Forum Discussion

Vgatkinson1's avatar
Vgatkinson1
Binge Watcher
2 years ago

[Product Discussion] Which roku has less issues…roku stick or roku box?

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 

18 Replies

  • 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's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert

      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.

    • HoneyJones's avatar
      HoneyJones
      Channel Surfer

      NEITHER!!!!

      Roku TVs & all Roku Devices are JUNK!!! I've owned them all......pure GARBAGE!  And that's b/c Roku's operating system is pure GARBAGE!!!!!!

      Do yourself a favor (eliminate frustration down the road) and purchase an AMAZON FIRE TV OR AMAZON FIRE STICK!! I Have Zero Problems Now!!

  • 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's avatar
      Gizmu
      Streaming Star

      Roku Ultra. Wired is preferable. Look no further.

      • Vgatkinson1's avatar
        Vgatkinson1
        Binge Watcher

        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?

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert

    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. 

    • HoneyJones's avatar
      HoneyJones
      Channel Surfer

      NEITHER!! 

      Roku TVs & all Roku Devices are JUNK!!! I've owned them all......pure GARBAGE!  And that's b/c Roku's operating system is pure GARBAGE!!!!!!

      Do yourself a favor (eliminate frustration down the road) and purchase an AMAZON FIRE TV OR AMAZON FIRE STICK!! I Have Zero Problems Now!!

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert

        Why bother posting here? Millions of users are completely satisfied with Roku devices, so it’s unlikely you will change anyone’s minds here. 

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert

        Kushadmin wrote:

        Simple answer: Stick


        Not a simple answer at all. The only Roku that had "issues" in recent history was the basic Express. It had a single band WiFi radio, less memory for channel storage and operating. Now that even the basic Express is running the Realtek chip, it's now compatible with the rest of the Roku players. Different Roku players serve different needs. If someone "needs" 4K support, then the Express is not the best choice. If someone travels often, either a Stick or the Express 4K+ is a good choice. For home use when a wired network connection is preferred, one can choose the Ultra, or the Express 4K+ can use a 3rd party USB Ethernet adapter. 

  • jakia3's avatar
    jakia3
    Channel Surfer

    I’ve found that the Roku Ultra (the box with the remote) tends to have fewer issues than the Roku Stick, especially when it comes to connectivity and performance. The Ultra also supports Ethernet for a more stable connection, and it’s generally faster. If you’re looking for better reliability and performance, the Roku Ultra might be a solid upgrade!

    • JWS9518's avatar
      JWS9518
      Roku Guru

      I think that kind of depends on your expectations of the device.  The newer Ultras definitely have the bells and whistles that some of the other devices do not, but any of the newer devices operate basically on the same OS.  So, the bugs/technical issues will be pretty similar across the board in terms of that.  Any devices as they age, such as the older ones, will start having issues, especially if the OS(s) are older and can't be updated or have been discontinued, so you may see complaints about the sticks or boxes, but they may also be old devices that are no longer compatible, especially since Roku gives their different models similar names that make it harder to differentiate what model someone means.  

    • atc98092's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert

      jakia3 wrote:

      The Ultra also supports Ethernet for a more stable connection, and it’s generally faster. 


      If you are implying the Ethernet connection is faster than WiFi, that is not accurate. In fact, the latest Ultra 4850 now supports 802.11ax, and I've tested its WiFi speed at around 270 Mbps, which is almost triple the speed of the wired connection. But even my older Ultra 4800 tested at 220 Mbps.

      The Ultra does have a bit faster processor, and has 2GB of operational memory compared to the latest model Stick (3821) which has 1 GB. I have both devices, and I can say that performance difference between the two simply doesn't amount to much in real world use. Both are highly capable players. I prefer the non-Stick versions solely to allow locating them somewhere they get better cooling. Since a Stick connects directly to the TV's HDMI in port, you have no alternatives for locating the device. Also, if one desires to use an IR remote then a non-Stick model is your only option, as no version of the Roku Stick has ever supported IR.