Streaming With Roku Plus Series TV

Mar 29, 2024

The Plus Series TV Is Meant For Streaming

Of the three streaming TV interfaces in our home – Roku, Amazon and Google – my wife and I prefer the one from Roku. They are all fantastic, mind you. But Roku’s is laid out nicely, cleanly and intuitively to the way we both think and function. That said, our six-year-old Roku TV was getting slow – it was a sheer crawl when we would try and load up apps, such as YouTube TV or Netflix. No matter how much we upgraded the software, it just couldn’t keep up with the speed of our other streaming televisions. So we ordered a new Roku – the 65-inch Plus Series model with 4K HDR QLED. It also features Dolby Audio and Atmos sound, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and other upgraded features. And this one comes with a remote showcasing a wide range of voice capability.

Our main priorities were that the picture looked good and the controls functioned quickly. The first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be – with the legs, this weighs just 37.6 pounds. So moving it from the box was a cinch. Next thing that caught my attention was how after you power it on and supply your Roku ID and password, it takes control and guides you through the apps you want on your main menu and some other preferences. All I had to do was sit back and check off the items I wanted from the comfort of my chair. Not once did I need to go into settings – a welcome relief.

And it works fast and fluidly. The picture is nice and vibrant, crystal clear and pretty much as bright as I want it to be. As the marketing material reads: “Enjoy HDR10+ color, Dolby Vision, and a 4K picture that pops off the screen.” I concur. The sound is a lot better than on the previous model, as well. Overall – and as anyone would expect – it’s just a much more pleasant viewing experience than on the six-year-old model.

But what really impresses me with this model is how it’s made for streaming services. It needs to be fast, so that the likes of YouTube TV, Pluto and Amazon Prime can fly without hiccuping. I always felt the previous TV was more geared for a cable box connection. Yet as much as this is streaming-oriented, I can still connect my old DVD player through a yellow, red and white cable – which is honestly something I haven’t seen in quite a while. But I love that option.

As it turns out, Roku has really expanded its own free live TV offerings. This is an awesome thing because many of the channels are actually useful to us. And it may come in handy soon, because we are in the midst of stream-cutting -- as all of the services have jacked up their prices. I’m probably going back to my old antenna along with the all-new Tablo TV – which has an app on Roku – so I can record and watch our favorite prime time shows and local news. But I’m likely waiting until after football season to do that. My one wish with the Roku TV: Please offer an internet browser like Amazon does on its Fire TVs. I use that feature often.

Regardless, I can see the Roku taking viewers well into the future with its features and ease of use.