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Pros
- Inexpensive.
- Lots of streaming services.
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Cons
- Remote needs direct line of sight with the streamer.
- No 4K.
Roku Express (2019) Specs
| HDR | No |
| Platform | Roku OS |
| Resolution | 1080p |
| Voice Assistant | None |
4K is the standard resolution for most TVs at this point, which means it's the standard resolution for media streamers as well. The vast majority of streaming devices support 4K, which can be overkill if you still have a 1080p TV. The new Roku Express is one of the few media streamers left that maxes out at 1080p. It sits at the bottom of Roku's 2019 device ladder, but at just $29.99, it's an accessible, functional media hub that has just enough power to add Netflix and other streaming services to your old television. Still, for $10 more, the 1080p Amazon Fire TV Stick has a voice remote with Amazon Alexa, and doesn't need line of sight with the streamer to work, which is why it keeps our Editors' Choice for affordable media streamers.
Design
The new Roku Express is a downright puny media streamer, measuring just 0.7 by 2.8 by 1.5 inches (HWD). It features a flat, glossy black plastic face on the front that hides the infrared sensor for the remote, with a curved, matte black plastic shell that runs across the top. The back panel holds an HDMI port (a two-foot cable is included), a micro USB port for power (a four-foot cable and wall adapter are included), and a pinhole reset button.
At just 1.3 ounces, the weight of the cables could be enough to make the Roku Express dance around in front of your TV. Fortunately, Roku includes a strip of double-sided adhesive that can secure the Express in place in front of your TV, facing forward and ready to accept the included remote's commands.
The remote is very plain and very Roku, a slightly rounded matte black plastic wand with the company's signature prominent purple plus-shaped control pad near the top. Home and Back buttons sit above the control pad, while Option, Replay, and playback control buttons sit below it. Dedicated service buttons for ESPN+, Hulu, Netflix, and Sling TV sit further below the playback controls.
Since this is an infrared remote, you need to point it directly at the Roku Express for it to work. The free Android and iOS Roku app lets you turn your phone into a wireless remote that doesn't need line of sight, and enables voice search. The Amazon Fire TV Stick pulls ahead here with its Alexa Voice Remote, which doesn't require line of sight and includes a pinhole microphone for using Amazon Alexa without your phone.
Roku Channels
As a Roku streamer, the Express can access all of the various streaming apps and services available on any other Roku media hub or Roku TV. That includes most of the major names in video streaming including Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube (Twitch is curiously absent). Music streaming is also represented with Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify. And, if you have more specific or unusual entertainment tastes, Roku has thousands of different channels (its term for apps) across different networks, genres, regions, and subjects.
Of course, all of these are limited to 1080p on the Roku Express. The budget streamer is the only model Roku currently offers (not including the Walmart-exclusive $39.99 Roku Express+, which is simply a Roku Express with a wireless voice remote instead of an infrared remote) that doesn't support 4K. That means no streaming 4K content in any form, and if you hook it up to a 4K TV, you'll have to rely on the TV's upconversion for anything you watch.
The Roku Express works very well for what it is. It's quick to switch between apps and navigate menus, and 1080p video streams rapidly, even though the device only supports single-band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and not the faster 5GHz band.
Inexpensive 1080p Streaming
The Roku Express is one of the least expensive big-name media streamers you can buy. For just $30, you get very capable, no-frills 1080p streaming from a massive selection of apps and services. However, the $40 Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote has a much better remote and the power of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, which is well worth the extra $10 and why it keeps our Editors' Choice for 1080p media streamer. That said, if you have a 4K TV, you should seriously consider upgrading to a Roku Premiere or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for just a few dollars more. If you have a guest room, garage, or basement with an old TV and no streaming services, though, the Roku Express is the most affordable way to breathe new life into it.
Roku Express (2019) Specs
| Resolution | 1080p |
| HDR | No |
| Platform | Roku OS |
| Voice Assistant | None |
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