I'm Clearly Out of Touch - Roku Plus Series TV Review

[@andrewrobs]

I remember when a floatplane app for Roku was discussed on the WAN show and Linus and Luke immediately dismissed it saying "who even buys those?" I hope this video has changed Linus' opinion, as so many sub $500 TVs run on Roku OS

[@drabberfrog]

YES! 100% agree

[@CommodoreFan64]

Tons of the Roku boxes, and sticks are out there as well, that can be picked up for $30 - $50, and the support life is really good on them, as in my game room I have a my main Sceptre 4K 55in, and a 27in Panasonic CRT from the early 00's for my retro gaming, throwing on a 2nd football game, etc.. but I have a Roku 3900X from a few years back, as it's the last model to support RCA composite output, and it just got the latest Roku OS12 update a couple weeks ago. Stuff like this is why ROKU is the most widely used smart TV platform, with Google in 2nd place thanks to cheap ONN streaming boxes that do 4K 60Hz HDR for $20. So yeah I really do hope they change their mind on having Floatplane on Roku.

[@thekillerprawn]

I don't have roku tvs but I do have 2 of those little roku boxes; one 1080p and the other a 4k version

[@vanillabiscotti]

Yes please

[@cncgeneral]

Fuckin' Luke...

[@RadioactiveLobster]

I bought a Roku TV for my parents because it so simple and easy to use (once I set it up) that they can't really accidentally mess it up, the main screen grid has easy to see big "buttons" and they can talk to the remote. For older parents it's a no brainer.

[@thewcloner]

this so much this use to work in electronics at walmart and i would always suggest roku tvs for older people. simplar remotes are amazing

[@Jessev741]

My mom needs one.... 69 years on this planet (nice) and the Source button is still a mystery to her.

[@jdunn0]

@@treader3126 Roku started selling streaming media boxes in 2008 so I think the more likely reason is that at the time, TV channels were a more well known concept then apps were at that point so it made since to call then channels then apps. I think at this Roku should just change the name to apps but that could just made it confusing for those used to the existing name convention Roku started.

[@Puddlemuck14]

Yup, when my grandparent's tv went I told them to get a roku tv. (I picked it out for their price range.) They used the roku express before for their non-smart tv. So they were used to it already. Literally, log into the account, everything is auto loaded onto the tv from your account. So all apps. Seamless setup. And instantly they understood how to use it. It's so good.

[@andybrice2711]

In particular: Roku remotes are great. Ergonomic and user-friendly. Last time I was shopping for TVs, the competitors typically had dozens of fiddly little buttons which were barely distinguishable by feel.

[@nekocookiee]

One of the main reasons I got Roku was because their phone app has private listening and some of the remotes have an audio port to plug into for it as well. It helps a lot when you’re a night owl and live in a house full of people who prefer the morning.

[@Dukes3677]

As an over night employee this is facts

[@atharvajumde52]

That's a big lifesaver for me

[@xxDriftyxx3]

Most new tvs have built in bluetooth bro... Even less latency than connecting to your phone. But that ui latency is crazy. I have to use my ps5 to use streaming services. 😂

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

My TV has a headphone socket!

[@DiscoDevilDog]

Yup! Huge selling point when I got mine.

[@JoshuaWoehlkeMkII]

The real killer feature of Roku is private listening. I got one with a 3.5mm jack in the remote years and years ago and have never looked back. They STILL have a 3.5mm jack (praise be) and you can also listen privately using your phone if you don't feel like plugging into the remote. It is a feature I simply can't give up now that I've had it.

[@KyrenDinh]

This is exactly how I've been watching things on my PS4 for years, with the headphones plugged into the 3.5mm jack on the controller

[@thewebmachine]

Shield TV devices support this through their app, too. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jobsmine]

Literally Apple TV has Bluetooth that can be connected to your headphones for private listening.

[@Kruscle]

A TV remote has a feature that most flagship phones don't. Lul

[@KevinBourgeois]

Agreed I love this feature. Can pair a Bluetooth headset to my FireTV as well for this but Roku's implementation is the best done in my opinion

[@andybrice2711]

I keep buying Roku devices because (1) They support virtually all streaming services with no exclusivity agreements. (2) Their long-term software support seems pretty good. (3) The remote controls are so ergonomic and user-friendly. Other brands typically have to dozens of fiddly little buttons which are indistinguishable by feel.

[@pedro4205]

I almost bought a Roku, a friend have one and i loved it. But i use a lot of Star+ and it doesn't have support for this service =(. I don't think this is a problem in other countries because as far as i'm aware some of the content that are exclusive to Star+ here in Brasil are available in other services in the US (we don't have Hulu, for instance)

[@UniqueNick]

They continued to push updated to my 2011 Roku for a decade. It was sluggish as hell but they kept supporting it regardless which was impressive.

[@Klust413]

Their issues with google properties made me drop them for my main screen. KZbin and youtubeTV get a ton of play in our house.

[@grim86]

Android TV is ALWAYS better

[@geoffmooregm]

Not being affiliated with any streaming service is the number one reason I bought one. The second was the simple to use RF remote. I hide all of my Roku's either by velcro sticking it on the back of the TV, to the wall behind the TV or in the entertainment unit. And RF remote is essential. We have four in our house, and they have all worked perfectly. One is around 15 years old!

[@hobobbobho]

I got an OLED and Apple TV to replace a 4k TCL with Roku built in and I still sometimes miss some of the features of that thing. Their HD tv antenna integration is amazing and everything was very seamless. My new setup is objectively better in most ways but the Roku tvs are genuinely just all around great for the money.

[@WellKnownAlias]

This has been about two years, but as a former Geek Squad home theater install/repair tech... Roku TVs were always nice while they worked, but they had by far the highest failure rate, mainboards, displays, etc vs anything else. At least in the time I was doing it.

[@Pablonmon]

I also sometimes miss some of the features. My Roku TV died, and I learned quickly that you do not get access to the Roku channel without a Roku device. Not a huge loss, but occasionally I streamed content from their channels. I'm surprised they do not have an their platform extended to other devices.

[@lonnoldhendrickson3161]

Are you able to turn the TV on and have it automatically switch over to the Apple TV? I've had a Roku tv for a while now and it's hit or miss on getting it to switch to the proper input when I turn it on.

[@aarliann]

been using a tcl 55 Roku 4k 60hz tv for gaming / work as my primary monitor and don’t think I can get rid of it soon! for roughly $250 during the beginning of Covid- it’s been a steal and an important piece of my setup for entertainment and work alike. Highly underrated but definitely not produced with gaming in mind.

[@mikepatrona472]

Maybe if your Roku tv didn’t drop Wi-Fi non stop I would never recommend Roku anything ever again

[@alexw2879]

I hope Linus realizes people put the Roku stick and boxes on high end TVs as well. I worked with geek squad and it was very common to do a Roku box with a high end Samsung TV because well Samsung's smart TV features really suck, and they get very slow in a short period of time. I myself had Android TV built in to the don't TV I had and really enjoyed it for a bit, but then it just started running really poorly. Using a keyboard in any app would become a real test of patience. Bought a 4k Roku box and it has run smoothly ever since.

[@Scout819]

Yeah, I bought a new Samsung 43", and rather than go through the hassle of trying to log into everything, I just moved my Roku stick over from my old TV

[@Flynn_Stones]

My experiences line up with yours, I had hopes for Android TV's, but ultimately Roku has been the only reliable OS for smart TV's

[@gnanasabaapatirg7376]

@@Flynn_Stones Google tv is good tho but that's not available in many models of TV's

[@grex2595]

My parents have a TV running, I think, LG proprietary OS. It can't run Disney+, so I gave them back their almost 10 year old Roku box that is slow but can still run Disney+ better than their 6-7 year old TV. TV OS support sucks and unlike phones, people don't really replace them every couple of years.

[@FriedConsole]

I have a stick of all 3. Rankings: 1) Roku 2) Google .... 350593) Amazon Fire TV

[@jonathanellis6097]

We've been using Rokus for years now. They are simple and easy to use, fast, and are actually updated unlike the software in a lot of budget TV's and set top boxes. From a manufacturers point of view I would guess it's much easier to just use Roku than to develop and then have to update and support your own software. I'm surprised they are not more popular!

[@BPBomber]

I was in a similar boat, but I rediscovered Roku’s merits about 4 years ago and I continue to be impressed with its reliability and simplicity.

[@GlorifiedGremlin]

I recently bought a roku and was shocked to see its the same simple easy UI I'd used nearly a decade ago the last time I'd had a roku 😂 If it ain't broke don't fix it

[@ModelLights]

@@GlorifiedGremlin 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' Amazing how many websites continually break themselves just for the web developers to say they are doing something to justify their paychecks, isn't it?

[@okachobe1]

I just seen Roku was making smart lights and I thought it was them trying to exit the TV market not because they are just looking for some side monies. Maybe my next TV will be a Roku

[@jaywhite15_AL]

Reliability? Search Roku constantly blinks over HDMI. It's been a problem for YEARS on every Roku device. Fixed? Nope. Not even a thing for them I think. Edit: I will give you the simplistic UI though. Very simple.

[@intrnl]

@@ModelLights if you have complaints about websites getting redesigned every so often, blame management, not its developers ;)

[@zanzabar4ky7]

The best part of ROKU tvs is that ROKU does all the firmware and platform updates. You can get a TCL without having actively malicious firmware that never gets updated like their android TV units if you get the ROKU version. The only thing companies like Hisense or TCL get to do is give roku a bug to put on the home screen.

[@Smg_Glxy]

Google TV is better. Roku is clunky and dated. Great for seniors tho

[@styles234]

I’ve been really enjoying the TCL 6 series with the Google TV interface. Not only is it a bright mini LED, but during setup it gives you the option to totally bypass the google OS and use it as a “dumb” TV if that’s what you’d prefer. I feel like features like that aren’t getting enough spotlight for how consumer friendly they are.

[@N1NT3NDUD3]

I snagged the 55" one for 199 at best buy a few months back. Man no competition. Best deal in a while

[@mrboojay]

I also have a 6 series, and I love that thing. While mine is a Roku version it also let me skip the sign in process and treat it as a “dumb” TV, which I then put an Apple TV on. (I just enjoy that interface and argue the picture is a tad nicer)

[@coleG112]

I just bought the 55Q750 for $600 on sale and even without MiniLED, the amount of dimming zones leads to pretty wild HDR performance. And totally agree - GoogleTV OS is incredible.

[@TheBrandonn]

RIP. imagine spending hundreds on something with a google product in it. oof. So sorry for your loss!

[@kazwalker764]

I have the 65" TCL Series 6 with Roku, it's awesome. Using the app as a remote is great and you can stream the audio to your phone and listen using Bluetooth headphones.

[@mastersKaaP]

It's surprising how much of a difference a good user interface makes to the overall TV viewing experience. For some smart TV manufacturers I almost feels like the software engineers who created the "smart" software never actually tried using it themselves apart from checking that stuff mostly works. We recently upgraded our hisense "smart" TV to a newer Samsung QLED and I can with confidence say I will never use a Hisense TV again, not even if they pay me.

[@derpythelegend]

​@@ShannonBarber78 well said

[@animal579]

my dad literally spend $1700 on a brand new TV but got so fed up with the huge remotes in 2 days he made me go get a new roku box that could do 4k for it. Even just a better remote design alone can make a world of difference

[@cesartorres8143]

Hisense makes Roku tvs, I have one and I love it, good price too

[@andrewk8636]

Don't buy vizio

[@phillytothemax]

Some Hisense tvs have Roku on them. Just buy those

[@bonerfart22]

I was pretty confused when Linus didn't get the Roku popularity on WAN show a while back. It's pretty solid and has been a way better experience than my nvidia shield pro.

[@NintyPrime]

I think Linus always associated Roku with cheap crappy TV's. And when you can't shake that association, it's easy to look down on them. Even though the Roku Streaming sticks have been around for even longer and have been, for the most part, very excellent and a popular choice among TV enthusiasts to switch to when they buy more expensive TV's, simply because their interface sucks that bad. That's why Roku has the higher end streaming options. THey know high end TV's interface is garbage. I too hope, as Linus said at the end, that Roku's mid tier tvs sell well, Because I really want to seem them become a go to for integrated Smart TV stuff on the high end. I can't think of a single android alternative offered by any smart tv that's actually better.

[@specki5101]

Out of curiosity, how is it better thant the shield pro? I have one of these and am quite happy.

[@bonerfart22]

@@specki5101 It's great, when it works. Maybe I got a dud unit, but I've had so many issues with ethernet just not connecting, apps crashing (and I kinda remember not being able to find/install some apps from the app store), and seemingly random HDCP issues. It could all be my fault somehow but holy crap it's been frustrating.

[@diedrichg]

I've had a +terrible+ experience with the Shield (non-pro). Apps crash. Visual glitches where the screen will wig out and show static (snow) and then it'll go back normal. All the Roku devices and TVs I've ever owned or used have been rock solid.

[@mithos56]

One of the other nice things about Roku is that they have a phone app that acts as a remote control. As long as you're on the same network, you can do everything from your smartphone, including turning the TVs on and off. If you have a roku account, you can even make shortcuts to "channels" on the phone app as well.

[@Bob_Smith19]

Works great until it doesn’t. The recent update broke it for those using iPhones above the 8. If it’s working for you do not update the app.

[@Clarkzer0]

Chromecast and Fire TV can both do this as well

[@bengoacher4455]

@@Clarkzer0 And Samsung TVs with Samsung Phones.

[@astronemir]

Literally every tv has this

[@TheBrandonn]

My remote also acts as a remote, which is really awesome

[@GargamelSS]

got Roku a few years ago built into my RCA . works like a dream . the setup was not too bad and got the premium package . the support staff are great to deal with and very nice.

[@Lexie456]

Does anyone else miss "dumb" tv's. All i want is a dumb tv with a really good panel were i can plug in an external media controller into for all my entertainment needs so i can just update that device every few years so I can get the latest and greatest features and applications.

[@diyi75]

Roku tv out the box: don't connect to internet, instant "dumb" tv. I would avoid a Roku branded Roku TV.

[@zahawolfe]

I’ve never been disappointed with roku. It’s just a pleasure to use and works reliably well. Clearly not the top of premium, but usually the best for budget and value

[@Chillehhhh]

the value is unreal

[@grb1184]

Well, his point Is that ROKU probably makes the best tvOS there is. And he’s right. This model can compete exceptionally against much higher costing TVs. Twice I nearly bought an LG OLED, and found that it was using their chaotic and excruciatinly slow webOS. That OLED may produce a gorgeous picture but it’s constrained by LG’s useless webOS. I’m just not too keen on buying a QLED version of an ONN brand TV. Nothing Walmart makes seems to be designed to last.

[@ianjohnson182]

I was helping my parents set up a couple of ROKU boxes, and was also kinda angry about the account thing, but I was happily surprised that the installed channels, and their order and login information, is synced between multiple TVs with the same ROKU account signed in. For me, this meant I only had to set up 1 TV how they wanted it, and all of the other ones just matched it. For houses with multiple TVs, the ROKU account is WELL worth the extra step.

[@herksku9051]

genuinely thank you for adding tone indicators its so great to see youtube channels care about accesibility of their content /pos

[@avnut5517]

TCL Roku TVs have been a best value recommendation of mine for years. The UI is good. The options in the advanced setup are better than any other residential display. I bought my last one on a black Friday deal under $300. Highly recommend.

[@GothicDragonX]

Roku was the gateway drug for me to cut the cable back around 2012 or so when they were pushing heavy on their second-gen box. Still, to this day, I have never looked back to any other streamer OS. The best thing about it is having all your accounts in one place. Search for whatever you want; it will let you choose what platform is available or if you need to pay/rent for it. Also, having the smartphone app is handy if you "lost the remote again" somewhere between the couch cushion.

[@TheBrandonn]

Same ive never used any other OS since 2012

[@drewliveryboy]

I’ve been working for Geek Squad for many years, and while this is my go-to for older people, the Roku QLED is absolutely amazing. I’ve gotten it in my living room and I’m very happy with it. Also, Roku has a super nice interface :)

[@ShawnMcNaughton]

I have a TCL Roku TV from a couple years ago, and they're my go-to recommendation. Roku's UI makes using multiple inputs easy, having a common menu system (the same on every Roku) makes sense, and I'm far less worried about not getting updates.

[@Atharun18999]

Roku purposely chose to forego gaming features to save money, and they're a streaming company so focusing on watching content was the priority. Apparently they also have designs for an OLED model but not sure if they'll release one.

[@tdring10681]

it makes sense because they would get a percentage of the subscription from streamers but they wouldn't from microsoft or sony

[@afrofantom6631]

If they fix the dimming zone issue withe a miniled version, I would buy it in a heartbeat. For me if im spending ~500 or even a little more; I might as well save up like ~100/200 more and then get the HDR features.

[@forrest225]

@@afrofantom6631 check out the Hisense u8h. Mini LED, all HDR formats, VRR, 1500 nits peak brightness, 336 dimming zones on the 55" 650 USD.

[@afrofantom6631]

@@forrest225 👍 will do

[@Atharun18999]

@@afrofantom6631 Yeah, right now Best Buy has the Vizio MQX on clearance for $509.99 (in store only for Father's Day) and it's tempting for that reason but I'd lose an HDMI port for my Roku Ultra

[@jamestaliaferro258]

“TV is a brick until you create an account.” That’s a deal-breaker for me…I can’t encourage that kind of move. Whatever happened to dumb TVs with smart set-top boxes (i.e. Apple TV, Shield?)

[@logmover123]

Yeah, that's some serious crap. Sounded like a great TV up until he dropped the deal breaker. Unfortunate because I'm in the market for one.

[@akymboT]

Linus: Pats Roku on the back for reducing the number of ads on their interface Also Linus: Ridge, Backpack, Mine

[@Aumistyn]

That TCL 6 series tv you showed is the one I ended up going with. Not much more expensive, noticeable improvements because of the display type, while still getting the benefits of roku's platform, which is the best in the space by far, I don't think there's a better bang for buck tv out there, especially if you can find it on sale (I bought mine on black friday)

[@eldibs]

I use mostly Rokus because they always feel way more responsive because they aren't bogged down by trying to make the UI pretty, and it's mostly intuitive for my Boomer dad and very young niece to use. The closest I've seen in-person is a Chromecast in Apps-Only mode (because I only need it for Plex and KZbin). The Roku account requirement is a bit of a turn-off, and I wish I had more granular control over the network settings, but for me those are minor gripes.

[@0ptixs]

Roku is a perfect example of where more competition is better for the consumer.

[@p_mouse8676]

It's also the perfect example of how rebranding works. 😊😊 I used to repair TVs for a while, and the amount of rebranding is mind boggling.

[@0ptixs]

@@p_mouse8676 sure but is rebranding bad?

[@TheL1arL1ar]

@@0ptixsI work in food production…and for chips especially at Trader Joe’s….you would be surprised what you are paying just for the packaging 😂.

[@MrPaxio]

theyre the only ones. dont use them as an example

[@JanSt12]

Well i honestly think you shouldnt have to get an account to use your freaking tv.

[@garrettscott7195]

I have a 4K Hisense 58" Roku TV and I love it. I know its not the same thing as what Linus is talking about but with the Roku OS It's Great

[@ninchilang2019]

I really enjoyed this episode. It was nice to see the professional analysis I expect on computer hardware applied to a home entertainment item. LOL I actually purchased the TV Linus was reviewing and have been ultra pleased with it, but my friends made fun of how little I paid for it on sale for $175.00 . Now I have evidence to show my friends that I'm not just bragging about this TV because I'm cheap. Well I am CHEAP but that it is in fact, that the TV is not that bad after all.. To bad that's not true with the piece of junk phone I purchased..

[@Mellowie]

I remember when this came up as a blind spot on the WAN show about Roku, compared to other products and wasn't received in a postive manner. Nice to see Linus, checking this out and getting more informed. On a side note, my Dad loves his Roku, and specifically wanted a tv with it built in.

[@drabberfrog]

Yeah, in the past it seemed like Linus thought Roku was a joke but it actually is good for what it is and they really do punch above their weight. I love Roku Ultras because they can decode every video format which is great for Plex and don't lag at all.

[@monsterhunter445]

Linus is out of touch sometimes when you can afford the best.

[@MrTaco-wo6le]

Idk if I would get one with it built in. To be fair, mine is about 8-9 years old (32" Roku Smart TV) but last year it started to say that there wasn't enough storage to open certain apps and even if you deleted the apps, it would give you the same error, so I set it aside and used it as display but about 4 months later, you turn it off and it factory resets the whole thing like if it came out of the box. You'll then have to set it up again and hope that when you turn it off, it doesn't reset again. Still, very satisfied with it. 8 years of solid tv stuff and only now it started to fail, 8/10.

[@CreativityNull]

Yeah, it came up on the WAN show because people were asking for a Floatplane Roku app and they joked about it not being worth it because no one uses Roku, but then they started seeing a lot of negative feedback in the chat and decided to run a poll. They were very surprised at the results and ended that section with essentially an "Okay, we very well might have been wrong. We'll look into it and see if it winds up being a viable avenue." They went from joking about Roku to taking it seriously in about 30 minutes or so. It was nice to see.

[@CreativityNull]

​@@MrTaco-wo6leinteresting, though it still makes me miss "dumb" TVs. I have a 12 year old plasma (the digital flat panel kind, not the massive ones) that still works as well as it did when I got it. It's also weird because the plasma usually starts leaking into other sectors at this point, or something like that. Still, I have no problems with the brains of this thing. It's only 720p but I don't use the TV a lot anyways unless I'm playing my switch or some older consoles. I just want a 4K "dumb" TV but no one makes it (and it would be more expensive) so I know it's not doing anything it shouldn't and I don't have to worry about the longevity of the system (smaller transistors die faster.)

[@Xerxes910]

Linus, I work for a major sports league (one you Canadians love) and they have a website where we can access the streaming feed that employees can access to view any game. I have a Roku TV and the issue I have run into is that Roku TVs do not have a web browser. I have to connect my laptop directly through an HDMI connection. My coworker can pull up his browser on his Samsung TV and access the feed directly and use his TV remote to watch and control the games. We have access to Home & Away, clean and dirty feeds, and alternate cameras which my coworker can select using his remote. I, on the other hand, have to keep the laptop close by, or get the settings correct then let it sit. I have requested a web browser be made available and was told by Roku to "cast" the game but unfortunately the league website doesn't work when you try to cast. So while I love the simplicity for my wife and kids, it infuriates me that in 2023 Roku has no browser option.

[@musawerbelfamyja6955]

talk about this ratio 🤓

[@astronemir]

It’s your shitty league not even having a proper app when you can literally have an AI code it for you.

[@NintyPrime]

There are certainly select instances not having access to a web browser sucks - but as someone who ahs used them before to do some things most TV webbrowsers are very clunky, barely work, and have a hard time with streams. Not all, but some. It is a feature I would like to see them add and if they do, I suspect it will be way better than other options. But they haven't. For me, this use case is so rare as to not matter. Plus I have never had an issue casting from my phone with the given apps. Works every time.

[@gamefox35]

Adding a cheap Chromecast to one of your HDMI ports should solve the casting issue.

[@rouvier666]

You can airplay to a newer roku

[@jerkrant]

Something to be noted of tvs at this price is when they are used as monitors they usually only offer 60 Hz at 4k or 1080p... All the other resolutions are 30hz. So check the supported resolutions and refresh rates if you're wanting to use one as a monitor

[@TheCertifiedDerp]

Been super happy with my 55" Plus Series. I don't really use it for gaming, mostly just streaming content, but it's a pretty solid option for the price I think using it for that. I'm a bit biased though because I personally love the simplicity of roku's UI over other streaming tv UIs. That and being able to access devices on different HDMI inputs like another app is super nice.

[@NicosLeben]

The fact that there is a registration requirement is a big negative for me. At the moment, I own a Samsung Smart TV, but I don't have it connected to the Internet at all because I only use it as an external monitor. But nowadays, unfortunately, you can't find any TVs without "smart".

[@drabberfrog]

Finally! Linus realizes that Roku is actually pretty decent for what it is. I feel like he's always kinda thought of Roku as a joke, especially on the WAN show but it really isn't bad. The UI is simple and has minimal ads and just works. It's amazing how many overcomplicated ad infested smart tv interfaces there are cough cough SAMSUNG! I love using Roku Ultras for Plex at home because like Linus said they support decoding every format and have an ethernet port which is really nice for high bitrate Blue Ray rips.

[@JosephLawson420]

​@@yourguysheppythe tv would simply be more expensive if it didn't serve ads.

[@vanillabiscotti]

Yeah put floatplane on Roku and I'm so down.

[@drabberfrog]

@@yourguysheppy well if you were wondering why TVs were so cheap that's the answer. It's unfortunate but that's how it works. That's why monitors are so expensive compared to TVs, the monitor's manufacturer can never show an ad on the monitor. It's of course possible to buy Smart TVs which will never show you ads but you're going to have to pay. And to be fair to Roku, the ads are not intrusive or annoying to me especially when compared to other smart TV brands.

[@wtech758]

@@yourguysheppyAm I crazy or have I never seen on my Hisense Roku ?

[@littlejackalo5326]

​@@drabberfrogYOU paid for a TV with ads. Simple as that.

[@slaternapier1640]

I used to work for Walmart, now I work for a high-end electronics retailer. We carry some 'entry' level models and are slowly expanding to grow our customer-base. Its wild to see Roku, TCL, and Hisense massively improve their quality and product lines

[@thewonderfultartiflette4733]

7:18 I'll always be scared of the LTT backpack's price

[@KnoxSe7eN]

Had a TCL 6 series with Roku built in since 2018. Been a solid TV. The remote was simple enough I got 2 for my parents and they haven't had too much difficulty with it.

[@zeroturn7091]

Roku does a pretty good job with optimizing their TV OS. I’ve observed how bloated FireTV OS and Google TV are, and 4GB of RAM seems like the conversation starter.

[@dalanoyo]

And FireTV always seems to have fights w/ their app store on new streaming services. Like when HBO max first came out, you had to sideload the android tv app to use it, as amazon wouldn't let it be on their app store.

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@dalanoyo As a very long time Roku user, they have had their issues as well like there very public fight with Google over KZbin, and KZbin TV due to how the ad money was split up, as Roku make a very large portion of their money from the ads on their platform.

[@Klust413]

​@@CommodoreFan64This is why my latest upgrade was to a google tv after three roku tv's.

[@shaq2812]

Samsung’s Tizen OS in general is dogshit. I bought a Samsung S95B a few months ago when prices dropped and I had to immediately go to Best Buy to get an Apple TV to go along with it. I mean shoving ads down our throats is one thing, but when your OS is constantly lagging and being unresponsive, it’s bound to leave a very bad taste in people’s mouths. It’s a shame really since we all know that Samsung is very capable of designing/developing a better OS

[@dalanoyo]

@@shaq2812 Yeah it's garbage. I was just going to use a pc for streaming but none of the services allow 4k streaming on PC which is crap. So I was forced into a streaming box. Also Roku has good support for Plex so it works well

[@TBonerism]

I love using a roku because of how flexible it is at handling other apps to stream which is where a lot of smart TVs struggle from even LG and Samsung. I never thought I would consider a roku TV but this video has me rethinking that a little bit now.

[@majormushu]

I've been using roku for years. I love how it doesn't have bias like a lot of other smart tvs. If you get a fire TV they make it hard to use anything but prime and other smart tvs are the same way. Roku is like " do whatever you want, it's your tv"

[@InvinsableNoob]

It's refreshing seeing more of Linus. Glad he stepped down and took a different role, I'm sure he is more comfortable too.

[@haydenlong3764]

The role doesnt take effect for like another month, you are seeing him the same amount lol

[@VandepoelM]

Dont buy Roku in Europe. Many developers do not support this region or forget to turn on the app availability when their service launches, sometimes even years after their service is available locally. Its a great device, but there are better options out there.

[@contestokausen5318]

Better options like?

[@jacery]

@@contestokausen5318 amazon fire tv imo

[@QuadsMode9]

apple tv 4k is the best

[@kevinmorrice]

china only caring about the yankee doodle dollar

[@samuel-wankenobi]

In the UK it's alright

[@JasonScalici]

"it doesn't throw a lot of ads at you and that shouldn't be a thing I have to say"-----"thank you ridge for sponsoring this video" 😂

[@redalpha333]

My biggest gripe and the reason I still prefer Android TV boxes is just how walled the list of channels(apps) available is, especially when I'm used to like a third party KZbin client, VLC, as well the ability to use Chromecast is really big for me, something roku just *doesn't* have.

[@ThatLaloBoy]

Roku supports casting for supported apps, including KZbin. Not only that, but it also supports Airplay for anyone who uses Apple devices as well as Miracast for Windows devices and some Android devices

[@meko264]

Have some perspective, Rokus were on sale for like $20 at one point and it's easy enough to use that you can give it to your grandmother. I thought about picking up an android dongle, but I couldn't justify paying an extra $30 for it.

[@eldoherz]

I have one of the older Hisense Roku TVs and can attest that it was an absolute steal. Great performance for the cost and the interface shits all over my friends significantly more expensive and newer TVs.

[@vagamer522]

I have a Hisense Roku TV as well too and it shitted all over my Vizio M Series tv that costed $500 meanwhile my Hisense was $300 had Dolby Vision, 60HZ VRR, Better picture, Decent audio till you upgrade to a soundbar, and much and I mean much better app os. Seriously I will never explain the horrors of Smartcast and the times I had to call their awful tech support.

[@TheFrantic5]

Honestly, I'd trust Roku software more than anything Samsung would come up with.

[@ragtop63]

I have a TCL 55R646 (55” Google TCL TV) in my bedroom. I sold my TCL 65R617 to buy it. The picture quality on the 646 was leaps and bounds better than the 617, even though both TVs are just “regular” LCD panels. The one only thing I wish I had done differently was get the Roku version of the newer TV instead of the Google version. Google’s UI and available functions need a lot of work. The one caveat about Roku’s OS is how it handles subtitles. It’s not very configurable and doesn’t support overlying very well. Other than that, it’s a very good TV for a fraction of the cost of my LG C2.

[@bonelesspizza]

As someone with a chromecast, this info is good to know. I don't make enough to be able to afford this now but having a clear successor to my old TV + chromecast if I want to upgrade in the future and get the best quality for the buck, this is the content from LTT I love seeing. This is relevant to even people like me who care about a lot about price for quality.

[@swimseven77]

I really like my TCL Roku TV. I am not at all a big TV watcher, so it was just a way to get a bigger screen in my apartment living room. The OS has never failed me, the companion app on the phone is solid, and if you pair that thing with a Chromecast, it's everything I personally need.

[@noahwarren8020]

Their app is great. You are able to use it for Bluetooth headphones for your living room tv. Which if you live with others is super convenient for noise canceling and not to disturb them.

[@coldapollo8731]

My Grandpa hates every OS except Roku, so he bought a Roku stick for every TV in his house, including the smart TV. Roku is easily the simplest most responsive TV OS. I always pick roku instead of Amazon

[@Moskeeto]

I've always made sure to get Roku for my parents because they are extremely tech illiterate. For myself, though, I prefer the Chromecast w/Google TV. It is definitely less reliable though. Too often an app will just freeze up and I have to go to settings to force shut it down and restart the app. Usually Hulu. It's also full of fullscreen BS with only a certain amount of apps displaying on the home page. It's needlessly complicated and for that reason I can't get one for my parents.

[@drabberfrog]

I learned my lesson, NEVER BUY AN AMAZON TV! They are ad infested, bloated, slow as molasses, manufactured E-Waste. The only good thing about my Amazon TV is that it has an HDMI port which let me plug in a Roku stick. Of course it's still defaults to its own smart interface instead of prioritizing the HDMI device so you have to click through its stupid interface to click on HDMI 1 to get to Roku. :/

[@alkoyyy]

​@@drabberfrogI have a tv with fireOS and I don't have to go through amazons OS when I turn it on. Try Settings-> Display and Sounds -> Power Controls and set "power on" to "last input" (Could be slightly different because I don't update Amazons OS, because I don't use it and don't have it connected to the internet)

[@kevinlawson1746]

Wow I couldn't believe it when I saw that LTT made a Roku video , lol . Now you guys should do a deep dive into the Roku Ultra, because it can do way more then people think , like running movies off a USB drive , but what really surprised me was I mirrored a game from my phone to the Roku snd was blow away at how good it worked. Oh and Roku has a bunch of hidden menus , fun stuff if you have never done it before.

[@Jensen567]

I converted to Roku from Fire TV sticks this year. The lack of ads on the interface was the first thing I noticed that made me immediately want to switch. I have been extremely happy with my Roku devices, and I also actually like some of the free content they offer on their Roku Channel. Definitely my favorite TV interface by a wide margin.

[@jondeforge8266]

​@@deadzio the entire home screen on fire stick is an ad

[@Mergatroid]

Normally this wouldn't bother me and I probably wouldn't even notice it, but I'm finding it very distracting in this video the way every set is green-screened in behind Linus. I can see the artifacts when Linus moves the remote really quickly and I don't really get why they did that for this video.

[@timothyl.cunningham6309]

I also noticed around his hand when it was in front of the TV, seemed odd.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

For me, I prefer my TV to be fairly dumb, and with a Roku as a peripheral. But it is cool to see Roku TVs remove some of their bottlenecks.

[@bikeny]

I'm with you on getting a dumb tv. No monitoring of what we're watching and no ads on the screen. I've used a roku to connect to my tv and I love it like that. And, yes, the phone app works well too.

[@rig4365]

I have an early smart TV, a Sony, from 2010. All of the streaming channels no longer are supported. Picked up a Roku stick and I love it. I don't plan to buy another TV until this one dies it's still going string. Plus I love thst I can cast from my phone or laptop now.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

@@rig4365 I actually have a similiar situation with my bedroom TV. It's a Visio where most of the smart features are no longer supported, but like yours, the Roku makes it work as well as I could want

[@scratchpad7954]

I had a Toshiba picture tube TV that would have required a Roku set-top box with the RCA composite plugs. Having been manufactured in 2003, it is the very definition of a dumb TV since it has an NTSC tuner. Such a setup, along with a converter box, would likely be your dream setup. I use a Sansui TV built in 2012 with an ATSC tuner, but it is also a dumb TV, using a Roku streaming puck in a very similar setup to what you likely imagine a smart TV to be.

[@jd31068]

I bought a TCL 55S517 for my bedroom a few years ago. It has blooming but I knew that would be the case going in. For what I paid, I am more than satisfied with it and now that we have completely cut cable it is even better.

[@ephraimtimmerman4476]

I liked the transition for the sponsor message by putting linus on the tv that theyre reviewing.

[@mikehensley78]

If you set up or have a NAS you can run mini-dlna and serve all your multimedia to your roku TVs or roku boxes. The media player in roku will just play your stuff.

[@zeroturn7091]

Does it play .ISO format?

[@mikehensley78]

@@zeroturn7091 music, pics and movies... jpg..mp3 and H.264 videos. some avi some mp4 some mkv just depends on how it was encoded.

[@Altsu4]

0:34 Few may know this, but South Korea’s government in 2018 passed the law banning supporting all HDR formats at the same time in order to support domestic manufacturers.

[@LiamMcBride]

That seems anti consumer but also something that LG and Samsung bribed the government for

[@gierrah]

Thank you. I heard this and was a bit confused with google providing little results. But Ctrl+F in the comments for the win.

[@jfarre20]

I work at a retirement home in IT, and we strongly recommend the roku tvs to the residents, its the only platform thats semi-elderly friendly. Everything else is too hard for them

[@iamalittler]

I got one a few years back and I love it. I know it’s not the best, but the ‘channel’ interface for everything directed to it is fantastic.

[@LBP2Saperoth]

Any ads in my tv interface is too much. Linus please stop give a pass on this, don't make it sound like a positive that it has fewer ads then others. You are helping them push a bad experience on people by telling people it is OK.

[@LBP2Saperoth]

What should be said is "it is nice they keep the ads out of the way unlike other smart TVs. It is still sad to see any ads built in to bring down an otherwise fantastic interface." Something like that

[@leafyon]

I haven’t touched Roku devices since 2015 but after being completely done with Tizen OS and not wanting to be locked down to google Chromecast. I finally went back to Roku and oh man. All of the supported protocols, prices and honestly shit that just works. Man it’s no wonder

[@ElijahBobingerDragonogh]

Next, can we cover any NON-smart TV’s? High-end display panels (*not* VA or TN) with eARC or optical audio-out? Anything akin to gaming monitors, but full-display TVs.

[@Mouseketier85]

I never like roku interface and stuck with fire stick. But recently purchased a new tv for the bedroom being a roku. Got to say I took to it and now own 2. A 75" in the living room for under 600. I am more than happy with the quality. They have stepped up the game and its good

[@doogie812]

I too like the Roku interface with the exception of the Live TV favorites not being sticky. With 100s of channels to go through it would be nice to select favorites and have it stay there until I select something else.

[@mrexile09]

Happy Father’s Day Linus and all the cast!!! Have a great one!

[@jaysonbunnell8097]

We bought my great grandmother a roku a few years back and she gets it intuitively. As frustrating as the account setup is, it was so worth it in the long run

[@albertotr1]

Are you guys running B-roll of probationary employees and calling them goblins? Love it.

[@mikej9449]

tcl's roku tvs are surprisingly good quality

[@ShinyMooTank]

Google Tv's from TCL are about the same price as a Roku TV. Google TV has support for Bluetooth while Roku doesn't.

[@davidgokey1763]

Roku has mini-LED too, pretty amazing out of the box affordable experience.

[@elfedorausado]

My sister and her husband moved to the US in 2018, into a rental apartment where many of their appliances were donated (she is a Dual Language teacher at an elementary school, and it’s tradition that parents help furnish teachers who come from abroad with donated items to ease them in while they settle). As they had many upfront expenses (rent, services, car payments, etc), they did not buy a TV and watched Netflix on a laptop. When I visited them a few months later, I convinced them to buy a 32” monitor from Samsung (Black Friday sale) and I gifted them a Roku Express. We installed the monitor, which luckily had 3,5mm audio out, connected a pair of cheap Logitech speakers ( part of the donated appliances), connected the ROKU via HDMI. It was, needless to say, janky when compared to a smart tv, but to us it was more than enough… it was their first dedicated streaming device and used it for years in that way… good memories

[@anagoge]

I'm just here to appreciate the multi-take setup for this video.

[@YouTubeOwl]

I've been a fan of Roku because it just works and its pretty much just an app grid which is what I want. Google TV OS is slow, ram deficient, and apps would sometimes quit mid run. Android TV os was a little better but I ran into compatibility issues with 5.1 systems and HDMI CEC. LG's web OS is probably second best imo. No issues, just didn't like the UI as much as Roku. I haven't used Samsung's OS.

[@arvindhmani06]

The LG software experience has annoyed me on several occasions after having moved from a TCL Roku. I don't have a wired speaker setup and there's no way for a Bluetooth device to auto connect - the stupid thing keeps asking me every time if I want to connect. Navigating through their settings is another woeful experience. Maybe I'm overreacting and I just need to learn better how to use it, but I miss the simplicity and intuitiveness of Roku.

[@BeautifulAngelBlossom]

Samsung is slow and gltichy

[@shrayesraman5192]

Lg and samsung are painful. Google stick is the best imo

[@TheBrandonn]

wow a google product being faulty? im shocked

[@MustafaAli]

Given the sponsor of this video, it's ironic that they didn't cover how Roku's main way of making money is to suck up all your data and show you ads. They constantly monitor what you are watching and send it over to their servers which is then used to target you with ads. This is a well-documented fact and I would have expected LTT to do a better job of educating regular consumers about the real price they pay when they buy such inexpensive TVs.

[@readabookdummy]

Personally i prefer targetted ads to random but each to their own

[@zandin55]

My guy, thats literally how EVERYONE makes money. That's youtube's primary source of revenue. You literally are watching videos on a platform doing the exact same thing. At least Roku doesn't read your emails.

[@JeebusChrist]

yes i like will love that my TV watches what im watching to sell to third parties and totally does not open a can of privacy related worms or possible content blocking abuse in the future.

[@Bob_Smith19]

Pi-hole fixes all of that. But your devices will be trying to phone home tens of thousands of times per day. If you’re not using Pi-hole you’re doing it wrong to begin w/.

[@JeebusChrist]

@@zandin55 if only 2. Categories of Personal Information We Collect and Disclose to Third Parties (c) content of consumer emails, texts and messages where we are not the intended recipient - rouku user privacy policy

[@antftwx]

I bought a 43 inch S405 when it came out, still using it. The picture for the price was unmatched at the time and it's still looking good despite it's age. The software is another story. These budget and mid-range smart TVs should only be bought for their picture quality and related features, not for the OS and smart features. Yeah, the processor wasn't the best when I bought it, so of course it's gonna be slow and laggy, but since the picture is still decent I don't want to have to spend $500+ on a new set. I would suggest that if you see a good looking TV with sorta bad software at a great price (even a Hisense) go for it. A $50-$100 streaming box will hold up for years longer than the chip in the TV and is a worthwhile investment if you can't afford to upgrade the TV itself.

[@MickeyMishra]

I actually was thrilled by how flexible the new TV I got at with ROKU was. I wanted to use WiDi display standard and it worked flawlessly on almost all of my Samsung devices. To top that off? Streaming my chromebooks screens worked without a hitch if the TV was Hardwired. I also liked that it could play all the UHD content from a USB stick no problem. And it has TONS of media options as well as apps. Though it just sits on my desk and is really great to put my shirts or towels on. I don't watch much tv. Heck. I need to cancel netflix since I never watch anything anymore.

[@DaftDrunk24]

I got a $350 4k Roku 65" TV a few years ago... it not only looks fine, and works great, it's also REALLY light weight.

[@davidpeterson2083]

Roku may not be the best tvs but I think that they are one of my favorite bands because they know how expensive good tv’s are but they have made a good tv and it is at a very good price.

[@brendanmatthys3788]

Watching as an Australian and seeing QLED TVs for $400..... man what a world you guys in the northern hemisphere live in. Here QLED TVs are like $1600 minimum. Recently I paid $1100 for a 75" LED TV, and that was cheap!

[@WeekenderPNW]

that old "cer chunk" sound on the tv from the start of the ad sent me back to a core memory lol

[@lt.ligmaii]

I bought one of these for my parents shortly after it’s launch (though it cost $500 at the time, still a fair deal imo). Overall I’m really happy with it. It’s a TV built for streaming and it does that exceptionally well at a competitive price and decently good image quality. It does lack a few gaming features like VRR and motion smoothing, but for older folks or non-gamers it’s a great buy

[@808slumps]

Motion smoothing is a joke anyways… It is universally recommended at this point to leave it off

[@JE-zl6uy]

Heres why: I just bought a Roku 4k TV at walmart for $199. That gives them huge market penetration. That lets them flood the market with their platform, which has decent ads, and pay for a preimum line. Vizio did the same

[@isXanderDev]

My old TV had a whole 3 local dimming zones! So even a white loading bar on a black screen caused the left and right zones to turn on and off depending on the progress of the animation.

[@Gojiraglix]

Been using Roku since gen 1 box on a sony 1080p tv when it came out. Been using TCL tvs for yearsss and for budget you absolutely can't get anything better. Absolutely amazing brand.

[@QueenSaffryn]

As a person with a samsung TV, I can attest to the increasing screenspace taken up by advertisements in the OS, thankfully this is entirely skippable if you have a media center PC hooked up to it and run everything through that, with that said, it shouldn't be neccesary to buy a PC to not see ads on a premium product you bought, paid for and own :(

[@Hman9876]

I had a Samsung tu7000 series tv and hated the interface so much that i sold it. So laggy and so much screen tearing. I returned to my 2015 ish non-smart tv

[@teknonmy7210]

I bought a Samsung QNED a couple months ago, used to have an LG OLED. The ads are massive, but I only spend a couple seconds in the menu switching between my PC and the Plex app anyway. Boots straight into my PC input by default. Primo. The samsung is waaaaay more responsive in menus and I haven't had any of the stupid buffering issues of the LG (or the broken brightness protection algorithms). I still use Plex because HDR video playback on windows is awful, even though HDR games run fine.

[@Jeffdachefz]

@@teknonmy7210 my cheapo TCL roku is way faster than my samsung of the same generation. Samsung's menu navigation and speed is absolutely horrible compared to the built in roku tv ugh.

[@teknonmy7210]

@@Jeffdachefz TBF I have a pretty high end Samsung. Still miles better than the same-ish price LG.

[@jorismak]

@@Jeffdachefz Weird thing is that my 2017 / 2018 Samsung VA panel TV costing around 400 EUR (so +/- 350 USD?) has extreme fluent UI and navigation. Yes, it received that 'Samsung live TV' streaming thing that I can't get rid of. But it also boots to the last input used, which is always one of the consoles, or otherwise you use one of the apps (We don't have a normal TV signal hooked up any more). So you only see the icon for their live-streaming-TV when changing input. I still don't like it, but it shouldn't bother me :wink:.

[@Sk0gg1es]

The only downside to the Roku Ultra I've found is the Dolby Vision profile support, where it only supports Dolby Vision from streaming services. If you're streaming backups of your own UHD movies, then it will default back to HDR10.

[@Centurion13337]

VERY good bit of info. I would use it almost exclusively for that, so i have to look for another tv.

[@Sk0gg1es]

@@Centurion13337 I specifically am talking about the Roku Ultra streaming box, not sure on the playback ability of the featured TV

[@Centurion13337]

@@Sk0gg1es Ah i assumed that would go for the TV as well. If their usb media support is good, it might be worth it :)

[@jsalsman]

I love how not having a (cable) TV was some kind of a emo flex back in the 90s, but now everyone's TV is basically a web browser.

[@lvesp666]

Roku just bricked my TCL TV. I do not use roku video services. Unless you accept the new Terms and Conditions you can not do anything with the TV. built in tuner no, HDI ports no. It's a 65" brick on my wall.

[@ncogneato]

8:06 Unless something has changed in the past year or so, you should be able to bypass activation by pressing the * button at the activation screen and select store/retail/demo mode. Then just use whichever inputs u want.

[@BURN447]

I have bought Rokus to stop needing to deal with the Samsung TV interface. My Roku built in has been extremely good and I continue to prefer it

[@TOGSolid]

That log in requirement is a giant red flag for me. Companies aren't shy about making older devices into door stops and I would not be surprised at all to see a news story 5 years from now about older Roku TVs ending up as e-waste

[@BrusqueLee]

Had to scroll way too far to find this. I wouldn't buy a 9000hz 16k OLED for $100 if it was a brick without the internet.

[@jfarre20]

that's strange, we use tcl roku tvs at work for signage purposes - and you can skip the sign in to get basic hdmi functionality - just dont connect to wifi at the setup screen.

[@TheWarrrenator]

I have a Hisense with the Roku built in and one thing that blew me away that wasn’t mentioned was that it had Dolby sound built-in and it is great! For such a thin, skinny thing I can’t believe how good it sounds! lol

[@Victimesty]

I live in a region where Roku as a service is not available. Turns out I can still make an account and fill in the card details! Which is a great news, considering many similar services locks you out. Thumbs up to Roku.

[@marcmcpolo]

I actually consider Google TV to be one of the better interfaces. Especially compared to the current Samsung TV OS, which is absolutely atrocious. Even basic functions like switching the input are unnessecarily complicated and it is full of bugs. Just adding a simple Chromecast with Google TV and its own remote beats most TV operating systems on the market. But Roku seems like an interesting alternative, that I didn't pay attention to at all.

[@grex2595]

Roku's solid. I have 2 Roku TVs in my house and the other 2 have Roku boxes because Roku just works.

[@markvalenzo]

If only the gpu market had the same level of competition as tv brands.

[@michaelmcchesney6645]

I was living with my brother when he bought a 4K TV, which had a Roku operating system. I grew to like it. So, while I currently own 2 Samsung TVs, I purchased Roku's for each of them. I also have PCs connected to each TV. I usually use a PC to watch KZbin (I'm sitting on my couch with a wireless keyboard typing this on my TV). But for other streaming services, I switch to a Roku.

[@fordboy95232]

As someone who uses multiple 55" TCL Rokus as monitors, I love the ability to use the android app to switch inputs as I have them hooked to my personal and work computer (using the remotes are pretty much impossible). I have TCLs that are a few years old at this point and have always loved how easy and responsive the UI feels vs other smart TVs I have used. I will only be buying Roku TVs in the foreseeable future and as the Tech/Geek friend, I consistently recommend them.

[@grb1184]

They also make a pretty efficient phone app also that’s quite responsive and useful if you lose the remote. In fact, I think this model may have a way to retrieve a misplaced remote. A backlit remote would be great, as on some Sonys.