Here at The Test Pit we're big fans of Roku, the tiny TV box
that allows you to stream online media content from the likes of Netflix and
YouTube. So far we've reviewed three separate devices from Roku, finding them
all to be excellent little telly pals who aided our binge watching addictions.
Now we try another, and this time the box is significantly smaller. It's the
Roku Streaming Stick.
Although it's been out for a few months now, this is the
first chance we've had to test out the device that has been called the main
competitor to the Google Chromecast. The Roku Streaming Stick is essentially a
Roku media player that has been scaled down to fit inside a simple dongle which
plugs directly into your TV's HDMI slot and draws power from a USB. Essentially
this means there are fewer wires 'round the back of your telly, and the Roku's
presence is almost undetectable. But how does it fare when compared to it's
older brothers (and it's Google enemy)?
First things first, the Roku Streaming Stick is a tad more
expensive than a Chromecast, weighing in at around £50 in the UK, compared to
£30 for Google's device. That said, the Roku is a different animal, designed to
perform very different tasks. We found set up to be a breeze: simply take it
out of the box, plug it into a HDMI slot on the back of your telly (more on
that later) then connect the USB cable. Depending on the type of TV you have,
you'll either be able to plug it into the USB port on the TV itself (most have
a 'Service Only' port), or into the included power adaptor and into a wall
socket. Ours went straight into the TV thankfully, eliminating further wires
dangling down from the screen (it's wall-mounted... again, more on that later).
Batteries in the remote, the Roku will ask you to sign in to
your account. We already had one, but setting one up just requires you to use
your laptop or phone for a minute or two, then you're away. Several channels
are already loaded onto the stick, including Netflix, YouTude, the Sky Movie
Store, and others such as Now TV. To be honest we never bother much with
anything other than Netflix and YouTube, but there are hundreds of channels out
there, many of which offer free content.
So far, so expected, and everything worked just as it has
done in the past with the other players. We decided to test loading speeds and
fired up Netflix. Here we started to notice slight differences to the Roku we
had previously been using, the Roku 2. Netflix took a good thirty seconds to
load, compared with the 2's ten seconds. As we started to stream content we
also noticed the occasional lag in the show starting - never while the
programme was actually playing, mind - just when it began. We don't know if
this means the Streaming Stick's internals aren't as high spec as the Roku 2's (although
we suspect so) but there was a noticeable difference. Please do bear in mind
however, that this was only noticeable because we were looking to notice; an
everyday user probably wouldn't have noticed a thing.
Navigating the many menus of the various channels on the
Roku is achieved via the included remote. We've said it before, but the Roku remote
is a lovely thing; small enough to be held easily, yet chunky enough not to be
lost or easily damaged. We do love a remote that can do everything you need
with just a few buttons, and that's what Roku have designed. One thing to note
is that the Streaming Stick's remote does not feature a headphone jack, which
we so loved on the previous models.
Other than that, it was business as usual with the exciting
exception of casting. Just like a Chromecast, the Roku Streaming Stick lets you
cast media content directly from your phone. We found this most useful with
YouTube, as the Roku YouTube channel is a bit clunky and slow - unlike your
Android phone's app. Casts were quick and direct and we never suffered any lags
or pauses. There are also a tonne of Android apps out there that let you cast
photos, videos and music from your phone straight to the stick, as well media
servers that allow you to play content on your telly that is stored on your
home computer. Other than Netflix, we think this is main reason to buy this
little beauty.
Anyway, the wall-mounted thing. Depending on the make of
your TV, your HDMI ports will either be facing out the way (so your Streaming
Stick will be poking directly out of the back) or side-facing (so the stick
will poke out the side), like ours. Because of this the stick itself is
constantly visible poking out the side of the screen, a view further muddled by
the addition of the USB cable that attaches at the end. Had the USB port on the
stick been located somewhere else, it would look much neater for side-facing
HDMI TVs. Just a little niggle, but it is one that Chromecast solves by including
a short HDMI extending wire.
So apart from the slight delays on loading times, and the
fact that your almost invisible solution to media streaming might actually be visible,
we've really enjoyed the Roku Streaming Stick and look forward to taking the
tiny thing on trips. At last - some decent TV in hotel rooms, maybe?
£50
Visit www.roku.com/uk
