Roku Streaming Stick 4K Review

Powerful Streaming | Compact Design

Intro

Roku has been in the streaming business for several years and offers one of the most popular and robust streaming platforms currently available. Roku’s OS is available in a variety of streaming devices and is built into several TVs including TCL, Hisense and many more. And coming this spring, Roku will be launching its line of TVs which will of course have the Roku OS hardware built-in. The focus of the review will be the Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

Design & Features

The Roku Streaming Stick 4 K’s primary components consist of the Roku Streaming device and the remote control. Additional components include a USB power cable with a long-range Wi-Fi receiver and a power adaptor. Depending on the region and where sold, the remote control will have different quick-access buttons.

The remote’s voice control button allows for quick search and access to your favorite content. The remote also contains buttons to power on your TV, volume control and volume muting. The Roku Stick is extremely compact and measures only 3.7 inches in length, and while in use will be hidden behind your TV.

Features:

• More powerful than ever with super-fast startup
• Designed to hide behind your TV
• Compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 HDR formats
• Long-range Wi-Fi, now up to 2x faster
• Stream a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV content
• Voice remote with TV controls
• Quad-core processor
• Fast and easy setup
• Private listening mode on mobile devices: Use wireless or wired headphones with the Roku mobile app
• Works with Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, Google Home and Alexa

Setup

Setting up the Roku Streaming Stick 4K was quick and easy: Connect the USB power cable to the streaming player. Connect the player to a power source – Roku recommends using the supplied power adaptor and plugging it into a wall outlet. You can also plug the USB power cable into a USB port on the TV for an alternative power source.

Next, connect the streaming player to an HDMI port on the TV. Power on the TV and select the proper HDMI input. Next, using the remote, follow the on-screen guide to set up the streaming player which includes the Wi-Fi setup process. You are now ready to start streaming.

Performance

My first Roku device was the Roku Streaming Stick+ that I purchased in early 2019 which I enjoyed up until my purchase of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K in January 2023. What led to this purchase was the Dolby Vision processing capability of the Streaming Stick 4K which the Streaming Stick+ did not have.

Note: To watch Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR content, your TV must be compatible with the aforementioned HDR formats.

I must say from the start, the Streaming Stick 4K is a worthwhile upgrade from its predecessor, the Streaming Stick+. And for me personally, the upgrade to Dolby Vision was enough to make the switch. And for those who are familiar with the picture quality enhancements that Dolby Vision HDR brings when compared to non-HDR content, will certainly be impressed with the picture quality improvements that the Streaming Stick 4K delivers when compared to the same content viewed on the Streaming Stick+ which I experienced firsthand during my direct comparison evaluation.

I was also surprised to see that the Streaming Stick 4K had noticeably better overall picture quality than the Stream Stick+ when viewing non-Dobly Vision HDR content as well. What I noticed was better picture clarity, detail, and image sharpness.

Roku claims the Streaming Stick 4K has a new processor for faster performance such as app loading times. And when compared directly to the Streaming Stick+, I did witness apps loading noticeably faster.  Furthermore, the Streaming Stick 4K also boasts better Wi-Fi performance.

I’d also like to mention that the Roku Streaming Stick 4K has a feature called “HDR always on”. The device is shipped with this setting turned on. It can be found in the “Settings” menu under “Advanced system settings” > “Advanced display settings”. In the “on” position the Roku device will convert and process all non-DV content to output as Dolby Vision.

Note: The “HDR always on” feature is not a menu option if your TV is not Dolby Vision compatible.

During my evaluation, I did notice a subtle yet noticeable increase in picture quality in the form of picture brightness with “HDR always on” set to “on”. I also noticed a slight but noticeable increase in contrast, color rendering, picture clarity, and sharpness. However, in my opinion, watching native Dolby Vision content appears much better than the pseudo-Dolby Vision processing that the Streaming Stick 4K offers.

Roku Streaming Stick 4k vs. Android TV

I made a huge discovery simply by accident while using the streaming platforms on my TV and the streaming stick: Recently I was switching between one of my frequently used apps on both my Android TV OS on my Sony X950H and the Roku OS on the Streaming Stick+.

Note: This discovery was made on the older Roku Streaming Stick+ right before my purchase of the Streaming Stick 4K.

What I noticed was how much better the picture quality was when viewing the same apps on the Streaming Stick+ when compared to the Android OS on my Sony TV. I double-checked and confirmed all picture settings were the same for each input. I even switched between an Ethernet connection and Wi-Fi connection to my TV, it made no difference in the picture quality.

The picture quality from the Roku Stick delivered much better clarity and detail and greater image depth. Roku’s OS was also faster and more responsive than my TV’s Android OS. So ever since I made this discovery, I now do all of my streaming via the Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

I would like to know if anyone else has experienced these results while streaming content from their Roku Streaming devices when compared to the Android OS or other OS’. If so please leave a comment.

Overall, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K delivered excellent picture quality and solid functionality including fast app loading times with no OS hang-ups. All high-quality HD content including 1080p, 4K, and 4K HDR were very impressive on the Roku device, and as I mentioned earlier, has become my preferred way to watch streaming content.

Conclusion

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K offers excellent performance and a host of endless entertainment options. It’s ranked as one of the best streaming platforms currently available. With the addition of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ High Dynamic Range formats, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is an excellent all-around choice for viewing your favorite apps while enjoying the best possible picture quality.

HDTVs and More recommended.

Note: The Streaming Stick + is no longer available.

Check out HDTVs and More’ YouTube video review for the Roku Streaming Stick 4K here…

Image credit Roku