Roku is the undisputed leader in streaming boxes but the company’s smallest box is quite intriguing.

 

Back in 2010, a little known company had come to my attention when they claimed that they could provide more content for me to enjoy on my humble little TV.  This little known company was Roku.  Today, Roku is the undisputed leader in streaming technology and it’s the humble little Roku Express that made me open my eyes to the company once again.  It’s this little $29 streaming device that’s barely bigger than my thumb and offers a ton of content.  But should you buy it?

The Roku Express isn’t for everyone.  It supports 1080p video, has no ethernet connection, and is geared for guest TV’s.  In spite of all that, this little box packs quite the punch. Inside the box is everything you need to get your favorite content on your TV.  Inside you’ll find a Roku remote, the device itself, double sided tape (more on that in a minute), a USB cable and charger, an HDMI cable, batteries, and documentation.  There really isn’t anything else to the Express.  You will need a wifi connection, but otherwise, the Express is stupidly simple.

To set up the Express, you simply need to unbox it, connect the device itself to an open HDMI connection, plug it in to a USB port on the back of your TV or the USB adaptor if you need it, and follow the onscreen instructions.  You might need to do a quick OS update, otherwise, the device is pretty much ready to go.  Just install the “channels” on the device that you want and you’re off to the races.

Now the key to the Express is its size.  The Express is designed to be affixed to either a TV or to furniture.  And this is where the double-sided tape comes in.  I’m a bit too chicken to permanently affix this to anything, but the idea is to keep the Express in-place to prevent it from moving.  Fortunately, if you have a sound bar or anything else heavy, you can rest the cables underneath it to keep the Express from moving. You do need to make sure that the Infrared (IR) side is visible, otherwise, set up is a breeze.

Now the Express isn’t anything too special.  If you have that state-of-the-art 4K UHD TV with HDR, you’re better off buying the Roku Ultra.  The Express does have some lag when moving about the menu or opening channels but it pales in comparison older Roku models.  In fact, this latest model is noted for being 5 times faster than the previous model (according to Roku).  And while I haven’t compared this to previous iterations, this Roku is peppy.  Software loads quickly, video quality is decent, and performance is good.  If you’re looking for a premium experience, this is where shelling out the extra money for the Ultra might come in handy.  The only major hiccup I had with this was during some live TV on DirecTV Now in which the device had some connectivity issues.  There was some dither every now and then but it wasn’t terrible. The experience is quite watchable.  If you are planning to use the Express for your primary TV viewing, you may want to get a wireless router with QOS features.  Even as I write this, however, the hockey finals look amazing on my 50-inch 2016 Vizio P series. Honestly, unless you’re looking for a home theater experience, this will definitely make you happy.

As for personal recommendations, if you are looking to cut the cord or maybe you just want Netflix on your secondary TV’s, you won’t go wrong with the Express.  So far, I’ve used this device to stream TV from DirecTV Now, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon and I’m impressed by its performance.  I also have these apps installed on my Apple TV 4K and noticed overall better performance with DirecTV Now on the Roku.  With that being said, I would still suggest the Ultra for cord-cutting in general.  Ethernet is still a must when it comes to non-buffering streaming video, such as DirecTV Now. Overall, the performance is more than tolerable.

The Express should not be overlooked.  It’s a great device with a lot of bang for the buck.  The portability factor is a must as well for those who travel.  And for $29, you’d be stupid not to buy this for all your secondary TV’s.  And while it can serve as a primary Roku, I would still suggest something bigger or better if you’re going to make this a cord-cutting box, especially something with Ethernet.  But if you’re looking to get great content on your TV at a bargain price, don’t overlook the Express.