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Roku Express / Express Plus / Express+ (3900, 2017)

Roku Express / Express Plus / Express+ (3900, 2017)

136 reviews

Dec, 2024

Positive
usability (93)
price (48)
software (4)
image quality (2)
size (2)

Negative
reliability (5)
sound (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 136 reviews of Roku Express / Express Plus / Express+ (3900, 2017). The average rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average rating of 4.2/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. People really like the image quality and software. The price and usability are also appreciated. Views about the size and design are mixed, and the sound and reliability get critical comments.

usability, price, software, image quality

reliability, sound

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Roku Express / Express Plus / Express+ (3900, 2017) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 93/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 136 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(61% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (29% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (5% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (1% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (4% of reviews)
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Features

usability
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price
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reliability
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software
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remote control
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Showing 132 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 10 of 132 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (3)

Expert review by : Nick Hastings (digitaltrends.com)

Roku Express review

Dollar for dollar, there's no better streamer than the Roku Express.

Easy to set up and use ; Excellent companion/smartphone app ; Roku OS rocks ; Comprehensive search function ; Huge channel library

No Ethernet port; restricted to Wi-Fi ; Some input lag ; No 4K/HDR support

Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, there’s no better streamer than the Roku Express. Despite a few minor technical deficiencies, the Express holds significant value by virtue of the excellent Roku ecosystem.

May, 2017

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Expert review by (engadget.com)

Roku's $30 Express player is more intriguing than its high-end Ultra

The Roku Ultra is the company's fastest streaming player yet, and it throws in just about every feature you can imagine. The only major downside is that Roku's $100 Premiere+ includes most of the capabilities you'd actually need.

It's only $30! ; 1080p content looks great ; Small and easy to set up

A bit slow ; IR remote can be inconvenient ; Interface is dated

If there's one thing we can take away from Roku's lineup this year, it's that you don't have to spend much to get a good streaming player. The $30 Express completely redefines what a set-top box can be, and it's hard to imagine how Roku can drive down...

Nov, 2016

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Expert review by : David Katzmaier (cnet.com)

Roku Express: Dirt cheap and plenty fast

It might not have all the fanciest features, but the ultra-affordable Roku Express is still a great choice if you value simplicity and quick-enough load times.

The Roku Express is ultra-affordable, easy to use and packed with streaming apps. Unlike last year, it loads menus, apps and videos quickly.

The menus can seem dated compared to rivals, and some apps use old-school layouts.

Quick, simple and less expensive than the competition, the Roku Express is the perfect basic streamer.

May, 2018

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Expert review by : David Katzmaier (cnet.com)

The best way to get Netflix, YouTube and more onto an old TV

Are you or someone you know still hanging onto that old-school TV that doesn't have an HDMI input? If you want to stream video to it, the best solution is the Roku Express Plus.

The Roku Express Plus is one of the only ways to add Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube and more to an old TV. It's ultra-affordable, easy to use and packed with streaming apps.

Since there's no wired Ethernet option, it needs a solid Wi-Fi signal to work properly.

If you want to stream video to an old TV, your best (and pretty much only) option is the Roku Express Plus.

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : David Katzmaier (cnet.com)

Roku Express is cheap, but too slow to be a great value

The Express costs just $30 and offers all of the apps, simplicity and capabilities we love about Roku. But you should really spend a few bucks more to get a faster version.

The Roku Express is cheap, easy to use and loaded with streaming apps.

It's slower, especially with Netflix, than alternatives that cost just a few bucks more.

The Express delivers everything good about Roku for a rock-bottom price, but it's worth spending a bit extra on a faster streamer.

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by : David Katzmaier (cnet.com)

Roku Express+ review: Stream Netflix and more to old TVs for just $40

The tiny Roku Express+ can infuse older analog-only TVs with Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Hulu and other modern streaming apps for an inexpensive price.

The Roku Express+ has an analog audio/video output, allowing it to connect to older TVs. It's cheap, easy to use and loaded with streaming apps, including the latest version of Netflix.

It's slower, especially with Netflix, than other HDMI-only devices that cost just a few bucks more.

With its affordable price, analog video capability and access to Roku's best-in-class platform, the Express+ is a no-brainer buy for people who want to bring streaming video to an older TV.

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by : David Katzmaier (cnet.com)

Roku Express review

Last year's best-selling TV streaming device was the $35 Google Chromecast . This year, Roku really wants to take back that crown with the Roku Express, an entry-level streamer with an asking price that's $5 less.

The Roku Express is cheap, easy to use and loaded with streaming apps.

It's slower, especially with Netflix, than alternatives that cost just a few bucks more.

The Express delivers everything good about Roku for a rock-bottom price, but it's worth spending a bit extra on a faster streamer.

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by : Will Greenwald (pcmag.com)

Roku Express+

The Roku Express+ is an inexpensive media streamer that brings connectivity to older TVs that lack an HDMI port.

Composite video output. Affordable. Lots of streaming media services and apps.

Sluggish navigation. Unnecessary if you have a television with an HDMI port.

Performance and Conclusions I connected the Roku Express+ to a test television using the included composite video cable, and it sent a 480p widescreen picture to the screen without issue (outside of the artifacts, interference, and general fuzziness I...

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by : Will Greenwald (pcmag.com)

Roku Express

The Express is Roku's least expensive media streamer yet, though its low price comes at the cost of performance. But for $30, it's pretty impressive.

Inexpensive. Lots of streaming media services and apps thanks to the Roku Channel Store. Private listening with the Roku app.

Choppy, sluggish menu navigation. Infrared remote requires line of sight.

Performance and Conclusions The Express handles video playback through different services quite capably, but with less power than the Roku Streaming Stick or the Roku Premiere. In my side-by-side testing, menus stuttered and hiccuped regularly while...

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by : Jared Newman (techhive.com)

Roku Express review: Cheap, decent, and probably still not the streaming box for you

The new Roku Express is a much faster streaming box than its predecessor, but the best Roku doesn't cost much more.

Performance is much improved over last year's Express ; Has nearly all the same software features as pricier Roku players ; Still the cheapest streaming player on the market

Remote requires line-of-sight to the box ; Single-band 802.11n Wi-Fi could be troublesome in areas with weak reception ; No TV or voice controls on the remote like other Roku models

Given that the software experience holds up even on budget hardware, there are a couple scenarios where the Roku Express makes more sense than pricier models. The Express is now the only Roku model that works directly with infrared-based universal...

Nov, 2017