Features, settings & updates

[ChiTownGuy]

I recently purchased 3 new Stream Stick 4K's to replace the last 2 Fire TV Sticks and to add Roku to a TV that didn't have a streaming device.

In my home theater I replaced the Roku Express 4K+ with the Streaming Stick 4K.  The Express 4K+ was using an Amazon micro USB power and ethernet adapter for connect to wired internet.  I try to use wired ethernet where ever possible because it is more reliable than WiFi.  My entire house is wires for 1000BaseT twisted pair gigabit ethernet with three managed switches to keep extraneous traffic flow down to a minimum.

The new Roku Streaming Stick 4K (3820R2) in my home theater would not pair or talk to the remote at all when then micro usb ethernet and power adapter was plugged in.  I even tried paring it without the wired ethernet adapter and then connecting it after the pairing and that did no work.

Since some Roku's support wired ethernet the technology and drivers are there to support it on all devices.  Even the cheapest fire tv supports it.

In addition i find that the voice remote will not control my Onkyo Surround Sound receiver.  This is just a matter of having more IR remote control codes available in the remote control code database.  The Roku with remote will not even turn the receiver on or control the volume via CEC.

While hooking up three Roku Streaming Stick K's models I had trouble paring two of the remotes and I found that I MUST use the enclosed micro usb cable (which has about a 4 inch small rectangular box inline with the power cable).

I don't know what the Roku development team is doing but I am disappointed with this new product.  I feel that they are designing to the Minimum Viable Product rather than designing to how the user might want to use the product.

I realize that I am not the typical user, however, please don't assume how I will use the product and arbitrarily limit the features just because the majority of people don't use them.

I consider the new Roku Streaming Stick 4K an unpolished (not fully designed) product.

As for why the special power cable in needed, I don't know what hardware functionality is in that rectangular box but the other issues are all software and therefore do not affect the bottom line bill of materials cost of the unit.

To read more about why the state of current software is so bad, please see my linked in article at https://lnkd.in/d2i99Tdp

[Strega2]

Yes, you can see here that the Streaming sticks are not listed for being compatible with USB ethernet adapters. I'm not even sure how you would attempt to rig one up, since, as you (now?) know, the receiver needs to be connected for the streaming stick to work. (ie: the "bump" in the streaming stick cable is called the "advanced wireless receiver".)

Basically, the streaming sticks are quite a bit different than other Rokus. Also they have no IR receivers either so common universal remotes won't work. Not my favorite model, but some people like them.

Roku has long disclaimed controlling AVRs. Not sure what their reasoning on that is. I've never been all that excited with the side-mounted buttons anyway so I make sure they are programmed for nothing I own. Some people get the receivers controlled by IR to the TV and then CEC from TV to AVR - I think.

[AvsGunnar]

You can technically use the Streaming Stick 4k/4k+ (3820/3821) with an ethernet adapter to provide a wired connection. 

The original post was archived, but is available at  https://web.archive.org/web/20240221095247/https://community.roku.com/t5/Wi-Fi-connectivity/Using-St....

Basically, user would need to use the official Roku Mobile/Remote app rather than the Voice Remote since the Long-Range Wireless Receiver (LRWR) is removed from setup.

Another posting here from user @rokonymous indicated the restored ability to use the Voice Remote by adding an additional OTG and USB hub to the setup. (I don't have any Streaming 3820/3821 Stick models available to verify).

As indicated in the original posting, the wired ability may come in handy if the LRWR receiver becomes damaged in the future and at least provides connectivity until a replacement cable or device can be acquired.  Otherwise, probably easier to just use a Roku streaming player that supports it natively found in the Roku Support article https://support.roku.com/article/360058027813.