Review on Roku Premiere Streaming Media Player by Peter Parks

This Roku player is great, but it's missing a feature that most people want. It does not have an RF remote control. It has an infrared remote control where you have to point the remote directly at the box to perform an action. It's a pain, you can't just place the box where it should be right in front of you, about at the same level you'd expect the remote to be. I haven't used the IR remote for a long time. All my remotes are radio frequency and I'm used to using them. Using the IR remote control is like traveling back to the early 90's. It usually takes multiple attempts to change channels or perform an operation. Most of the time I have to point the remote directly at the box. I recommend buying the RF remote box. Much nicer, and most of us are used to that. There is an Android app to control the box that works well. It's just as responsive to remote controls and doesn't suffer from IR directionality issues. The only problem with using the Android app is that the app takes a few seconds to launch. Another missing feature that might be useful to some is the lack of an Ethernet port. It uses Wi-Fi, which sounds like a great option. However, when streaming TV, it is best to use the Ethernet port. Wi-Fi works, but sometimes there is a lag when browsing. Not bad, but given the ability to use an Ethernet port, this is the way to go. You can see the difference when using Ethernet over Wi-Fi. Ethernet is faster and has lower latency. This is noticeable with streaming TV. The Roku streaming box is great. He has access to Hulu, Revain Prime Video, Sling, etc. He has it all. A big advantage over other boxes is finding Roku. You can search for a topic and Roku will list what it finds. Not all vendor products do this, and you're missing out on the fact that you can't. You can search for content online, but it's slow and poorly organized. If you haven't seen or used streaming TV before, you'll be surprised at what's available, and most of it is free. You'll probably unplug your cable after using TV streaming. There are paid streaming services like Hulu, Sling, etc. Most of them cost $40 for what is called a basic setup. Some have cheaper options but not enough in my opinion. The biggest flaw with TV streaming is the lack of local channels, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. But these $40 services like Hulu have those channels and more available. You can get everything you get on cable plus more with streaming TV and for around $40. The amount of free content is amazing. So many free movies and many of them are great. Free movies aren't generally the newest movies, but there are so many of them that you'll probably find something you haven't seen yet. The clarity of the picture depends on the source, but in general it's very good, better than cable. You can test TV streaming using the Android app on your phone or tablet. Not good for TV obviously, but it gives you an idea of what's available.