Roku Ultra | The Ultimate Streaming Device 4K/HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos, Rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro, Ethernet Port, Hands-Free Controls, Lost Remote Finder, Free & Live TV

So far so good. Atmos works, 4K/Dolby Vision works. Remote is basic but functional. Roku player is fairly small and black, meaning it doesn't stand out too much or distract from movie watching.I've had the Apple 4K for years now, and while I really liked its overall performance, I started having Atmos/surround sound issues. I was getting 1-2 second random audio drops and brief moments of distortion/popping. I tried replacing wires, cycling the power to all my equipment, resetting all video playback options but nothing was working. I was initially concerned it was my receiver or amps that were responsible for the audio issues. But after some research online, it seems Apple 4K boxes are pretty well known for their Atmos/surround sound problems.Sure enough, I plugged in the Roku Ultra and everything just works. No audio drop outs, no distortion, no popping. I'm very happy.Is the Roku Ultra perfect? No. The Roku is not as fast as Apple when it comes to menu navigation and responsiveness, nor does it allow for chroma sub sampling 4:4:4 - instead offering 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. That said, the difference between 4:4:4: and 4:2:2 is imperceptible and not a major concern.The best way to describe the Roku Ultra: Not sexy, not flashy, not a powerhouse, but exceedingly competent and functional. Sign me up.

I have Apple TV and now Roku as well hooked into my Sony TV and audio system.Why both? Roku has some sports streaming, particularly MLB that is not available on any other platform including Apple. And more is coming.I’ve been using Apple for years and now this Roku side by side for over a month.Overall, the Roku is the better device because it’s less expensive, the Roku remote is light years ahead of the wonky Apple Remote, a spare Roku remote is only $20, not $60 like the Apple spare remote. The Roku remote looks better and works a LOT better.Both devices have similar appearances - see the photo.I hate, despise, dislike and otherwise want to bury the Apple Remote in my backyard. It’s super touchy, the slide touch panel is annoying beyond belief and it’s not intuitive. If you mishandle the Apple Remote you could be 5 apps away in 1 second.I put a yellow non-slip cover on the Apple remote because it’s slippery. The Roku remote has a non slip textured finish.Setup of both devices is similar with the most difficultpart being adding new apps with their respective passwords.The Roku seems to offer more QR codes for password use so you don’t have to type in a multi character passwords on a POS remote like the Apple Remote.Picture and sound quality appear similar. I’m running a 4k Sony TV connected to McIntosh MX-122 home theater preamp with both devices running through the MX-122.The MX-122 offers audio “pass through” so I can use the Apple or Roku with either the TV or the McIntosh sound.Dolby Atmos and Dolby work well with both devices and my McIntosh system.But the remote control on the Apple is the deal breaker for me plus the extra $50 for the actual Apple device. The Apple Remote is annoying junk and I hate that thing. I find myself using the Roku more and more just for the remote.I can see a time in the future when I might get rid of the Apple and just keep the Roku.Apple better come up big in their next gen Apple TV device and remote and drop the price or Roku willmake them obsolete.

Whoop-De-Doo For Roku! Yahoo!Sorry. So happy to have received my Ultra recently. And now I can see Yellowstone Season 4 after the Season 3 cliffhager, when CBS literally left it's viewers hanging. But I digress.Rokus really are the best streaming devices on the planet. If you have never owned one of these, I highly recommend them. And by all means, get the Ultra - With A USB Port! It supports more advenced media formats like 265HEVC, and others You may find interesting content on the internet that you can download and put on a USB stick to play on your TV (hint, hint).Back in 2016 I bought some Roku3's so I could finally tell the cable company where they could get off. Christ! I guess I have saved more than $50 per month in that time. You still need internet to use Roku devices, but then who does not have that these days?A few things I like about the Ultra:- The rechargeable remote with voice commands, and a Lost Remote Finder feature.However the voice recognition is not all that great.- The Ultra also works with an RCA universal remote, that I prefer to use anyway.You can order one of those from Amazon: "RCA RCRBB04GR 4-Device Big-Button Universal Remote Control",ASIN: B00CXDIPVSOnly two things I do not necessarily care for, but not enough to change the rating:- The white light on the device stays On, even after the device has turned Off after its idle period.On the Roku3s this light goes Out. In that way I would know if I was not unintentionally streaming anything.- The USB port is moved to the back, which can make it a difficult to line up and insert a USB stick.Update: 5 May 2025I have had this device for at least two weeks. This morning after streaming some news, I "parked" the device on the home screen, switched back to my TV and turned it off. The Ultra white light went Out. When I turned my TV On the Ultra light turned On. I don't know what changed, a software update or what. I checked all the settings. I do like this a lot better than having the Ultra light remain on. However, the Ultra light goes Out even if something is streaming. So it is not a reliable indicator that the Ultra is idle.Update #2: 17 May 2025I did not have all my info correct about the Ultra White Light (UWL). I later observed that after the UWL goes out, it later turnes back on again. And the last sentence about the "UWL going out if something is streaming" - I don't remember why I wrote that, but I don't think that is correct - unless it goes out when the TV is turned off while something is streaming. Regardless, the UWL turns back on at some point. So again, it is not a reliable indicator that the Ultra is idle. Perhaps Roku can fix that with a software update.