38 APRIL2020|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE386
THEROKUEXPRESSistheentry-level
optioninRoku’snewduoofstreamers,sitting
belowthe4KHDR-readyPremiere.Itcanonly
dishout1080pvideo,butalsomanagesDTS
surround,DolbyAudioandDolbyAtmos
support over HDMI; not bad for£25.
Theuse of single-band 802.11n Wi-Fi might
be aturn-off, when the older Roku Streaming
Stick+ (Shopper361) has always used
dual-band 802.11ac. Still, you’re getting the full
range of apps, including BBC iPlayer,Netflix,
NowTV, Amazon Prime Video,All 4, ITV Hub,
YouTube and Google PlayMovies &TV, not
to mention awiderange of additional
channels available on subscription or for
free.And, as with the more expensive Roku
devices, you can download Roku’s app for
easier text input, voice control and wireless
listening over headphones. 802.11ac would
be better for4K, butsince the Express is
aimed more at upgrading non-smart, Full HD
TVs, it’s not strictly agreat loss.
KEEP CLEAR
The device itself is acurvedmodule that
sits near or on your TV,and is attached via
the supplied adhesive pad. Unlike the
Streaming Stick+,italso needs line of sight
to the remotecontrol so it has to be placed
out front. This isn’t ahuge drawback, given
that it’s so small, but if you choose to stick
it on your TV then you can’t move it to
another set, and if you don’t it tends to get
twisted by thecables.
At the back, you’ll findaMicro USB input,
which supplies power from the USB port on
your TV or from amains adaptor if your TV
ROKU Express
★★★★★
£25•From http://www.amazon.co.uk
VERDICT
Therearefewbetterwaystomakeanold
1080p TV smart than the Roku Express,
especially at this price
MEDIASTREAMER
doesn’thaveone.It’sabitoddthatRoku
doesn’tsupppppppplyyyyanadapppptorwiththeExppppress
whenitdoesforthepricierPremiere.After
all,it’sachallengetofinda4KTVwithouta
USBport,whilealotofolderHDandFullHD
setscomewithoutone.
Hookitupandthesetupprocessfrom
there is pretty easy,covering Wi-Fi setup,a
fffewpreffferencesandddselllectttiiingyouriiiniiitttiiialll
bunch of apps. If you’ve used aRoku device
before,thenyour new streamer will even
import your app list from your Roku account,
though sadly not any usernames or
passwords unless you’ve purchased
subscriptions through Roku.
Inputting your details can take awhile with
the onscreen keyboard, but thankfully there
are other options. Youcan usethe Roku
mobile app on your phone or tablet, for
instance,and even belt out voice commands
to search forafilm or TV show.Ifyou have a
pair of headphones connected to your phone,
the app also allows you to listen with them
instead of the TV speakers –another big plus
if you have an older TV,which will probably
not have its own Bluetooth connectivity.
AND EVERYONE’S INVITED
The big benefit with Roku is that, being in
the hardware market, it’s not in competition
with any of the big streaming services.
Youget them all: Netflix, Amazon Prime,
Now TV and Google Play, allunited under
one interface with universal search.
That’s something even Amazon’s Fire TV
sticks can’t offer,and naturally youget all
the major UK catch-up services as well.
There areeeeevensomerelativelyweirdand
wonderfulbonuses,suchastheanime-
focusedserviceCrunchyRollandartcinema
purveyors Mubi. Running aPlexserver is
easy,too,aaaasthe app comes pre-installed.
Performmmmance,meanwhile,isasgoodas
you’regoinnnngtogetfromasolelyFullHD
system.WaaaatchingonaSamsung4KTV
(((wiiittthhhttthhheTTTTTVVVupscallliiing))),iiitttdddellliiiveredddshhharp
imagequality,vibrantcoloursandminimal
artefacting.Comparing1080pNetflixonthe
Rokuto1080pNetflixontheTV’sbuilt-inapp,
there’s virtually no difference.Onasmaller,
24in 1080p monitor,the videoquality is hard
to fault, and anything you might spot
generally comes down to the stream itself
rather than the playback device.
Finally,the Roku Express feels noticeably
nippier than the Streaming Stick+.Itdoes a
sterling job when attached to amini-projector,
has less delaywhen switching astream to an
HD bit rate, andthere’s less lagwhen
navigating the interface or starting up an app.
SMARTEN UP
If you’re looking foranall-round device to
add streaming services to an old TV,look
no further: the Roku Express might not have
the best design or even abundled power
supply,but the performance and range of
services you get forsuch alow price is
nothing short of excellent.
In fact, there’s only one reason not to buy
it: the Roku Premiere is only about £10 more
expensive and gives you the option to
upgrade to 4K, and it has apower supply in
the box. If you’re after astreamer foryour
main TV,thenthe extra cost is worth it. If
you’re buying forasecond set, however –
and preferably one with aUSB port –then
you can save afew quid with the cheaper
Roku. Youwon’t feel like you’re missing out.
StuartAndrews
RECOMMENDED
VIDEOOUTPUTSHDMI•NETWORKING802.11n Wi-Fi•
DIMENSIONS19x76x38mm•STREAMING FORMATSPlex,
Kodi•INTERNETSTREAMINGSERVICESNetflix, Amazon
PrimeVideo,Now TV,GooglePlayMoviesand TV,Google
Play Music, YouTube, BBCiPlayer•WARRANTYOneyear
RTB•DETAILSwww.roku.com•PART CODE3930EU
SPECIFICATIONS
CONNECTION PORTS
HDMI
The Roku Express mightnot have the bestdesign, but the
performanceand range of services youget forsuch alow
priceisnothing short of excellent
