Community discussions

[Vgatkinson1]

I currently have roku streaming stick 4k. But not satisfied with it. Wanting to get a new one but wondering which has better quality and less issues. Do I get another stick or go for the roku that has a box with it u point remote to? Any advice 

[atc98092]

I don't think you'll notice any quality differences between your 4K Stick and a regular Roku player. 

However, there's multiple Roku Sticks that support 4K, so I'd have to know what model Stick you have. If it's an older one (such as the 3810), a newer Stick is much improved, as are the latest players (except the Express, which I never recommend). But if you already have a newer model (like the 3820/3821), there would be little to gain moving to a Express 4K+ or Ultra, unless you're looking for the ability to make an Ethernet connection or connect an external drive for playing media. 

[typicaltwenties]

I had a roku stick for the longest time until i got a new tv that wasn’t compatible with the stick version of the roku. I had gotten the roku with a box and have loved using it and we now have one as well in our living room and haven’t had any issues with either of them. 

[atc98092]

You make a valid point that not all TVs have an HDMI port in a good position for placing a Stick. Sometimes they jut straight out, which might be a problem for a wall mounted TV, and sometimes the ports are within a recessed place that simply doesn't allow a Stick to fit. While there are extender cables that can be used, it's simpler to use a regular Roku player with a standard HDMI cable.

[jontalk]

@Vgatkinson1Spec wise models like the Roku Ultra have more features, and in some cases, a faster processor and RAM as compared to the sticks. When looking through this forum, it appears there are far more issues with streaming stick users as well. Personally I prefer a wired connection via a Power Line Network, so having a device with an Ethernet port is crucial. I began with a fist generation player ages ago and the Ultra 4800 is BY FAR the best I've owned. My two cents 🙂

[Gizmu]

Roku Ultra. Wired is preferable. Look no further.

[Vgatkinson1]

Thank you all for replying and helping. Just curious what makes the wired in the ultra best? I have use wireless and wonder how the “wired” in ultra would be better?

[avensis]

Hi, I also want to know how the ultra is better

Mini Militia App Lock

[atc98092]

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@Vgatkinson1 wrote:

Thank you all for replying and helping. Just curious what makes the wired in the ultra best? I have use wireless and wonder how the “wired” in ultra would be better?

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A wired Ethernet connection is solid and reliable. There's no chance of anything interfering with the signal and decreasing the connection speed. However, the wired connection is the Fast Ethernet speed, which is rated at 100 Mbps (real world about 92). If all you stream is content from the Internet, that's more than sufficient. But if you are streaming media from a personal server on your network, it's possible to exceed that connection speed, which causes video to stop and buffer, which is not enjoyable at all. A ripped 1080p Blu Ray movie might have a steady bitrate of around 60 Mbps, but peaks can exceed 90. A ripped 4K movie might see around 80 Mbps, but peaks can exceed 150 Mbps easily, and that is unwatchable on a Fast Ethernet connection. Fortunately, my Ultra can connect wirelessly at about 230 Mbps, which is more than enough for even those videos. 

[atc98092]

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@avensis wrote:

Hi, I also want to know how the ultra is better

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Besides the wired Ethernet connection, the Ultra has a USB connector, which permits playing media (video, music or pictures) from a directly attached storage device. The Ultra also has 2 GB of operational memory (compared to 1GB for the Express 4K+) and a slightly faster processor, which makes the player more responsive. And it also seems to have a faster WiFi connection, at least compared to some of my older players. I have tested the Ultra 4800 with some fixed bitrate test videos, and it will play up to around 200 Mbps without a problem. It starts buffering with 250 Mbps video. This was tested via the USB connection, so no network bottlenecks to choke the playback.

As to WiFi speed, mine has connected at 230 Mbps to an 802.11ac access point that's about three feet away from the Ultra, so best possible conditions. Considering the Roku is mainly designed for Internet streaming at no more than 30 Mbps or so, the network connection speed (wired or wireless) is more than sufficient for that use. It's only when playing local media from your home network that the wired Ethernet connection might be too slow. But I use an Nvidia Shield for my local playback, which has wired Gigabit Ethernet, so there's no issue there.