Roku Express and Roku Express Plus are very similar to each other. Both streaming media players are among the most popular in today’s market but you should know that they are also slightly different. One is aimed towards newer TVs while the other able to work with both newer TVs and older ones. If you are interested on buying a new streaming media player that comes in an affordable price, go check our article below.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– What are Roku Express and Roku Express Plus
– What Roku Express and Roku Express Plus Look Like
– What Roku Express and Roku Express Plus can offer to you
– Roku Express vs Roku Express Plus
About Roku Express and Roku Express Plus
Roku Express and Roku Express Plus are two of the most popular streaming media player by the same brand. As what you can expect from a media player, you can use one of them to watch your favorite movies or shows from across channels without the need of purchasing a smart TV. Besides being powerful enough to let you surf from many channels, these two are also very friendly with your wallet and, so you don’t have to dig in too deep or break the bank purchasing them.
Both Roku Express and Roku Express Plus have been released years before but the products that we are talking in this article are the newest 2017 version, so make sure to read the product description before purchasing to avoid picking the older versions. Unlike the older version, the company claims that the newer Roku Express are 5x faster and still one of the best in the market. If you wish to change your regular TV into those high-end smart TVs, one of them might be the perfect choice for you.
Roku Express and Roku Express Plus Design
Both Roku Express and Roku Express Plus are pretty small. Coming with the devices, there is a remote with 2 AAA batteries to operate it. What you have to keep in mind is both of them are not a streaming stick or dongle that you can keep at the back of your TV and you have to keep it visible to work. The remote included are also regular remote, so you have to aim it at the little box.
With the remote, you can navigate through the menus and it also comes with buttons for various channels, such as Netflix and Amazon. There are also basic navigation and playback functionality. At the little device, you will find a HDMI while in the Plus version you will also get A/V output, which is great if you use older TV but you can’t expect a good quality with this output if compared to superior HDMI. For another streaming media player, go check our article on Roku Premiere vs Roku Express here.
Roku Express and Roku Express Plus Set Up
One of the best things with both Roku Express and Roku Express Plus is the easy setup. If you ever use Roku before, the setup is exactly the same by only plugging the device and follow the on-screen instructions. These instructions will lead you on how to connect the device to your Wi-Fi and checking firmware before you get started. Both of Roku Express and Roku Express Plus are only able to connect through Wi-Fi and there is no wired Internet connection, so make sure you have a good connection to enjoy them at full speed.
Once you finish setting up, you will be asked to go into Roku’s website and register your device as well as picking the service you want to download into your device, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, All 4, ITV Player, and Demand 5.
For the interface, Roku used simpler homescreen with all of your selected apps as well as short on-screen menu. From here, you will know what you want to do whether you want to go straight watching your favorite movies and shows or surf and finding what interest you. The suggestion will comes and adapt to suit your taste but you have to let it for quite some times to provide you with relevant suggestions. If you wish not to view the personalized advertisement, just keep in mind that you can turn it off anytime.
Roku Express and Roku Express Plus Abilities
For the performance, as it have been mentioned earlier, Roku Express and Roku Express Plus is claimed to be faster than its predecessor and it is proven right with much less waiting around and much smoother browsing experience. The devices also able to produce wonderfully sharp and stable 1080p picture with HDMI while if you pick Roku Express Plus and use the A/V output, taken from CNET the resolution will drop to 480i, which has 80% fewer pixels that 1080p, so if you owned a wider TV, the picture wont look good.
While the remote works great, it is recommended to download the Roku control app to unlock further capabilities of your device. With the app, you will be able to have a better experience while browsing the “My Feed” section as well as basic voice search by movies or actor. Even though it is not as smart as Alexa, it still has the core functionality to stand between its competitors.
If you want to watch or listen in discreet, there is a useful feature called “private listening” that will move the audio into your headphone whether it is Bluetooth or wired headphone. Another great feature is called the “Play on Roku”, which will lets you cast your movies, music, and photos from your mobile device to the TV for bigger screen viewing. As for the connectivity, both Roku Express and Roku Express Plus only able to use the standard 2.5GHz network.
Comparison
Now, let’s compare Roku Express with Roku Express Plus. As you may already know from reading our article above, the only thing separates Roku Express and the Plus version is the A/V jack, which will works with older TV with Composite cable input and have no HDMI port. Beside this difference, both devices have the same capabilities and ease of use.
Roku Express vs Roku Express Plus
Conclusion
All in all, the decision is all yours to make. It is best to base your option on what you need them for. If you have modern TV with HDMI port, it is wise to pick the more affordable Roku Express but if you want to use it with older TV that has no HDMI port, then you should go for Roku Express Plus.