Description. The new Roku Ultra model is identical in form to the Roku Ultra (2018) model. The only notable difference between the two is that the remote for the newer model has two programmable shortcut buttons. The Roku Ultra has a remote finder button and of course, the familiar purple Roku tag is hanging off one side. It has an HDMI out, a microSD card slot for expanding its built in memory, a USB port and a wired Ethernet port for connecting to a home network. The model we tested has dedicated buttons for accessing Netflix, Hulu, Sling and ESPN+ though streaming service buttons may vary depending on where you purchase the player. It also has a standard headphone mini-jack. The Roku Ultra remote also has a built-in speaker, which is used for their lost remote finder feature.
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up, though it requires you to register the device using a computer or mobile device. All the connections are well labeled, so you can easily see where to connect the HDMI and other cables. It has an onscreen guide that automatically scans for available Wi-Fi networks, but it does not support WPS connection, which is a faster connection that does not require you to enter a password. There is also a video tutorial, which explains how to use some of the advanced features.
Ease of use. The Roku Ultra is easy for everyday use:
Interface. The main home screen uses graphic tiles for all the available apps and content, and it can be customized for easier access to your favorite apps. It has a search function that will search several of the available video streaming services for content. Search results are unbiased based on service provider and are instead listed in price order. It also has a responsive voice search function, which is more convenient than typing in search terms with the on screen keyboard. We found this Roku to be responsive, which allowed quick navigation of the menus and content.
Remote control. The provided remote has an adequate number of buttons that are well sized and labeled, with high enough contrast that they can be seen in a dimly lit room. The remote does not need to be pointed directly at the Roku to control it. The remote has power, volume and mute buttons for controlling your connected TV. There are two programmable shortcut buttons on the remote labeled "1" and "2". These buttons are programmable using your voice to perform your most common commands. It also has a built in microphone and a dedicated voice search button. The remote also has a built in headphone jack. When headphones or earphones are plugged into the remote, the sound from the TV is cut off for private listening. You can also download an app that lets you use a phone or tablet to control the player, and use the device's keyboard to enter text. The app also lets you search for content and use the device's built in microphone to do voice searches, access channels directly without navigating the player's menu, and beam photos and music stored on the device to the player via its "Play on Roku" feature.
Picture quality. This player supports 4K UHD and HD output. In general we found the streaming picture quality to be excellent though some slight banding and color contouring was noticed. Streaming quality is very similar to what we see with streaming content on the best UHD Smart TVs. This device also supports HDR10 playback. You will need a compatible TV to take advantage of UHD and HDR formats. The quality of the video you will get is largely dependent on the speed of your network and the picture quality of your television.
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI.
Connections. It has an excellent number of connections, including one HDMI output, an Ethernet port, DLNA support, a microSD card slot for memory expansion, and one USB port (that can be used with an external hard drive) so you can play images, videos, and music. However, in our test, we found that 4k photos were not displayed in full resolution. It supports the Wi-Fi standards up to 802.11ac, which supports dual-band 5GHz networks, and the remote has a headphone jack. It supports "casting," which allows you to use your phone or mobile device to play and control videos on the Roku using supported apps (ex: Netflix, YouTube). 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. The Roku Ultra is compatible with smart speakers that support Alexa and Google Assistant. The player also comes with a pair of earbud headphones.
