Review: Roku Streaming Stick Plus makes upgrading your TV foolproof
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If you're looking to give your TV a modern boost without investing in a whole new screen or fiddling with complicated tech, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus (4K) is a simple, affordable solution. I've been testing it for several weeks now, and it's one of the easiest ways to add smart TV functionality to just about any television — especially if you want 4K streaming in a neat little package.
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Tons of content: Roku boasts more than 200 free channels, and while not all of them will appeal to everyone, there's a surprisingly decent mix of live news, older shows, movies and sports content. The Roku Channel itself offers a curated mix of no-cost options that are great for casual browsing. That said, most will still spend the bulk of their time on the usual suspects: Netflix, Prime Video, Crave, YouTube and Disney+. Roku supports all the major platforms, and navigating between them is quick and intuitive.
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Simple remote: The included remote controls your Roku as well as your TV's volume and power, which means one less remote on the coffee table. And if you're already deep into the smart home ecosystem, Roku plays well with others: it works with Apple AirPlay, Google Home and Amazon Alexa. That means you can cast content from your iPhone, use voice assistants to control playback, or integrate the Roku into your broader smart home setup.
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