However, it’s rare that my girlfriend and I won’t be watching the same show, so I didn’t find much use for this. It’s a great way to catch up on a TV show or movie without disturbing the rest of your house. This means you can plug headphones into the controller and listen to the audio of whatever you’re watching on TV.

The most interesting thing about the remote control is that it comes with a 3.5mm audio jack. If you turn it sideways, you can use the ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons and arrow keys like a game controller too. There are also direct-to-app buttons for Netflix, Rdio, YouTube, and the Google Play store. It’s a fairly standard controller it’s small, has the usual directional and ‘OK’ buttons, plus ‘back’ and ‘home’. The Roku 3 comes with its own remote control – it takes two AA batteries, and is yet to die on me. You can plug in local content using the USB or microSD ports, and a supplied HDMI cable connects the Roku to your television. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi connections too. There’s an ethernet port (no cable supplied). It’s a breath of fresh air when compared to heftier broadcaster boxes like YouView or Sky’s +/HD/Q players.Ī single cable plugs directly from the Roku 3 to the mains for power. It’s about the same size as five drink coasters stacked on top of each other, and has shiny, black casing that looks great just about anywhere. One of the best things about the Roku 3 is its tiny form factor. Related: Netflix vs Amazon Video Roku 3 – Design and Setup I’ve used the Roku 3 for around three months now, and it’s quickly become my favourite way to watch TV. But it has rivals aplenty: Google Chromecast 2, Amazon Fire TV, and a raft of boxes from the likes of Sky, Virgin, and BT, all gunning for the limited space beneath your TV.

What gives, Roku?Īnyway, Roku is one of the more versatile players on the market, supporting over 1,700 streaming channels in the UK. Roku launched the more advanced Roku 4 in the US last October, but that’s still unavailable in the UK, with no word on a release. The Roku 3 is the company’s third-generation player and it’s currently the best model available to buy here in Britain. It’s well deserving of a place under your TV. Roku isn’t quite a household name in the UK, but you shouldn’t count this US-based company out.

Universal media server reviews roku