Is the Roku Ultra worth the higher price compared to other Roku players?

0 votes
by (120 points)
I am thinking of upgrading my streaming device. I would like to know if the Roku Ultra justifies the additional expense in comparison to other Roku players.

1 Answer

0 votes
by (3.8k points)
Roku Ultra comes with a price tag of $99 which is almost double what other Roku players cost. The enhanced remote is what you pay for, which has features like backlit keys, an extended battery life, and a customizable shortcut button. If these characteristics appeal to you and the ease of use is something you deem necessary, then indeed the Roku Ultra would be worth its high cost. Otherwise, there exist other cheaper models of ruku that would perform similar streaming functions.
by (100 points)
Reviewers always fail to mention the Ultra is the only Roku device that has an Ethernet jack. All my (5) TV locations are wired and all five use an Ultra. Why use wi-fi when I don't want to and don't have to? That's why I bought Ultras. Very few streamers on the market support a wired connection. I've used Ultras for many years and have no complaints.
by (100 points)
They need as much power as possible, the last 4k roku's still overload when watching too much content for too long.
by (100 points)
Roku has always had a better upgrade, so I buy the new model when it comes out. WiFi 6 is nice, but no wireless is ever as solid, reliable and secure as direct ethernet connections. Not even a comparison.  I like the 30 percent faster processor, and I do not understand why people, at least a majority of us, wouldn't notice the speed increase. That is very important to have any increase in speed, especially 30 percent. And I have definitely noticed the speed increase in each new model. Personally, they should include more RAM system memory, and hopefully that will happen, but I digress. The minimum should be 8 GB of system RAM memory. A factor of better cooling should also continue to get better, because that always has been the issue with streaming boxes, external connections and mini-PCs. I like they are upgrading the remote. Although the rechargeable Pro remote is advantageous, there are a couple of random hickups that I hope the new remote will fix and address.  I adamantly disagree WiFi 6 is the best feature, because true reliability and secure enthusiasts, which should be all of us, only care about Ethernet direct connections. And a faster processor is the most important, along with the upgraded Pro remote with the new streaming model. Bigger internal storage is also nice, as well as the USB connection for the streaming files on the USB external storage sticks and drives. I use that feature a lot. They need to upgrade that to USB-C for faster overall speed from external USB devices, but I digress. My biggest gripe with Roku Media Player software playing video files from the USB external devices is not being able to select subtitle files for the appropriate movie file. The only way alternatively is to use a software program, or similar, called Handbrake to "burn-in" the subtitles to the video file directly, especially when it is a foreign language and you need the English subtitle. The only down side is you then have it permanently on the video file on screen and do not have the choice to turn the subtitles on and off. This probably isn't a huge problem since foreign non-English speaking movies need subtitles anyway. My point is we should have the choice in Roku Media Player to manually select the subtitles file from the file directory it is in for that particular movie file. Update: the biggest downside is, you guessed it: the new model has A.I. and machine learning, which uses prediction in what to watch next, and your streaming likes and views. I hate this. AI should have never been created, for obvious reasons, and the consumer never got a vote on it. You have no control over your privacy and data, and what gets shared and used with AI. This is wrong. It is why I am not upgrading my phone, graphics card and computer motherboard until we can be guaranteed the choice. I think this new Roku box is better, but not because of the AI. I am on the fence on buying it at all now.
by (100 points)
No 1 gig ethernet...extra speed will likely go unnoticed. Wifi upgrade is good.

Very minor updates from the 2020 Ultra
by (100 points)
It is worth it should we buy it
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