Roku Express 4K review: A cheaper route to Ultra HD streaming
(Pocket-lint) - Roku regularly tweaks its streaming devices, with the Roku Express 4K being the latest addition to the existing portfolio.
The name is familiar as this model is close in function to its namesake - the Roku Express - and in competition with the current Roku Premiere.
Confused? Luckily we've got you covered. So does Express 4K make the best sense?
design and furnishing
- Dimensions: 86.3 x 39.3 x 20.8mm / Weight: 44.6g
- HDMI connection to TV
- Powered by Micro USB
Visually, the Roku Express 4K is identical to the Roku Express. It's the same compact black device with a curved top, ports on the back, and a glossy front panel that houses the IR receiver.
On the back is the HDMI port, which you use with the (short) cable that comes with it to connect it to your TV, while there's a micro-USB power cable that you need to plug into the wall to get the power on deliver. A small piece of double-sided tape is included so you can stick the Express 4K to a surface like the bottom of your TV if that helps with cleanup.
Setup is as simple as connecting those cables, inserting the included batteries into the included remote control, and following the on-screen instructions. To get started, you'll be prompted to sign into your Roku account, log into your Wi-Fi network, after which the Roku Express 4K will update itself and be ready to go.
During this process, you'll be asked to customize the apps that appear on your device, so you only have to look at the ones you actually want to use.
Once that's all done, you need to sign up for these subscription streaming services like Amazon Video or Disney+, each of which has a completely different process.
It's worth noting that the Wi-Fi antenna is in the box itself, rather than on the cable like the Streaming Stick+. This is upgraded dual-band WiFi, so an improvement over the older Roku Express and Roku Premiere.
For those still struggling, it also supports third-party Micro-USB Ethernet dongles, meaning you can switch to a wired connection instead, which is great if you're streaming in your concrete basement where the wireless connection is bad is. However, we have not tested these adapters, so we cannot comment on their reliability.
Applications and Services
- Works with Alexa, Google Assistant
- AirPlay 2, Google Cast
- Roku OS & Roku App
The best thing about Roku is that it supports pretty much everything. For those in the UK, it supports all domestic catch-up services, all paid streaming services, and also supports other connectivity services like Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast.
Starting with the streaming services, the coverage offered by Roku means the service is slightly better than devices like Chromecast with Google TV - because it doesn't have those pesky omissions (like Now or All4) - so accessing content is one of those great benefits of Roku.
You still get YouTube, but you also have access to Apple TV+, for example, so you have a very complete program selection. Few others offer such a complete suite of apps, with most platforms usually having an exception here or there.
Support for additional connection protocols - Google Cast, AirPlay 2 - means the Express 4K offers an additional way to bring content to your TV. You can cast Chrome browser tabs or send videos from your iPhone to your Roku to watch on your TV without having to shell out for an expensive Apple TV 4K. It just means you have more choices on top of all those streaming channels.
While that's the big plus, the downside to Roku is that Roku OS - the platform they all run on - doesn't really do anything else for you. It's pretty much a linear experience, offering app icons to click through and play the content you want, rather than the curation you'll find on something like Chromecast with Google TV.
One useful feature is universal search, which you can access via the remote, which returns choices of where to watch, making it easy to find content on your subscribed channels, or where to rent or buy it.
The included remote isn't Roku's most advanced - that's saved for higher-ranked streamers in the lineup - so there's no voice search, which is an inherent benefit of Amazon's Fire TV Stick models, but you can do voice search via smartphone use app .
The remote needs line of sight to work - and that's a fairly narrow infrared (IR) field, so you need to see the front of the device for it to respond. The remote control has a selection of shortcut buttons that take you directly to a number of important services.
Otherwise it's a fairly basic remote control, not that a streamer needs much more than that - but again, the Roku smartphone app offers an alternative that sidesteps the direct line of sight issue while still offering advanced options like private listening so you can hear the sound through headphones instead of through the TV speakers.
You can also connect to smart speakers - to use Alexa or Google Assistant - so you can ask your Amazon Echo to open Netflix on your Roku, for example, as another avenue of access. At least that's the theory: In our test with Alexa, it didn't work at all.
quality and performance
- 4K HDR support
- HDR10+ support
- Dolby Atmos
The Roku Express 4K extends what the Express has to offer by adding support for 4K content - allowing you to stream in Ultra HD from services that offer it - from BBC iPlayer to Netflix.
That resolution results in beautiful, crisp images on larger displays, while improved support for HDR10+ makes this a more capable high dynamic range streamer - although there's no Dolby Vision support here. The positioning of this streamer is worth keeping an eye on - for it pushes affordability rather than promising to be the best streamer on the market for those cinephiles looking for the extreme.
Dolby encoded audio is supported, including Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound passthrough, as long as you have something to decode, e.g. B. an AV receiver or some of the newer televisions.
Performance is also generally good and stable. The interface moves quickly and apps open quickly enough that you never feel like you're waiting for something to happen.
Ultimately, performance will be determined in part by your internet connection and the strength of your Wi-Fi signal, as you will see buffering or lower bitrates (hence lower resolution) as a result. We didn't find any issues with this in our testing - again, there's wired Ethernet support via a third-party adapter should you need it.
Graphics quality is good, with a nice crisp dose of high-quality streaming from all of these channels, but we found some oddities with BBC iPlayer: Colors were richer when streaming UHD than some other streaming devices and the Roku us something other than simple PCM audio from BBC iPlayer.
These things sometimes fluctuate as platforms and content providers collaborate on their offerings and often resolve themselves over time. It's not a deal-breaker for us anyway, and unless you're using an AV receiver and plugging straight into your TV, you'll likely never know.
How does the Roku Express 4K compare?
The Roku Express 4K sits above the Roku Express. The regular Express is Roku's entry-level device and only offers Full HD quality (1080p), so the resolution is a notch below.
The Roku premiere was a step up - but now the Roku Express 4K offers HDR10+ support for better handling of high dynamic range content, as well as better Wi-Fi and a more powerful processor, putting it a step above the current Premiere - suggesting the regular Premiere will be upgraded soon.
Exactly which model you should buy depends on various factors, the most important of which is the TV you connect it to, the screen resolution and the HDR support it offers. Here's a full breakdown explaining how the different Roku devices compare.
The Roku Express 4K is an ideal streamer for anyone looking to make a TV smart, especially if you have a 4K HDR TV that doesn't yet have all the services you want, or if you'd rather move to a single platform for everything .
There are some inherent advantages that Roku offers: not only does it have a full set of services, but it also offers AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, while we find the performance to be really good too.
With that in mind, unless you have specific requirements for top quality - Dolby Vision support, for example - the Roku Express 4K is likely to have everything you're looking for in an affordable and highly competitive package.
Also consider
Chromecast with Google TV
A definite step forward for Google to offer a Chromecast with a remote control and a suitable user interface. Not only is it a lot easier to use than older Chromecast devices, but it's also enjoyable to use while still being very powerful.
Amazon FireTV Stick 4K
Amazon's streamers offer a range of choices, but to get access to 4K you'll need to go for this model - and it's more expensive than the Roku. It does, however, offer wider format support with Dolby Vision, so it's more complete in that regard.
Writing by Chris Hall.
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