Description. This thumb-drive sized media player from Roku plugs unobtrusively into an HDMI port of your TV. It has an HDMI jack at one end and a mini-USB jack--used for power only. You can power it by plugging the provided USB cable into a nearby USB port (presumably on the TV itself), or using the provided wall adapter. It also comes with a USB in-line wireless receiver. The Roku Streaming Stick+ comes with a relatively simple remote that operates via Wi-Fi Direct rather than infrared (IR). It includes dedicated content buttons for Netflix, hulu, Sling and Sony Playstation Vue
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up thank to its onscreen setup guide, but it is one of the few models that require you to register the device separately using a computer or device with a Web browser. After registering the device, the player automatically scans for available Wi-Fi networks. We found updating the player's firmware was easy thanks to automatic prompts.
Ease of use. For everyday use the stick is generally easy to use:
Interface. The main home screen uses graphic tiles for all the available apps and content, which can be customized so favorite apps are easier to access. It also has a search function that will search the video streaming services for content.
Remote control. The provided remote is simple, with few buttons. The buttons' size and labeling is good, with high enough contrast that they can still be seen in a room with low light conditions. However, some buttons use non-standard icons, so it may take a while to get used to their functions. The remote doesn't require line of sight to control the stick. You can download an iOS, Android, Windows, or Fire OS app that lets you use a phone or tablet to control the player, and use the device's QWERTY keyboard to enter text, making it easier to enter passwords. The app also lets you search for content and use the device's built in mic to do voice searches, access channels directly without navigating the player's menu, and beam photos and music (video can only be beamed via an iOS devices) stored on the device to the player via its "Play on Roku" feature.
Picture quality. This player supports 4K UHD and 1080p output. In general we found the streaming picture quality to be excellent, better than DVDs but not quite as sharp or detailed as from a UHD Blu-ray disc. Though, we did notice that the black levels are a bit lower than they should be, which will hide deep shadow detail. However, the quality of the video you'll get is largely dependent on the speed of your wired or wireless network. Since this player has no Ethernet port we had to test it using a wireless connection.
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI output, but it also requires that your TV will pass through the digital signal, or you can plug it into your A/V receiver.
Connections. Given its design, this player has a limited number of connections. It has an HDMI output, and has dual-band Wi-Fi, but no Ethernet jack. It lacks a USB or memory card slot, but does support DLNA, so you can play pictures, videos or music stored on other DLNA enabled devices connected to the same network. It supports "casting" which allows you to load content from YouTube and Netflix onto the player and control the video from the app on your mobile device. It also supports screen mirroring so you can mirror the screen of any Android, Fire OS, or Windows device on to your TV via the player.
Miscellaneous. Nothing significant.
