How to Pick the Right Roku for Your TV

The Roku Express is for people with a standard HDTV (not 4K Ultra HD) or if you just want to spend as little as possible. It has the same Roku menus and channels as the other boxes, but it lacks extras like voice search and the ability to control your TV's volume from the remote. The remote control uses infrared (IR) to communicate (instead of another wireless standard), so it must be in the visual sight of the Roku box to work.

If you bought your TV in the past couple of years and it cost more than $300, there’s a good chance it’s 4K (Ultra HD) and has HDR (high dynamic range). That just means it has four times more pixels on its screen than a standard HD television. HDR means that scenes like sunsets look brighter, while shadows are darker—in other words, you get better, more realistic contrast.

The Roku Express 4K is a step up from the HD model above. It allows you to play high-resolution 4K content in HDR10 (if your TV supports it). This particular bundle is an Amazon exclusive and comes with the first-edition Voice Remote Pro, so you can control your TV with your voice without clicking a button. You can use headphones here too, but it doesn't come with a pair like the Ultra does.

There is another Roku Express 4K+ with all the same features except for the hands-free remote (which means it also loses the headphone jack) for $10 less.

If you’re looking to upgrade the streaming capability and audio quality of your TV in one fell swoop, Roku's Streambars are great all-in-one solutions.

Streambar SE for $100: This is the newest, smallest, and cheapest of the three options, but we haven't tested it yet. It's just 10 inches long, with two 1.9-inch drivers.

Streambar for $130: At 14 inches long, it's a bit bigger than the SE but still ideal for smaller rooms and TVs—or if you simply want something better than your TV's speakers. It has four front-facing 1.9-inch drivers. The Dolby audio on this little device upped the volume from my TV and made conversations clearer. There's also Night Listening mode, quieting explosive sounds so you won't wake up the whole house. The remote includes volume and power buttons plus voice control.

Streambar Pro for $175: The 32-inch soundbar is better for larger living rooms or TVs. It's equipped with four 2.5-inch full-range drivers, delivering bigger, bolder sounds for movies and music. This one also has a remote with two programmable buttons and a headphone jack for private listening.

We typically don't love smart TV interfaces, which is why we recommend streaming devices at all. But, Roku's TV uses the interface we know and love, which makes it an easy, one-stop shop.

We've long been fans of the TCL TVs with Roku built in, but now the streaming brand is making its own TVs in-house, and we like the Plus Series. The quantum dot-enabled (QLED) panel and full array local dimming give it excellent colors and solid blacks. TLDR: You can easily find something to watch thanks to Roku's simple interface, and it'll look good too. It also works with HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Serious gamers may prefer a TV with a higher refresher rate, but at 60 frames per second, the Plus Series is fine for most consoles. WIRED senior editor Parker Hall noted that this TV's legs are particularly wide. Depending on where you're putting it, you might need to mount it or try an aftermarket pedestal mount. There are new plus models coming for 2024, and we will update this guide as we test them.

★ Note About New Models: Our TV writers are currently testing Roku's new Pro TV. One noticed some blooming, which means backlight bleeds through to a darker image, but overall they're impressed. We'll update this guide with more thoughts when we're done.

If you already own a Roku streaming device, it's likely still kicking without issue. But you might consider upgrading the remote to the second-edition Voice Remote Pro. It has backlit buttons and a longer battery life, coming in at about three months before it needs a charge (via USB-C). There's one programmable button and a button to get directly to Roku's live TV guide. Plus it has the hands-free function of the first edition Pros, allowing you to give Roku commands or ask where the remote is without having to push a mic button.

It's compatible with most of the streaming devices, but you have to sign in to your account and check your devices specifically. The Express 4K Pro, Ultra, and Plus series TVs come with the first Voice Remote Pro. The Pro Series TV comes with this second edition version.

Even the best smart TVs benefit from a separate streaming device to accommodate all the apps you want in an easy-to-navigate interface. Roku is not the sleekest, but it's reliable and the easiest to set up and use. It includes Peacock and Max, which it was previously lacking, so it now connects to all the major streaming services. Because so many people use Roku, it typically gets quick app updates.

My biggest gripe with Roku is that its search is not always accurate in pinpointing exactly which streaming services carry a particular title, especially whether it's free or not. If you have trouble using the built-in search, you can always use Google on your phone to find whether something is streaming somewhere you subscribe, but that's annoying.

There are other options that we break down more in our Best Streaming Devices guide.

• Google Chromecast with Google TV for $50 is the best runner-up to consider if you don't like Roku. Unlike previous Chromecast models, it has an actual remote. I found this interface to be the best, making it super simple to browse across all streaming services at once.
• Apple TV for $130 is expensive, so it's best if you already buy movies and shows from Apple's library or subscribe to Apple TV+. But it does provide a nice viewing experience.
• Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K for $55 and Stick 4K Max for $60 work well, but as you could probably guess, its menus are heavily geared toward Amazon Prime content.