/C107X
sk715
Reel Rookie

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

 
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itil
Newbie

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

My problem is that the Roku streaming stick has a small hdmi and my tv has a large hdmi port. What do I do?

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Strega
Roku Guru

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +

Can you post a picture? And/or the brand and model of TV?

Rokus use standard (full-size) HDMI ports.  I think you are looking at some other connector.

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Boz
Roku Guru

Re: Connecting Roku Streaming Stick +


@itil wrote:

My problem is that the Roku streaming stick has a small hdmi and my tv has a large hdmi port. What do I do?


That's not possible.  The Roku Streaming Stick + does NOT have "a small hdmi".

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