Roku Vs Roku Stick – How Do the Media Streamers Compare

Roku Vs Roku Stick- How Do the Media Streamers Compare

Roku has played a major part in bridging the gap between smart TVs and the Analog TVs, most of the media streaming devices in the market have been configured to integrate with specific television sets but none of them is as versatile as Roku.

When the analog tv owners were left in the cold with the introduction of smart TVs, Roku swung into action and introduced the media streamer that could stream content from the internet and into the Analog television sets. And apart from the above most of the Roku media streaming devices offer a wide selection of channels complete with a user-intuitive interface.

So, which of the Roku devices is worth your time and money, well apart from offering high performance, we know you want a unit that will not eat into your bank balance and that is why among the many Roku devices both old and new, we narrowed down to two “Roku and the Roku stick,” join us, as we find out how the two media streamers compare.

What are the differences between Roku and the Roku Stick?

Roku vs. Roku Stick – How do they compare?

Build and Design

The build and design of a media streaming device refer to how easy it is to incorporate it behind your smart TV, whether attached to the wall or when on top of the cabinet; the unit’s aesthetics are also a matter of concern especially when it comes to the marketing point. Some people may argue about the latter but in real sense apart from an electronic device being highly functional, if it has an attractive design then it tends to capture the interest of a potential client from afar.

So between the Roku Express and the Roku streaming stick, the former does feature quite the aesthetics, given the oval like shape while the latter can be mistaken for a USB flash drive. The incorporation of the ports on the two units is also convenient however,  for the Roku express placement could be a challenge, more especially if the tv has been hung on the wall. Therefore, if we are, to look at the convenience of placement the Roku stick does have the best build and design. 

Storage space

Roku we must say doesn’t perform very well as regards storage space in its devices, and the long and short of it is that lack of enough storage space will affect streaming, where you will experience a lot of delays as regards load speed. The above is the reason why some of the streaming devices come incorporated with a micro SD slot which expands the internal memory thus provide extra space for channels and the installation of applications.

Important to note is that service providers have increased the sizes of their applications, so if your device doesn’t have adequate memory then rest assured that there will be some strain especially if you have stored a lot of content in your device. Our best option as regards storage, therefore, is the Roku Stick as it has incorporated up to 1GB RAM, while Roku express has only 512mb.

Throughput speeds

Throughput is the rate at which information is transmitted over a communication or networking channel, now for home use the best networking internet speed has been established to be 25mbps or above. The speeds provided above are believed to enable user’s game online, stream music and engage the high definition content, not to forget browsing.

However, if a device offers up to 3-6mbps upload speeds for live streaming then that should also work. So if we can translate this information to our Roku media streamers we find that each of these devices is a high performer in its own right, but the Roku express is the best as it offers faster throughput speeds at least when compared to the Roku stick.

Roku vs Roku Stick – A comparison Overview

Roku

Roku Express HD Streaming Media Player with High Speed HDMI Cable and Simple Remote

• Watch what you love: Start streaming with a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV, including...
• Quick and easy setup: It’s easy to get started with everything you need included in the box, including...

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The Roku Express package comes incorporated with a well distinguished remote control so you don’t have to keep guessing which button does what, and besides using your phone as a remote can be interesting but we are darn sure that this is not something that you will want to do frequently. Additionally, there is always the Roku voice options which will help you pull out content stored deep inside your cache for streaming.

If you are, therefore, looking for a budget-friendly streaming device then the Roku express should suffice, the unit does not have any monthly equipment fees attached to it and you will still get access to many channels covering different categories from movies to sports and the news channels. Set up and use is additionally easy and all you have to do is just plug the device to your Tv and connect the internet and you are good to stream.

Pros

• Offers value for the money
• The unit offers seamless streaming
• Incorporated a wide variety of channels and applications
• Super intuitive user interface

Cons

• Accessing the Netflix application is hard
• Users must have a Roku account to use the unit

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Roku Stick

Roku Streaming Stick (3600R) - HD Streaming Player with Quad-Core Processor

• Powerful quad core processor & best wireless performance
• Brilliant 4k, HDR, and HD streaming

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As we had earlier established the Roku stick is quite practical as regards placement, and apart from that, the device has incorporated a powerful quad-core processor, to which users are guaranteed of high performance. Roku stick has additionally incorporated over half a million movies and TV episodes with an additional 75,000+ free entertainment programs. So with the many free streaming options, there are  some additional paid content and that is why you have to give up your credit card details once you sign up for an account.

And the cherry on top is that once you decide to settle with the Roku stick you will be furnished with interesting channels all of which will be provided to your for free but only for the first month, and if you are satisfied with the service, which you will be, you can opt to pay for the channels that interest you while also engaging the free ones.

Pros

• Users get one month free upon purchase
• The unit is user friendly
• Comes with an easy to use remote control
• Comes with a free mobile application

Cons

• The remote control is not fully functional
• Not convenient for the long term

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Conclusion

There are many Roku devices all of which cater to different groups of users, so if you are looking for a budget-friendly but highly functional media streaming device then choose one of the Roku devices that has incorporated all the features that you want such as a powerful processor and a large RAM.

Final Verdict – so which is better? Roku or Roku Stick

The Roku stick is the better unit simply because it is equipped with a large RAM and a powerful quad-core processor, which then translates to flawless and fast streaming.

FAQ’S

1. What Accessories come with the Roku Express?

Upon opening the new Roku Express box you will get a remote and an HDMI cable.

2. Which Roku streaming stick is the best to use?

The Roku streaming stick plus is the best because it works with both the 4k HDR and HD televisions.